“You were pretty bold to think I would do it.”
“I took you for more of a chauvinist than a sexist.”
“And the difference is?”
“You like girls, but you want to control them.”
“I know what you’re doing here, you know,” he said.
Gracie looked at him, trying not to appear as startled as she felt.
“You do?”
He nodded. “I know you filed the appeal this afternoon. And I know you’re here to catch Judge Williamson’s sleeve.”
“My, you are observant,” Gracie said, her heart sinking. He was, after all, lead counsel for the opposition. “Are you worried I’ll succeed?” she said, faking a smile.
He shook his head. “No, but I’m not going to let you get very far. You may not realize how improper it is to approach an appeals court judge outside of his office.”
“And your point would be what?” Gracie asked. “That the Secret Service will arrest me if I try?”
“No, but if you must embarrass yourself, I’ll tag along to watch,” Riggs said, smiling. “Maybe I can convince him not to throw you in jail.”
Ten minutes later, when the speech was over and the applause had subsided, Judge Williamson left the platform and Gracie got to her feet and moved in his direction, her eyes darting back over her shoulder to track Riggs who was indeed shadowing her.
“Judge Williamson?” Gracie said when she reached the senior jurist’s side. “May I have a word with you, sir?”
The judge turned and looked at her carefully as he extended his hand.
“Certainly. And you are?”
She identified herself, aware that Riggs was standing beside her now. He could see a knowing smile on the lawyer’s face.
“Jim, how are you?” the judge said as he glanced at Riggs. “What brings you to Washington, Miss O’Brien?”
“An extremely urgent legal matter against the government, Judge, which is why I’m asking the court to review a decision of the district court today denying a series of temporary restraining orders.”
“Judge,” Jim Riggs broke in. “I’m opposing counsel for the government, and for the record, we firmly oppose acceleration to the status of an emergency review.”
The judge glanced at Riggs and nodded, returning his eyes to Gracie.
“So, you want me to hold a review right here, right now? I’m not about to do that.” Gracie could see a flash of irritation flicker across his face.
“No, Your Honor!” Gracie replied. “I’m petitioning you to grant us an expedited emergency review in the next two days.”
The judge studied both of them for a few seconds, then nodded. “I have people I need to talk to about other matters right now. But if you two can wait a few minutes, I’ll come back and entertain the motion.”
When the ballroom was nearly empty, Judge Williamson came to where Gracie and Jim Riggs were sitting and pulled out a chair. His kindly demeanor, combined with the intellectual numbness she already felt, made a succinct explanation easy, and after Jim Riggs had given an equally short summation of the government’s position, they both fell silent.
Williamson nodded. “I’m going to make a significant exception to my own rule, Miss O’Brien, because of the alleged imminent harm. But I won’t hear it alone. We have oral arguments scheduled in the morning on three cases, as usual, with two of the other judges and me. You two be ready by ten-thirty, and I’ll see that we give you at least five minutes of oral argument and a short rebuttal each.”
Gracie returned to the Willard Hotel and stood in front of the elevator for a moment. She suddenly turned away and entered the bar to order two glasses of their best single malt scotch. She adjusted her briefcase and purse straps securely on her shoulder before lifting the drinks and carefully balancing them as she walked to the elevator, punching the button for her floor with her elbow.
“What’s this?” April asked when she opened the door to Gracie’s knock to find Gracie thrusting a glass at her as she walked in.
“An intermediate victory celebration before I get back to work.”
April’s eyes were red and Gracie felt a pang of guilt for ignoring what was obviously a growing panic.
“What’s happened?” April said as she accepted the scotch.
“You first.”
April shook her head. “I can’t find out anything. They… oh, God, Gracie! They may have been abducted. The sheriff has alerted the state patrol and they’re all looking for Dad’s car. I’m terrified. He wanted us to stop everything by yesterday, and we didn’t listen.” She was beginning to lose the battle with her tears, her voice breaking. “And… the plane’s been snatched by some powerful force, probably the Navy, and I’m thinking someone we can’t fight is behind this, someone who could kill them.”
Gracie put her glass down and hugged April. “Hang in there, kiddo. You’ve watched too many spy films. There’s a logical explanation for everything, and secret agents snatching parents because they filed suits isn’t one of them.”
“Then where are they?”
“I don’t know.”
April pulled away and thanked her, downing the remaining scotch with one gulp before looking back at Gracie. “What progress have you had?”
“Nothing yet, but we’ve got a hearing in the morning before the federal appeals court.”
“Good,” April replied as Gracie held up a hand in caution.
“It’s a start. A chance, April. It keeps us alive. That’s all.”
FORTY SEVEN
WEDNESDAY MORNING, DAY 18 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WASHINGTON, D.C.
After a near-sleepless night of worrying about April and her parents, Gracie had managed a few hours of sleep. There had been no trace of Arlie and Rachel or their car, and the search was becoming urgent in the wake of the apparent break-in at their home.
At just before three A.M. April’s cell phone had rung with an electronically challenged version of Arlie Rosen’s voice on the other end.
“Dad! Where are you? Where’s Mom? Are you all right?”
“I’m on the satellite phone, April. I don’t have much battery. Your mom and I are okay, but we escaped in the Cherokee.”
“Where are you?”
“I can’t tell you that, but you and Gracie are in grave danger! Someone’s trying to kill us, and they’ll come after you. Have you dropped those suits?”
“We’re… working on it.”
“Oh my God, April! Listen to me. You have to make Gracie withdraw those lawsuits. We’re… up against something, we can’t fight. Tell her… wait a minute.”
“What, Dad?”
The voice changed to a whisper. “There’s someone sneaking around outside this place.” She could hear him whisper something about his gun to Rachel before the line went dead.
April rifled through her PDA trying to find the number of the satellite phone her father had purchased a year before, but it was no use, and the phone refused to ring.
Gracie had given up and gone to bed at four, leaving April on watch for another call. She awoke at seven feeling slightly numb but hopeful, the optimism largely slipping away as April confronted her with the decision that the suits should be withdrawn.
“Why?”
“I told you what he said. Someone’s trying to kill them unless we stand down. And we could be in danger, too.”
“Not in a federal courtroom. I refuse to believe that.”
“Gracie, I have to order you to have them dismissed.”
She shook her head, watching April’s eyes flare in shock.
“Gracie, no! You’ve got to listen to him.”
“If he calls, I’ll listen. You don’t have his power of attorney. Rachel does, and her last instructions to me were to go ahead. You agreed, too.”