She and Jake had gone out with Brad and Ginny soon after the couple moved to D.C., but all four were so busy with their jobs that they hadn’t hooked up again.
“Long time no hear,” Dana said.
“I’m sorry about that,” Brad said, “but this job eats up my hours.”
“No need to apologize. I haven’t called you either. What’s up?”
“Can we meet for coffee?”
“Sure. When?”
“I was thinking now.”
Dana looked at her watch. It was almost nine. She knew she should finish her report, but Brad sounded worried.
“OK. Where?”
“You know the city way better than I do. It would be best if we weren’t someplace where we’ll bump into reporters or anyone who’ll recognize us.”
“Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“Absolutely not, but I’d feel more comfortable talking to you face-to-face.”
Dana told Brad where to meet her. Then she shut down the computer. Jake Teeny was a photojournalist whose assignments took him all over the world. Currently he was in West Africa, so Dana was free to ride his Harley. After being cooped up in the basement writing reports, the idea of tearing through the night on Jake’s machine was very appealing. She had a smile on her face when she slipped into her leather jacket and settled her helmet over her short auburn hair.
Dana had worked on the report through her normal dinner hour, and she didn’t realize how hungry she was until Brad talked about meeting someplace where you could get coffee. That was usually a place where you could also get something to eat, and thoughts of a juicy burger topped with cheese and bacon had her mouth watering and her stomach growling. When she was working undercover, Dana had discovered Vinny’s in one of the less reputable sections of the District of Columbia. Vinny’s served great burgers and fries and had not yet been discovered by the people who wrote the dining-out reviews in the Washington Post .
Dana was chomping on her dinner when Brad walked in. He looked nervous. Dana guessed that was because of the run-down state of the neighborhood and the disreputable look of Vinny’s patrons. Brad’s expression turned to relief when Dana waved from the dingy booth near the back of the tavern. He slid across the tattered red vinyl that covered his side of the booth and stared at Dana’s burger.
“Is that any good?” he asked apprehensively.
“Don’t let the decor fool you,” Dana said. “Order the bacon cheeseburger with fries. You’re in for a treat.”
Brad gave his order to their waitress and added a beer to wash it down.
“So,” Dana asked. “Why the clandestine rendezvous?”
“I want to know if you can handle a sensitive assignment.”
Dana rolled her eyes. “Like investigating whether the president of the United States is a serial killer?” she asked.
“This isn’t a joking matter, Dana.”
Dana could see how concerned Brad was, so she decided to get serious.
“Does this have something to do with the attack on Justice Moss?”
“I’m not sure. It might.”
“Is Justice Moss the client?”
“As far as you’re concerned, I’m your client.”
“Right.”
Brad leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Imagine you’re under oath, testifying before a Senate committee, and the chairman asks you if Supreme Court justice Felicia Moss hired you. How do you answer, under pain of perjury?”
“I get your point. So, Mr. Client, what’s this all about?”
Brad had read the statement of facts in the Sarah Woodruff case, and he gave her an overview. Then he gave her the details of the attack on Justice Moss and his boss’s suspicions about Justice Price.
“I’ve just wrapped up two cases, so I have time to devote to your problem, but I’ll have to go to Oregon, and I’ll need to read the record in the case before I go.”
“It’s packed up and ready for you. You’ll have it tomorrow.”
Dana smiled. “You were pretty sure I’d take this case, weren’t you?”
“I was pretty
“Long time no hear,” Dana said.
“I’m sorry about that,” Brad said, “but this job eats up my hours.”
“No need to apologize. I haven’t called you either. What’s up?”
“Can we meet for coffee?”
“Sure. When?”
“I was thinking now.”
Dana looked at her watch. It was almost nine. She knew she should finish her report, but Brad sounded worried.
“OK. Where?”
“You know the city way better than I do. It would be best if we weren’t someplace where we’ll bump into reporters or anyone who’ll recognize us.”
“Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“Absolutely not, but I’d feel more comfortable talking to you face-to-face.”
Dana told Brad where to meet her. Then she shut down the computer. Jake Teeny was a photojournalist whose assignments took him all over the world. Currently he was in West Africa, so Dana was free to ride his Harley. After being cooped up in the basement writing reports, the idea of tearing through the night on Jake’s machine was very appealing. She had a smile on her face when she slipped into her leather jacket and settled her helmet over her short auburn hair.
Dana had worked on the report through her normal dinner hour, and she didn’t realize how hungry she was until Brad talked about meeting someplace where you could get coffee. That was usually a place where you could also get something to eat, and thoughts of a juicy burger topped with cheese and bacon had her mouth watering and her stomach growling. When she was working undercover, Dana had discovered Vinny’s in one of the less reputable sections of the District of Columbia. Vinny’s served great burgers and fries and had not yet been discovered by the people who wrote the dining-out reviews in the Washington Post .
Dana was chomping on her dinner when Brad walked in. He looked nervous. Dana guessed that was because of the run-down state of the neighborhood and the disreputable look of Vinny’s patrons. Brad’s expression turned to relief when Dana waved from the dingy booth near the back of the tavern. He slid across the tattered red vinyl that covered his side of the booth and stared at Dana’s burger.
“Is that any good?” he asked apprehensively.
“Don’t let the decor fool you,” Dana said. “Order the bacon cheeseburger with fries. You’re in for a treat.”
Brad gave his order to their waitress and added a beer to wash it down.
“So,” Dana asked. “Why the clandestine rendezvous?”
“I want to know if you can handle a sensitive assignment.”
Dana rolled her eyes. “Like investigating whether the president of the United States is a serial killer?” she asked.
“This isn’t a joking matter, Dana.”
Dana could see how concerned Brad was, so she decided to get serious.
“Does this have something to do with the attack on Justice Moss?”
“I’m not sure. It might.”
“Is Justice Moss the client?”
“As far as you’re concerned, I’m your client.”
“Right.”
Brad leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Imagine you’re under oath, testifying before a Senate committee, and the chairman asks you if Supreme Court justice Felicia Moss hired you. How do you answer, under pain of perjury?”
“I get your point. So, Mr. Client, what’s this all about?”
Brad had read the statement of facts in the Sarah Woodruff case, and he gave her an overview. Then he gave her the details of the attack on Justice Moss and his boss’s suspicions about Justice Price.
“I’ve just wrapped up two cases, so I have time to devote to your problem, but I’ll have to go to Oregon, and I’ll need to read the record in the case before I go.”
“It’s packed up and ready for you. You’ll have it tomorrow.”
Dana smiled. “You were pretty sure I’d take this case, weren’t you?”
“I was pretty
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