Page 47 of Grave Danger
“It supports the position of the Iranian government that Ava Bazzi is still alive. But it also supports the allegation that she was tortured, which the Iranian government vehemently denies.”
“So, it’s classified because it cuts both ways?”
Westbrook considered her words before responding. “It’s classified because the State Department finds it useful in the current negotiations with the Iranian government.”
“Do you plan to share this document with the Iranians?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“Whether the Iranians give us what we want.”
Andie was thinking only of a woman so desperate that she’d traveled all the way to Key Biscayne and begged an FBI agent to help save her husband’s life.
“You mean whether they give youwhoyou want,” said Andie.
“If you say so,” said Westbrook.
“I do,” said Andie. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.”
Chapter 17
Farid’s lawyer called her final witness to the stand. Farid Bazzi raised his right hand, and the bailiff administered a slightly revised oath.
“Do you swear by Allah to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
A Muslim witness was not required to swear “by Allah,” any more than Christians, Jews, or atheists were required to say “so help me God.” It was enough to affirm to tell the truth.
“I do,” said Farid.
Jack leaned closer to his client and whispered, “Is Farid a believer?”
“He would tell you he is,” said Zahra.
To a believer in Islam, there was no more powerful incentive to telling the truth than swearing an oath by Allah. Jack had once represented a Muslim on death row who wouldn’t have sworn by Allah to save his own life, so fearful was he of the temptation to lie and the eternal consequences of lying under oath. It made Jack wonder if Farid also took his oath that seriously—or if swearing by Allah was part of the courtroom theater choreographed by his lawyer to enhance his credibility.
“Good morning, Mr. Bazzi,” his lawyer began.
Direct examination of your client is one of the most difficult tasks for a trial lawyer. Leading questions were not allowed, so the only way to control the witness was to have the client’s complete trust before he took the stand. In a case where the Iranian government had such a vested interest, Jack wondered if Farid trusted his lawyer enough to stick to their script—or if there might be surprises.
“Good morning,” said Farid.
“Let’s begin by telling Judge Carlton a little bit about yourself.”
As if on cue, Farid turned, looked at the judge, and started talking. Farid was a good conversationalist, and wisely, his lawyer was taking advantage of that skill to help him build a rapport with the judge. Jack took a few notes. One year of college at the University of Tehran. Dated Zahra. Broke up. Went abroad and earned a degree in entrepreneurship from the London School of Economics. Returned to Tehran and focused on the hotel and hospitality business sector.
“When did you meet Ava Bazzi?”
“I first met her while dating her older sister, Zahra. Ava was just a sixteen-year-old girl at the time. But when I came back to Tehran from London, she was a grown woman.”
“How would you describe the moment when you met Ava as a grown woman?”
Farid paused, and Jack watched his expression carefully. It was an interesting question to ask a man who’d sat through the testimony of his wife’s lover—assuming Asmoun had been truthful.
“I had never looked at her this way,” he said, almost wistfully. “It was like seeing her for the first time. In a way, it was like... love at first sight.”
Zahra coughed into her fist, and it sounded more like a scoff.