Free Peggy Holloway - Judith McCain 02 - Portrait on Wicker by Peggy Holloway Page B

right. I think it’s best for me to stay in the background for now. Does the judge know I’m involved?”
    “She does. You have quite a reputation. She’s totally okay with you being involved with this. But she didn’t mention you when she told me who she wanted at the meetings.
    “One other thing. S he alluded to the fact that there are past cases of accusations, involving some of the judges, but nothing could be proven. It was always a juvenile justice kid’s word against a judge.”
    After getting all the serious stuff out of the way, we laid back and enjoyed the rest of our tim e until it was time to go to the judge’s chambers. Trudy looked worried, but I reassured her she wasn’t going to be on trial and I would protect her.
    When the time came, Bill drove Trudy and me to the courthouse. He parked in the back. When we got out, he looked around like he was trying to see if anyone was watching us. We went into the back of the courthouse. I was surprised. I didn’t know there were back doors. Bill took a key out of his pocket.
    “The judge gave me this key. It’s her personal key. She said if I lost it she would see that I served time. I believe her.” He laughed.
    When we got inside, there were stairs and bare cement block wall . I realized, then, that we had come in through the basement. We went up to the second floor and he opened the door just a crack to make sure no one was in the hall.
    We went down the hallway , to a door with a plaque that read Judge June Meadows . To my surprise, he opened the door without knocking.
    I expected to see a stern looking woman in a robe , and was surprised to see a beautiful small black woman in a pair of white shorts and t-shirt. Her bare feet were on her desk, and she was reading a romance novel.
    Trudy snickered and I poked her in the ribs. The judge tossed her book on the desk and put her feet on the floor.
    She laughed, “One of my little secrets. If you tell anyone, I’ll put you in Juvey Hall,” she said, looking at Trudy.
    Trudy grinned from ear to ear. I knew we would get along fine with this judge.
    The judge turned to Bill. “Did you make sure no one saw you come here?”
    “I was real careful , Judge Meadows. No one saw me.”
    “Then you can leave. I’ll take them home if I can, but if not, I’ll call your cell.”
    When Bill hesitated she fluttered her small hands, “Out, out, out, what are you waiting for? We have stuff to discuss and you’re not invited to this party.”
    After he left she turned to me. “I understand why you didn’t come forward all those years ago. But once you got to be an adult, you could have saved other girls some of the trauma you must have gone through.”
    I felt ashamed. She was right. I got busy with my life, and didn’t take the time or effort to pursue this thing. It was selfish of me, very selfish.
    I didn’t realize I was crying until she said, “Well don’t cry about it. I don’t have time to make you feel better.”
    “I’m sorry,” I said as I wiped my eyes. “I can’t go back in time, but now I will do everything I can.”
    Without comment ing on that, she turned to Trudy. “I want you to tell me, off the record, your entire story and don’t leave anything out. Everything has to be off the record for now.”
    Without hesitating, Trudy began her story, “There wasn’t enough to eat at my house and too many kids to feed. I thought if I ran away, I could lighten the burden for my mom and I could take care of myself…”
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 25
     
    The judge drove us home. She kept looking in the rearview mirror as if she was trying to see if we were being followed.
    I had been surprised by her car when she pointed it out in the parking garage. It was a bright red Mazda Miata convertible. She was now driving it like a race car driver. I looked in the back and Trudy appeared to be enjoying the ride.
    Judge Meadows called Bill’s cell phone just before we got home and told him we were almost