That answer felt like a punch to the stomach, blindsiding him until he could barely even see straight. "Two months," he echoed. His voice sounded strange to his own ears. "I can't--I can't believe this..."

But he had to, because he'd seen and experienced enough to realize that Kotetsu wasn't lying to him about this. But that still didn't let him off the hook.

"But you still knew!" Barnaby heatedly countered, growing more tired of his partner's excuses. "You knew for a whole week and didn't say anything. Did it not even occur to you that Judge Petrov would say something if you didn't?"