Fatal Judgment Read Online Free

. . . if things don’t go well, my sister . . .” She swallowed. “Her living will includes an instruction that any usable organs be d-donated.”
    He covered her hand with his. “I’ll pass that information on. And hope it’s irrelevant.”
    “Thank you.”
    With a nod toward the corner where Jake stood, the man exited.
    Hunched in her chair, staring at the stains on her cuffs, Liz was shaking worse than ever. Setting her coffee on a cart beside him, Jake slipped through the door and flagged a passing nurse.
    “Could you scrounge up a scrub top for the judge? She’s got a lot of blood on her blouse.”
    The woman nodded. “Let me see what I can do.”
    As Jake prepared to reenter the room, he caught sight of Tom “Spence” Spencer approaching down the hall. They’d exchanged no more than a handshake and greeting during Jake’s introductory tour of the St. Louis office before he’d been called away to Denver, but the man had struck him as solid and competent. The exact kind of backup he was glad to have tonight, when fatigue was beginning to dull the edges of his acuity.
    “The reinforcements have arrived. Wait—make that singular. I’m it.” The man flashed him a grin as he approached and stuck out his hand.
    Jake returned his firm grip. “I’ll take whatever I can get. Did Matt fill you in?”
    “Yes. As much as he knew, anyway. Sounds like the sister’s husband is in the hot seat.”
    “That’s the assumption at this point.” Jake relayed the information he’d received from Cole.
    “So what’s the plan?”
    “The doctor tried to convince Judge Michaels to leave for a while and get some sleep, but she wants to stay here until her sister comes out of recovery. He’s trying to find a spot for her to rest. Once that’s nailed down . . .”
    The nurse reappeared and handed him a teal-colored shirt. “It’s probably too big, but at least there’s no blood on it.”
    “Thanks.”
    “No problem. We’ve also located a private room for the judge not far from the neuro-intensive care unit.”
    He turned to Spence. “Check it out, okay? We’ll wait here until you give us an all-clear. Do you need my cell number?”
    “Already programmed into speed dial.” He tapped the BlackBerry on his belt.
    “Efficient. I need to catch up.”
    “From what I hear, sounds more like you need to catch your breath.”
    Jake managed a weary quirk of his lips. “True. But not likely to happen anytime soon.”
    “We might be able to work something out. I’ll call you in a few minutes.”
    As Spence set off, Jake spoke to one of the two officers flanking the door. “Let your sergeant know I’d like you to accompany me and the judge when we move. After that, we can take over.”
    Without waiting for a reply, he reentered the room.
    Liz hadn’t changed position. She was still hunched in her chair. Still shaking. Still fixated on the blood on her cuffs.
    He crossed the room and held out the top. “I thought you might want to change out of that blouse. This was the best I could do.”
    Lifting her head, she met his gaze as she reached for it. “Thank you.”
    Much to his annoyance, the gratitude in her eyes warmed a tiny corner of his heart. How had she managed that, when he hadn’t planned to feel anything but professional concern for his friend’s wife? Hadn’t wanted to feel anything
more?
    “You’re welcome.” He gestured to the door. “I’ll wait in the hall while you change.”
    Three minutes later, when she cracked the door, he eased back inside. She was holding the blouse at arm’s length, and he took it from her, passing it to one of the officers outside.
    “Find a bag for this, okay?”
    Turning back, he found Liz hugging herself and rubbing her arms. He could see the goose bumps on her skin from across the small room. The nurse had been right; the scrub top was way too big. In the voluminous—and no doubt drafty—top, Liz reminded him of a little girl playing dress up.
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