Brad Meltzer - The Tenth Justice

“Shit,” Ben said, flipping through the useless documents.

“By the way,” Nathan said to Ober, “they ran a check on Senator Stevens’s signature, and it cleared as genuine. I thought you used the signature machine.”

“I did,” Ober said proudly. “I just bumped my butt against it while it was signing. It’s the best way to make the signature look real.”

“Good show,” Nathan said, impressed.

“I have my moments,” Ober said, looking back at his feet.

Watching Ben nervously look through the documents, Lisa turned to him. “Don’t get yourself crazy. That doesn’t mean we’re done.”

“We still haven’t heard from Eric,” Nathan added. “Hopefully, he’ll have some information on the building.”

At a quarter after ten, Eric returned home. Ben, Lisa, Nathan, and Ober were all watching television, trying to pass the time. “What took you so long?” Ben asked, pointing the remote and shutting off the TV.

“I’m only fifteen minutes late. I had to finish editing a story,” Eric explained. “Do we have anything to eat?”

“Did you find anything on the building?” Nathan asked as Eric headed toward the kitchen.

“Oh, yeah,” Eric said, turning back toward the living room. “I almost forgot. Seventeen eighty Rhode Island is not a good place. I asked some of the beat guys what the story was, and they said it’s pretty sleazy.”

“It smelled pretty sleazy,” Nathan said.

“It’s owned by a guy named Mickey Strauss,” Eric explained. “Mickey is slime. Two years ago, they found two guys shot dead in there. Last year, there was this huge drug ring operating out of the place, but Mickey said he never knew anything about it. The guys at the office said that if a Mack truck came barreling through his office and straight across his desk, Mickey would swear he never saw it. Rick’s smart as shit for picking that place-he obviously knows Mickey won’t rat on him.”

“We have to get in there,” Ben said, standing up. “Maybe the leases have Rick’s real name on them.”

“Why would they?” Lisa asked. “If this place is so high security, why would there even be leases?”

All four roommates stared at Lisa. “She’s got a point,” Nathan finally said.

“That doesn’t mean the leases don’t exist,” Ben said, walking to the door. “And that’s all we have to go on at this point.”

“Where are you going?” Eric asked as he turned toward the kitchen. “They’re not going to let you waltz right in.”

“It shouldn’t be too hard,” Ben said, his hand on the doorknob. “All they have is some stupid doorman guarding the place.”

“And one security camera,” Nathan added.

Ben turned back toward the living room. “There was a camera?”

“It was one of those old ones,” Nathan explained. “Right above the office door. But that’s hardly an impossible obstacle.”

“What if we deliver a pizza to the building?” Ober asked. “That’ll get us in.”

“No, it won’t,” Ben said. “The office is probably empty, so there’s no one to receive the pizza.”

“But at least that’ll get us past the doorman and into the building,” Ober said. “Then all we have to do is pick the lock to the office.”

“It’ll never work,” Ben said. “Unless you’re an expert locksmith, we don’t have a chance of picking the lock on our own. We have to somehow get the doorman to let us into the office.”

“Excuse me,” Lisa interrupted. “I hate to burst your bubble, but have you guys realized that what you’re planning is illegal?”

“I told you you shouldn’t have invited her,” Ober said. “She’s ruining everything.”

Ignoring Ober, Lisa shot Ben a cold stare. “This isn’t make-believe. You break into that building, and you’re breaking the law. You of all people should realize that.”

“I don’t feel like I have a choice,” Ben said nervously.

“Then you’d better think about the consequences,” Lisa said. “If you get caught, you’re out of a job. You’ll be disbarred. Your career’ll be ruined. All over a stupid breaking and entering offense.”

“It won’t be breaking and entering,” Ben said defensively. “If we get the doorman to let us in, we have his permission.”

“But you’re lying to get in,” Lisa said.

“So then the most we’ll get is unlawful entry.”

“Well, that’s real bright,” Lisa said. “Why don’t you just-”

“What do you want me to do?” Ben asked, his voice wavering. “I have to get in there. If it gets out that I leaked information to an outsider, my career is ruined anyway. At least this way I have a chance of preventing that. If you don’t like it, I understand, but please don’t lecture me on it. This is hard enough as it is.” Turning to his roommates, he said, “Any other ideas?”

“What if we dress up as exterminators and say we have to spray the office for roaches?” Ober said.

“And where do we get all this exterminator equipment?” Nathan asked. “Or do we just show up dressed in jeans and carrying flashlights and hope they don’t notice?”

“What if we dress up like painters?” Ober asked. “It’ll be just like The Sting. The doorman’ll let us in, and instead of painting, we’ll raid the files.”

“If you really want to do this, I have an idea,” Lisa interrupted. “Instead of taking the low road first, why don’t we try to get in semilegally? We can walk right up to the doorman and offer him a bribe. Then we’ll give him Rick’s apartment number and ask him to go check the leases for us. That way we’re not the ones breaking and entering.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Nathan admitted.

“What’s the worst that can happen?” Ben asked, shrugging his shoulders. “The guard says no?”

“How about they recognize you and they kill you?” Eric said, returning from the kitchen with a roast-beef sandwich in hand.

“They’ll never recognize us,” Nathan said. “There’s no way the doorman that was there during the day is still there at night.”

“And what if he is?” Eric asked.

“We’ll pretend we have the wrong building,” Nathan said. Noticing Ben’s prolonged silence, he asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Ben said unconvincingly. Turning to Lisa, he added, “I can understand if you don’t want to come.”

“Don’t pull that macho shit on me,” Lisa said. “I’m coming.”

“What happened to all your worries about getting arrested?” Ben asked.

“We both know conspiracy law,” Lisa said. “Just by being here, I’m involved.”

“I can’t go,” Eric said, swallowing a bite of roast beef. “I have to go back to the paper to finish my story.”

“What do you mean, you’re not going?” Nathan asked. “Ben needs-”

“What am I supposed to do?” Eric asked. “I have a story.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ben said. “But if you don’t hear from us by two in the morning, call the police.”

At midnight, the friends looked for a parking spot around the corner from the building. “This city is the worst,” Nathan said. “Thousands of people. Thousands of cars. Twelve parking spots.”

Ben studied the drizzle that tapped the windshield. “This is going to be a disaster.”

“Now you’re having second thoughts?” Lisa asked from the backseat. “What happened? Your brain suddenly started working again?”

“I’m not having second thoughts,” Ben said, turning around in his seat. “I’m just nervous. Is that okay?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ober said. “You’ll be fine.”

Convinced he would never find a spot, Nathan pulled into a small alley next to the building. “Do you have the money?” he asked, shutting the engine off.