The Tenth Justice by Brad Meltzer Page B

helpful.”
    Staring intensely at Ben and Lisa, the guard said, “There aren’t any leases.”
    “How about a forwarding address?” Ben asked. “Can you check the Rolodex for us?”
    “There are no files on anyone,” the guard said. “No Rolodex. Nothing.”
    “Can you double-check to be safe?” Ben asked. “Maybe there’s something in the office.” He threw another hundred dollars on the desk. “His apartment was number three seventeen. All I need is his name or address. No one will ever know.”
    “If he’s your brother, why do you need his name?” the guard asked suspiciously.
    “Listen, do you really need to know the answer to that?” Lisa jumped in. “This is easy money. Do you want it or not?”
    The guard continued to stare at the two clerks. Finally, he picked up the money. “Make it three hundred and I’ll do it.” Ben threw another hundred on the desk. Pocketing the money, the guard stood from his chair and opened the top drawer of his desk. He then pulled out a gun and pointed it at Ben and Lisa. “I’ll count to three.”
    “What’d we do?” Ben asked, raising his hands in the air.
    “I know who you are,” the guard said. “Now get the hell out of here.”
    “Just relax,” Lisa said.
    The guard pulled back the hammer on his gun. “Get out! Now!”
    Turning around, the two clerks quickly walked to the door. When they got outside, they ran.
    “Get us out of here,” Ben said when he and Lisa got back into the car.
    “What’s wrong?” Nathan asked as he started the engine. “Did you get the lease?”
    “Drive. Just drive,” Ben said nervously. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
    At twelve-thirty, the roommates returned home. “What happened?” Eric asked from the sofa, remote control in hand.
    “We didn’t get a thing,” Nathan said, collapsing on the big couch. “Ben’s a wanted man in that building.”
    “And we lost three hundred dollars,” Ober added, taking off his sweatshirt and throwing it on the couch.
    “Where’s Lisa?” Eric asked.
    “We dropped her off at home,” Ben said. “There was nothing else to talk about.”
    “From what the guard said, there were no leases and no records of the building’s tenants,” Nathan explained. “The way I see it, Rick is even more sophisticated than we thought.”
    “So that’s it?” Eric asked. “You’re done with your search?”
    “Not at all,” Ben said, walking up the stairs. “We’re just getting started.”

Chapter 5
    “HI, MY NAME IS RICK FAGEN, AND I WAS wondering if you could help me out,” Ben said in his most diplomatic voice. “I recently disconnected my phone, but I still haven’t paid the bill, and I think it’s because you still don’t have my new address.”
    “What was your old phone number, sir?” After typing in Rick’s old number, the phone company employee said, “Mr. Fagen, you are correct. We still don’t have a forwarding address for you. If you’ll give me your new address, we’ll be happy to send you a duplicate bill.”
    “That’d be great,” Ben said. “My new address is Post Office Box 1227, Washington, D.C. 20037.”
    “Mr. Fagen, you should receive this bill in the next few weeks,” the employee said. “Is there anything else I can help you with today?”
    “Actually, I have one last favor,” Ben said. “I just realized that when I moved, I misplaced all my old phone bills, which I need for tax purposes. Is it possible to get duplicates of those as well?”
    “Certainly,” the employee said. “Let me just make a note of that here, and we’ll get those to you. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
    “Nope. I think that’s it. Thanks for your help.” When he hung up the phone, Ben looked up at Lisa who was sitting across from him.
    “Do you think the bills will really help?” she asked.
    “Not really,” Ben said. “I don’t think Rick is dumb enough to call anyone important on a traceable phone. My guess is he was constantly