The Reformers: A Matt Blake Novel (The Matt Blake legal thriller series Book 2)

by Russell Moran

  Abraham Lincoln? I thought. Max knows how to get somebody’s attention.

  “As you know, as my party’s top official, I can’t openly endorse you—yet. I have to maintain a studied distance between me and any possible party candidate. But that won’t stop me from urging you to run. Matt, sometimes the stars align perfectly, and the stars have aligned on a great guy named Matt Blake. So I’m asking you, and of course this is unofficial for the time being, do you want the job?”

  “Yes, I do,” Matt said in his strongest voice while grabbing my hand.

  Fleming stood and reached his hand across the table. He and Matt shook hands, staring into each other’s eyes.

  “Matt, someday I look forward to addressing you as ‘Mr. President.’ As I’ve said, I can’t endorse you yet, but I sure as hell know how to put out information. I suggest that you and Diana stay here in D.C. overnight. You’re going to be spending a lot of time on the telephone. I suggest that you make your official announcement tonight on the Fox News program Special Report with Bret Baier. Fox has a sound studio here in Washington, so Baier will interview you via split screen. I’ll call them now, and they’ll move heaven and earth to book you.”

  ***

  The intercom buzzed. “Mr. Fleming, it’s President Reynolds on line one,” said his assistant. “He wants to speak to Mr. Blake.”

  “Good morning Mr. President, Matt Blake here.”

  “I knew you’d be there, Matt. Information has a way of reaching me. I also know why you’re there to meet with my good friend Max Fleming. I have one message for you, Matt. Go for it. You’ll make a great president. I’m going to abandon the normal bullshit of maintaining a presidential distance from the campaign. I’m going to openly endorse you and campaign for you. Our country needs a man like you. The last thing the country needs is that fucking nutcase who hangs out in Kurdistan.”

  “Mr. President, I can’t thank you enough for your kind words of support. While I have you on the phone, I think it’s appropriate that I resign my position as Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security. It’s a clear conflict of interest for me to be spying on the man who I’m running against for office.”

  “I reluctantly accept your resignation, Matt. You’re right, it would be a conflict of interest. You’ve done a hell of a job, and your speech before the Senate committee put you on the political map. I’m proud to know you, my friend.”

  ***

  “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, I’m Bret Baier, and welcome to Special Report. We have a distinguished guest with us this evening on our split screen from Washington D.C., Mr. Matt Blake, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, and well-known trial lawyer from Chicago. Mr. Blake is also a war hero, having served in Iraq as a captain with the United States Marine Corps. He’s the most decorated Chicago resident since World War II. A lot of Americans sat up and took notice of Mr. Blake when he delivered a policy speech for the Homeland Security Department to a Senate committee recently.”

  I sat off to the right of the sound stage in Washington, sweating like a beer barrel on a hot summer day. I looked at Matt and felt better. Even though he was under the strong TV lights, he was totally composed, as relaxed with the camera as the seasoned host interviewing him from New York. Fleming knew what he was doing when he tapped Matt. So did I.

  “Mr. Blake, rumors have been spreading like wildfire about you this afternoon. Is there something you’d like to say to our viewing audience?”

  “Yes, Brett, and thank you for inviting me on your show. I’m announcing my candidacy for President of the United States.”

  ***

  So that was it. It’s official. Matt, my Matt, is a candidate for President of the United States. Gone are the days of planning one project at a time. Gone are our quiet evenings of just being together. Gone is our privacy. So what. Matt is a man with greatness in him, and that’s why I encouraged him to run. Ever since I met him, I knew Matt was a great guy. Now I’m convinced he’s a great man. Our country needs him, and now I’m dedicating my life to making it happen. As good old Bennie Weinberg would say, “That’s no bullshit.”

  Chapter 57

  I’ve gone through some weird shit in my life. I was wounded and almost killed in Iraq. I lost a beautiful young fiancée to a car accident. Dee and I were almost killed in a terrorist attack while we were in the Witness Protection Program in New York. But I’ve also gone through some wonderful stuff, and it began with the day I met Dee. For a reason I can’t figure out, Dee and I are getting closer. I know this sounds dumb, but I sometimes feel like our souls have blended. Well, why the hell should I try to figure it out? She’s the best part of my life, so let it just go at that.

  Now I’m a candidate for President of the United States. It’s been a week since I officially announced my candidacy, and suddenly our lives are in overdrive. That’s fine. Both Dee and I knew what we were getting into, and we realized that just like shaking alcoholism and drug addiction, you take it one day at a time. We’re committed to making it an adventure, to making it fun. We’re also committed to each other. That will never change.

  “Honey, you gotta see this,” I yelled to Dee.

  It was 6 a.m. and we were both up as usual. She ran into the living room as I was watching TV. The early morning anchor had just announced that new poll numbers were about to be released.

  “This is a shock, ladies and gentlemen,” said the announcer on CNN. “Polling numbers that have just been released by Gallup, CBS, and our own CNN, tell us that the upcoming presidential campaign will be the game to watch in the next few months. Just a week ago, Bartholomew Martin from the controversial third party Freedom from Terror, held what looked like a commanding lead, along with House and Senate candidates from his party. A week ago Mr. Martin led with 51 percent in his favor. Then along came Matt Blake, Deputy Undersecretary of Homeland Security. As of today, Martin, while still in the lead, is only one percent ahead of Blake. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, it’s Martin at 50 percent, and Blake at 49 percent. With an average margin of error between three and four percent, this race is officially a DEAD HEAT. What an unbelievable show of catch-up ball. Folks, this is a great time to be a reporter—or a bookie.”

  I handed Dee a cup of coffee.

  “Should I demand a recount?” I said.

  “Don’t be funny, wiseass,” she said as she kissed me. “Matt, I’m confused. This is absolutely amazing. Your campaign staff isn’t even in place yet. You haven’t even attended one fundraiser, and you’ve only been on a few TV shows. Something big is going on, something called Matt Blake. I did notice that a lot of TV shows have been running a clip of your speech before the Senate. That little talk of yours is resonating with the voters. Matt, you can win this election.”

  ***

  “Mr. Blake, Donald Cooper is here to see you, the gentleman you told me about,” said Jerome the doorman over the intercom.

  “Mr. Blake? Hey, Jerome, it’s me,” I said.

  “I’m just warming up to address you as Mr. President, Mr. Blake,” said Jerome.

  Don Cooper was recommended by Max Fleming to be my campaign manager. Cooper is a seasoned professional, having worked on four presidential campaigns and dozens of gubernatorial and senate races. He’s expensive, but he’s worth it, because he knows how to win. He also has a reputation as a cool customer, a man not easily rattled, which is a good trait for a man about to run a close presidential race. Don is about 5’11,” 60 years old, with blondish gray hair. His nose is decidedly crooked from a fall he took while camping as a kid. The fracture wasn’t set in time, so he now looks like a boxer. He looks like a guy you don’t want to mess with. He’s thin, which tells me he either stays in shape or burns calories with nervous energy. Dee thinks he looks like Paul Newman, except for the crooked nose.

  “Matt, Diana, it’s a pleasure to meet you folks, and I thank you for your confidence in hiring me. In all my years of managing campaigns, I thought I’d seen it all, but this morning’s poll numbers have
my head spinning. Matt, you’ve gone from nowhere to contender in a week, and we’ve barely started the campaign. You’re a hell of a candidate, Matt, and I look forward to the day when I replace ‘Matt’ with ‘Mr. President.’ It can happen, and I’m going to make it happen.”

  “Don, I want to ask you a question,” I said. “Diana is and always has been my most trusted advisor. As you know, she’s a professor of political science at Northwestern and is the author of a widely used textbook on American politics. I hope you don’t see Diana as a source of conflict. I’ve heard that campaign managers like to call all the shots.”

  “You will soon understand something about me, Matt, that I consider myself a learner, not just a teacher. I know all about your wife, and I look forward to working with her, not having her work for me. I am open to any and all comments and suggestions. Diana will have a speed access number on my cell phone, and the line will always be open to her. I don’t often get to work with somebody with Diana’s credentials.”

  “I’m glad we got that out of the way, Don. I think you’ll find that my lovely wife is also easy to get along with.”

  “As long as Matt obeys me,” Dee said, after which I grabbed her in a playful headlock. When she said that, I noticed look of concern on Cooper’s face. Don Cooper will soon get used to Dee’s wiseass sense of humor.

  Don spread a stack of papers before us on the dining room table, going over the basic breakdown of a campaign, including finances, scheduling, and basic organization.

  “As you folks know, fundraising is critical. You’re starting off with a loan from the RNC, but it’s just a loan, standard procedure for a new candidate who doesn’t have a campaign chest behind him yet. I have a group of social media whiz kids on my staff who will scour the Internet for donations, but the big dollars will come through your efforts. Matt. I’ve heard you talk, and I’ve studied your efforts with your charitable foundation. I think you will have no problem shaking the money trees. And shake them we must. Our opponent has oil wells and gold mines at his disposal. I’ve already given instructions to Amy Townsend, my scheduling director. She’s the best there is, and has a contact list like the Manhattan phone book.”

  We spent the next three hours delving into the upcoming campaign. It felt great to see some solid items on paper replacing my queasy feeling over the past week that I didn’t know what I was doing.

  After Don left, Dee put her arms around my waist and looked at me.

  “The Blake for President Campaign is officially under way, honey,” Dee said. “The next few months are going to be exciting as hell.”

  And, knowing Bartholomew Martin as I do, scary as hell, although I didn’t share that thought with Dee.

  Chapter 58

  The Republican National Convention was held in late July. Fortunately I had no opposition. I selected Governor Jeremy Grasso of Ohio as my running mate, and the pick was unopposed. Grasso himself had indicated his interest in running, but graciously bowed out when my early strong numbers came in. Grasso is a great campaigner. He’s about 5’9” and 58 years old. Despite his modest height, he has a stature in front of an audience that grabs people’s attention. Also, he’s from Ohio, a key state I need to win.

  Don Cooper convinced me that my campaign headquarters should be on State Street, a name that everybody associates with Chicago, rather than LaSalle Street, a block known as a power center of big law firms, including Blake & Randolph. I wouldn’t spend much time at my campaign headquarters. It was now my job as a candidate to be all over the country, meeting people, eating knishes, kissing babies, and all the stuff involved with running for a high office. I looked at the job as fun, and Dee and Don Cooper helped me keep my head centered on the long road ahead. But today I was at the Blake for President Headquarters, meeting with various political operatives, as well as a few callers.

  Barbara, my former secretary with Blake & Randolph, now worked for my campaign. She buzzed me on the intercom. “Matt, a gentlemen named Miguel Andres is here and would like to see you. I’m sure you remember him.”

  Remember him? Miguel was my first client, a man I represented in my first personal injury case years ago. He was severely injured in a car accident, and I convinced the jury to award him a $12 million dollar verdict. We’ve stayed in touch over the years, through Christmas and birthday cards.

  I greeted him in Spanish, although he spoke perfect English. Dee has kept me on a program of Spanish lessons, thinking it would be good for the campaign. Miguel still walked with a limp from his car accident.

  “I know how busy you are, Mr. Blake, but I had to drop by to see you. Sorry to bother you.”

  “Miguel, it’s no bother at all. Tell me what you’ve been up to, my friend.”

  “I took your advice, Mr. Blake. After you got me the big verdict, you said that I shouldn’t blow the money. So I didn’t. I now own 12 Dunkin’ Donut franchises. I’m a rich man, thanks to you. I’m also the President of the American-Hispanic Business Alliance. So part of my money, and part of the money from my friends, will now go to the Blake for President Campaign. We have our annual convention in two months, and I’d love to have you talk to us. En español, of course. It will be my honor.”

  Why people feel the need to apologize when they call to wish me well is beyond me. If they only knew how much it meant to me they’d never apologize. I love to hear messages from people I’ve known over my life. It’s one of the best parts of the stressful job of campaigning

  As soon as Miguel left, I buzzed Don Cooper. He loved the idea of my speaking to the Hispanic business group.

  ***

  In the month since my campaign got under way I had appeared on 25 TV shows. I always held the idea in front of me, and Dee emphasized it as well, that if I can convince a jury to go my way, I can convince anybody. Don Cooper and his staff are experts at scheduling, at getting me in front of an audience. But that afternoon I would face one of my biggest challenges to date. I was scheduled to tape the Mary Moriarty afternoon TV show on MSNBC. Mary Moriarty is a woman of the far left. It’s well known among politicians that she hates men in general, and Republican men in particular. Mary is famous for her “gotcha” questions.

  “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, it’s my pleasure to welcome Matt Blake, the probable Republican nominee for President of the United States.” She said that without the slightest hint of a smile, as if she was introducing someone with body odor. After a few softball questions about the rigors of running a national campaign, she zeroed in on her “gotcha” subject of the day.

  “Mr. Blake, I have to raise a sensitive topic today, one that few people know about, your struggles with alcoholism and drug abuse.”

  A topic that “few people know about?” It’s one of the most widely discussed topics, one that I never shy away from. As Dee says, people love to hear about “sin and redemption.”

  “If it’s not too difficult for you to speak about, Mr. Blake, would you care to comment on these rumors?”

  “I’d be happy to, Mary.” Don Cooper had coached me not to lose my temper with this woman, because she’d only make the most of it. “I’m not sure about what you said about ‘few people’ knowing about my past problems. I wrote an op-ed article for the Wall Street Journal last month, specifically addressing that topic. Also, last week The New York Times ran a feature article on the subject in the Sunday Magazine Section. As I’ve said many times to many people, addiction is not something to ignore. If you think you have a problem, you do, and if you do you need to take actions to handle it. In my case, a good friend intervened early in my addiction journey and convinced me to enter alcohol and drug rehabilitation, which I did. I’m happy to say that I’ve been clean and sober ever since. It’s important to take it one day at a time, and I think it’s also important to be there for other people, to be willing to be a helping hand if they need it.”

  “So how can you convince our viewers that your problem is behind you? How do we know that you may need to check in for r
ehab again tomorrow? Is it not common for people to ‘fall off the wagon,’ so to speak?”

  “People should never fear ‘falling off the wagon,’ Mary. It’s a question of personal commitment, and in my case, I haven’t fallen off since I went through rehab. I’ve had friends who have fallen, and I’ve always been there for them to help them climb back on. And I’m telling you, Mary, that if you ever have a problem again, after your five visits to rehab, I’m personally offering you a helping hand.”

  I guessed she figured that nobody would bother to research her own background. It wasn’t difficult for my researchers to discover that Mary Moriarty had been in rehab five times, had accumulated seven DUI charges, and was once arrested for punching a cop in public. She looked down at her notes, visibly flustered. But she pressed on.