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“If that’s the case, then you should take your chances trying to catch Rick,” Eric said, finally taking off his overcoat.

“Don’t give us that macho bullshit,” Nathan interrupted. “You have the least to lose.”

“How do you figure that?” Eric asked.

“If your letter gets out, you’ll probably get credit for breaking the story,” Nathan pointed out. “Which means it’s in your best interest to egg Ben on.”

“You are unreal,” Eric said, shaking his head. “Do you really think I’m that much of a scumbag?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time your self-interest interfered with your judgment.”

“You can go fuck yourself,” Eric shot back.

Looking at Ober, Ben said, “You’ve been way too quiet. What’re you thinking?”

“I guess I lean toward Nathan,” Ober said. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s crazy-” Eric began.

“It’s ridiculous to argue,” Ben interrupted, hoping to end the conversation. “I can’t do anything until I hear from Rick.”

“But-”

“I’m sorry, but that’s my decision for now,” Ben said. “All I can say is trust me. I would never do anything to put you guys at risk.”

“Do you have a plan in the works?” Nathan asked suspiciously. “Because if this is like Grinnell-”

“There’s no plan,” Ben interrupted. “I don’t have a plan. But I want you to know that I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you guys. I swear. I wouldn’t.”

“Fine,” Nathan said. He grabbed his coat from the closet and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?” Ben asked.

“Out,” Nathan said. “I’m hungry and I need to get some dinner.”

When the door closed, Ober turned to Ben. “Ben, you’re forgetting what’s right. You better talk to him when he gets back.”

“But if you talk to him, be careful what you say,” Eric pointed out.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ober asked.

“It means that if I were Ben, I wouldn’t trust anybody.”

“So you still suspect Nathan?”

“Not at all,” Eric said. “I just think a better friend would’ve offered a bit more support.”

“You can be a real jerk,” Ober said as he got up from the couch. “You of all people should never talk about what a better friend would do.” Before Eric could respond, Ober was halfway up the stairs.

“Let him go,” Ben said, grabbing his coat from the closet.

“Where are you going?” Eric asked.

“I need to get some air,” Ben said, closing the door behind him.

As he inched up the block, Ben kept looking over his shoulder. Scrutinizing every person he saw, he wondered where DeRosa’s agents were, and if they were even in place. When he reached the commercial section of his neighborhood, Ben ducked into Jumbo’s, the area’s best late-night eating spot. He sat down at the counter and ordered one of the daily specials. He then got up and walked to the pay phone at the back of the restaurant. Ben inserted the required change and dialed Lisa’s number. “C’mon, be home. Be home, be home, be home.”

As the phone rang, Ben thought about everything he wanted to tell Lisa: how scared he was about Rick’s new letters; how apprehensive he was about lying to his friends; how nervous he was for their safety; how anxious he was to talk to someone he could trust. But when the answering machine picked up, Ben knew Lisa wasn’t home. He was alone.

His eyes rapidly scanning the customers in the restaurant, Ben hung up the phone. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the phone number from DeRosa’s note. Maybe I should call, he thought, and picked up the receiver. No, nothing terrible has happened yet. The plan should still work. He hung up the phone. For all I know, Rick will do everything else as expected. Agitated, but ever-cautious, Ben stepped away from the phone and walked back to the counter. But if anything else goes wrong, I’m pounding that panic button.

Chapter 17

“I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE,” BEN SAID. Staring into the mirror in the office closet, he picked at a deep shaving cut on his chin. “Why hasn’t he called?”

“It’s only been a week,” Lisa said.

“The longest week of my life,” Ben said as the cut started bleeding. “You’d think by now he’d tell us what he wants.”

“Maybe he’s trying to wear you down.”

“He’s obviously trying to wear me down. The longer he waits, the crazier I get. Typical Rick mindgame.”

“I’m not surprised Rick hasn’t called-I’m more surprised you haven’t heard from DeRosa.”

“Don’t even start me on that. The guy promises to keep me informed, and then he doesn’t send a single message. For all I know, the marshals aren’t even out there.”

“Do you feel like you’re being watched?”

“Not at all. Which means they’re either extremely good, or they lied to me.”

“You better get moving,” Lisa said, looking at her watch. “You’re going to miss your first free lunch.”

“They’re lucky it’s free.”

“Don’t give me that,” Lisa said. “You’re about to go to lunch with the Chief Justice of the United States. Don’t pretend you’re not excited.”

“No, you’re right,” Ben said. “I’m very excited. I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend an hour having their intellect crushed?”

“Don’t pay attention to what his clerks say. Their backbones are so weak, they barely stand erect.”

“Well, I’ll have you know, I stand very erect,” Ben said proudly, sticking out his chest. “Super-erect.”

“You’re a one-man erection,” Lisa said as Ben walked to the door. He paused when his phone rang and looked at Lisa. “Let it ring,” she said. “Go enjoy lunch.” When she saw him turn around and head for the phone, she added, “Relax. It’s not him.”

“Hello. Justice Hollis’s chambers,” Ben said as he picked up the receiver.

“Hi, Ben,” Rick said. “How’s everything in the big house?”

Closing his eyes, Ben said, “Tell me what you want.”

“What I want?” Rick asked. “Who says I want anything? I called to say hello.”

“C’mon, Rick, I really don’t have the time for this. What’s the story this time?”

“What’s the matter there?” Rick asked. “You don’t sound as confident as the last time I spoke to you.”

“I’m fine,” Ben said through clenched teeth.

“I assume you and your roommates got my package?”

“Yes, we got the damn package. Now what do you want?”

“Down to business,” Rick said. He cleared his throat. “I want the American Steel case, and I want it tonight.”

“But that case comes down Monday,” Ben said, panicking.

“I know when it comes down,” Rick said. “And I want it personally delivered by you, to me.”

“I need to think about this,” Ben said.

“You have a half hour.”

“I won’t be here in a half hour. I’ll be at lunch with Osterman.”

“I’ll call you back at exactly two o’clock,” Rick said. “At that time, I want an answer. Obviously, from my recent mailing, I’m sure you understand the consequences.”

“Wait a minute,” Ben said. “What about-”

“There’s nothing else to talk about,” Rick said. “Good-bye.”

“What’d he say?” Lisa asked as Ben hung up.

“I have to go,” Ben said, looking at his watch. “I’m late for Osterman.”

“Tell me what happened,” Lisa said.

Ignoring her, Ben left the office and ran down the stairs to Osterman’s office on the first floor.

“You’re two minutes late,” the secretary said. “Expect him to mention it.”

“Great.” Ben walked into Osterman’s office, the largest in the Court. Across the sea of burgundy carpeting, Osterman was seated at his desk, which was a perfect replica of the one used by John Jay, the first Chief Justice. In an ornate gold frame on the desk was Oliver Wendell Holmes’s 1913 description of the Court: “We are very quiet there, but it is the quiet of a storm centre…” In no mood to acknowledge the accuracy of the quotation, Ben stood in front of the desk and waited for the Chief Justice to look up from his stack of papers.

After waiting almost a minute, Ben cleared his throat.