“To established clients.”
“So you said.”
She looked down at her wristwatch. Such a dainty wrist, with a sprinkling of golden freckles. “One of which is due here soon with his wife to discuss their African adventure.”
“They haven’t gone yet?”
“They had to postpone.”
“Huh.”
“So state your business, please.”
“I told you. I’m planning—”
“You can’t go on a trip!” she exclaimed, slapping her hand onto the glass desktop. “I know you were being sentenced today. Gif said—”
“You talked to Gif more than once?”
“He said you agreed to plead guilty if Rudkowski would lay off him and Mike.”
He shrugged. “I was the corrupting influence. If not for me, they wouldn’t have run afoul of the law.”
“Rudkowski reluctantly agreed not to touch them, but tacked on several more charges against you. Horse poop, Mike called them.”
“You’ve talked to Mike, too?”
“He said that with those additional indictments, you could face up to five years.”
“I got two.”
“Oh,” she said on a catch of breath. The starch went out of her posture. She looked down.
“Suspended.”
Her head snapped up. “What?”
“Surprised me, too. Sent Rudkowski into orbit. The judge read the sentence, then suspended it because of extenuating circumstances.”
“Which were?”
“Rudkowski being an incompetent asshole. I’m putting words in the judge’s mouth, but that was the essence of it. Additionally, I had a lot of people who defended my questionable actions.”
“Locke and Menundez, I’m sure.”
“Them. Their chief. Plus the SAC in Columbia. People at my workplace in Lexington put in a good word for me.” He walked over to the desk and picked up the crystal formation, studying it from various angles, watching the rainbows it created as he turned it one way, then another. “What is this supposed to be?”
“Nothing. Put it down. So the judge just let you off?”
“Uh-hum. What really worked in my favor, what his honor found most compelling, was the affidavit you videotaped and sent to him.”
Standing suddenly, she grabbed the objet from him and returned it to the desktop with a decisive thunk. “You were never supposed to know about that! Mike swore to me that—”
“Mike swore. Gif said. Just how often do you and those two busybodies put your heads together? What all have you talked about?”
“For one thing, your work.”
“Work?”