“A muggle! He looked like a muggle!”
Andie told the driver, “Take him to headquarters. Set up for questioning.”
The driver nodded. Andie closed the door, and the car pulled away.
“You believe him?” said Jack.
“I do,” she said, as her gaze drifted toward the mall, as if she sensed that they were still being watched. “We just caught ourselves a decoy.”
Chapter 12
It was almost midnight when Jack and Andie finally sat down for dinner with Harry Swyteck. The hotel’s main dining room was closed, so they took a table in the bar, where the bartender and two lonely businessmen were watching the news on television. It was one of those dark, cherry-paneled rooms with coffered ceilings and red velvet draperies that made Jack think of nineteenth-century robber barons feasting on caviar and smoking cigars while trying to decide which congressman to buy next. As they settled into leather wing chairs, Harry seemed glad to be away from the constant hound of the media, and Jack was equally pleased to see Secret Service agents at a nearby table. Protection had kicked in with the nomination, but after a day like today, not even Andie-an FBI agent-could hazard a guess as to how many agents were assigned to the nominee.
“My apologies,” said the waiter. “But our bar menu is quite limited at this hour.”
“In that case, three cognacs,” said Harry.
Harry’s Senate confirmation hearing was scheduled to commence in ten days, but that announcement had been lost in the day’s events. The FBI had given Jack strict orders not to speak to the media about the ongoing investigation, but that wasn’t enough to keep the networks from making him a central part of the night’s lead story-which was playing out again on the TV behind the bar:
“A tense scene unfolded outside the Smithsonian this afternoon, as undercover agents from the FBI overpowered and arrested a man in connection with what White House sources are calling ‘a serious and credible threat against President Keyes.’ With more on the story, including an exclusive report on the key role of Harry Swyteck’s son in today’s arrest, is White House reporter Paulette Sparks-”
The bartender hit the remote, switching from cable news to ESPN.
Harry said, “How is it that every news station on the planet has the same
“Politically correct journalism,” said Andie. “The inclusive exclusive.”
Harry glanced at the hockey game on the TV screen, but today’s headlines were still clearly on his mind. “So, how does it feel to be a hero, son?”
Jack shook his head. “This was supposed to be your show, not mine.”
“Well, from now on, it’s a two-man show.”
“What do you mean?”
“It was the president’s suggestion, and I think it’s a good one. For the congressional hearings, he would like to see you seated beside me as my lead counsel.”
“Are you serious?”
“Dead serious. What do you think of that, Andie?”
“I think…that’s up to Jack.”
“I don’t know a thing about congressional hearings.”
“No worries. You’ll have teams of the best lawyers in America backing you up.”
“So unlike Ollie North’s lawyer, I guess I
“Not at all. Look, I’m not going to pretend that there isn’t a public relations component to this decision. Plenty of ink was spilled in the press about our disagreements when I was governor, and making you my lawyer is a very public way of putting those issues to bed once and for all. Beyond that, you’re my son, and you’re a great lawyer. Why shouldn’t you represent me?”
The waiter brought their cognac, but just the sight of it had Harry yawning uncontrollably.
“I’m beat,” said Harry. “I’ll leave you two alone and enjoy this in my room. The plan is to do congressional role-playing tomorrow and get me ready for the hot seat. So don’t stay up too late, Jack.”
“I didn’t say yes,” said Jack.
“You will. Sleep on it. I’ll meet you in the lobby at nine.”
They said good night, and the Secret Service agents followed Harry to the lobby. Jack cast his gaze toward Andie. Even at this late hour, she was the proverbial sight for sore eyes. Jack liked her in sweaters, and he didn’t often see her wearing them in Miami.
She said, “Sounds like you won’t be flying back to Miami with me tomorrow.”
Jack swirled his cognac in the glass. “I should at least see what this is all about.”
“You’re going to end up moving to Washington. I can see it.”
“No way. I love Miami.”
“Is that the reason you won’t leave? You love
“You know it’s more than that.”
“Jack, we need to talk.”
He gulped. Those seemingly innocuous words killed with quiet efficiency-the death by lethal injection of relationships.
“Suppose I do move up here after my father becomes vice president. What would you do?”
“You mean, would I move up here with you?”
“Yeah. Maybe not now, but say it’s six months from now and things are still going strong between us.”
“Let’s not do this.”
“Just hypothetically,” said Jack.
“I don’t like hypotheticals.”
“Then have another drink.”
“Jack, stop. Have you given a moment’s thought as to how hard this is for me?”
“How hard what is?”
“The whole son-of-the-vice-president Washington scene. Tonight alone, I must have gotten fifty phone calls from people telling me that you were all over the national news.”
“Today was a bizarre day.”
“It’s going to be one bizarre day after another.”
“Until the confirmation hearings are over.”
Her reaction was one of complete incredulity. “Do you really think that’s the way it works? Your father becomes vice president, and your life goes back to the way it was?”
“Absolutely. My father was governor, remember? That didn’t stop me from living my life the way I wanted to.”
“Tallahassee is not Washington. And what about me?”
“How do you mean?”
“I’ve worked really hard to build my career. How do you think my colleagues at the bureau are going to treat me knowing that I’m dating the vice president’s son? What kind of assignments will I get? Who would even want to work with me when, in their minds, I could pick up the phone and get everyone from the cleaning lady to the director of the FBI fired if I wanted to?”
Jack paused. It embarrassed him to realize that he hadn’t seen her side of things. “We’ll work through it. We love each other, right?”
“It’s not a question of how much we care for each other.”
Another gulp. Bad sign when “love” turned into “care.”
Jack said, “Do you honestly think any of this is going to change us?”
“Don’t you?”
“No.”
