Bree took another gulp, then decided it wasn’t such a great idea to consume an amount of alcohol that would loosen her lips. “I didn’t have much experience with Simon Huffington as top judge, but I don’t have any complaints about”—she searched her mind for what Eric had just called Tess because she didn’t wantto sound too familiar or too formal either, then remembered—“our new leader.”
“I wonder how many presiding judges Helene has dealt with in her career as the court’s executive officer. I bet it’s quite a few. She must be pushing retirement age too,” Eric said.
“She’s a widow, and I’ve heard that her husband left her well fixed. But maybe she isn’t ready for the huge shift that retirement would bring to a solo life,” Callie replied. “I can relate.”
“So, Bree, I know you were a criminal defense lawyer before your appointment. Did you enjoy it?” Alan asked.
“I did. It was challenging—in a good way—and I learned a lot through the years,” Bree replied.
“What brought you up here?” Vera asked. “Instead of staying in LA?”
Bree thought about what she was willing to reveal. “So many things. A change of scenery. I wanted to live closer to family. And I couldn’t resist the chance for a shift in career focus.”
“You landed an upgrade in status, but I bet it was a drop in income,” Vera replied.
“I’m managing, and I’m enjoying the change from the purely defense side of things. Not that a good defense isn’t everybody’s right, but going into court without the agenda I’ve had for so many years is nice.” The others all nodded at Bree. “So how is it having to run for reelection every six years in order to keep your job?”
“Not a whole lot of competition. Short of a personal scandal that makes the press, people tend to keep reelecting us.” Alan chuckled. “Just keep your nose clean…or don’t get caught.”
“Any scandals?” Bree would love to have something to give to Ned to close this whole complaint investigation down, or at least move it to something actionable.
Eric and Vera looked at each other, and Alan looked away.Callie finally replied, “A few years ago we had a colleague who was inappropriate with several of the female staff attorneys. Sexual innuendos, even some issues with inappropriate touching.”
“What happened to him?” Bree asked.
“Her,” Callie replied. “She denied it when the accusations came to light, then decided to take early retirement. End of story.”
“I guess that could happen in any profession.” Bree watched as the others nodded.
Eric pushed his empty glass away. “Everyone sober enough to drive? It’s time for me to go home. I just got a text and Lil’s on her way. I’m going to go make a pit stop and then head out front. I’ll see you all later.” He left.
“My brother’s going to collect me,” Bree said, texting Hank as she spoke. “My car’s in the shop until tomorrow.”
They all made their farewells, and then Bree headed outside to wait for Hank. The parking lot was poorly lit except for the area right in front of the tavern, so she waited for Hank there. A few groups of people exited past Bree, and there were people moving around in the dark. She could only make out the shapes of people in the darkened lot as she listened to the sounds of talking, laughter, car doors, and engine noise.
She was resting back against the front of the building, reading a text from Gabby about her plans to surf tomorrow, when she suddenly heard a familiar deep raspy voice with a Southern accent floating in from out to the left in the parking lot.
Bree came to full alert. There was a potted tree obstructing her view and it was too dark to distinguish faces, but she could make out two people standing by a large truck. As she strained to see, it appeared that one of the silhouettes handed the other one a bag about the size of the one she’d been offered at the café. She tried to shift forward for a better view without becoming tooobvious when the two shapes separated. One drove away in the truck and the other in a sedan. Even in the moment when the truck’s interior light had been on, the angle hadn’t offered Bree additional information, and the truck had blocked her view of the sedan. It was over before it dawned on her that she should have pulled out her phone and captured what she could with the camera.
While Bree continued to wait for Hank, she decided she should at least message Ned detailing what she’d witnessed—nothing significantly helpful because she had no IDs and the tavern had been serving multiple courthouse employees tonight. But it seemed this was possibly further confirmation that she’d stepped into a work world where something corrupt was going on.Fuck.
“I take it you’ve finished with your Monday courtroom obligations, and now you have something monumental to impart.” Tess had been very busy and hadn’t seen Bree except for a short hallway encounter since the Maria’s Café evening. She’d managed to keep their chat to business and spent the rest of last week solidifying her commitment to maintaining a professional wall between Bree and her heart. But that wall stood stronger when Bree wasn’t standing in front of her.
Bree clearly read her mood and offered her that way too sexy smile. “And I take it that means no twerking in the courthouse.”
Tess cleared her throat and swallowed so she wouldn’t smile back. “What do you need, Judge O’Brian?”
Bree sobered before she answered. “After work on Friday, Vera arranged a get-together at the Grand Tavern.” Jealousy surged and Tess chastised herself, but Bree had noticed the flashof pique. “Is that a problem?”
“Do you know that Vera is one of us?” Tess said.
“A judge?”
“That too, but I meant a lesbian.” Tess struggled to keep her demeanor indifferent. “It’s none of my business. Sorry.”
“It wasn’t a date, Tess.”
“It was a meeting, then?” Tess asked. Bree rolled her eyes, and Tess knew she was the one taking this encounter off track. “Okay. A meeting that concerns me because…?”
