Judge, Jury, & Executioner

Chapter 19

"I don't get it. Every lead in this case has ended in a roadblock, stop sign, and dead end," Reaves said.

Maddox turned and looked at him, "You couldn't have just said dead end to begin with?"

"Where would've been the fun in that?"

"It's a murder case there is nothing fun about that."

"Are these two like this all the time?" Mull Asked Drake who was driving.

"Yes," Drake replied.

Maddox crossed her arms and then watched as Drake drove to the last juror. The FBI agents and police officers had already picked up the other jurors, but Reaves insisted on picking up this juror. Emily something. Reaves didn't really add much details other than, he really wanted to.

Drake and Mull insisted on going with them considering Maddox's car is undriveable. So Drake was speeding along to her house. They had begun brainstorming ideas but no one had had any breakthroughs.

"So, we know Ian didn't hire the Executioner because he wants the Mob shut down. We know the Nickels are being framed, but it's not by Ian. But that means it could still be the mob just not Ian," Maddox explained only to end in a confused face.

"You thought you sounded so smart when you started that sentence didn't you?" Reaves asked her.

"Shut up," She replied.

Maddox ran it through her head. Framing the Nickels. Leading them to the mob. To Ian. Going around in a circle. Nothing was making sense. Targeting the jury, making it look like the Nickels, and then that the Mob is actually behind it, only to realize they had nothing to do with it, brings us back to . . . targeting the jury?

"Wait," Maddox said drawing everyone's attention. "What happens if jury members start dying?"

"Detectives show up," Drake answered.

"No, think big picture."

"Mistrial," Mull added.

"Exactly. What if this has absolutely nothing to do with the Nickels, or the Mob," Maddox suggested.

"Then the Executioner is targeting someone else maybe?" Reaves added.

"Yeah, okay. But who?" Drake Asked.

They all sat in silence as Drake pulled up to the house. It was a blue house. People were inside. Probably going through their day without a care. And then two detectives and an FBI agent and Reaves.

Maddox undid her seatbelt and followed Reaves to the door. He practically ran to the door and was pounding on it continuously. Maddox smacked his hand down and he looked confused.

"Sheesh Reaves, we wanna talk to her not panic her," Maddox said to him.

The door opened and the woman Maddox saw Reaves talking to at the courthouse was this Emily apparently. Maddox blinked a couple times before clearing her throat.

"Nate?! Your-"

"Detective Ryan-"

"Emily, your in danger. We need to take you into protective custody," Reaves interrupted.

"Your life could be in danger. As a precaution, we're going to take you to a hotel where you can monitored by the FBI. We'll need your phone and any other devices that can allow you to communicate with others," Maddox explained in more depth.

She looked worried and then she waved them inside. A young man walked up to them and he the badge and stopped. His eyes grew wider than Maddox thought was possible. She made eye contact with him, and he turned in the other direction and ran.