Phillip Margolin - Ties That Bind

"What's going on?" Tim asked, shielding her with his umbrella.

"A woman called," Maria said when she'd caught her breath. "She says that she can prove Dupre murdered Senator Travis. She wants to meet us at Travis's cabin."

"When?"

"Now. Travis taped his sex acts secretly, and the tape was running when Dupre killed him. The tape is at the cabin. We have to go now because she's leaving town tonight."

"Hold on. Who is this woman?"

"She wouldn't give me her name. From what she said I'd guess she was one of Dupre's escorts, one of the women he beat up."

"This doesn't sound right. We searched the cabin and didn't find any tapes."

"Maybe she brought it with her."

Tim thought for a moment. "I'm going to call Sean McCarthy. I want him with us."

"She said no cops. She'll run if she sees anyone else."

Tim hesitated.

"We've got to go," Lopez insisted. "Our case against Dupre for the senator's murder isn't that strong. If this tape is what the woman claims, we'll nail him."

"All right. Let's go. My car is in the lot."

"No. She wanted to know what car we'd be driving. I described mine. If she sees another car she may bolt."

"I hope this isn't a wild goose chase."

"She sounded scared, Tim. I don't think she was faking."

"What a miserable night," Kerrigan said as Maria drove toward the cabin. The rain was coming down so hard that the wipers could barely deal with it.

"Everything okay with you, Tim?" Maria asked. "You look like you've been through the wringer."

"It's nothing. I'm just worn out."

"Have some coffee," Maria said. "It'll warm you up."

"Good idea."

Tim unscrewed the top of Maria's thermos and filled it with steaming coffee.

"You want any?" he asked Maria.

"I'm fine."

Kerrigan finished his coffee just as Maria turned off the main road onto the unpaved driveway that led to the cabin. No lights showed through the trees and Kerrigan began to wonder if they weren't on a fool's errand.

"It doesn't look like there's anyone here," he said, looking for a car.

Maria parked in front of the cabin. Kerrigan opened the door and started to stand. The movement made him dizzy and he sat back down.

"What's wrong?" Maria asked.

He shook his head. "I'm fine. Let's go."

Kerrigan pulled himself up and followed Maria. She was carrying the thermos and her briefcase and seemed oblivious to the rain. It took Tim a while to join her at the front door. He was having trouble focusing.

"Here, let me help you," Maria said, taking his elbow and supporting him as he stumbled inside.

"I don't feel well," Tim said. Maria flipped on the living room light and helped him to the couch.

"Must be something you ate," she said. The words sounded as if they came from far away. Tim looked up. Maria was holding out the plastic cup that acted as a cover for the thermos. "Drink some more coffee. It will wake you up."

Tim swallowed half a cup, dribbling some of it on his raincoat. His mouth didn't work well.

"Let's get you out of that coat," Maria said as she slipped off one sleeve of Kerrigan's raincoat.

Tim looked around. "There's no one here," he managed. Saying the words took an effort.

"Guess we've been stood up," Maria answered. She was opening her briefcase and extracting a sheet of paper. It looked familiar. He was so focused on the paper that he didn't notice the gun in the Ziploc bag until it made a noise when it hit the coffee table in front of the couch.

"Wha's that?" Tim asked. He tried to sit up but he didn't have the energy. The paper looked like the confession he'd signed for Stan Gregaros, but he couldn't get his eyes to focus long enough to read it.

"I'm sorry this didn't work out," Maria said. "No one realized how weak you are."

It took a moment for her comment to register. By the time it did, Maria had slipped on gloves and had taken the gun out of the bag.

"What . . . What are you . . .?"

"I'm getting ready to help you kill yourself. The drug should kick in completely in a moment or two."

Kerrigan shook his head. "I don' unerstand."

"Of course you don't. You still think that I'm a dumpy, enthusiastic deputy DA." She laughed. "I'll admit, the dumpy part has been a little tough to carry off, but the enthusiasm has been genuine. I enjoy my work."

Kerrigan stared at Maria.

"Let me introduce myself, Tim. I'm Pedro Aragon's daughter."

Tim shook his head again, trying to clear it. He was fading fast, but he was still fighting.

"You might as well give in to the drug, Tim. I dosed the coffee like you wouldn't believe."

Kerrigan tried to stand and toppled sideways. Maria shrugged.

"Suit yourself."

Tim was almost under. When he was out, Maria would press the gun into his hand, twist the muzzle into his temple, and pull the trigger. Kerrigan's eyes closed. Maria picked up the gun and walked around the table. She checked Kerrigan's pulse and sighed. She did like Tim. He was such a hunk. If everything had gone as planned, she might have even bedded him at some point. With her weight off, she was pretty sexy, and she knew that Timmy was having problems at home.

Ah well. Maria pressed the muzzle of the gun against Kerrigan's temple.

"Sweet dreams," she said.

Chapter Fifty-One.

Harvey Grant had met Maria Lopez in the park across the street from the courthouse during the noon recess, and given her Tim Kerrigan's confession and the weapon Kerrigan had used to murder Ally Bennett. Grant ate dinner while Kerrigan and Lopez were driving to the cabin. The judge went to bed at ten and slept soundly, expecting to wake up to news that Tim Kerrigan was dead. The bad news was waiting with his morning paper.

The judge usually enjoyed a hearty breakfast before going to work, but the story on the front page of the Oregonian killed his appetite and made Grant feel something he had not felt in a long time--fear.

DEPUTY DA ARRESTED IN MURDER PLOT

Maria Lopez, a deputy district attorney in Multnomah County, was arrested last night by the FBI and charged with the attempted murder of former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Kerrigan, her direct superior at the district attorney's office. The murder attempt took place at the cabin where Jon Dupre, the owner of Exotic Escorts, allegedly murdered United States Senator Harold Travis. Kerrigan and Lopez are prosecuting Dupre for Travis's murder and the murder of prominent Oregon attorney Wendell Hayes.

In a prepared statement, FBI agent J. D. Hunter stated that he and several other agents were involved in an ongoing investigation--the details of which he could not disclose--when they followed Lopez and Kerrigan to the cabin and set up surveillance. The agents arrived as Deputy District Attorney Lopez fired a gun at Kerrigan. They arrested Lopez, who is now in custody. The agents would not comment on Kerrigan's medical condition or reveal his whereabouts.

There was more to the story--most of it recapping Kerrigan's football career and his achievements in the district attorney's office.

Grant took pride in the control he had over his emotions. He exercised it now and willed away his doubts and fears while reviewing his assets and liabilities. Maria Lopez was in custody and looking at some serious time. Attempted murder if Kerrigan wasn't dead; murder if he was. But Maria wouldn't cooperate. She was Pedro's daughter and completely loyal to her father and the club. What if she did crack? It wouldn't be for a while. Besides, her word alone wouldn't be enough to support charges against him, Grant reasoned. Then he realized that it wouldn't be just her word. The FBI had the gun Kerrigan used to murder Ally Bennett, and Kerrigan's suicide note. This gave them an ironclad case against Kerrigan and the leverage they needed to force him to cooperate, and Kerrigan would cooperate once he figured out that the judge gave Maria the order to kill him.