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Back The Short Drop
Chapters (61)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication
  4. CONTENTS
  5. START READING
  6. PART ONE
  7. CHAPTER ONE
  8. CHAPTER TWO
  9. CHAPTER THREE
  10. CHAPTER FOUR
  11. CHAPTER FIVE
  12. CHAPTER SIX
  13. CHAPTER SEVEN
  14. CHAPTER EIGHT
  15. CHAPTER NINE
  16. CHAPTER TEN
  17. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  18. CHAPTER TWELVE
  19. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  20. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  21. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  22. PART TWO
  23. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  24. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  25. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  26. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  36. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  46. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  47. CHAPTER FORTY
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  49. PART THREE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  54. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  55. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  56. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  57. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  58. CHAPTER FIFTY
  59. EPILOGUE
  60. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  61. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gibson weighed his options: tell George Abe to go to hell, which would feel really good, or hear him out and then tell him to go to hell.

“You want a friendly chat, tell your lady friend to stand down.”

Abe motioned to the woman, who rebuttoned her jacket and withdrew to the far side of the counter.

“Shall we?” Abe asked.

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

Gibson slid into the booth opposite Abe. George Abe. George fucking Abe. He exhaled at the wonder of it. Sitting face-to-face with him after all this time. Abe was a link to his past. A link to his father. What had it been? Ten . . . no, eleven years? Not since the last day of his trial, when the judge dropped his bombshell.

Abe hadn’t sat at the prosecution table, although he might as well have. Throughout the trial, he and his legal pad were fixtures in the gallery directly behind the district attorney. Abe fed the prosecution documents, huddled for private conferences, and passed notes forward at key moments. You would be forgiven if you came away with the impression that the DA took its marching orders from George Abe. Gibson certainly had.

It was months after his arrest when Gibson realized that Benjamin Lombard wasn’t leaving his trial to chance. In hacking into the senator’s computers, Gibson had broken both state and federal laws, but the assumption was that the federal charges would supersede local. At least until the case had been unexpectedly rerouted to the Virginia courts. The reason, though never stated, was simple: federal judgeships were lifetime appointments, while Virginia circuit judges served eight-year terms and were elected by the Virginia Assembly. Lombard had called in a marker, moving Gibson’s trial to a venue where he could bring to bear his significant influence. The DA’s decision to try him as an adult for a nonviolent first-time offense only confirmed that suspicion. So when his trial began, Gibson assumed the judge must also be batting for Team Lombard.

The trial was over in nine days, the verdict a foregone conclusion. Gibson’s hard drives were all the evidence the prosecution needed. Pronounced guilty, he was returned to his cell to await sentencing. But a few days later, his lawyer collected him and brought him before the judge. Not to the courtroom proper but to the judge’s chambers. At the door, the judge and Gibson’s lawyer exchanged an odd, complicit glance.

“I’ll take it from here, Mr. Jennings,” the judge said.

His lawyer nodded, glanced sideways at his confused young client, and left them standing in the doorway without a word. Gibson didn’t know a lot about the law, but even he knew it was irregular. When they were alone, the judge gestured for Gibson to come inside.

“Think we should have a chat, you and me.”