ACID BATH

Chapter 1

She stormed into the office, her judicial robes flapping behind her. "Don't be ridiculous," she hissed, her emerald eyes flashing fire.

"I'm sorry, Your Honor," the clerk murmured. "It wasn't my idea. The Mayor insisted."

She frowned over at him. "It doesn't mean I have to like it."

He smiled slightly knowing full well that his employer loathed being coddled. "It's only temporary," he attempted to soothe her irritation.

"Temporary my eye!" She growled. "And I'm not so sure you weren't responsible for them getting wind of this in the first place." She ripped off her robe and forced it onto the coat rack behind her desk. "Get me the Mayor."

"Yes, ma'am." As he touched the phone, it began to ring. "Hello?" he answered it. Without another word, he handed it to the judge.

"Hello," She answered. "Carl, about this ridiculous order," she began. She motioned for her clerk to sit as she took her own chair. "Uh-huh------uh-huh. Well, I'm none too pleased. I can take care of myself quite well." She rolled her eyes as she listened. "All right, but I don't like it. Tell the Attorney General I said I'd cooperate, but with prejudice. " She listened again. "All right." She looked at her clerk's shocked expression as she rung off. "What," she demanded.

"You can talk to the US Attorney General like that?"

"Of course, Roger. We're old friends. He'll understand."

Roger rubbed the top of his bald head. "You know some mighty powerful people. Why do you stay in Criminal Court? You could have an appellate position."

"Bor--ing!" She put a hand on her hip. "I thought you knew me better than that by now. Criminal court is where the action is and I don't like being stifled."

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Brass sat at his desk mulling through long overdue paperwork, hating the prospect of hours of prolonged agony with it. 'I'd do anything except this,' he thought. 'Why do I let things get out of hand like this?' With a sigh, he took

another sip of the coffee which had been brewing in the pot for over 2 hours. 'I don't know which is more agonizing, the paperwork or this coffee.' He smiled at the thought.

"Brass," the voice coming through the doorway to him made his skin crawl. What could it possibly be now?

"Yes, sir," he looked up at the commander. "I have an assignment for you, and I don't want to hear any guff."

'That's no way to start a conversation,' he thought. "What can I do for you, Chief?"

"We just got a request from the Mayor. He wants us to watch over one of the criminal court judges. Thought this would be right down your alley."

Brass took in a deep breath before speaking. "I don't have time to baby-sit a judge, Chief. As you can see, I'm up to my shield in paperwork and, as you so often tell me, if I don't get it done, then I'll be in it."

"I think I can make an exception for this. It is a very important assignment and I don't want to entrust it to anyone but you."

"You know how I hate those kind of assignments."

"Exactly why I won't take 'no' for an answer. Either you go or accept responsibility if anything happens."

"Why me?"

"It was a personal request from the Attorney General. He thought you would be the best man for the job."

Brass swallowed hard and sighed. "Maybe I can find someone who can do the job quicker than I can. Let me see the paperwork." The Chief handed him the request form and Brass scanned over it thoroughly, stopping as he got to the name of the judge. "On second thought, I better take this one myself."

"I thought you'd see it my way." The Chief said as he turned on his heel to leave.

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He rang the doorbell and was immediately greeted by a petite blond in a maid's uniform. "Hi, there. Jackson Plumbing. I was called by the Judge to do a rush job for her."

"I didn't hear anything about it," the maid cautioned.

"Well, she was in quite a hurry and was very insistent that it be done before she gets home. Guess she forgot to tell you about it."

"I don't know-------"

"Look, lady. I have a job to do, but if you want to face the judge with that bathroom leak still unrepaired-------"

"Which one is it?" She asked as she turned and escorted him to the bathroom in question.

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The judge sat at her desk, trying to go through the paperwork that Roger handed her. She was still fuming over the idea. How could the Attorney General do this to her? He knew how independent the judge was. What was he thinking.

"What is this all about," she asked. Roger leaned in to see what writ she was perusing.

"General request for change of venue, Judge. Nothing too difficult about it. Didn't think you'd have a problem with it, actually."

"Did you see who is requesting it?"

"Sure, Jacobsen."

"Well, I'm not sure this is a good idea. I don't see enough cause to request this."

"What more do you think is needed in this case?"

"That's the Foreman case, and for that I want to see a lot more. That guy is not getting any leeway from me. If she wants this, she can go to another judge."

The phone rang on her desk and Roger picked it up, not wanting to continue the terse conversation. "Thank you. Send him in."

"The police officer is here to escort you home." She scowled at him and stood, turning toward the window to look out.

"What a waste of manpower!" she groused. "I don't need a bodyguard. I'm perfectly fine."

"Let me be the judge of that, Brina." Brass spoke from the doorway. She turned around to look into his pale blue eyes.

"Jim! What a pleasure to see you. You come by to introduce me to my bodyguard?"

He smiled at her. "You might say that. I'm your bodyguard for the night."

She raised an eyebrow. "Well, in that case, I guess we had better be on our way. I have a full evening ahead, so you better be ready for dinner and theatre." She turned to put on her suit coat and pick up her purse.

He looked over at her appraisingly. From her well-groomed brunette hair to her gray Armani suit and dress flats, she was a picture. For a woman of 40 plus, she certainly didn't look a day over 25. Her full-figured body was only enhanced by her muscular, athletic legs. All the curves were in the right place.

He looked up from his inspection to see the smile dancing in her hazel eyes. "Do I pass inspection, detective?"

"Very much so, Your Honor."

"Stop that. You know better. Even on duty, you are still my friend and I expect to be treated as a friend, not an assignment."

"Yes, Ma'am." He smiled over at her, holding out his arm to escort her out.

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They walked into Brina's house together as she called for her maid. "Janna?"

"Hello, Ma'am."

"Janna, this is Jim Brass. He'll be staying here for the night. Please open up the guest bedroom while we are at dinner."

"Yes, Ma'am." The young lady moved swiftly toward the back of the house.

"Make yourself at home, Jim. I need to freshen up a little. I think I'll take a quick shower and then I'll be ready to go out for dinner."

"Where are we going?"

"How does Puck's sound?" He smiled and nodded as she walked toward her sleeping quarters. 'What does a guy do while a lady changes,' he wondered, moving toward the full length bookcase to the right of the door. 'Well, she has very good taste in novels. Scott Turow, James Patterson, Lillian Braun, Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and Erle Stanley Gardner. Quite a collection.' He picked up a book by Turow and started to thumb through it. He moved around the room, looking at various awards and statues, including a collectible Edgar Award that she had bought at an estate sale just last year. She really liked mysteries.

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She undressed and slipped her red kimono around her. She had been looking forward to this shower more than she realized. The pulsating jets on her would feel so good after a day of sitting on the bench and especially after today. This whole deal was getting to be more than she wanted to think about. After all, it was just another threatening letter. Didn't she get them all the time? What was so new and different about this one?

She turned on the water and checked for temperature. Just right. Pulling off her robe, she stepped gingerly under the pulsating flow.

And then he saw it. This was quite the mystery. Nobody knew that she had any type of social life, and yet here she is in a picture with a very handsome man. It looked like it had been taken at one of those "olden times" photo places. They smiled lovingly at each other. He was a bit taller than her but not by much, and thinner than Bree. Brass picked up the picture to get a closer look.

"Well, well. I think I know him." He thought.

"Could this possibly be---"

"It is!"

CRASH!

TBC

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