Story: Colonel Williams, Ch. 7, pt. VI

They stood there for a minute in silence. Alejandro was the first to speak. “I am guessing that he did not help us,” he said in Spanish.
Williams smiled at Alejandro’s understatement. “No,” Williams replied, “I’m afraid not.”
“What are we going to do, now?” Alejandro asked.
“Let’s try our luck downstairs. Maybe someone down there knows what’s going on,” Williams responded. He started to head back to the stairs, and translated the brief conversation for Roderick as they made their way down.
Upon arriving at the first floor, Williams headed straight for the office of Judge McDaniel. The door was shut, and Williams knocked, hoping that his friend might know something about Terrance Walters or his whereabouts.
“Come in,” McDaniel’s voice called from the other side of the door.
The three of them entered. Judge McDaniel looked up from his paperwork as they entered and smiled in greeting. “Bill, good to see you! What brings you to this part of town so early in the day?”
Williams quickly summarized the situation for his friend. “We know that he lives somewhere east of here because we saw him take the east road out of town,” he concluded. “We also know that he came in here right after leaving the market. We were hoping that maybe you had seen him or heard him.”
McDaniel motioned for them to be seated. “I think I’ve met the man you’re looking for,” he said; “he was in here about twenty minutes ago. It all started when I heard a man angrily storm into the building. I’m guessing that he went straight for the police department, since a minute or so later, I heard him arguing with Officer Creedy.
“ ‘You are sure that you can’t help me, Officer Creedy?’ the man, whom I later realized was Walters asked. He sounded frustrated.
“ ‘No, sir,’ Creedy replied, ‘I can’t. There’s no law against what he’s done, and while it’s not right, I can’t do anything to help you.’
“ ‘Surely there must be something,’ Walters argued. ‘Disorderly conduct, fraud, negligence, something…’
“ ‘Well, if there is, I’m not aware of it. You might want to take that up with Judge McDaniel. He’s our resident expert on the law around here.’
“ ‘Very well,’ Walters said, ‘I will. I’m disappointed that you can’t help me, Officer. Do you realize how much I could “help” the police department?’
“Creedy didn’t take the bait for the bribe. ‘The best help you can give the department, Mr. Walters,’ he said firmly, ‘is to obey the law. That will make our job a little bit easier.’
“ ‘You won’t help me, then?’ Walters queried.
“ ‘It’s not that I won’t sir,’ Creedy responded; ‘it’s that I can’t. My job deals with people who have broken the law. Mr. Johnson hasn’t broken any laws, at least as far as I can see. Like I said, your best bet is to talk to Judge McDaniel. He’d know if there’s anything you can do.’
“ ‘Very well,’ Walters said. ‘Where do I find this Judge McDaniel?’