Page 66 of Grave Danger
“Does it say why he was arrested?”
“Yes. Smuggling.”
“That makes some sense,” said Andie. “His mother told me he was a broker in ancient art and antiquities.”
“That’s also in the report. But there’s no mention of any art that was confiscated.”
“Just because it’s not in the FBI report doesn’t mean it’s not in the local police report.”
“True,” said Isaac. “There’s one other interesting thing in this report I can share with you: the timing of Guthrie’s arrest.”
“When was it?”
“October twenty-ninth.”
“Twelve days after Ava Bazzi’s arrest.”
“More important, the day after the Iranian government claims Ava Bazzi escaped from prison and fled the country.”
“Hmm,” said Andie, thinking.
“Yeah,” said Isaac. “Raises a question in one’s mind, doesn’t it? Was Brian Guthrie an art smuggler—”
“Or a human smuggler?” said Andie, finishing his question.
“Or neither,” said Isaac. “Just some poor guy in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Is the answer in that report?”
“No. Which means my work on Mr. Guthrie is done, and yours is just beginning. You’re on your own from here on out, kiddo.”
“Understood.”
Isaac’s phone chimed with an alert. “My plane is boarding,” he said, picking up his carry-on bag. “Anyway, I thought this would give you something to think about.”
“Thank you,” said Andie, her gaze drifting toward the runway. “Plenty to think about.”
Chapter 23
Monday morning came too soon. The courtroom was full, and by 9:00 a.m. Jack’s first witness was sworn and seated.
“Could you please state your name for the record?” Jack asked.
Over the weekend, hours of preparation and rehearsal had gone into Zahra’s direct examination. By Sunday afternoon, she’d finally felt comfortable telling her story in her own words without sounding like a B-rate actress reciting a lawyer’s script. A flawless rehearsal, however, was like the perfect speech delivered to the bedroom mirror. It was no guarantee of performance when it mattered.
“My name is Ava Bazzi,” she said.
The slip didn’t totally shock Jack, given that Zahra had been using her sister’s identity for over a year, but Judge Carlton did a double take from the bench.
“You mean Zahra Bazzi, right?” said the judge.
A look of horror came over her face. “Yes. Zahra Bazzi. I’m so sorry. I’m a little nervous.”
If Zahra was “a little nervous,” D-Day was “a disagreement.” But Jack understood.Anywoman called to testify about an abusive husband would be a nervous witness, especially with the accused abuser sitting in the courtroom, staring her down. Jack started with easy background questions to calm her nerves, which went reasonably well, and then gently moved into questions of substance.
“How did you hear about your sister Ava’s arrest by the morality police?”
“Farid called me,” said Zahra. “He said Ava was one of the women rounded up at the protests on Keshavarz Boulevard.”