Chapter 37

The Arlington Municipal Courthouse is a ten story, fairly modern building not very far from the UTA campus. I thought getting into the parking garage was going to be difficult, but it wasn’t. Once I was parked, I sat in my car for a moment. Whoever had been following me earlier might find me again. I didn’t see how, but I couldn’t take the chance. I thought of another spell for my car: anything attached to my car without my knowledge or consent would be deactivated. Even if there was a remote that could turn it back on, it wouldn’t work. I kept that idea in my head, imagined the shape of my car, and put the energy into it to make it happen.

Feeling better about the safety of my car, I got out and went to the tower.

Like the outside of the building, the inside looked very nice. Marble floors and fairly modern décor made the place feel welcome, but there was a certain level of hush-ness that stole from the breezy entry. It was almost like no one was allowed to speak in anything above a whisper. Considering the number of different topics potentially discussed, I could understand the reason for such an environment.

As soon as I walked in, I had to go through security. I emptied my pockets of everything metal and stepped through a metal detector. On the other side, I collected my things and felt the eyes of the officers as they watched me. For all I knew, one or more of them were members of the Syndicate or Assembly. I didn’t do anything more than expected and moved on quietly.

I headed for the bank of elevators in front of me. Danielle said to meet her and her lawyer in an office on the third floor. We would talk about what was going on before the meeting with the judge. Danielle had been keeping me up to date, so the only thing I could think of that we had to discuss was the subpoena for my appearance.

I thought the main lobby was hushed, but then found the third floor to be positively oppressive. The only sound was the ever so slight whisper of the vents. The building was cool, which meant they weren’t using heaters yet. It wasn’t that cold outside, but after a record-setting summer of heat, it felt cold.

I followed the doors through the hall until I found the room number Danielle had given me. I knocked and opened the door.

Inside, Danielle and another woman looked up. Danielle smiled when she saw me. “C’mon in and close the door.”

I did so, and then I met Danielle’s lawyer for the first time.

She stood up and held out her hand. “I’m Terry White.” She was tall with fiery red hair and pale skin. She wore a stylish suit that made her look professional for the office yet still feminine. What hit me most strongly was her sheer presence, as if noticing anyone else in the room wasn’t an option.

I swallowed my reaction and shook her hand. “Seth Connors.”

She waved at the table. “Please, have a seat.”

I moved around the table and sat next to Danielle. She was wearing a beige skirt suit that made her look even more pale than usual. She smiled brightly at me and took my hand after I sat down. Lust and bliss flushed through me like the wash of fresh, warm water. Danielle hummed her reaction in my ear.

“Now, I understand you two are a couple, but we can’t have you acting like this during the meeting,” Terri said. “The last thing we want is to cause further problems.”

Danielle frowned and let go of my hand. It hurt to sit so close to her but not touch. Then I felt her foot slide along mine under the table. It wasn’t the same as skin-to-skin contact, but it helped with the longing.

“Mr. Connors, have you heard anything else from Mr. Bullington’s office?” Terri asked.

I shook my head. “Not since I received the summons.”

She shook her head. “That’s what I don’t get. This is an informal meeting. The judge just wants to find out what’s keeping things from moving forward.”

Danielle and I both shrugged. “Maybe I should contact Mr. Bullington and ask him?” I asked.

Terri looked at me for a second. “It’s probably the only way we’ll find out what he’s up to before the meeting.” Then she pulled out her phone, scrolled through her list of contacts, and punched up his number. She set the phone on the table and hit the button for speaker.

“Bullington here,” he said by way of answer. “How can I help you, Mrs. White?”

“Mr. Connors is here, and we’re curious as to the reason you requested his presence,” she said.

“I asked for him to be at the meeting, Mrs. White. As for my reasons, I believe Mr. Connors and I should speak in private first. He is my witness, after all.”

Terri’s eyes narrowed.

“Mr. Connors, I’m in room four-twenty-five. Please, come on up. We have much to discuss.” He hung up.

I sighed and looked at Terri. “Any suggestions?”

“Don’t say anything unless he asks you a direct question, and then only answer in as short an answer as possible.”

“So, don’t give him anything to work with,” I said.

She nodded.

I stood up. “I’ll be back shortly.”

“More than likely, he’ll keep you until it’s time for the meeting. It’ll be in room three-ten.”

I nodded and left.

I found the room and knocked.

An older man with dark wavy hair and a smile that made me feel dirty all over answered the door. He wore a suit that probably cost more than what I would pay for a single year of college, and his eyes twinkled as if everything was right with the world.

“Ah, Mr. Connors. Please, come in. I’m Edward Bullington.”

He turned and returned to the table in the room.

I followed him in and stopped when I saw another man. I had never met Roger Stone in person, but considering why we were all there, I couldn’t think of anyone else it could be. Roger had well cut sandy blond hair, striking blue eyes, and chiseled features. He smiled and I could see why people would instantly like him. He wasn’t just handsome, he was devastatingly so. It made me hate him all that much more.

Bullington waved at Roger. “Mr. Connors, this is Mr. Stone, my client.

“Have a seat, Mr. Connors,” Roger said. “We’re both interested in what you have to say.”

I frowned and looked at Bullington. “I don’t have anything to say.” And then I threw a meaningful glance at Roger.

“Why not?” Roger asked.

Bullington held up his hand to Roger and smiled at me. “It’s okay, Roger. I’ll speak with Mr. Connors alone.” He looked at Roger. “Why don’t you go ... get some coffee?”

Something in his tone set off warning signals in my head. I didn’t like the hesitation in Bullington’s suggestion to Roger. Of course, he might have said it that way just to make me nervous, in the hope that I would give up something I didn’t want to. Frag! I hated this crap.

Roger glared at me as he stood up and left. I kept an eye on him too. The only reason I didn’t leave was because I wanted to find out what Bullington really wanted.

I sat down, putting an empty chair between us. He watched me. I nodded at him. “You wanted me here. Why don’t you start?”

Bullington smiled. It was neutral, not pleasant, not evil. A good political smile. “I have been in touch with Mrs. Stone and her lawyers several times. I have offered them the best option for this situation, but no one has returned an answer.”

I wanted to answer his request on Danielle’s behalf, but I didn’t even know what the option was. Besides, Terry didn’t want me to give anything away and if Bullington questioned my knowledge of his offer, he’d quickly find out how much I knew. I couldn’t do that to Danielle.

“You see, I represent Mr. Stone. I want what’s best for him, not just in this particular situation but in everything he does,” he said and opened up his briefcase. “This situation could bring about some disturbing revelations, and I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t at least attempt to protect him from those revelations.” He pulled out a manila envelope and slid it down the table to me. “You should look at those.”

I opened the envelope enough to see that it held photos inside. I glanced at Bullington and then let the photos slide out onto the table. The photo on top was of me and Danielle, at the motel Jordan had taken us to after we left Roger’s house. We were naked and in bed. I picked up the stack and flipped to the next one. It was of us in the bathroom shower together. The next was the two of us talking. The next of us in the men’s store. The last was of us in Jana’s Restaurant, the Vivre. Somehow, someone had captured our entire day together, and they had done it without being seen by either of us. The one in the bathroom bothered me most, because that meant the photographer had been in our room.

There was only one possible answer: the photos were fake. But how did he pull it off?

I gently put the photos back into the envelope and looked at Bullington. “How did you get these?”

He studied me for a second. “You don’t deny what those pictures show?”

I shook my head. “No, I don’t, but I also know they’re fake.”

He shook his head and smiled. “No, Mr. Connors, those photos are quite real, and admissible as evidence, should I decide to use them against you.”

I nodded. The photos were fake. Which meant he was more than just a lawyer. I thought about seeing his mark and it appeared as a small blue Octagram under his right eye. “You’re more than you claim to be, Mr. Bullington. And I, for one, find your use of your ... skills rather distasteful.”

His smile faded and his eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

I waved at the photos. “They’re a nice trick. What did you use? Special chemicals? Special paper?”

“You’re not making any sense, Mr. Connors.”

I thought about the security spell at home. No one could hear anything spoken outside this room. I shaped it to the room, put the energy into it, and cast it. Then I looked at Bullington again. “Now, we can really talk without being overheard.”

He frowned at me. “What do you mean?”

I waved at him. “You have a mark. It’s under your right eye.”

Surprise washed over his face, but it was quickly tempered. Realization hit next and he smiled. “Ah, yes. It makes sense now.” Then he looked at me. “But you couldn’t see my mark unless...”

I shrugged. “It’s an innate ability.”

His smiled widened. “I wondered how an average looking boy like you could have swept Danielle away from Roger.”

“My intention was to get her away from Roger, not sweep her off her feet.”

He nodded at the photos. “The road to Hell...”