Ted took out his cell phone, half expecting the desk cop to stop him, but the man ignored him.

“Kenzie? Did you pick up Lester?”

“He’s with me.”

“Take him to the church, and let him get cleaned up.”

“How are you? What are they doing to you?”

“Nothing now. They left me sitting here. No one said a thing.”

“What happened? Where’s the Judge?”

Ted gave a sour laugh. “It is a demonstration in power—and a game. Judge Fitzmaurice never had any intention of meeting me there.”

“Just for a laugh at your expense?”

“No. He knows I haven’t rescinded that motion and he’s pissed. He told me what he wanted on Saturday. It’s Tuesday and I’m not falling in line.”

“What do we do?”

“I’ll give you a call when I know something. I have a feeling it’s going to be a while.”

Ted entertained himself by checking the upcoming rotation for the Mets’ road trip. When he had wrung all the juice out of that distraction, he checked the time. He’d been waiting for all of five minutes. It felt like an hour.

Thirty minutes later, no one had come in or gone out the door since he’d arrived. The desk cop had a pencil in his hand and was staring intently down at something in front of him. A crossword puzzle? Sudoku?

Ted stood and walked over. The cop saw him coming and slid to the side whatever it was he had been doing.

“Can I help you?” he asked. Ted saw the nameplate over his badge. menendez. He had a Clark Gable mustache, so perfectly groomed he must have trimmed it that morning.

Ted swung his head to the side, trying to appear casual. He saw what the cop had been reading. Civil Procedure, 7th Edition. Law school. First year. “Well, Officer Menendez, I’d like to know what’s up.”

“How’s that?” He seemed genuinely confused by the question.

“Well, those two officers left me sitting here.”

“Who would that be?”

Ted described the pair.

“What’s your interest in them?”

“They picked me up and drove me here. They told me to take a seat. I haven’t seen them since.”

“I couldn’t say. But they’re out on patrol. If you would like to wait, they’ll be back by four. That’s end of their shift.”

“Shit,” Ted said. It slipped out without thought. He’d been played again.

“If it’s an emergency—”

Ted cut him off. “No. Thank you. It’s fine. Really. Fine.” He spun around and headed for the exit.

“Sir?” the cop called after him. “Your ID?” He held up a brown envelope.