Perfect Justice

9.

“WHAT IN THE—!” BEN ducked behind a card table. Belinda didn’t budge an inch. “Frank, what in God’s name are you doing?”

“Protecting you!” the man shouted from the back of the office.

Ben peered out between the legs of the card table. Who the hell was Frank? Another Silver Springs hothead?

“Put that gun away right now!” Belinda commanded.

Frank emerged from behind the desk. “But you said we weren’t letting those bastards anywhere near our office.”

“Frank, get a grip! This man has come to help us!”

Frank stared back at her. “That man is trying to get that ASP murderer off the hook!”

Belinda’s eyes crinkled. “What?”

“The word is all around town. He’s been hired to represent Vick.”

Belinda walked back to where Ben had ducked for cover. Ben brushed himself off and rose to his full, not very formidable, stature. He kept a wary eye on Frank. “Is that true?” she asked.

There was no future in lying, Ben realized. Especially with trigger-happy Frank hovering in the background. “It’s true. I’m representing Vick on the murder charge.”

Belinda was stunned. “The man who brought down the Kindergarten Killer is helping … them?”

“I was appointed by the court.”

“They wouldn’t appoint an out-of-town lawyer without his consent.”

Ben nodded regretfully. “True.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I—I thought—”

“You thought I might feed you inside information if I mistook you—as I did—for a halfway decent guy instead of a—a—”

“Hatemongering bastard,” Frank offered.

Thank you so much, Frank. “I never meant to mislead you,” Ben said.

“Right. You just accidentally forgot to level with me about why you’re here. And we were going to dinner together!”

Another man entered through the front door. He had wavy dark hair and a build somewhat less imposing than Frank’s. He quickly surveyed the scene. “What’s going on, Belinda? Trouble?”

“I’m not sure.” Belinda frowned. “Ben, this is John Pfeiffer. John, Ben Kincaid.”

John tentatively offered his hand. “You’re the man they brought in to represent Vick.”

“Does everyone in town know about this? Is it in the morning paper or something?”

“Well, as a matter of fact, yes,” John replied. “The Silver Spring Herald. This rag only comes out twice a week, Monday and Thursday, but almost everyone in town reads it. You got front-page coverage. I guess no one could believe someone would really represent that despicable punk.”

“How did the Herald find out so soon?”

“Can’t say for sure. But I know the editor, Harold McGuiness, makes a point of stopping by the sheriff’s office and the courthouse before he puts an edition to bed. It’s not easy to find news in a small town like this.”

“Great,” Ben muttered. “Just great.”

“To complete the intros,” Belinda said, “the man with the gun is Frank Carroll.”

Ben extended his hand, but received nothing in return.

“We can’t take any chances,” Frank offered by way of explanation. “Not after what happened in Birmingham.”

“What happened?”

“Some of Dunagan’s goons grabbed Belinda one night outside her office,” John explained. “They—”

“I don’t think we need to go into the details,” Belinda said, cutting him off.

“If Frank hadn’t saved her,” John said, “there’s no telling what might’ve happened to her.”

“Dunagan,” Ben murmured. “He came in from Birmingham, then?”

“As if you didn’t know,” Frank grunted. “He’s the man signing your paycheck.”

“The man signing my paycheck is Uncle Sam. No one else.”

“That doesn’t make it okay. You’re still—”

“I’m still an attorney handling a case no one else had the guts to take!”

Frank gritted his teeth. “You’re a sleazebag shyster trying to put scum back on the streets.”

“I resent that! You don’t know anything about me!”

Frank grabbed him by the lapels. “I know someone ought to rub you and your kind off the face of the earth!”

“Frank! Stop it!” Belinda tried to edge in between them. She broke Frank’s grip and pushed Ben away. “You’ll have to excuse Frank. He has … personal feelings about ASP. And a very volatile temper.”

“Yeah, but—”

“Ben, this would be a smart time for you to go.”

“I don’t see why—”

“Really. It’s for the best.”

“But what about—”

“Ben, just leave!” Belinda pulled back suddenly, as if startled by the strength of her own voice. “It’s best for everyone.”

Ben held his breath. “What about tonight?”

“Tonight? You have the audacity to think—Forget it.”

“But—”

“I’m sorry. You may have all your rationalizations down pat. But I can’t condone what you’re doing. And I can’t socialize with someone who’s helping those people.”

“Oh.” Ben shoved his hands in his pockets. “Then I’ll go.”

“And Ben.” Belinda walked to the door with him. “Don’t come back.”

“If you do,” Frank added, “I’ll be waiting. You’ve been warned.”

Ben clamped his jaw shut and pushed himself out the door.