Judge & Jury

"You know what I say to you, Monica?" He brushed back his long blond hair."I say, I'm glad you liked it, Monica. All our fun and games so far. But now it's your turn to do something for me. Something a little more serious. Something… more pleasurable."

Chapter 56

"YOU WORK AT the federal courthouse?"

He still had his strong fingers dug into her throat. Monica could barely suck enough air into her lungs to breathe."Yes." She managed a single word.

"Good answer." Karl nodded. He relaxed his grip a little."You've been there awhile now, yes? I bet you know everybody. All the other fat cows? All the security perso

She nodded, her lungs about to explode.Yes, she knew them. She saw them every morning and afternoon. One of them, Pablo, always kidded her because she liked Mike Piazza and the Mets, and so did he.

"Good girl," Karl said again, allowing her to take a needed gulp of air."People trust you, don't they, Monica? You never miss a day at work. You take care of your mother in your little house in Queens. It must be lonely coming home every day, making her din-din, checking her oxygen. Taking the poor woman to the doctor."

Why was he saying this? How did he know everything about her?

With his free hand, Karl reached into the drawer of the bed table and removed something.What?

A photograph! He flipped it in front of Monica's eyes. An alarm bell went off in her. It was her mother! Outside their home in Queens. Monica was helping her down the stairs in her walker. What was going on?

"Emphysema?" Karl nodded sympathetically."Poor lady, barely able to breathe. What a shame, if she had no one to take care of her." His thumb dug into her throat again. Shock waves ran down her spine.

"What do you want from me?" Monica gagged, feeling as if her chest was about to explode.

"You work in the courthouse." His blue eyes gleamed."I need to get something inside. This will be easy for you. As you Americans say-a piece of cake!"

Suddenly Monica saw what this was about. What a ridiculous fool she'd been to even think he was interested in her."I can't. There's security."

"Of course there's security." Karl smiled. He clamped his fingers on her throat again."That's why we have you, Monica."

Chapter 57

ANDIE LOOKED NOTHING short of terrific as she opened her apartment door for me. She had on a zippered red sweater and a pair of faded jeans. Her hair was tied back in a brooch, with a few loose curls dangling down her cheeks. Her eyes were dazzling-and looked pleased to see me. I felt the same way about her.

"Smells like I remember," I said, inhaling a whiff of shellfish with tomatoes and saffron. The paella that was going to take me to heaven.

"At least I won't have to catch you sneaking around outside," Andie said with a smile.

"How aboutstakeout? That sounds a little better," I said, holding out a Spanish Rioja.

"You're stakingme out? Why?"

"Well, maybe that's what I'm here to talk about."

"Do tell," said Andie, batting her eyelashes and gri

I'm sure I just stood there for a second, recalling how she had looked to me in the jury box during the trial, with that crazy T-shirt on, before any of this happened. Our eyes had met a few times back then. I thought we were both aware of it. There had definitely been one or two averted stares.

"I have some appetizers under the broiler. Make yourself at home."

I stepped into the small, nicely decorated living room as Andie ducked back into the kitchen. She had a yellow paisley fabric couch and a coffee table withArchitectural Digest andInStyle on it. A creased paperback,The Other Boleyn Girl. I recognized the jazz she had on. Coltrane. I went over to the bookshelf and picked up the CD.A Love Supreme.

"Nice," I said."I used to play a little sax.Long time ago."

"What?" she called from the kitchen."Like in the fifties?"

I came over and took a seat at the counter."Very fu

She slid a platter of cheese puffs and empanadas across the counter."Here, I went all out."

I grabbed a cheese puff with a toothpick."Tasty." She poured me a glass of Pinot Grigio from an open bottle and sat across from me.

She had a fresh, blossomy scent-lavender or apricot or something. Whatever this was-di

She smiled."So, uh, thisis just a little bit awkward, isn't it?"

"I left the car ru

"In case it got weird?"

"In case I didn't like your paella."

Andie laughed."Bring it on," she said, and tilted her glass."So I guess this is good news, right?"

"That's right." We clinked glasses."Cavello is going down this time." Suddenly, talking about my meeting with the gangster didn't exactly seem like the thing to do. All we ever had between us was that awful trial. There was a lull. We both took another sip of wine. Andie smiled and let me off the hook.

"We don't have to talk about it. We can talk about your class. Or what's going on in Iraq. Or, God forbid, the Yankees."

Over di

Afterward, I helped her clean up, stacking dishes in the sink until she made me stop, insisting she'd finish the rest later. She put on a pot of coffee.

Andie's back was to me. We were talking about her acting, when I noticed a photo on the counter. Her and her son. She had her arm wrapped around his neck, smiles everywhere. Love. They looked like the happiest mother and son.

When I looked up, Andie was facing me."Don't take offense, Nick. But why do you keep coming around here? What is it you want to say?"

I was at a loss."I don't know."

"You want to say it hurts? I know it hurts." Her eyes were glistening now."You want to say you wish you could've done something?"

"I don't know what I want to say, Andie. But I know I wanted to come and see you."

And I wanted to just reach out and hold her, too. I don't think I ever wanted to take someone in my arms as much as I wanted her. And I think, maybe, she wanted it, too. She was just leaning there, palms against the counter.

Finally, Andie smiled."Car's still ru

I nodded. In the past minute or so, the temperature had risen about a hundred degrees in the kitchen."Don't take this wrong, but I think I'm go

"Hey." Andie sighed."Whatever."

I found my jacket on the chair where I'd left it, and Andie walked me to the door."Everything was great," I said,"as advertised." I took her hand and held it for a second.

"It's because I feel good around you. That's why I came. You make me laugh. No one's made me laugh in months."

"You know, you've got a nice smile, Nick, when you let it out. Anyone ever tell you that?"

I turned to leave."Not in a while."

She closed the door behind me. There was a part of me that wanted to say,screwit, Nick, and turn around. And I knew if I did, she would still be there. I could almost feel her standing on the other side of the door.

Then I heard Andie's voice."What's done is done, Nick. You can't make the world come out right just because you want it that way."

I turned and pressed my palm against the door."I can try."