I felt something shift in me. A week was too long. My brother needed to be out now. Every day he spent in that prison increased the risk of retaliation.
"Your Honor," I said, keeping my voice steady, "I need to speak with you privately for a moment. And I think you'll want this conversation without anyone else present. It's a personal question about something that concerns you directly."
The judge looked at me, and I could see the calculation happening behind his eyes. He knew what I was implying. He knew I had something.
"And our lawyer," I added, nodding at Tyree.
Tyree looked confused, but he stood up. The judge was already getting to his feet.
"Come with me," the judge said.
I stood up slowly. Before I left, Tatti caught my eye and winked at me. She knew exactly what was about to happen.
She was about to get to work and get the information we needed. Everybody had dirt. Now, we were about to see how dirty this judge was.
We stepped into the hallway outside the judge's chambers. The corridor was relatively empty - just a few court officers and administrative staff moving between offices. The judge pulled me a few doors down, away from his secretary's view.
"What's this about?" he asked, his voice lower now. There was an edge to it. He was nervous.
I looked him directly in the eye.
"Your Honor, I'm going to be very straightforward with you," I said quietly. "I have resources. I have people who know things. I have the ability to dig into your background, your finances, your history, your personal life. And if my brother stays in that prison, if he doesn't get released within forty-eight hours, I will use those resources. And not only that, I’m thinking about how many millions I can get for a wrongful imprisonment lawsuit on my brother’s behalf. So many things have been done out of order here, I want to personally extend to you a chance to make it right.”
The judge's face went pale.
"I'm not threatening you in no way," I continued, my voice calm but deadly serious. "I'm just telling you what's going to happen. If you don't want your deepest buried secrets uncovered, if you don't want your personal life examined and exposed, then please do the right thing. Because I won't hesitate to dig up any dirt that I can find. And from what I've heard, there's plenty to find."
The judge swallowed hard. His jaw clenched.
"That's blackmail. Be real careful here Mr. Carter. I don’t think this is a wise thing to do.” he said, but his voice was weak.
"No," I said calmly. "Blackmail is threatening to expose something in exchange for something. I'm not asking you for anything except what the law already requires. I'm asking you to do your job. To release my brother based on the weakness of the case against him. And I'm simply informing you that if you don't, I will pursue other investigations into your background and other legal avenues."
I stepped closer, making sure only he could hear me.
"You have forty-eight hours to file a motion for bail review based on insufficient evidence and changed circumstances. You have forty-eight hours to expedite this case and get my brother out. Because if you don't, I'm going to have to make good on my word. Every trip you've taken. Every person you've met with. And I have a feeling they're going to find something very interesting."
The judge's hands were shaking slightly.
"You're a smart man, Your Honor," I said, straightening up slightly. "You understand what I'm saying. I'm not asking you to break the law. I'm asking you to uphold it. And I'm asking you to do it fast. Because if you don't, I will make it my life's mission to be the man you’ll never forget walked into your office.”
I paused, letting that sink in.
"Forty-eight hours," I said simply.
I turned and walked back toward the chambers before he could respond. When I walked back in, Tatti was sitting calmly in herchair, looking at a piece of paper from the judge's desk like she'd been reading it the whole time.
Tyree was standing near the door watching us the entire time, but couldn’t hear our conversation from where we’d walked to.
The judge followed me back in a moment later. He looked shaken. He looked like a man who'd just realized he had no choice.
"I'll expedite the review," he said, his voice unsteady. "I'll file the motion myself. Bail review hearing within seventy-two hours. Is that sufficient?"
"Forty-eight is better," I said coolly, sitting back down like nothing had happened. "But seventy-two works."
The judge nodded, sweat visible on his forehead now. He looked at Tatti, then back at me, and I could see the moment it hit him - he didn't know exactly what I knew, but he knew I knew something. He knew I had the ability to find out everything.
"I'll make some calls," he said. "We can accelerate this. Forty-eight hours. Bail review hearing in forty-eight hours."
