The 'Cousins'

Part Eighty-One: Consternation.

 This Chapter is dedicated to Mel (@bnlfan) and her sci-fi action story 'Flawed.' This is an outstanding piece of original writing that has its roots in the excesses and inadequacies of our present day society, where the basic occurrencies surrounding the plot are far too familiar through their prevalence. A powerful story. You really must read this one!

http://www.wattpad.com/story/4327248-flawed

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 The 'Cousins'

Chapter Eighty-One.

“ Ring, damn you, ring!” Judge Denman sat at his desk as twilight turned to dusk increasing the gloom in his unlighted chambers at Larksville courthouse. For more than an hour he had sat willing the telephone to ring and Flik Donovan to inform him he had completed his investigations with Gleitner and Mecklen. In particular he wanted to hear there was no sex scam involving High School students operating in Bamptonville.

“Get on the ‘phone Sheriff, Godammit!”  Denman, in his impatience for information, poked the telephone with his finger as he spoke. The sheriff’s allegations had weighed heavily on the judge since their meeting earlier in the day. He had gone over their conversation several times since and each time came to the same conclusion; he should not have allowed Donovan to handle the situation by himself. That conclusion caused him to go over the facts again. The matter was fast becoming an obsession and overtaking his other considerations for his day. It bothered Denman that Donovan was playing a lone game, one that seemed to run counter to good law-enforcement practice. ‘Why are you handling it alone and not telling anybody your overall plan. Where’s your back-up?  Why do you think Mecklen has the answers, why aren’t you tapping Gleitner’s phones- he’s the king-pin in all of this?’ 

The knowledge that the sheriff had gone outside of the law, and was using a rogue FBI agent to abuse his power brought the judge out in goose-bumps. Involuntarily he scratched his arms again, as if they itched badly before jabbing his arm forward to pick up the receiver and end his ordeal by calling the sheriff; only to drop the instrument back onto its rest for the tenth time. He sighed deeply, pushing back his chair, rubbing his jaw between his finger and thumb.

“Why should I call, he might have nothing to say yet? The wire-tap order had until noon tomorrow to run. I’ll give him till then. But why all this interest in Mitchell?”

The room was quite dark when the door burst open to admit the janitor whistling a popular tune off-key and switching on the overhead lights. Denman shielded his eyes against the sudden brightness with his hand, growling.

“What the hell do you mean bursting in on me like that?”

The whistling stopped instantly. The janitor stood surprised and petrified at the sight of the discomfited court officer, squirming in his chair. The janitor’s jaw dropped as apologies began to pour out of him between gulps for air.

“Beg...Beg pardon, your honour...I thought you were long gone Sir... no lights and all... It’s well after seven Sir...’

The judge grunted and scowled as he looked at his watch.

“Tempus fugit, ...time flies.”

“Yes Sir, shall I come back to clean your chambers Sir?”

“No, I’m all done here for one day.”  The judge took a small bunch of keys on a silver chain from his waistcoat pocket and carefully locked his desk drawers. 

The janitor stood to one side of the door as Denman picked up his briefcase and took his hat and coat from the stand, walking off along the corridor. “Good Night", he muttered without a backward glance.