Peggy Holloway - Judith McCain 02 - Portrait on Wicker (9 page)

“I was just thinking that we have some people we can trust now, Judge Gadsby
, and now Bill and Sandy.”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.
I think we ought to talk to Bill and Sandy about getting a search warrant to search the Lessiter’s house. Maybe they could find some clue to help them find him.”

I looked at my watch, “We’d better get some sleep if we’re going to
meet them bright and early in the morning.”

CHAPTER 21

Sandy called my room the next morning just as I was finishing my hair. I had gotten it cut into a short bob recently. All I had to do was wash and blow dry.

Sandy
said she, Mark and Bill were downstairs at Georgie Porgies. When I got down there they were all seated at a table with coffee.

Mark grinned at me.
“I thought I would let you sleep as long as possible. I know you’re not a morning person. Sit here by me.”

“Mar
k was just telling us about your idea about getting a search warrant from Judge Gadsby. The problem is that Judges Gadsby and Renfroe go back a long way. They’ve been friends since college. They play golf together…”

“And neither one has ever had any kids,” Bill interrupted.

“But Judge Gadsby started this wonderful program to give hookers a fresh start!” I said.

Bill act
ually laughed at this statement. “Some people do good works to make themselves look good, right?”

I had to admit
he was right.

“H
ow are we going to know who to trust?” I asked. “I know you can’t answer that, but Mark and I felt right away we could trust you two. I think I knew the night you arrested me, Bill, and you helped with the questioning, Sandy, that I could trust both of you.”

Bill
and Sandy looked at each other. “Judge Meadows,” they said in unison.

Sandy
rolled her eyes. “Judge Meadows is a small black woman. She might weigh ninety eight pounds soak-n-wet. She’s cute as a button, but don’t let that fool you. She’s tough and has no patience with criminals.”

“You’ve seen Judge Judy on TV?”
Bill asked. “Well she looks like a pussy cat compared to Judge Meadows. Our report to our boss is sketchy so far, but if we can get in to see Judge Meadows, in private, we can definitely trust her and definitely get her help.”

Mark had been silent for quite awhile but now he spoke up
. “How are you going to approach her and can we all see her?”

“We nee
d to see her first,” Sandy said. She looked at Bill. “I think you should see her by yourself. She’s always seemed to like you. I think she actually has a crush on you,” she teased.

“It’s the body,” he s
aid as he pushed his chest out.

Sud
denly Sandy looked at her watch. “Yikes how can it be that late? Come on partner, we’re out of here.”

I told them I had the check and they thanked me and promised to call later.

CHAPTER 22

I told Mark that I wanted to go see Dave. He did too. We decided to walk. This was the time of year when the Mardi gras parades were going on and we didn’t have a schedule. We didn’t want to get caught in any of them.

I c
alled Dave from my room and he told us to come on over. We were lost in our own thoughts walking over to Dave’s. I was remembering the first time I had met him at the bus station the day I arrived in New Orleans.

He
had a cockiness I had mistaken in my fifteen year old brain for confidence. But he had been good to me and protected me. I had arrived in town scared and confused, but I had felt safe with him.

When he opened the door, he grabb
ed me and lifted me off my feet, kissing me on the mouth. He then grabbed Mark in a bear hug.

“God it’s good to see you guys.
Vicky, you look even prettier than you did back then.”

“It’s Judith now, Dave.”

“Oh yeah, I heard about that. Mark you don’t look so good yourself. What happened? Did a truck run over you?” He laughed the same laugh I remembered, sounding like a motor trying to start.

“Mark just lost his wife, Dave.”

“Oh God, man, I’m sorry. Me and my big mouth. What happened, man?”

Mark and I looked at each other and silently decided between us to tell Dave everything.
It was beginning to be a long story.

Dave said, “I think we need to have a tall glass of iced tea.
Let me go tell Delilah. You remember her Judith? Come on in here and say hello.”

Delil
ah came over and hugged me. “I’ve thought about you so much over the years, child. Do you remember when I told you that you had another half of yourself? That must have been your twin.”

We had a joyful reunion and
ended up sitting at the kitchen table. Mark and I finished telling our stories.

Dave looked at Delilah.
“What do you think about all this? You have that third eye in the middle of your forehead.”

“I believe this shit has been going on a long time and affecting a lot of other things.”

Dave winked at us, “Sometimes Delilah is helpful but sometimes she talks in riddles. What in the fuck are you talking about woman?”

“Don’t you dare cuss at me
, young man. I used to change your diaper.”

He grinned at us.
“She’s right. She was my wet nurse and nanny. What did you mean by what you just said woman?”

“Well, I don’t know exactly.
I do know this covers a big area and a lot of people. There have been a lot of kids hurt by this here. I’m mad as hell, me.”

“Now look who’s cussing.”

“I ain’t cussing at you and I have a good excuse.”

They argued back and forth like this for awhile until Dave finally laughed and asked, “How can we help you with this?”

“We need to see what this judge tells Bill first,” I said, “and then I’m sure you will be able to help. You always helped me, didn’t you Dave?”

“I tried Vicky, I mean Judith, but back then I was so messed up myself.
Looks like you turned out all right though.”

CHAPTER 23

We stopped by the hospital, where Rosa was having her baby. We talked to John and Trudy in the waiting room. John said they were giving Rosa a bath.

“It’s a
little girl, seven pounds, eight ounces. She’s beautiful, just like Rosa.” John puffed out his chest.

Trudy shyly a
sked if we would like to see the baby. After introducing Trudy to Mark, we headed for the nursery. The baby was lying there screaming her head off. Her face was red and, with her head full of black hair, she looked like an American Indian. John made kissing noises and told her not to cry. When we headed back to Rosa’s room, John gave out chocolate cigars.

One of the nurses said, “You’
ve already given me two, Agent Shepherd.”

Rosa looked beautiful sitting up in bed brushing her wet hair.
She reached to hug all of us in a group hug.

After we were
seated, she looked at me and said, “Judith, you’ve got to do this. It’s the highest high I’ve ever had. I have never been this happy. Don’t forget your biological clock is ticking away. Ben is liable to find someone else, if you keep putting him off. No more lecturing. By the way, can I still borrow Trudy? She has been so much help to me, and I could use her now more than ever.”

When Rosa
noticed Trudy sitting with her head down she added, “Trudy, I’m sorry. It must have sounded to you like I just wanted you around for your help. No, I like having you around, period.”

Rosa
turned to us, “This is one sweet kid, once you get past the BS. John helped with that.”

“I just love these guys,” Trudy said.
“John said he’d help put Mr. Lessiter away.”

After filling them all in on
what had happened since I last talked to them, I said, “We have to be careful. After Bill meets with Judge Meadows, we’re going to come up with a plan together. We’ll probably need your help John, off the record of course. And we’ll definitely need yours, Trudy.”

She looked excited, “WOW, just like in the movies.
I can’t wait to help.”

Teenagers think they’re invincible, I’ve learned while working with them.
We were chuckling over her enthusiasm when the nurse came in. “Everyone out. She needs her rest.”

CHAPTER 24

We met at three o’clock at John and Rosa’s house, in the Garden district, not far from Dave’s. John and Rosa had bought this house when Rosa found out she was pregnant.

They had managed to save quite a bit of money while living in Rosa’s small townhouse
, where I had lived with her when she and I were working as dancers. Rosa had taken me under her wing and helped me in my search to find out who I was, and what had happened to me when I was three years old. That was how Rosa had met John. He was the FBI agent who had come to our apartment to hypnotize me.

We thought this w
as a good place to meet because John scanned the entire house, for bugs, on a regular basis. Trudy was very intrigued by this. John was her hero.

Trudy
made some snacks. I was amazed at her cooking abilities. She had made some sort of sausage-cheese balls, some Rumaki, and an assortment of chips and dips. John opened a bottle of wine and Trudy fixed herself a coke.

After all the introductions were made
, and all questions asked and answered, and after we were all settled in with our food, Bill spoke up.

“O
kay, first of all, the judge wants to talk to Judith and Trudy in her chambers. She wants to meet at 4:30 p.m.”

He laughed, “I always knew she was obsessive/compulsive.
It’s one of her best qualities for what she does. Tomorrow morning, at 7:30 sharp, she wants to see all of us but I don’t know about you, John.”

“That’s all right.
I think it’s best for me to stay in the background for now. Does the judge know I’m involved?”

“She does.
You have quite a reputation. She’s totally okay with you being involved with this. But she didn’t mention you when she told me who she wanted at the meetings.

“One other thing. S
he alluded to the fact that there are past cases of accusations, involving some of the judges, but nothing could be proven. It was always a juvenile justice kid’s word against a judge.”

After getting all the serious stuff out of the way, we laid back and enjoyed the rest of our tim
e until it was time to go to the judge’s chambers. Trudy looked worried, but I reassured her she wasn’t going to be on trial and I would protect her.

When the time came, Bill drove Trudy and me to the courthouse.
He parked in the back. When we got out, he looked around like he was trying to see if anyone was watching us. We went into the back of the courthouse. I was surprised. I didn’t know there were back doors. Bill took a key out of his pocket.

“The judge gave me this key.
It’s her personal key. She said if I lost it she would see that I served time. I believe her.” He laughed.

When we got inside, there were stairs and bare cement block wall
. I realized, then, that we had come in through the basement. We went up to the second floor and he opened the door just a crack to make sure no one was in the hall.

We went down the hallway
, to a door with a plaque that read
Judge June Meadows
. To my surprise, he opened the door without knocking.

I expected to see a stern looking woman in a robe
, and was surprised to see a beautiful small black woman in a pair of white shorts and t-shirt. Her bare feet were on her desk, and she was reading a romance novel.

Trudy snickered and I poked her in the ribs.
The judge tossed her book on the desk and put her feet on the floor.

She laughed, “One of my little secrets.
If you tell anyone, I’ll put you in Juvey Hall,” she said, looking at Trudy.

Trudy grinned from ear to ear.
I knew we would get along fine with this judge.

The judge turned to Bill.
“Did you make sure no one saw you come here?”

“I was real careful
, Judge Meadows. No one saw me.”

“Then you can leave.
I’ll take them home if I can, but if not, I’ll call your cell.”

When Bill hesitated she fluttered her small hands, “Out, out, out, what are you waiting for?
We have stuff to discuss and you’re not invited to this party.”