“Gibson,” Harlan said, his tone gentle. “We’re not going to make any rash decisions. I agree with y’all keeping her identity a secret for the time being. It was the right thing to do, and I don’t think that’s changed. Callie, if you come forward now, it’s your word against theirs. They’ll claim your injuries were self-harm, and you ran away.”
“What about the forensics report?” Bowie asked. “She’s sitting right here. Clearly that body ain’t her.”
“We have to prove the judge was behind it,” Harlan said. “It’s damn suspicious, but that’s not enough. And you need to understand, I don’t have the jurisdiction to run a proper investigation against Judge Kendall. Not when it crosses state lines. I need to get the FBI involved.”
“So how do we do that?” Gibson asked.
“We, meaning law enforcement,” Harlan said, “need to find enough evidence that they’ll take over the case. Right now we have theories and suspicions, but not enough to go to the feds.”
“He’s a high-profile man,” Cassidy said. “Even more now that he’s up for a federal position.”
“Which makes our job harder,” Harlan said. “It’ll be too easy for him to argue it’s a baseless smear campaign designed to lose him his federal appointment.”
“And it also means he has a lot to lose,” Nadine said.
“Exactly,” Harlan said. “Which is why I’m glad y’all kept Callie’s identity quiet. We don’t want this to get out too soon. Believe me, I’ll do everything in my power to get the right people involved.”
Flashes ran through my mind. Old memories, long since locked away. Things I hadn’t thought about in years. “Judge Kendall was involved with some terrible people. I think you should assume he still is.”
“What kind of people?” Cassidy asked, her voice gentle.
“Organized crime type of people,” I said, searching those old memories for meaning. “I heard things sometimes that I wasn’t supposed to. He had agreements in place. He’d make sure their people went free or received reduced sentences. I think in exchange for money, or sometimes favors.”
“Could you identify any of those people?” Harlan asked.
“I’m not sure. It’s been a long time. A lot of my memories are… fuzzy. But if I saw them, I think I could.”
Harlan smoothed his mustache with his thumb and forefinger. “I see. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Here’s what I don’t understand,” Cassidy said. “Your parents always claimed you were depressed. Your mother even showed me a photo of the cuts on your arms, claiming it was self-harm. Did she know that it wasn’t? Is that why she didn’t show it to the authorities at first?”
“Maybe that was a cry for help,” Nadine said. “She’s been married to that monster for a long time. Maybe she was hoping you wouldn’t believe Callie had done it to herself, and that you’d uncover the truth.”
“That’s possible, I suppose,” Cassidy said, her expression pensive. “Callie, do you think your father was abusing your mother as well?”
A rush of anxiety hit me like a truck. The box in my mind howled and shook, banging against the floor. Memories pushed at the edge of my consciousness, but when I tried to bring them forward, there was nothing but darkness and mist. I could almost feel the pain in my arms—the scars I’d covered with ink, red and bleeding. But I couldn’t remember it happening. I’d locked it away too deep.
“Hey,” Gibson said, putting an arm around my shoulders. “You all right?”
I nodded. “I’m sorry. Some things are just so hard to remember. But I don’t think I ever saw him do anything to hurt her.”
“I know it’s been a long time, but if there’s anything else you can tell us, maybe it’ll lead us to the proof we need,” Harlan said.
“I wish I could remember more specifics,” I said. “I know I heard him threaten people. And he talked about bribes and blackmail. Once in a while that was dinner conversation. I don’t remember what my mother had to say about that.”
I paused again, reaching back. There was so much more, I could feel it.
“You’re doing good,” Gibson whispered.
His soft encouragement helped. “I always had the sense that my father was like a spider, with a big web of contacts and associates. A lot of them were political, but some were criminals, and he was at the center, directing all of it.”
“People working for him, probably with degrees of separation,” Harlan said.
“Keeping his hands clean,” Cassidy added.
Harlan nodded. “One thing I’m certain about, he doesn’t want his