Free Tell No Lies by Julie Compton Page B

issue later. And you don't need to tell them how you left Newman. If they ask you about your experience, just tell them you were there two years before coming to my office." He started for the doors.
    Jack shook his head in disbelief. "You amaze me."
    "What?"
    "You believe in me enough to do all this, but then you stand there and lecture me about what and what not to say."
 
    "Just my nature, Jack. You know that. You just be sure to turn on that Hilliard charm, and I don't think it matters what comes out of your mouth."
     
    When they entered the main dining room, the quiet noise of subdued conversation and silverware against fine china embraced them. The table was in a corner, next to a window overlooking the Mississippi and the Arch. Jack glanced down at Jenny's building and wondered if she was there. The three men at the table stood when Jack and Earl approached. One of them, the tallest of the three, looked vaguely familiar. Jack thought he recognized him from the news, always at the Governor's side or something.
    "Earl, how are you, ol' boy?" said the tall one, shaking Earl's hand. "It's been too long." He turned to Jack. "You must be Mr. Hilliard."
    Jack smiled and extended his hand. "Please, call me Jack."
    "Gregory Dunne," he said. "This is Stuart Katz and Pat Sullivan." He motioned to the other two.
    Jack did a quick appraisal as he shook their hands. Gregory was the only one of the three whom Jack would have mistaken for a Republican. Most Democrats would have just called themselves "Greg." And with his close-cropped hair and expensive suit, he just looked too, well, conservative.
    The other two fit the stereotype that Jack had in his mind of liberal politicians. Stuart Katz wore a suit, but it was probably bought off the rack at Macy's. His brown hair was also short, but not as styled as Gregory's. Pat Sullivan had on a navy sport coat and tan slacks; small round spectacles rested on the bridge of his nose. His sandy hair was a tad on the long side. Had his clothes been more well-worn, or a little bit rumpled, he would have looked like a professor.
 
    They made small talk while they waited for the server to take their orders, and despite his earlier objections, Jack found himself enjoying the harmless banter and looking forward to the food, which the others raved about. Maybe this would be as easy as Earl had made out.
    When the waiter set his plate in front of him, Jack had to restrain himself from digging in greedily, as he might have had he been with one of the guys from his office. The slow, polite bites he took only made him hungrier.
    "So Jack," said Gregory. "Earl's told us a lot about you."
    "Earl's been very supportive of me. I couldn't ask for a better boss. Or friend."
    "You've been at the DA's office, what now, ten years?" asked Pat.
    "Eight. Two years at Newman, Norton and Levine before that." Maybe he should have just said "eight," left out the Newman part. Of course, they'd probably done their research and wanted to make sure his answers were consistent.
    They nodded, as if they understood.
    "Saw you got the conviction in the Adler case," said Stuart. "When's the sentencing?"
    Well, that was easy. They didn't even ask why he'd left Newman.
    "It's scheduled for next month sometime."
    "What are you going for?" asked Pat.
    Jack looked at Earl before answering. They usually made it a habit not to talk publicly about cases unless they had a planned response for the media. He wasn't sure if Earl would expect him to make an exception for these guys, or whether this was some sort of test to see if he kept his mouth shut despite the importance of his audience. But he couldn't read him.
 
    "I'm not sure we've decided that, yet. We're still mulling it over."
    "Are you handling the Barnard case?" asked Stuart.
    This was beginning to feel like Twenty Questions. "No. Frank Mann handled the arraignment. Either he or Jeff McCarthy, or both, will handle the rest of it, right, Earl?" He looked straight at his boss