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I held his gaze a moment. “And you’re not going to tell me who it is.”

He lowered his head, clenched his jaw muscles, shook his head. “Not until you agree to take the job.”

“The job is-what? To discredit this story?”

He nodded, took a sip of his coffee. Checked his watch. Finally I spoke.

“Mr. Parnell-”

“I can’t tell you,” he said.

“And I won’t take the job until I know who it is.” I started to rise. “So I’d say we’ve reached an impasse.”

I realized then the secret to Gideon Parnell’s success. It wasn’t his dignity or his gravitas or his integrity. Not even his storied career. It was his face. The large liquid eyes, the disarming smile: They made him look vulnerable, eager, defenseless. Like a puppy. You wanted to protect him, take care of him. It was disconcerting. But his expression could toggle to stern in an instant.

“I want to make sure we’re both on the same page before I tell you any more.”

“Everything you say to me is covered by the NDA I signed.”

Parnell compressed his lips like a petulant child.

“All right,” I said. “You want me to discredit a false story. What am I missing here? Why give it any attention?”

“Because the story has been meticulously prepared. On the surface, it looks plausible. The website claims to have copies of e-mails, even a video interview with the escort in question. Once this story gets out there, unwinding it will take some time and the damage will be done.”

“If the story’s so solid, why haven’t they run it already?”

“Because I’ve made a deal with them. They’re giving us forty-eight hours before the piece goes live.”

“What’s the website?”

“Slander Sheet.”

“Hoo boy.” Slander Sheet made even the edgier gossip websites like Gawker and TMZ look like The Economist. It was one of those trashy, sensationalist websites that no one admitted looking at but everyone did. Or knew someone who did. Unlike old-fashioned newspaper gossip columns, which might run a cutesy blind item about, say, “a certain sixtyish real estate magnate with a much younger trophy wife,” Slander Sheet came right out and named names. It was fearless and vicious and just about everybody in the public eye was scared of it.

“Well, that sucks,” I said.

“Indeed. That’s why ignoring it won’t work. The story will have legs, as they say. It’s going to be picked up, and it’s going to get a lot of attention. Like the old saying goes, a lie gets halfway around the world before truth has the chance to put its pants on.”

Maybe not the best expression to use in this situation. I tried not to smile. “Here we are, sitting in the offices of Shays Abbott, the biggest, scariest law firm in the country. Can’t you guys just shut this thing down? Threaten an injunction or whatever? Isn’t that normally how it plays?”

He shook his head slowly. “There’s not a damned thing we can do to stop them.”

“If the piece is false and libelous, can’t you get a judge to order them not to publish?”

“That’s called ‘prior restraint,’ and it’s unconstitutional in this country. Violates freedom of speech.”

“That doesn’t stop you from threatening to file a massive libel suit against this lousy little website. Scare the crap out of them. Kill the snake. Everyone from the White House on down would cheer you on.”

“And that would just feed the flames. Give the story oxygen, which is exactly what they want.”

He had a point. “So how do you know what’s in the story?”

“The reporter e-mailed a list of questions.”

“To you? Or to this unnamed friend of yours?”

“To him.”

“Did he answer them?”

“He ignored them.”

“And they’re running the story anyway?”

He nodded.

“I don’t like this.”

“Neither do I.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. Something doesn’t smell right about this. Like maybe there’s more to the story than you’re letting on. I’d put this in the ‘where there’s smoke, there’s fire’ category. Meaning that there’s at least some truth here. So I’m thinking the real reason I’m here is that you want me to do a scrub.”

Parnell fixed me with a steely stare. No more frightened puppy dog. “If you mean, do I want you to conceal evidence and make witnesses disappear or what have you, you don’t know me. As I told you, this entire story is false.”

“Mr. Parnell, I can’t take this on until I talk to your friend.”

“I’m sorry. That’s just not possible. And I’m Gideon.”

“I understand.” I rose and extended my hand, but Parnell didn’t take it. “I’m sorry we wasted each other’s time.”

“Sit down, Mr. Heller. Please understand, this is not someone you can just go in and interview.”

“Well, until I’ve talked to the guy, I won’t do it.” I remained standing. “You know damned well you can easily find someone else. There’s no shortage of investigators who’d jump at the chance to work for Shays Abbott. I’m in the fortunate position of being able to pick and choose.”

This was an out-and-out lie. In the past few months I had taken work I once swore I’d never do. Times were hard for everyone.

“Perhaps I can arrange for you two to talk over the phone.”