Page 113 of Grave Danger

“We were hoping you would prove her wrong.”

“Let’s put a pin in this conversation,” said Jack. “I need to speak to Andie.”

“What about?”

“I don’t need your permission to talk to my wife.”

The ASAC couldn’t argue, and Agent Logan followed him out of the room. Jack struggled to find the right approach as he waited. He flashed to Andie’s confession of her plans to become a single mother, and thought of how far they had come in trying to navigate the difficult terrain of their marriage. But as much as Jack tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, it sure looked like his wife had lured him downtown to a meeting with the FBI without the full story.

A minute later, Andie entered. She stood with her back to the door, choosing not to join Jack at the table. He spoke first, trying to keep the accusation out of his voice.

“You said you couldn’t meet me at home because I was putting you in the middle.”

“And you agreed with me.”

“Yeah. But you didn’t tell me you werealreadyin the middle.”

“It was sort of implied, don’t you think?”

“You could have at least given me a heads-up that the FBI wants to tap my phone.”

“That’s something for you and Tidwell to work out, not the two of us.”

“Tidwell said he discussed it with you before I got here, and you told him I would say no.”

“I told himanycriminal lawyer would say no. It was hardly a ‘discussion.’”

“And I’m hardly justanycriminal defense lawyer.”

“I realize that.”

“Do you? Tidwell also schooled me on the ethical rules that prohibit a lawyer from counseling a client on how to evade capture by police. Did you also discuss that with him, Andie? Did you thinkIneeded to be reminded ofthat?”

Her back was against the door, and her body language seemed to say,Guilty as charged.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you to do the right thing, Jack. With all this talk of wiretaps on your phone, I was afraid you might say something that could be pulled out of context and come back to hurt you.”

Jack wanted to accept that explanation, but he needed a moment.

Andie exhaled sharply. “Remember when you first raised the idea that the State Department’s dossier on Ava Bazzi could be fake?”

“What does that have to do with—”

“Please, just listen. You said the State Department was using me to convince you that Ava Bazzi is alive. Remember how mad I got at you?”

“Oh, yes. I remember.”

She swallowed hard. “You told me you were sorry.”

For a moment, Jack thought she was looking for another apology, but she was suddenly contrite—genuinely so.

“I’m sorry now. Very sorry. Can we call it even?”

Keeping score was what had killed Jack’s first marriage, but he supposed that “even” was better than “game, set, match.”

“Apology accepted. Let’s call it even.”

“Thank you.”