Chapter Nineteen
While Park talked to Gavin, Jackson walked over to a quieter part of the bar and called Reed. After he gave a brief version of events, he said, “Can I ask a terrible favor of you?”
“Pack a bag of clothes so you don’t have to do the walk of shame into the office tomorrow?” said Reed.
“What made you assume I’m spending the night here?”
Reed laughed. “You are.I can hear it in your voice. You’re about to fuck a Republican. I’m so ashamed of you.”
“Reed.” Jackson meant to sound stern, but he laughed, too. “That’s not entirely what’s going on here.”
“But you called me to ask me to bring you a dignity bag. I get it.”
“I don’t want to leave him alone right now.”
“Well, because you’re my friend and you’ve had a rough night and you asked nicely,I’ll drop by your place and find your least appropriate suit to wear to the office tomorrow. Give me about forty-five minutes.”
“Thank you, Reed.”
“You’re welcome. He’d better be worth it.”
“Well, that remains to be seen, but...I think it’s right.”
“All right. See you in forty-five.”
Jackson hung up and spared a thought for whether he really felt wrong or guilty for decidingto be with Park. He didn’t. He took a deep breath and walked back toward where Park sat with Gavin. He glanced out the glass doors at the front of the hotel and saw the press horde looking inside anxiously. Taking this step with Park meant the shouting and flashbulbs would be a component of his life, at least for the next few months. Jackson didn’t relish the thought.
He and Park had a lotto talk about.
Gavin bent over a coffee table as he filled out a form. “I just need you to read it over to verify that all this is true, and then sign on the bottom there,” he said to Park.
Park nodded and picked up the form.
“So is that it?” Jackson asked. “Tucker’s been arrested. It’s over. Right?”
“Yeah, basically. If it goes to trial, we’ll need Park back as a witness, butyeah, I think we’ve got this sewn up. If Lacey doesn’t get a confession out of Tucker, Park’s statement is enough for an indictment, and we have enough physical evidence now that I think it’s a slam dunk. I don’t think even you and your lawyerly prowess could keep him out of jail.”
“Lawyerly prowess?”
Gavin rolled his eyes and turned back to Park. “How’s your wrist?”
“Sore. Not mysigning hand, though.” Park signed the form.
“All right. Are you two okay? I have to get back to the precinct to process all this. It’ll be a long night for me, I think.”
Park turned to Jackson, his expression anxious. “You’re staying here tonight, right?”
“I just called Reed and asked him to bring me a change of clothes for tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” Park whispered. He closed hiseyes briefly, looking exhausted.
“Well, stay out of trouble,” Gavin said. “I’ll call you tomorrow, Jack.”
“Thanks. Unless you want to stick around and say hi to Reed?”
“Well, as much as I like that guy, I do have to get going.”
Not able to resist, Jackson said, “He’s awfully flirty with you. You sure there’s nothing going on there I should know about?”
