When No One Is Watching (17 page)

“Hello, Pat,” said Danny, taking a seat on the bar stool next to him.

“Merry Christmas, Danny. Thanks for coming,” Pat replied, turning toward Danny and offering his hand, but not meeting his gaze.

Danny felt stunned at the sight of his new friend. In the short time they’d known each other, Pat Jordan had always looked like a man who had his act together, well groomed and well dressed, healthy, trim, and fit. At the moment, his hair was uncombed, he hadn’t shaved in several days, and judging by the body odor, apparently hadn’t showered, either. His eyes were swollen and bloodshot, either from drinking or crying, Danny couldn’t tell which. Probably both, he surmised.

While walking toward Kelly’s, Danny had decided that he’d take Pat to the South Side Diner for some black coffee, then take him home in a cab. After seeing Pat’s condition, a wave of pity overtook him, and Danny couldn’t bear the thought of his friend spending Christmas alone. “How about a nice Christmas dinner, Pat? At my place,” Danny suggested.

“That would be nice, Danny,” Pat replied meekly, “but look at me. I’m a mess.”

“I’ve seen worse,” said Danny, with an encouraging smile. “Come on, pal, you can shower up at my place. Allie and I are cooking Christmas dinner. It’s just the two of us, but we’ve got enough food to feed an army. We’d love to have you.”

Allie started at the sight of her father’s companion when they walked through the front door thirty minutes later, but quickly composed herself and greeted their guest with cheerful enthusiasm. Pat was obviously embarrassed upon meeting Danny’s daughter in the state he was in, but also clearly grateful to be spared the prospect of spending Christmas Day utterly alone. Danny provided Pat with a clean sweatshirt and a pair of jeans and guided him to the shower.

“I hope you don’t mind the unexpected guest, sweet-heart,” Danny said when he returned to the kitchen to help with dinner preparations. “I know we planned on spending the day by ourselves.”

Allie smiled and blinked away the tears in her eyes. “I’m so proud of you, Pops. Of course I don’t mind.” She hugged him tightly.

During dinner, Pat was haggard, but coherent, the shower and food lifting his spirits considerably. Allie showered him with attention, engaging him in conversation like a long-lost relative, quickly getting him past his embarrassment and self-consciousness and putting him at ease. Andy was right, Danny thought to himself. His confident, compassionate seventeen-year-old daughter was truly a special person, and Danny could not help but feel blessed on this Christmas Day.

After dinner, they watched
It’s a Wonderful Life
together, all three of them wiping tears from their eyes during the final scene. Pat spent the night in the guest room and left at noon the next day, clear-eyed and clearheaded, if still a bit shaky.

Over the next week, Danny made a point of taking a long walk with Pat every morning, then checked in with him by phone several times each day. They attended the St. Martin’s AA meetings together, where it became evident what a difficult time of the year the holidays could be for so many people.

On New Year’s Eve, Danny, Pat, and a handful of others from their AA chapter gathered at Andy Murray’s house for an alcohol-free evening of celebration and camaraderie, and to provide a means of avoiding temptation on one of the biggest drinking nights of the year. Danny felt a special closeness with the group of struggling souls gathered there. For many of them, their lives were in tatters, yet they felt a sense of hope and purpose, bonded by their collective effort to help each other conquer the biggest challenge life had thrown their way. The battle might never be over for them, but they took comfort in having comrades-in-arms and savoring the little victories that each day of sobriety represented.

“Thanks for being there for me, Danny,” Pat Jordan said warmly as he drove Danny home shortly after midnight. “I feel like you’re someone I can count on, and that means a lot to me.”

“I’m glad I could help, Pat. Happy New Year.” They shook hands and Danny went inside. He sat for a long time in the living room armchair, staring at the blue lava lamp on the adjacent table while he contemplated the events of the past year and the future that lay before him.

The back door slammed. Allie saw the wavering glow of the lava lamp emanating from the living room and knew that her father was waiting up for her.

“Hi, Pops! I’m home!” she announced cheerfully. She walked into the living room, leaned down, and kissed his cheek. “Happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year, little girl,” Danny replied. “Let’s make it a good one.” He smiled at her, and then turned his gaze toward the strange, changing shapes silently erupting in the blue water of the lava lamp.

“What are you thinking about?” Allie asked.

“Oh, lots of things, but mostly I was sitting here thinking that for the first time in a long while, I’m doing something useful again. I was able to really help someone this week. And that really helped me. Strange, isn’t it?”

“Not strange at all, Pops. That’s what life is all about, isn’t it? Good night!”

“Good night, sweetheart. Happy New Year!”

CHAPTER 26
I
t was a bright but bitterly cold morning as Danny Moran walked the sixteen blocks from his home to the law offices of Murphy & Murphy. He was wearing a suit and carrying his briefcase, feeling upbeat despite the assault of the icy January wind against his face. He was filled with a sense of purpose, partly because he was attending a legal meeting where he would be back in his element, but mostly because he was preparing to act in accordance with his new creed, making amends to someone he had hurt. It felt good.

 

The law office was at the end of a small strip mall, where it shared a parking lot with a currency exchange, a used book-store, a pizza shop, and a beauty salon. The bell chimed as Danny opened the door and approached an empty reception desk. A boyish-looking young man in blue jeans and an oatmeal-colored sweater appeared from around the corner, walking slowly, a swagger in his step as he carefully surveyed his visitor.

“Are you Mr. Moran?” he asked in a tone that was all business.

“Yes, I have an appointment with Kevin Murphy,” Danny replied amicably.

“That would be me,” said the young man, offering his hand with no trace of a smile. “Let’s talk in here,” he said, leading Danny into a small conference room devoid of pictures, plants, or any other attempt at interior decorating. “Have a seat. My dad will be joining us. I’ll get him.”

A few moments later, the elder Mr. Murphy strolled into the office, his son trailing behind. Notwithstanding the gray hair and the fleshier face, the father’s features were strikingly similar to his son’s, although the elder Mr. Murphy was possessed of a quick smile and friendly eyes.

“I’m the other name on the letterhead,” he announced in a chipper voice. “Paul Murphy. Nice to meet you, Mr. Moran,” he said, shaking Danny’s hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you. Hope you don’t mind if I sit in.”

“Not at all,” Danny replied. He and the elder Murphy chatted briefly about neighborhood attorneys they knew in common until the younger Murphy brought the pleasantries to an abrupt halt.

“Well, let’s get down to business, shall we?” Kevin said, doing his best to sound authoritative. “Mr. Moran, you called this meeting. What’s on your mind?”

“Settlement,” Danny replied matter-of-factly. “I’d like to see if we can settle the McGrath lawsuit.”

“I’m not sure we have any interest in settlement,” the young attorney replied, his tone confrontational. “This is a clear-cut case of wrongful death. Liability is a given. As I’m sure you can imagine, this incident has had a devastating impact upon Mrs. McGrath and her family. When we put our economic experts and medical experts on the stand, the jury will go crazy. There’s not much reason for us to consider settlement when a substantial jury verdict is a certainty.” He sat back and folded his arms, giving Danny a smug look.

For the briefest instant, Danny was tempted to walk away and teach this kid a few lessons in the courtroom. From the look of him, he couldn’t have been more than a couple of years out of law school and probably had never tried a case in his life. But he had come to the office of this strip-mall lawyer with a purpose, and Danny would not let himself lose sight of that mission.

Danny looked steadily at the cocky young man across the table. “Look, Kevin, I don’t want to fight you, and I certainly don’t want to fight Mrs. McGrath. I’m here to make peace. Why would you wait years to go to trial and put yourself and your client through all that heartache and aggravation if it’s not necessary? And I can assure you, it’s not.” Danny’s voice was pleasant and agreeable, his face a picture of sincerity.

Kevin appeared taken aback. “Well, you may think it’s not necessary, but Mrs. McGrath deserves her day in court,” he said harshly.

The elder Murphy shot his son a quick glance, then interceded. “Well, Kevin, Mr. Moran took the time to come visit us this morning. Let’s hear what he has to say.” He smiled politely at Danny.

Kevin gave his father an irritated look. “Okay. If you’ve got a proposal, I’m all ears. I have an obligation to share any settlement offers with my client, so I’ll pass along whatever it is you want to propose. I’ll probably advise her to reject it, but I’ll pass it along.”

“Good,” said Danny. “Then here’s my proposal. First, I’d like you to explain to Mrs. McGrath that I’m truly sorry for what I’ve done. I understand that she may never be able to forgive me, and I’m not asking her to. However, I do want her to know that I stand ready and willing to do whatever she would like me to do, and that she doesn’t need to go to court to make that happen, which leads to the second part of my proposal.” Danny opened a manila folder and pulled out a piece of paper, which he handed across the table to the young attorney. It was an inventory of his assets:

House ........................................................... $500,000

Cash ............................................................. $120,000

Stocks and Mutual Funds .......................... $1,350,000

Savings Bonds ................................................. $45,000

Retirement Plan ............................................ $200,000

Car ................................................................. $80,000

TOTAL ..................................................... $2,295,000

“This is everything I own, my entire net worth,” Danny continued. “I’d like you to share that with Mrs. McGrath and tell her she can have whatever she wants. Tell her I want to make amends. I realize that I can’t possibly compensate her for her loss, but I want to do whatever I can.”

Kevin handed the piece of paper to his father and stared down at the table for a long time. Danny didn’t know whether he was truly stunned and didn’t know how to respond or whether he was attempting to calculate his share of the settlement.

“What about insurance?” Kevin asked gruffly. “My auto insurance carrier will certainly deny coverage based on the DUI charges. We could litigate with them, but the prospects of recovery are low.” Danny paused and stared first at the father, then at the son. “I’m trying to make this easy, gentlemen. Easy for you, and easy for Mrs. McGrath.”

“How do we know this list is accurate?” Kevin asked suspiciously.

“I’ll provide you whatever documentation you like—bank records, brokerage statements, tax returns. Just tell me what you want.”

“The jury might award a lot more than this,” Kevin pointed out.

“That’s true,” Danny replied. “But then again, they may not. Even if they do, that’s all I’ve got, guys. I’m unemployed. I’ve been disbarred. Is there really any point in putting your client through a trial? Like I said, I’m trying to make it easy, and I’m trying to do the right thing.”

Paul Murphy cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. “This is quite a proposal, Mr. Moran. We certainly weren’t expecting this. Can you give us a few minutes?”

“Certainly,” said Danny. “Take all the time you need.”

Father and son stepped out of the small conference room, closing the door behind them. Within five minutes, they returned, both appearing positive and upbeat. Kevin had clearly calculated his contingency fee by now, Danny surmised.

“Mr. Moran, we appreciate the visit, and we will communicate your proposal to our client,” said Kevin. “I don’t know how she’ll react, and I don’t want to give you any false hope, but we’ll share it with her and get back to you.”

Although the words were not encouraging, the looks on their faces were a giveaway. They were excited.

“Remember, guys,” said Danny as he put on his coat, “it’s very important to me that you explain to Mrs. McGrath how deeply sorry I am, and that I’m really trying to do the right thing here.”

“We will, Danny,” said the elder Mr. Murphy. “And for my part, let me say that I admire what you’re doing. We’ll be in touch.”

At eight o’clock that evening, Danny’s telephone rang. “Mr. Moran, this is Kevin Murphy. Here’s where we stand. Mrs. McGrath will settle for $1.5 million. She doesn’t want to force you to sell your home or wipe out your retirement plan. She also said to tell you that she appreciates your stepping up like this. Do we have a deal?”

Danny sighed audibly. “Yes, we have a deal, Kevin.”

CHAPTER 27
B
lair sat in the reception area outside the Oval Office, feeling important and slightly nervous, but most of all, curious. He had no idea why he’d been summoned by Arthur Courtright, the president of the United States. When Mrs. Richmond, the president’s personal secretary, had called the week before to schedule the appointment, his own secretary had probed, but had been unable to learn the reason for the visit. “Just tell Congressman Van Howe that the president wants to have a personal visit,” Mrs. Richmond had told her. “He doesn’t need to do anything to prepare for the meeting.”

 

Upon arriving for his appointment twenty minutes early, Blair had tried to use every ounce of charm he could muster to persuade Mrs. Richmond to give him some sort of clue about the purpose for the meeting. He failed miserably. “He just wants to chat,” was all she would say.