for governor yet?”
“Not as far as I know.” Matt didn’t like Dean’s unstated plan, but he immediately saw the benefits. Judge Morgan was a powerful name in the law enforcement community. He didn’t often endorse, but when he did it carried weight.
“Can you talk to him? See if he’ll be willing to pretend he’s considering an endorsement of Hart?”
“Yes, but I still don’t see how Alex is going to learn anything by putting Judge Morgan together with Hart.”
“Hart will probably invite her to his office to give her a state resolution commending her bravery and heroism. Might even have a press conference. He’ll want to publicly thank her, not just for the political points, but because it’s expected. Then, she can use that to put her father together with Hart for a meeting. Find a reason to be there, to get involved.”
“I don’t know,” Matt said. He stared out his window but didn’t really see the street below. “I don’t see how it’ll play out.”
“Alex will figure it out as she goes. If she’s the liaison between the Judge and Hart, that gives her access. She can work that into something more, volunteering for his campaign for example. Matt, I don’t have anyone in Hart’s organization. He’s paranoid. My informant in Russian organized crime can’t get the evidence I need for an indictment on Rykov or Hart. We were so close last July...”
That comment irritated Matt, and he snapped, “And what exactly was she supposed to do? Turn her back on her partner screwing a fourteen year old?”
“No, of course not.”
It was one of those situations that no one could have predicted. Alex shouldn’t have confronted her partner, but she also knew that the chances that the department would do anything more than slapping Detective Tommy Cordell on the wrist for screwing a prostitute were slim to none. Alex had walked in on her partner receiving oral sex from a young girl. She’d lost her temper and threatened to turn him into Internal Affairs. Cordell’s over-reaction suggested that there was something he feared more than a suspension. He’d shot Alex in the back as she turned to leave. Only her quick thinking had saved her life—she’d returned fire and took Cordell down. That they’d both survived was a testament to modern medicine and great surgeons.
Matt didn’t blame Alex for what happened. No one did, though they’d wished they could have connected Cordell firmly to Rykov. If she’d had more time to gather evidence, they might have been able to flip Cordell to turn state’s evidence on Rykov. As it was, Cordell had kept his lips shut from the minute he’d been arrested.
Alex was lucky she wasn’t dead. Lucky that she was a good shot and the pills that Cordell had been popping had thrown off his aim. Lucky that Cordell hadn’t died. His trial started in six weeks. Matt wanted to prosecute him personally, but if it came out that Matt was working with the FBI prior to the shooting, it could cast doubt on the trial. Matt had to assign a prosecutor who had no personal connection to Judge Andrew Morgan or Alex.
“I’ll talk to Andrew, then to Alex.” He rubbed his eyes. “I’ll let you know.”
“I can talk to her,” Dean offered.
“No. I’m the one who got her into this mess in the first place.”
He hung up on Dean and dialed Andrew’s number. While on hold, he stared at the chair where Alex had sat fifteen months ago. It was right after Christmas. The office was quiet, court adjourned until after the New Year.
“My partner’s on the take and I don’t know who to trust.”
“You can trust me, Alex.”
She smiled. She was so beautiful when she smiled. Matt had always been attracted to Alex Morgan, but he’d never pursued it and he didn’t know why. His sister had told him—often—that he’d let his father’s multiple marriages turn him into a cynic. Maybe Megan was right—he dated, but never anyone he was truly interested in. Plus, he had his
Janwillem van de Wetering