Long Shadows

Chapter 19

T​he Fort Myers federal courthouse was on First Street. To Decker it looked like a lot of other federal courthouses he had seen, only this one had palm trees out front.

They cleared security with their credentials and were allowed to keep their weapons. They were escorted to the office of Ken Caine, who was the deputy U.S. marshal in charge of courthouse security. Andrews told them that Caine was a friend of his.

“We play golf together.”

“Does everybody play golf in Florida?” growled Decker.

“It’s one of the main reasons people come here, Decker,” retorted Andrews.

Caine was in his fifties, with grizzled gray hair, and his blue blazer and gray slacks rode well on his fit six-foot frame. He struck Decker as a no-nonsense, no-bullshit kind of guy. But he had been wrong about that before.

Caine shook their hands and said, “Damn, I can’t believe that Judge Cummins is dead. She was the nicest person you’d ever want to meet.”

Andrews said, “I know, Ken, it was a shock.”

“What can I do to help?” said Caine.

Andrews explained about possible threats Cummins had received. And also that Cummins had hired Gamma to protect her possibly because of those threats.

“What in the hell?” exclaimed Caine. “Why didn’t she alert us as to any threats?”

“You’re sure she didn’t?” said Decker. “I mean, not you but someone else here?”

“Any threat to a federal judge in this court is my jurisdiction. There are procedures in place. Judge Cummins has been threatened before. This is south Florida, violent gangs and drug smugglers abound here. And she had quite a few of those on her docket. We always protected her. I just don’t understand why she didn’t tell us.”

“Did she mention anything to you about any recent concerns she had?” asked Andrews.

“No, nothing.”

“And you didn’t know she’d hired Gamma?” asked White.

“No, I did not,” Caine said heatedly.

“Are you familiar with Gamma?” asked Decker.

“I know of them. I’ve been to some security conferences where Kanak Roe spoke.”

“Do you know his daughter?” asked Decker.

“Kasimira? I’ve had some interactions, but I don’t know her all that well.”

“Still, what’s your opinion of her?” asked Decker.

“She makes a lot of money.”

“About her professionally?”

“She was with the Secret Service, so she knows what she’s doing. Her father was excellent at his work. She’s, well, she’s more business oriented than he was. She’s nearly doubled the size of the firm just since she took over. That big office building in Miami? She bought that two years ago. Gamma has the top six floors and she rents out the rest. Makes a fortune just off that.”

Decker watched the man closely as he said all of this. Is Caine jealous of Roe? It sure sounds like it.

“Sounds like she’s a smart businesswoman,” observed White.

Caine said, “There’s more to life than money. She maybe needs to check her priorities.”

“Why do I never hear someone say that about a businessman?” said White.

“We need to search the judge’s chambers,” interjected Decker. “And talk to her secretary, clerks, anyone who might be able to help us.”

“I’ll take you,” said Caine, after glaring at White.