Brad Meltzer - Dead Even

Annoyed at himself for trying to explain, Jared knew that Lubetsky didn’t like explanations. He liked results. And when he didn’t get results, he liked to yell. And when he was yelling, he liked to yell uninterrupted. So for almost ten minutes, Jared stood there silently.

“Dammit, Jared, if you needed some help, why didn’t you ask for it? Now I’m left standing here with my thumb up my ass, looking like a schmuck. And that’s not even including the fact that you agreed to fifty thousand more than Rose authorized.”

“I told them it was contingent on Rose accepting the offer.”

“Who cares what you told them? You can’t stuff the genie back in the bottle.”

Jared again fell silent. “I don’t know what you want me to say,” he finally replied. “I gave it everything I had. I wouldn’t have settled the case if I didn’t think it was in Rose’s best interest. If you want, I’ll be the one to break it to them.”

“You better damn well believe you’re going to be the one to break it to them. If they have to empty their pockets for this, I want them to know who’s responsible.”

Unable to face Guff, Sara fidgeted with a pencil on her desk. In front of her was a sketch of a person in the gallows, hanging from a noose. Below the hangman, she made four blank spaces and filled them in with the letters S-A-R-A . After she finished the last letter, she stabbed the hanged man with her pencil, breaking its point.

“Are you done beating yourself up yet?” Guff asked.

“That case didn’t even belong to me.”

“It didn’t belong to anyone. And if it makes you feel any better, if she really wanted it, she would’ve asked for it back.”

“The only reason she didn’t ask for it back was because they realized it was a bum case.”

“Beggars and choosers, boss. Now stop kicking yourself.”

“No, you’re right. We should focus on what our next step is. Enough with the self-pity.”

“Exactly. That’s a far better attitu-”

“Let me just say one last thing,” Sara interrupted. “You know what the stupidest part of this case is?”

“No, tell me the stupidest part.”

“The stupidest part is, I can’t even save my job with it! That’s how dumb I am! I stole the one case in this whole damn building that has no real value! And not only is it worthless, it’s getting me in trouble! ” Catching her breath, Sara calmly pushed the Kozlow booking sheet to the side of her desk.

“Case – one. Sara – zero,” Guff announced.

“It’s not funny,” she said. “In that one selfish move, I hurt my career and made an incredible enemy.”

“Don’t worry about Evelyn – she won’t stay mad for long.”

“Who cares about Evelyn? I’m talking about Victor.”

Guff stopped. “Victor knows?”

“I assume so. Evelyn said Victor was the one who asked her about the case. Why? Is that bad?”

“Let’s put it this way: On the list of people you want mad at you, Victor’s last.”

“We have to get some help. Do you think you can find someone who’s friendly with Victor? Maybe they can help us make nice.”

“Let me make a few phone calls,” Guff said, heading for the door.

Guff’s departure from the office created a sudden silence. Sara’s eyes darted around the mostly bare room, and she was hit with a sense of vertigo. Feeling the walls close in on her, she put her head down on her desk, hoping to shut out reality. For almost a minute, it actually worked. Then the ringing of her phone brought back every one of her problems.

“This is Sara,” she answered. “If this is bad news, I don’t want to hear it.”

“Sounds like we’re having similar afternoons,” Jared said.

“If it’s possible, I think I’ve actually made things worse.” After explaining how she stole the leading ADA’s case, Sara added, “And now I’m stuck with this loser case and still can’t save my job.”

“I don’t understand one thing,” Jared said. “If it’s a nothing, little case, why was it marked for an office hotshot?”

“Some cop obviously wanted him on it.”

“Are you sure that’s it?”

“What’re you saying?” Sara asked, picking her head up.

“Cops aren’t that stupid. They know the big guns never take small cases.”

Sara replayed the facts in her head. “I never thought about it like that,” she said, her voice laced with excitement. “I mean, for all I know, this case is a gold mine.”

“Sara, be careful with this. Don’t get your hopes up abou-”

“You said it yourself,” she interrupted. “There has to be some reason this case was marked for Victor.”

“Wait a minute. Victor? As in Victor Stockwell?”

“Yeah. Do you know him?”

“Just by reputation.”

“Okay, but now you know what I’m saying – Victor’s name was on it for a reason.”

“But that doesn’t mean the case is a definite winner,” Jared pointed out. “If it was, he would’ve asked for it back.”

“Just because it wasn’t big enough for Victor doesn’t mean it’s not big enough for me.”

“Now you’re reaching,” he replied. “Have you asked your assistant about it? Maybe he has some ideas.”

“That’s the other issue,” Sara said, losing steam. “I told Guff I stole the case, but I never told him it was originally marked for Victor.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know.”

“C’mon, Sara, I can read you like a coloring book.”

“It’s just that he put his faith in me. I don’t want to lose that trust.”

“That’s fine, but you have to turn it around. Take this case, make the most of it, and bring home a win. As far as I can tell, that’s the only way to keep your job.”

“No, you’re absolutely right. From here on in, I’m taking control.”

When she was off the phone, Sara once again felt the silence of the room. But instead of feeling trapped by it, she fought against it. This is it, she told herself. Turn it around or let it beat you down. She stood and walked out to Guff’s desk. “Any luck rounding up help?”

“Not yet,” Guff said. “How’re you holding up?”

“I think I’m finally ready to fight.”

“Really? What brought on the sudden change?”

“Nothing more than a little reality. And crazy as it sounds, I’m starting to have a good feeling about this case.”

With his fists wrapped tightly around the iron bars of his jail cell, Tony Kozlow had a difficult time keeping his voice to a whisper. “What do you mean she stole the case?”

“Just what I said,” Victor said, standing an arm’s length away from the cell. “She stole it. The case came in, she had access to it, and she took it. My guess is she must’ve seen my name on it and assumed it was a high-profile piece. Problem is, she grabbed a bore.”

“Don’t jerk me around,” Kozlow said. With dark hair, a thick black goatee, and a three-quarter-length black leather jacket, Tony Kozlow was what the DA’s office called a mutt. Low-class and easily riled, he was visibly annoyed by Victor’s tone. “Does Mr. Rafferty know about this?”

Victor stiffened. “Not yet. I haven’t been able to reach him. In fact, that’s the only reason I’m here – I thought he might be visiting you.”

“ Him visit me ?” Kozlow squinted at Victor. “Why don’t you take some advice and try him again.”

Calmly approaching the cell, Victor slid his right arm through the bars and grabbed the back of Kozlow’s neck. “Let me tell you something,” Victor said, holding Kozlow’s face against the iron bars of the cell. “Don’t tell me what to do. I don’t like it.”

Enraged, Kozlow shoved his hands through the iron bars, grabbed Victor by the ears, and rammed his face against the bars. “How’s this for a threat?” Kozlow shouted. “Touch me again and I’ll rip your head off!” Within seconds, a nearby guard ran to the cell and pulled Victor free. With his nightstick, he jabbed Kozlow in the stomach, sending him to his knees.