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“I’d hardly call twenty-six the next stage. Besides, you’re just a year behind me.”’
“A year is a year. I’ll take it. Oh! Before I forget.” Mercedes reaches into her clutch and hands the woman a small Tiffany box. “Happy Birthday.”
“Oh, you shouldn’t have,” Vivien says but greedily opens it to find a silver bracelet with baubles hanging from it. “It’s gorgeous! Thank you.” They air-kiss again, and I wonder how she stands it.
“You’re welcome. They’re from Judge and me.” Mercedes tucks her arm into mine.
“Well, well,” Dulce says. “So is it official?” She raises her eyebrows.
“Not yet. Not with all that’s going on,” Mercedes says, lowering her voice. I want to shake her. “My sister-in-law…”
“Oh, I know. We heard. How is dear Ivy?”
“The same.”
“You haven’t been to see her. Why not?” Giordana asks, and I wonder if Mercedes hears the note of cruelty in her voice. She’s clearly too surprised by the question, though. I see that on her face. “My sister volunteers at the hospital. She knows all the comings and goings.”
Fucking bitch.
“Well, I’m sure she missed Mercedes’s visits then. You know how the De La Rosas keep odd hours,” I say.
“Judge.” I’m surprised to hear that voice. Although why am I surprised? “Excuse us,” I tell the women and walk toward my mother, who smiles wide, and to anyone watching, I’m sure she looks thrilled to see us. “I didn’t realize you’d be here.”
“I’m escorting Mercedes, Mother. Nice to see you.” I kiss her cheek as is customary. She’d pull away if we weren’t at a Society event.
“I’d have offered Mercedes a ride if I’d known she was invited.” She turns to Mercedes. “I know how much he hates these things. I’ll take you home if he wants to leave early, dear.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Montgomery. That’s kind of you.”
“Ah, just the man I wanted to see,” Hildebrand says. He’s clearly on his way out because he wouldn’t be invited to this party.
“Councilor,” I say.
“Ladies.” He greets my mother and Mercedes both with a kiss on the hand. “Might I borrow Judge Montgomery for a moment? I promise not to keep him long.”
I don’t want to go, but I know I can’t refuse. My mother takes Mercedes’s arm. “Let’s go mingle, shall we?”
“Let’s.” Mercedes meets my eyes only briefly before slipping into the crowd, and I turn to Hildebrand.
Hildebrand’s expression darkens as the women leave. “I’m sorry to interrupt your evening, but I was on my way to your house, so this saves me a trip.”
“My house? Why? Not that you’re not welcome, of course.”
We walk toward The Tribunal building, ascending the curving stairs toward his office. From the window, I see the scaffold outside. It’s unlit but no less eerie. This courtyard is only visible from The Tribunal building. Even the sounds of the party just on the other side of the walls don’t penetrate here.
“Scotch?” Hildebrand asks when we enter his office.
“Sure.” He pours for both of us, then takes his seat behind the desk. I sit across from him and hold his gaze as he watches me. Hildebrand studied law, like me. He was a judge in the outside world, like I am. I know he sees me following in his footsteps and becoming a councilor of The Tribunal at some point.
“Abel Moreno has made some accusations against Ms. De La Rosa to The Tribunal privately.”
“Oh? What accusations?”
“That she was involved with his plan to use the courtesan to poison her brother.”
“Did he say that?”
Hildebrand nods.
