Free Tell No Lies by Julie Compton Page A

lunch. He says it's important."
    The Noonday Club was a private club frequented by partners of the silk stocking firms and CEOs of the major corporations based in the city. Even with Earl's upcoming move to Clark & Cavanaugh, it wasn't the kind of place he would normally eat lunch. Especially with Jack.
    Beverly gave him the rest of his messages; none were from Jenny. Jack had a feeling he wouldn't hear from her again for a while. Maybe she was expecting him to be the one to make the call for that first, awkward post-kiss lunch.
     
    The restaurant was on the top floor of the Metropolitan Square building. Earl was waiting for him as he stepped off of the elevator.
    "I assume you're buying," Jack said, surveying the extravagant lobby.
    "Come on," he said, leading Jack into an empty room across the lobby from the main dining room. "I want to talk to you alone before we go in." He closed the double doors.
    "Alone?" Jack walked to the window and looked out. It faced west; Jack could see the government complex where he'd been that morning, and, just past that, Forest Park. "Aren't we having lunch alone?" he asked.
    "No. We're having lunch with some guys from the party. I wanted them to meet you."
    "The party?"
    "Don't be so naïve, Jack. The Democrats. The ones who will make sure you win the election, if you decide to run."  
    "Dammit, Earl," he said, his jaw clenched tight. In all the years he had worked for Earl, he couldn't remember ever really getting angry at him. But now he was fuming. "Didn't we go over this on Friday? What are you doing to me?"
 
    "Sit down." Earl pulled out a chair but Jack glared at him and ignored the command. "Relax, will you? It's not what I'm doing to you. It's what I'm doing for you."
 
    "You spring this on me when I get off the elevator? That's not doing something for me. That's sandbagging me. You could have at least told me ahead of time."
    "And you would have come, right?"
    Jack crossed his arms and turned back to the window.
    "That's what I thought. Look, Jack" —Earl's voice was tamer— "all I'm asking is for you to have lunch. Just meet them. Let them ask you a few questions, see what you're all about."
    Jack focused on the monstrous compressor on the roof of the building below them, mesmerized by its whirling fan. "Why bother?" he asked.
    "Because I think you want the job; I think you can taste it. You're afraid it's impossible. I want you to see it's not."
    "It is."
    "It's not. Trust me. There are ways to deal with the death penalty issue."
    Jack wanted to call Claire, ask her what he should do. Calm, wise Claire.
    "What have you told them?" he asked.
    "A lot," Earl confessed. "I've been talking to them about you for a while. Did you think I just came up with this idea last week? Not quite."
    Jack couldn't help but feel flattered. "Do they know we've discussed it, and I told you I'm not interested?"
 
    "They know that I've mentioned it to you, and you're thinking about it."
    "You're something," Jack said, turning to the window again. He saw the spire of the courthouse sandwiched between a parking garage and an office building. Maybe he should just do it, see what they had to say. "And if I eat lunch with them and then tell you the same thing I told you Friday, you'll respect that and leave me alone?"
    Earl hesitated, then smiled, as if he knew Jack had taken the bait and now it was merely a matter of reeling him in. "If that's what you want."
    "That's what I want."
    Jack turned, and they looked at each other, both questioning each other's sincerity. Jack started to straighten his jacket. He wasn't wearing a suit that day. "Look at me. I'm not dressed to be meeting these guys."
    "Christ, Jack, you're a prosecutor. They don't expect you to look good."
    They both laughed, and Jack felt his muscles beginning to ease. But Earl wasn't finished.
    "Now listen to me. This isn't the time to bring up your opposition to the death penalty, you got it? First win them over, and we'll address that