Chief Hammer hated lightning and usually stayed away from windows and objects that conducted electricity. But she couldn’t sit still. She was pacing in her living room before windows and near lamps and iron fireplace tools and beneath the brass chandelier while Brazil and West restlessly sat on her couch, relentlessly replaying the day’s events.

“I don’t care what anyone says,” Brazil repeated his biggest concern as the power went out. “Weed shouldn’t be in the same facility Smoke’s in. Different pods or not. Smoke’s already proven how clever, how diabolical he is.”

“Didn’t prove it enough to stay out of lockup,” West reminded them. “But I don’t like the situation either.”

“I’m going to tell you right now,” Brazil went on. “If Smoke wants to do something, he will.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Hammer said as she moved this way and that while Popeye snored from a wing chair and thunder boomed.

Brazil was worried to the point of taking drastic action, although he wasn’t sure what that was. Apparently, Smoke hadn’t wanted Divinity, Beeper, Dog and Sick running loose while he was locked up. He had told the police how to find every one of them, and now all of the Pikes were supposedly in different pods in detention, maybe one or two corridors away from where Weed was being held in his single room with its steel toilet and fold-down bed.

“We’re going to need Weed to testify against all of them,” Brazil went on.

“Don’t care who’s sleeping where,” West added, “Weed could end up in recreation with Smoke or any of the guys. And Miss Divinity’s a snake, too.”

“Andy, Virginia, both of you are absolutely right.” Hammer stopped pacing long enough to light several candles. “We need to get him out tonight.”

• • •

This required an unusual, unorthodox plan, and Hammer had one. At quarter past eight, she called Judge Maggie Davis at home.

“I’m glad you’re there,” Hammer quickly said.

“Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else on a night like this,” said the judge. “I’m sorry I missed the parade. Good God. Way to go, Judy. Wish I’d been there to see you take out the little shit.”

“I didn’t do much.” Hammer dismissed the compliment. “We’ve got to get Weed Gardener out of detention as soon as possible.”

“I thought he wanted to be in detention.”

“That was then,” Hammer said. “Now you’ve got Smoke and his gang in there. That’s not good, Maggie. Not good at all.”

The judge deliberated for a moment.

“What do you propose?” she finally asked the chief.

Hammer was well aware that what she was about to suggest could not happen. But most of what she had accomplished in life could not happen, according to those who stood around and watched.

“Can you get hold of the commonwealth’s attorney and the public defender?” Hammer asked.

“Of course,” Judge Davis replied.

“I’ll make sure the gates are unlocked.”

“What gates?” Judge Davis asked.

At nine o’clock, the six of them pulled up in four cars at the front iron gates of Hollywood Cemetery. Rain lashed ancient boxwoods and trees, and headstones and monuments were wet and eerie as headlights swept over them.