Reasonable Doubt (26 page)

And the most important question of all, to her anyway, what did Ellery know?

“Looks like you have company.”

Ellery looked in the direction of Leo’s beer bottle and watched as Sarah’s Corvette pulled into her driveway. For the second time, she wondered how a government agent could afford such an expensive car, but she had bigger worries right now. She’d been sitting on Leo’s front porch for the past hour, contemplating her next move. Seven o’clock had come and gone and, with no further word from Amir or his new attorney, she had some decisions to make. She’d hoped to have a bit longer to figure out her next move, but Sarah’s arrival signaled time was up.

She raised her beer bottle as Sarah looked their way. Sarah’s smile was reserved, reminding her of the serious talk ahead, but she also couldn’t help but notice how good she looked in jeans, loafers, and a cherry red sweater that hugged her chest. She remembered how April had shown up for their chili dinner, looking awkward in jeans instead of a cocktail dress. Sarah, on the other hand, made every outfit look as if it was a second skin. She sighed. If only they’d met under different circumstances.

“Sorry I didn’t call first,” Sarah said as she climbed the steps. “I was hoping I’d find you home.”

“Where else would I be?”

“And it’s not like you folks wouldn’t know if she was out gallivanting,” Leo said.

Sarah smiled. “Good point.” She looked at Ellery. “If you’re busy, I can come back later.”

Ellery could tell she was only offering to be polite, but she wasn’t in any hurry to respond to Sarah’s ultimatums. “Sit down and have a beer with us.”

Sarah looked between them and Ellery was certain she was trying to find a way to assert her authority without rising Leo’s ire, so she was surprised when Sarah said, “Sure, I’ll take a beer.”

Ellery reached into the bucket full of ice and bottles near Leo’s feet and ignored his scowl as she pulled out a bottle and handed it over. Sarah twisted the top and took a deep drink before leaning back against the railing and crossing her feet. To a casual observer, she didn’t look like she had a care in the world.

And she probably didn’t. Sarah would close out this case and move on to the next. Her reputation, her livelihood would be completely unaffected by the outcome despite the huge cloud of dust she’d kicked up as she moved along. In contrast, no matter what Ellery did to clear her name, people would always have doubts. One accusation, even unfounded, could tank a name, a career, a life. She drank from her beer because she had nothing to say.

Leo, though, had plenty to talk about. He pointed at Sarah’s Corvette. “That’s one of the anniversary cars, isn’t it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Got the extra package?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Not cheap.”

“No, sir.”

Ellery watched the ping-pong conversation for a moment before butting in. “What are you talking about?”

Sarah shot Leo an expectant look, as if deferring to him. He wiped beer off his lips with the back of his hand and said, “That there’s a 2013 Anniversary edition Corvette. Chevy made three hundred of those beauties to celebrate the model’s sixtieth anniversary. She’s driving a seventy thousand dollar car, she is. Pretty fancy stuff for a government employee.”

Ellery nodded. “Some people might think she was doing something illegal to have the money for that kind of car.”

“That’s for sure, but then again, she might have some good explanation.”

“Like she won the lottery?”

“Or she found it alongside the road and no one showed up to claim it.”

Sarah shook her head. “You’re both hilarious. And subtle.” She looked at Leo. “I’m sure you would agree that the easiest explanation is usually the right one.”

“Mostly.”

“I bought the car. Spent the last ten years working a job that took every minute of every day. My social life consisted of a few drinks in bars and late night rendezvous. No wining and dining. You save a lot of money that way. Sold the house my grandfather left me, put the money in the bank and watched it grow. Between that and my savings, I was able to get the car of my dreams, since driving is one of the few pleasures I’ve had time to enjoy. I also have a weakness for expensive shoes.” She stared at Ellery. “Are all of your entanglements so easy to explain?”

The undercurrent of anger was impossible to miss, and Ellery saw Leo start to rise out of his chair in challenge. She waved him back, sending him a look designed to say she could fight her own battles. “I think we should adjourn to my house. Leo, thanks for the beer.”

He frowned as he looked between them, but he finally said, “You know you’re welcome here anytime. And you know what to do if you need me.”

Sarah thanked him as well, but Leo only grunted. Ellery walked Sarah back to her house and led her into the kitchen. Sarah didn’t sit at the table this time. Instead she paced the floor, a frown on her face. “Should I bill the government if you wear out my wood floors?” Ellery asked.

“From the start I couldn’t believe you would be involved in anything that had to do with terrorism, let alone the bombing.”

“Obviously, you’ve changed your mind.”

“Do you even care what I think?”

Ellery stared at Sarah, trying to cipher the source of her angry tone. “I can’t believe you’re asking me that, but the truth is it doesn’t matter what you think. I know the truth.”

“I wish I did.”

“I wish you did too,” Ellery said. “So, we’re back to the bombing now. You and I both know the basis for the searches last week weren’t linked to the bombing. It’s a witch hunt. HSI has information that Amir Khan’s charity raised money that ultimately went to a group that may or may not have ties to a terrorist group. The proof isn’t concrete and the search warrants were a fishing expedition. The truth is there is nothing that ties Amir to the bombing, right?”

“You have a soft spot for Naveed, don’t you? I remember you advocating for him the day we first met. Ivy League bound, star student, never been in trouble.”

“What does Naveed have to do with this?”

“I’m guessing the plan was for Naveed to fade the heat. Because if he says their plan to break into an office building was just a silly prank, then people would believe it. What I don’t get is why you quit practicing right around the time they all got caught? Maybe you were having second thoughts about representing young terrorists, which makes me wonder why you were with Naveed in court on his first appearance?”

Ellery watched Sarah grow increasingly agitated as she ticked through her thoughts. She’d expected Sarah to show up and pressure her to make a decision about flipping on Amir, but her persistent focus on Naveed was completely unexpected. Well, when it came to being aggravated, she could join the club. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Would you like to fill me in or would you rather keep making these vague references to whatever it is that’s got you so riled?”

Sarah stopped pacing, but she remained standing, staring. Ellery didn’t have a clue what message she was supposed to be getting from the silence, and she’d just about decided this entire meeting was a waste of time, when she saw Sarah’s expression settle from skepticism into resignation. She wanted to say something to urge her to speak, but decided to let her talk on her own time. When Sarah finally spoke, Ellery was surprised by her first words.

“I’ll take a beer if you’re offering.”

“Of course.” Ellery pulled a bottle and a cold glass from the fridge and set it on the table in front of her.

“What, you’re not going to join me?”

“Seems like I might need to keep a level head to deal with whatever it is you’ve got in store for me. Besides, I’m already one ahead of you.”

“Good point.” Sarah took a deep pull straight from the bottle. Ellery watched her drink, remembering the heat of Sarah’s lips on hers, wishing this exchange were taking place under very different circumstances. While Sarah drank, she allowed her mind to wander into a fantasy full of wishing Sarah’s visit wasn’t about terrorism, bombings, and crime. She’d walked away from a life where her days were full of the drama that accompanied the push and pull of prosecution and defense. The fact that these very things were dogging her chances to get close to the one woman who’d captured her interest in years was cruel irony that clouded her thoughts to the point she almost missed Sarah’s next words.

“Naveed was one of the bombers.”

“Excuse me?” Surely she hadn’t heard her correctly. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“I’m not.”

Ellery did her best to shift focus. Despite Sarah’s earlier comments about Naveed, she’d been completely unprepared for the harsh accusation. “You have proof?” Sarah’s expression was pained and she pounced. “You don’t have proof, do you? This is another one of those throw something against the wall and see if it sticks tactics, isn’t it?”

Sarah shook her head, but instead of triumph, Ellery read pain in her eyes. “I don’t have everything I need to prove it to a jury, but I have enough to know I’m right. The rest will come.”

Ellery sank into one of the sturdy wood chairs and leaned her arms on the kitchen table that she’d crafted from remnants of an old barn. Seemed she could remake anything except her own destiny. “Tell me.”

Sarah walked over to the fridge and pulled out a beer bottle, twisted the cap and placed it in front of her. “I will, but you’re going to want this.” She sat at the table and sighed. “One of the tenants in the building that Naveed and his friends broke into is an architectural firm that designed the arena. Naveed’s cousin, Akbar, interned at the firm last year. I’ve confirmed that the original blueprints for the arena were present at the office at the time of the break-in.”

“A little attenuated, don’t you think?”

“Spoken like a true defense attorney. There’s more. Michael and Brian Barstow, the two other boys who were with Naveed and Akbar that night, have been going by Hashid and Abdul Kamal for the better part of the last year. Michael’s got a very interesting blog site, all about the evils of America and the glory of Islam.”

Ellery didn’t bother to try to hide her surprise. She hadn’t met the other boys, but she’d taken Naveed at his word that the break-in had been a stunt, boys’ play. The potential impact on his future was the primary reason she’d turned down Amir’s request that she represent the entire group, and because the case was still lingering through the system when she’d left the practice, she’d left it to Meg to determine if talking to the other boys was even necessary in formulating Naveed’s defense. “Are you saying they were all involved in the bombing?”

“I believe that’s true, but I don’t know everyone’s role yet.”

“You said Naveed was one of the bombers.”

“If he was involved at all, he was in it all the way. And I know he was involved.”

“It doesn’t make sense. You said yourself, Akbar used to work at that firm. Why didn’t he take the plans for the arena when he worked there? Were the plans even missing?”

“No, but someone could easily take a picture with their cell phone. The police didn’t search any of the boys’ cell phones at the time of the arrest, by the way. As for why Akbar didn’t take the plans when he worked there, I don’t know. Maybe this scheme was hatched after the fact, but if that were all I had, I would expect you to be able to tear it apart.”

“What else?”

“I just talked to my contact in D.C. Did you know Naveed has a girlfriend?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Doesn’t matter if you knew. The point is she’s a pretty blond thing. Petite and feminine. You know the type—a wink and a smile and she gets whatever she wants.”

Ellery’s mind flashed to the girl she’d seen on Naveed’s doorstep the day before and the furtive, whispered conversation they’d shared. Suddenly, Sarah’s slow and deliberate storytelling gnawed at her nerves. “What’s your point?”

“I guess he thought his files would be safe on her computer. I mean, nobody ever thinks the Barbie doll is guilty of anything, right?”

“You must have one hell of a warrant if you’re tapping into communications by people not even covered in your original warrant.”

“I’m not supposed to talk about a sealed FISA warrant. Wait a minute, how do you know what’s in the original warrant?”

Ellery smiled at the gotcha. “You have no reason to know this, but I was a big deal in this town before I quit. I still have friends who are willing to look out for me.”

Sarah looked her up and down as if appraising. “I have no doubt.”

Ellery locked into her gaze and lost track of the amount of time they stared at each other as she pondered the attraction. It wasn’t just that Sarah was beautiful, charming, and a clever adversary. They were more than adversaries. At the root of it all, she believed they both wanted the truth, even if they took very different routes to get there. Sarah was trained to suspect everyone and whittle down from broad generalizations to a narrow truth. On the other hand, she’d learned to start by looking at her one client and then finding a host of other options to create doubt. Her way had failed her before, once with devastating consequences, which made her question if she’d missed something critical when it came to Naveed.

“Tell me what you know,” Ellery said. “I need to hear it and I give you my word, if I can help you, I will.” She willed Sarah to hear the weight of the promise behind her words. After a moment, Sarah started talking.

“All of those boys have girlfriends. Young, pretty, blond, girlfriends. Don’t you think it’s odd that a group of Muslim extremists would have the most Western looking girlfriends they could find?”

“I guess so. What exactly did you find on the computer of Naveed’s girlfriend?”

“Photos taken with a cell phone. Photos of the arena blueprints.”

“What else?”

“You don’t think that’s enough?”

“You and I both know it isn’t. What aren’t you telling me?”

“Truthfully, we haven’t found anything specific yet. There are a ton of messages between them, but they’re still being sorted out. I imagine most of them are coded.”

“You really think they would be careless enough to have the plans for the arena where they can easily be found, but have some kind of sophisticated code for communicating about a plot to bomb the arena?”