Born to Run

Chapter 20

The winds shifted overnight, and by morning the grip of winter had lifted from the Capitol. Jack and his father decided to go for a jog in the National Mall before breakfast. They weren’t alone by a long shot. It didn’t take springtime and cherry blossoms to bring out the joggers by the hundreds, more stress than sweat oozing from their pores. Harry, however, became winded in less than ten minutes. He found rest on a park bench near the World War II Memorial.

“I ran two miles every morning when I was in the governor’s mansion,” said Harry, shaking his head. “Your old man isn’t what he used to be.”

This was one of those moments when the good son was supposed to step up and say something like Nonsense, you’re in great shape. But Jack was thinking other thoughts.

“Dad, there are some things I need to tell you.”

Harry reached down and tried to touch his toes but made it only to his knees. “Okay,” he said, groaning. “I’m listening.”

“I’m starting to wonder about this whole thing.”

“My being vice president?”

“It’s more about how the job came open in the first place.”

Jack sat on the bench beside him. A group of college students ran by. Jack could almost smell last night’s frat party in the air. He let them pass, then continued.

“I’ve been hearing some disturbing things lately. Did you know that Grayson was cheating on his wife?”

Harry looked as if he’d just sucked a lemon. “What does that have to do with anything? Let the man rest in peace. And who told you that, anyway?”

“His daughter.”

“You talked to Elizabeth about her father’s sex life?”

“Well-yes, actually. His widow, too.”

“You’ve been hanging around Theo too much.”

“It’s not what it sounds like. This is serious.”

“Seriously weird.”

“Dad, just listen.”

“No, I really don’t want to hear this. You of all people should know better than to put rumors inside my head. I’m about to face off against two congressional committees, and there are members of those committees who never miss an opportunity to embarrass the president. The less I know about anything that doesn’t deal with my own qualifications for the job, the better.”

“This isn’t about you being qualified. I’ve been talking with Paulette Sparks about this-”

“Damn, Jack. Why would you do that?”

“She’s been helping me sort this out.”

“She’s a Washington reporter. She’s not helping you.”

“Paulette thinks Grayson may have been murdered.”

“That’s it, I’m outta here,” he said as he sprang from the bench.

Jack went after him, jogging at his side. “Why won’t you listen to this?”

“Why won’t you stop talking?”

“This is important.”

“This is poppycock.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I live in the real world, Jack. You should try visiting there some time.”

“A fifty-year-old man cheats on his wife, and both he and his young lover end up dead. For a criminal defense lawyer, that is the real world.”

Harry stopped abruptly. “I’m trying to pull you up out of that cesspool, Jack. I’m giving you a shot at the big leagues. Don’t blow it.”

“A shot? I didn’t ask for a shot.”

“As your father, I’m asking you to stop talking with Paulette Sparks.”

“As your lawyer, I’m telling you to open your eyes.”

“As my lawyer, you should have known better than to put your trust in a reporter in the first place.”

“What are you going to do, fire me?”

Another runner passed them. It gave Harry time to reflect, but he still didn’t pull any punches. “Yeah,” he said, grunting. “I think I am.”

Jack stopped running. “What?”

Harry continued several paces down the path, then turned to look Jack in the eye. “I need a lawyer who really wants this job. Ever since you got here, all you’ve done is play detective. That’s not helping me.”

Fired by my own father? Jack didn’t know what to say. “Okay. If that’s the way you want it.”

“If this keeps up, we’ll end up not speaking to each other, and it’ll be the bad old days all over again. That’s what I don’t want.”

“So…I should go back to Miami?”

“I think it’s best this way. Now, come on, let’s start back.”

“You go ahead. I don’t much feel like it.”

“Suit yourself.”

Jack watched in silence as his father turned and merged into a long line of joggers that was headed in the general direction of the White House.