Brooks-Lotello Collection by Ronald S Barak

Author:Ronald S Barak [Barak, Ronald S]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781734539707
Publisher: Gander House Publishers
Published: 2020-04-13T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 71

Monday, July 27, 6:30 a.m.

THE MAN DISCREETLY WATCHED Brooks ease into his assigned courtroom parking space. He approached the driver side of the vehicle and knocked on the window. He could see that Brooks was startled and quickly made sure the car door was locked. The man held his open wallet up to the window.

Brooks lowered his window. All of two inches. Just enough to seize the wallet, but not to allow the man’s hand to reach into the car. The man didn’t resist Brooks’s move. Brooks looked at the exposed wallet contents. Probably wondering whether they’re authentic.

“My God, man,” Brooks said, “who in the hell are you? And what in the hell possessed you to stalk me like this?”

“Sorry for frightening you. We need to talk. I didn’t know how else to approach you.”

“Any normal person would have asked my clerk for an appointment. And what makes you think you frightened me? You didn’t frighten me. Caught me unawares would be a better way of putting it.”

“Well, then, my apologies for that. But I don’t want anyone to know about this meeting. Not even your staff. I don’t think you would want anyone to know about this either.”

“No sir. Not gonna happen. I have a strict rule about such things. Other than in the case of vehicular accidents, medical emergencies, or preventing the ongoing commission of a crime, I don’t participate in unscheduled meetings. Especially secret ones. Period. End of discussion.”

“What if I told you the death of Bernard Abrams might qualify for one of your exceptions?”

“Say what?”

“What if I told you the death of Bernard Abrams might qualify for one of your exceptions?”

Brooks glared at the man. Long and hard. For what seemed to the man like an indeterminate amount of time. But was in fact only one or two seconds. It just seemed longer. A lot longer. If looks could kill, this might be another exception to Brooks’s rule: a medical emergency, Brooks’s and/or the man’s. But the man held his ground. Brooks finally said, “Get in.” He leaned over and unlocked the passenger side of his car.

As soon as the man was in the car, Brooks started up the engine and pulled out of his parking space and the lot. And merged into the ongoing commuter traffic. The way Brooks was driving, the man thought this might soon fall under one of Brooks’s exceptions for unscheduled meetings: a vehicular accident.

* * *

BOTH MEN WAITED UNTIL Brooks was safely ensconced in the sea of cars.

“Alright, Detective. As you may or may not know, Bernard Abrams was a dear friend of mine. Your mention of his name, and the suggestion that his death may have involved the commission of a crime, is what got you in the door. Literally. This is your meeting. Come to the point. Make it quick. And make it good. As you also may or may not know, I have a trial starting in barely two hours. You have about five minutes or one mile, whichever comes first.

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