Page 6 of Grave Danger
“That’s water under the bridge, Jack. And even though I think this change can be a good thing, I always wanted it to beyouridea. Like when I left politics. Agnes let it be my idea. Or at least she let me think it was my idea.”
Agnes was Harry’s late wife, Jack’s stepmother. “Andie does things her own way,” said Jack.
“Look, Jack. More than anything else, I want you and Andie to be happy. And I know this must be hard for you, redefining yourself as a lawyer.”
“It is hard. Thank you for recognizing that.”
“I want to make this easier for you. I have a case.”
“What kind of case?”
“A civil case.”
“Sounds like you’re on Andie’s side.”
“I’m not on anybody’s side. It’s pro bono. And the stakes are higher than in any criminal case you’ve ever handled.”
“Dad, I don’t see how that’s possible. I’ve done death penalty cases.”
“I stand by my words: higher stakes.”
“Okay. What’s the case?”
“It was just filed in the United States District Court in Miami.John Doe v. Jane Doe.”
“Legal pseudonyms on both sides,” said Jack. “I’ve had only one case like that. I represented the victim of a sexual assault suing her seventeen-year-old attacker.”
“This case raises secrecy concerns of a different kind. The parties are Iranian citizens.”
“Suing each other in federal court in Miami? How?”
“I wish I could tell you, but the complaint was filed under seal.”
“You’re asking me to take a case you know nothing about?”
“Not nothing. The case was filed under seal at the request of the US State Department. One of the parties—the woman who would be your client—is a political hot potato in US-Iranian relations.”
“High stakes on a geopolitical level, is that it?”
“Aptly stated. I took the liberty of booking you a flight to Washington tomorrow morning.”
“To do what?”
“Myra Weiss was my chief legal counsel when I was governor. She’s now a big shot in Washington. She came to me because her firm has a conflict and can’t accept the case. She needs a top-notch Miami trial lawyer who can take the heat from the White House, the US State Department, and the Iranian government. So of course I thought of you.”
“That’s music to my ears, Dad. But things are pretty rough with Andie right now. If I’m going to draw heat from the US government by representing an Iranian woman who’s a political hot potato, I probably should talk to Andie.”
“It’s a pro bono case, Jack. ‘For the good.’”
“So were my death penalty cases.”
A deep sigh crackled over the line. “Jack, I’m not asking for a favor. I’m doingyoua favor. This is the kind of stuff you live for. It’s not a criminal case, but things could get just as bloody. If Andie doesn’t like that, you can blame me.”
Hiding behind his father was more like the offer Jack would never accept than the proverbial offer he couldn’t refuse. But it was the old man’s way of showing how much he cared, and for that, Jack was appreciative.
The moon broke through the clouds, and ripples of light rode across the waves toward the seawall. “All right, Dad. I’ll pay Myra a visit.”
Chapter 2