“T hanks for agreeing to see me, Judge .”

“My pleasure, Kelly.” He smiled, giving my hand a firm shake. “It’s your outstanding reputation that got you through the door. Not me .”

Nodding, we both took a seat. The chair was a firm leather, beautifully wrapped in gleaming polished wood. It matched his large desk and paneled walls. The whooshing sound of air conditioning came from the back corner and I could appreciate the respect that came from being inside his chambers .

“Giselle, my assistant,” I started, breaking the ice as I lowered myself into the seat, “told me you two crossed paths .”

His eyes crinkled with the patience and compassion Judge Smith was known for. He was a man who was honorable and known to be a good listener, but was also firm in making his decisions, never taking any action he decided on lightly .

“We did.” He threaded his fingers together and rested his hands on his large potbelly. “Intelligent woman she is.” His grin widened under his thick beard. “Attractive, too .”

“You’re right about all of those things,” I said as my eyes drifted to the cross of Jesus hanging on the wall behind him .

“I assume you’re here to discuss the plea deal for Mario Jimenez ?”

Bringing my eyes back to him, I nodded .

His gaze fell to his desk and I followed it, soon realizing that he had Mario’s case file already on his desk, waiting to be signed. There was little doubt in my mind that it was coincidence. He wanted me to see it, wanted to make me feel on edge, reminding me that he held the power when determining the fate of my client—not me .

I lifted my gaze back to him. “Thank you for holding off on signing it .”

His face hardened. “Tell me why I shouldn’t sign it right now .”

Rubbing my face, I gathered my thoughts. “Besides that I know he’s innocent ?”

“Facts, Counselor .”

Flicking my wrist to check the time, I asked, “How much time do you have ?”

“Not long, but I’m willing to listen to what you have to say.” He paused to pull his brows together. “As long as it’s good .”

Over the next several minutes I explained how Mario had come to be my client. What I discovered about his case, the holes I uncovered, and how just before he was going to speak out and reveal incriminating evidence about Blake Stone’s cocaine smuggling operation, he pleaded down. “Judge, the evidence against my client is circumstantial at best .”

Judge Smith stared down at his twiddling thumbs, mulling over everything I shared .

“The DA needs to put a face to the Maria Greer murder—” the Judge lifted his gaze and looked at me from under his deep brow, “—before conspiracies about what happened spread through the city making it impossible to put together an unbiased jury .”

He held up his hand, getting me to snap my mouth shut. “Counselor, I should warn you to be careful when accusing the district attorney of pressuring Mario into taking a plea .”

My grip tightened on the armrest, needing to direct my frustration somewhere other than the man I was speaking with. “Judge, that’s exactly what’s happening here .”

Shaking his head, he said, “If you continue down this path, it could lead to obstruction of justice .”

“That’s not my intention .”

“Nor did I say it was.” He leaned forward, bringing his elbows up onto his desk. “Look, Kelly, off the record — ”

My blood pumped through my veins as I fought to remain calm. Nodding, I urged him to continue, needing him to see what I saw .

“—I know you and Oscar have your differences. But I get the feeling that this is more than your usual school yard fight .”

My toes danced and my head was up. “I wouldn’t be here discussing it with you if I didn’t think something was off about this case .”

“Tell me, Counselor, who do you believe pressured Mario into pleading down if it wasn’t the DA ?”

Leaning forward, I rubbed my hands together. “I believe this is coming from Blake Stone himself .”

Judge Smith eyed me carefully before leaning back in his chair and exhaling a heavy sigh. “I know about your request to represent Stone .”

My head slowly tipped back. I shouldn’t have been surprised to learn that the judge knew about who my clients were, or about the ones I was seeking to represent. But, still, his admission rendered me speechless .

“Are you seeking him as a client?” His brow arched .

“That’s true. I am,” I said definitively. “But, as of now, he is not my client. It’s Mario Jimenez I came here to discuss .”

“Fair enough.” He turned his palms to the ceiling, nodding once. “And what is it you believe Mario has to say about Stone ?”

“Mario pleaded down before ever revealing anything. But I know he has something that would be beneficial in taking—” I stopped short of revealing my desire to help take down Stone. I was getting ahead of myself and I couldn’t escape the irony it presented .

The Judge angled his head to the side and gave me a questioning look. It was like he knew my secret plan, and I couldn’t decide if he liked it or not. “So, what you’re saying is that you believe Mario has information that can bring down Stone ?”

Wetting my lips, I nodded. “I do .”

“You know how this looks, Kelly?” He stroked his beard. “It looks like you were the one to convince Mario to plea .”

The air was knocked out of me as I glared at him out of the corner of my eye .

“And I’m not saying that’s what you did. But look at it from my point of view.” His eyes narrowed. “If your end goal is to represent Stone, then getting Mario to plea down before he reveals anything that could be used to damage Stone’s case for innocence is just what any defense team would need to declare an early victory .”

My heart hammered in my chest. “That’s not what this is, Judge .”

“Then prove it to me, Counselor.” He stood and I pushed myself up, following his lead. “You’re a great lawyer. You have a good heart. And that’s why I believe that your intention to represent Stone is to ensure that our city receives the justice we all deserve .”

My lips flattened and my jaw set. And as we held each other’s gaze, I couldn’t help but begin to decipher what it was he’d just said. It was like he was in on the plan to do anything to take down Stone. And though he would never say it—could never say it—I was certain that was what I’d heard and what he was asking me to do .

“Which is also why I’m pushing Mario’s plea to the side—at least temporarily .”

“Thank you, Judge .”

“But, Counselor, between you and me, don’t wait long. Your time is running out and you’re going to have to give the DA another name we can attach to Maria’s murder .”

With the sense of urgency falling over me, I nodded. “You know that I will .”

“A name that will stick.” His voice grew louder as he spoke with more authority. “A face the public can believe is the monster who could commit such an act of terror.” He leaned forward and rooted his fingers into the top of his wooden desk. “And if you give the city that, I can assure you Mario will be set free .”

When I blinked, the only face I could see behind my lids was Nash. “Judge, I think I know just the man .”