“Jacob Leatherman wants to see the Odyssey. He’s flying out.”
“Just to see the book?”
“Just to see it. He’ll be here Wednesday morning. I suppose Angelo’s hearing won’t take long.”
“Did you have any peace in the basement?”
“A little. I’m still not sure what to write for the judge.”
“Hey, boss.”
Charles and Dorothy turned in unison toward the door.
“You’re back,” Charles said. “How did it go?”
“Do you still want that lady?”
“From the auction? Yes, of course.”
“She is at that place I went.”
“You mean, you saw her? Today?”
“She is at that place.”
“What place?”
“It is this one.” He handed the list to Charles, and pointed.
“Tyson Estate Agents. Tell me about it.”
“I went to that place and I went into it and I said I was there to pick up their package and I said a lady called. And that lady comes out and says she never called for a package, and so I left.”
Angelo finished and waited.
“What is this place like? Is it in an office building?”
“No, it is just a building and it has the office rooms in front and a warehouse building.”
“I see. That would be for storage?”
“That building is to store things in.”
“Well. Good for you, Angelo. That’s very good.”
“Do you want me to go to any more places?”
“No. That’s enough. Tell me, Angelo, did you understand everything at the meeting this morning?”
“That lady, she’s a boss over everybody?”
“She is an important person, but Judge Woody is the most important person for you. We’ll go see him Wednesday morning.” Charles glanced at Dorothy. “Sit down, Angelo.”
He sat, as wary and taut as he always stood.
“At this meeting on Wednesday, the judge will decide whether to keep you on probation or not.”
“I will go to jail?”
“No,” Dorothy said, quickly. “No. Nothing will make you go to jail.
The judge will be deciding if he will end the probation completely.”
“You would be free,” Charles said. “No probation, no jail. It would all be over.”
“The probation is three years,” Angelo said. He was paying very close attention, his face suspicious but still impassive.
“Congresswoman Liu thinks it has been long enough. She has asked the judge to cancel the rest of it.”
“Why does she do that?”
“I don’t exactly know,” Charles said.
“But Angelo,” Dorothy said, “what do you think of being off probation?”
“There is no jail?”
“There is no jail,” she said. “Either nothing will change or the judge will just end the probation.”
“Will the judge do this?”
“We don’t know,” Charles said. “He’ll decide Wednesday morning. We’re asking what you think about it.”
Angelo didn’t think. “That judge, he will think and he will decide.” He stood. “Do you want anything else?”
“No. That’s all.”
When he had silently disappeared, Dorothy said, “You didn’t tell him that we would tell the judge our opinion.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t.”
“We shouldn’t write a statement? But we need to.”
“No, we shouldn’t tell our opinion. We should just be objective. That judge, he will think and he will decide.”
“But he might let Angelo go completely.”
“He is a judge. And I am afraid of my own judgment. We’ll work on it tonight at home.”