The Tenth Justice by Brad Meltzer Page A

recognize you and they kill you?” Eric said, returning from the kitchen with a roast-beef sandwich in hand.
    “They’ll never recognize us,” Nathan said. “There’s no way the doorman that was there during the day is still there at night.”
    “And what if he is?” Eric asked.
    “We’ll pretend we have the wrong building,” Nathan said. Noticing Ben’s prolonged silence, he asked, “Are you okay?”
    “I’m fine,” Ben said unconvincingly. Turning to Lisa, he added, “I can understand if you don’t want to come.”
    “Don’t pull that macho shit on me,” Lisa said. “I’m coming.”
    “What happened to all your worries about getting arrested?” Ben asked.
    “We both know conspiracy law,” Lisa said. “Just by being here, I’m involved.”
    “I can’t go,” Eric said, swallowing a bite of roast beef. “I have to go back to the paper to finish my story.”
    “What do you mean, you’re not going?” Nathan asked. “Ben needs—”
    “What am I supposed to do?” Eric asked. “I have a story.”
    “Don’t worry about it,” Ben said. “But if you don’t hear from us by two in the morning, call the police.”
    At midnight, the friends looked for a parking spot around the corner from the building. “This city is the worst,” Nathan said. “Thousands of people. Thousands of cars. Twelve parking spots.”
    Ben studied the drizzle that tapped the windshield. “This is going to be a disaster.”
    “Now you’re having second thoughts?” Lisa asked from the backseat. “What happened? Your brain suddenly started working again?”
    “I’m not having second thoughts,” Ben said, turning around in his seat. “I’m just nervous. Is that okay?”
    “Don’t worry about it,” Ober said. “You’ll be fine.”
    Convinced he would never find a spot, Nathan pulled into a small alley next to the building. “Do you have the money?” he asked, shutting the engine off.
    “I have it,” Ben said, feeling his right jacket pocket for the first hundred and his left jacket pocket for an additional two hundred.
    “I still think I should go,” Nathan said.
    “Stop taking it personally,” Ben said. “I told you before: Lisa and I are going. They’re more likely to believe a man and a woman.”
    “Says who?” Ober asked.
    “Says me,” Ben said. “Now stop whining about it. It’s no big deal.” He grabbed an umbrella from below the front seat, opened the door, and got out of the car. Lisa followed.
    Walking toward the building, Ben held the umbrella over Lisa. “Are you sure you want to do this?” Lisa asked.
    “Not really,” Ben said.
    “Then why don’t we turn around and—”
    “You know I can’t,” Ben pleaded. “I have to find Rick. Right now, this is the best way to do that. If you want to leave…”
    “I’m here,” Lisa reassured him. “As long as we keep it legal, I’ll be here.”
    When they reached the building, Ben was surprised find the front door locked. Lisa pressed her face against the glass to get a better view of the interior. “Buzz,” she instructed. “He’s in there.”
    Moments later, a buzzer sounded, allowing Ben to pull open the door. Confidently and calmly, Ben and Lisa approached the night guard, who was sitting at his metal desk. “What’s wrong?” the guard asked. “Don’t you have a key?”
    “We don’t actually live here,” Ben explained.
    “Then who do you want to see?” the guard asked, picking up his phone.
    “We don’t want to see anyone,” Ben said. “We have a favor to ask.”
    The guard hung up the phone. “I’m listening.”
    “My wife and I are looking for her brother, who used to live here. He has some money of ours, and as you can imagine, we’re trying to get it back.” Ben pulled out the five twenty-dollar bills from his right pocket and put them on the guard’s desk. “We were wondering if you could help us find his lease or his forwarding address. Either piece of information would be extremely