Page 77 of Grave Danger
“I agree. Which leaves only one other possibility, as I see it. He actually believes Farid.”
“I can’t help you with that.”
“You are Jack’s best friend. He trusts what you say.”
“I’m not sure what you’re asking me to do.”
“It’s simple. I want my lawyer back. My fighter. Whatever you’ve told him about Farid, tell him you were wrong. Because you are wrong. Dead wrong.”
Zahra met his gaze and held it for a moment.
“Yasmin’s waiting for me. Good day, Mr. Knight.”
She rose from the table and started toward the school.
Andie spent most of the afternoon at the federal courthouse, waiting in the lobby outside courtroom 4. Testifying in criminal prosecutions was one of the things she liked least about being a law enforcement officer, but it was an important part of her job.
This latest case had grown out of an undercover assignment. The defendant claimed that Andie had entrapped him by befriending him over drinks. “A drink” was as far as it had gone, but the defendant’s attorney would probably accuse her of everything from performing oral sex to promising him a threesome with Margot Robbie. No disrespect to Jack, but sometimes the termcriminal lawyerfit.
The double entrance doors to the courtroom opened, and the prosecutor stepped into the lobby. Andie had known Daniela Diaz almost ten years and testified in her cases at least a half dozen times. Daniela had never failed to get a conviction.
Andie rose from her seat on the bench as Daniela approached.
“How much longer do I have to wait?” asked Andie.
“Hopefully not too much,” said Daniela.
“That’s what you said two hours ago.”
The prosecutor just shrugged, as if to say there was nothing she could do. Andie didn’t fault her. The hearing was in a brief recess, and they’d already talked ad nauseam about Andie’s testimony. Small talk was in order.
“I see your husband is in the news again,” said Daniela. “Ava Bazzi: Dead or Alive?”
“Yeah, the media seems to be all over it.”
“I like Jack. He’s a good guy.”
“I agree. Most of the time.”
“For what it’s worth, I think he’s on the right side of this one.”
Andie did a double take. “You think Ava Bazzi is dead?”
“Yeah. Don’t you?”
There was no reason a Miami prosecutor in the US Attorney’s Office would know anything about the State Department’s confidential dossier on Ava Bazzi.
“I don’t know,” said Andie. “But I’m curious to know why you think she’s dead.”
“I have my reasons,” she said coyly.
“You mind telling me?”
“Just between us overworked and underpaid warriors?” asked Daniela.
“Of course.”
Daniela lowered her voice. “About eight months ago, Homeland Security referred a case to the Miami office for criminal prosecution. It involved an application for a U visa. It was supposedly submitted by Ava Bazzi.”