Fatal Judgment by Irene Hannon

men. Very experienced. Dan’s checking out the most expeditious route from the chapel to the service entrance as we speak. Once we’re in the Suburban, they’ll drop us off at our cars. When we leave, I’ll lead, they’ll follow, you’ll take up the rear.”
    “That works. We’ll swing by the judge’s house first, then head to the condo. Where is it?”
    “A high-rise downtown. Not far from the courthouse. We’ve used units there before. There’s good security already in place, but it’s being beefed up on the judge’s unit as we speak, including a camera in the exterior hall. We’ll also link into the feed from the security cameras at the entrances to the building. Matt got an adjacent unit for us. The command post is being set up there.”
    “Sounds like everything is under control.”
    “On our end, anyway.” Spence glanced toward Liz. “I’m not so sure about the judge.”
    Jake took in Liz’s bowed head, the slump of her shoulders. “Not surprising, in light of everything that’s happened. But she’s a strong woman.”
    “Good thing.” Spence cocked his head. “You two have a history?”
    “She’s the widow of my best friend. I’ve only met her twice, though.” He pulled his BlackBerry off his belt. “My brother’s the lead detective on this case. Hang tight in here while I alert him we’re about to leave for the house.”
    Stepping into the hall, Jake let the chapel door close behind him and stood in front of it as he speed-dialed Cole.
    His brother answered on the second ring.
    “I’ve been wondering when I’d hear from you. A couple of your guys showed up at the scene, so I assume you’re going to be there soon.”
    “We got delayed. The judge’s sister didn’t make it.”
    Cole muttered a word that wasn’t pretty. “We’re gonna nail this guy.”
    “Any sign of him yet?”
    “No. But it’s only a matter of time. What’s your ETA?”
    “Half an hour, max. Liz is in the chapel now, and we’re out of here as soon as she’s ready to leave.”
    “Okay. I’ll meet you at the house. The technicians are just wrapping up inside.”
    As the line went dead, Spence cracked the door. “I think she’s about done here.”
    Jake looked past him. Liz was settling her purse on her shoulder. “You want to call Dan and see if he’s finished mapping our route to the service entrance?”
    “Yeah.”
    He slipped past Spence and reentered the chapel as the other man took his place in the hall.
    Liz rose, exited the pew, and walked toward him. Though a profound sadness still echoed in her eyes, they seemed more serene. And she’d regained some of the composure he recalled from their previous encounters.
    He hoped it lasted once she left this quiet, peaceful place.
    “Thank you for giving me this time. It helped a lot.”
    “We try to accommodate requests from our charges whenever we can. Are you ready to leave?”
    “Yes.”
    “Okay. Here’s the plan. We’ll be exiting through a service entrance on the lower level, into a Suburban. Besides being safer, that will allow us to avoid any media people who might be lurking around. We want to do this fast. No stopping.”
    “All right.”
    “When we leave here, we’ll swing by your house. The police need you to check for missing items. We can’t rule out robbery yet. While we’re there, you can also pack some things to take to the condo.”
    Her face went blank. “What condo?”
    “Sorry. I guess we haven’t gone over that.” What was normal protocol for him would be new for her. She’d only been on the federal bench for four months. “In a situation like this, with so many unknowns, it’s standard procedure to move a federal judge to a place we can more easily secure.”
    She took a deep breath. “Right. I knew that. I just never thought it would apply to me. But it’s better than staying at the house after . . .” She swallowed. “I understand the need to check out the robbery angle, but I don’t have to go in the