The Downfall of Mayor William Borg, Part III

Ten days later, and the Borg story still had legs. Yes, there were things going on elsewhere in the world, and in Gotham - two Bat-sightings in Tricorner, another unconfirmed report of a feral vagrant rising from the sewers and squawking, a meeting of WayneCorp that Bruce Wayne actually attended! - but from the POV of just about everyone at Gotham's five dailies and six TV stations, Borg was all that matters.

Which meant that Knox had two choices: find another story or fight with ten times as many competitors for scoops and interviews. He couldn't get in to see Borg. Or Dent. Or Gordon. But no one else could. Wayne...at least Wayne sent him a note commending his work. But didn't agree to be interviewed, either (and Vale was in Romania, so she couldn't help). The US Attorney was old news, the grand jury findings remained under proper lock and key, and none of the people who allegedly testifed to the grand jury were talking.

So Knox went of his beaten path. To the high-tone law firm of Collander, Zane, Bennett, Dent and Hingman. Normally, Knox refused to acknowledge such peolpe existed. These were the men - the firm had all of three women and four non-whites - whose life was all about getting the rich out of jail free. Granted, if Knox were arrested and had money, he'd hire them. But he could care less otherwise.

Except...except that the Dent in the firm was Harvey Lee Dent. Known in some circles as simply "the other Harvey Dent" and in other less sensitive circles as "the white Dent" or "the Southern Dent" or "the Texan Dent," he had been making noises for some time about leaving the criminal defense for a run at the DA. At Harvey D. Dent. And naturally, he had been making pithy comments to passing courthouse reporters about the need to clean house. So, with no other stories leaping out, Knox made the call. And to his surprise, got the interview.

He sat for five minutes in a small but well-appointed office. A few degrees and honorary degrees hung behind a pricey oak desk. There were photos of Harvey Lee with the governor, with his namesake, with Burce Wayne, with some senator from Tennessee who Knox recalled ran for president but whose name escaped him. There was little, Knox noted, that made this office unique, though. Then Harvey Lee entered.

He wasn't a particularly handsome man. But he had an intelligent face, with expressive eyes and a hint of smile at the ready. He was large without being heavy, the built of a former football player who didn't stop exercising, and his tailored suit helped give him presence. This, Knox thought, was a man who knew what he wanted. Must make getting dates a lot easier.

"Mister Knox...Harvey Lee Dent." He extended his hand, and Knox was glad to get his own hand back. "I was a bit surprised that you wanted to interview me. I thought you usually chase crimes from the other side.

"Yeah, usually. But the Borg case is not the usual, is it? And since you seem to be saying things about it..."

Dent grinned. "Your colleagues at the courthouse don't know how to be quiet, do they? On the record, none of those comments were on the record. Till now."

"So you're ready to make a statement?"

"Why shouldn't I be? If I am going to be an elected official, I need to be ready to tell people what I'm thinking."

Knox got his tape recorder ready as Dent sat in his leather chair. "You mind?"

"Of course not. I keep a dictaphone with me day in and day out." The recorder was clicked on.

"Mister Dent, is it true that you're going to run for District Attorney?"

"At this point, I'm simply considering it. My friend and colleague and namesake Harvey D. Dent has long distinguished himself as a capable prosecutor in a city renowned for not having such men. He is as honest and dedicated a public servant as Gotham has. But I have my doubts as to whether he's the best man for the job."

"And why is that?"

Dent smiled a bit more slyly. "His association with the Borg Administration is a detriment to his career. Even if you are willing to give Borg the benefit of the doubt, he's proven more than once that his judgment is suspect. Dent is commendaable for his loyalty to the man who guided him into office, but that loyalty will not keep Gotham's criminal elements at bay.

"Beyond which, Harvey D. Dent has been part of the system his whole life. It's a wonder that it hasn't corrupted him, but he's too close to it to make the kinds of changes the city needs. The prosecutors under him are a very mixed bag, and I can say as a man who's faced them in the courthouse that some of them are beneath contempt."

"And why you? You're still new to the city, and a defense attorney. What makes you the most qualified."

Harvey Lee's body language stiffened a tiny bit. "And here we go with the usual questions. Mister Knox, I was hoping you'd be smarter than everyone else. Or at least have done your homework. Because I know what you must be thinking. I'm an outsider. No, not just an outsider, but a Texan. A Southerner.

"So I think you assume I'm a good old boy, dressed fancy but with not understanding of the North, or of big cities. I bet you even expect that under it all, I'm a bigot." Knox said nothing, though this was almost what he was thinking. "I was hoping you would have found out that I grew up in Fort Worth, that I lived in Boston for years, that I have my degrees from Harvard. And I was even naively hoping that you would remember than a Texan named Lyndon Baines Johnson was responsible for making civil rights a reality in this nation. A lot of us have nothing in common with the image you have. Nothing.

"Mister Knox, it's true that Grant Zane made a great offer to me to get me to leave Boston. But I could have gotten the same offer from a number of firms in a number of cities. Do you think I chose Gotham because I could get rich here? I came here because I saw a city that is in need. That needs honest lawyers on both sides of every case. The bulk of the firms here are connected. You know that. I came here hoping that I could make a difference. And if you had bothered to learn about the pro bono cases I handle, you'd see that I am trying to do that.

"So maybe it's clear that your question should have been asked a bit differently."

Knox showed no sign that Dent was getting to him. Lawyer's bluster, while not the same as cop's bluster, didn't bother Knox. "You still have to answer why you think you're the most qualified. There are prosecutors who aren't linked to Borg and who have good records."

"And as far as I know, none are interested in the job. They weren't before Harvey D. Dent. They aren't now. That's part of the problem. If people want to save this city, they need to get involved. They won't. I will." The lawyer presented a determined, almost deadpan, face.

"And what about Borg?

"Took you a while to get to him. William...I consider William Borg a friend. Worked for Attorneys for Borg in the last election. I think he really does care about this city. But like his district attorney, he's too close to it. Both men can't see the forest through the trees. Yes, they felled some trees than needed felling. But both delude themselves into thinking they have beaten the darkness. And to resort to a vigilante to do your dirty work..."

"What about the indictments?"

"I don't think they matter. Yes, they matter to William. They will ruin his career no matter what. But they are just a symptom of his failures. He admitted himself that he was in the bed with the wrong supporters. You can't do that and expect to just say 'goodbye, hope you liked that one night stand, seeya'. He made his choices, and the sad part is that all of Gotham has to suffer."

"Are you saying he should resign?" Dent paused in (seeming) thought.

"I'm saying that at some point, if not now then certainly in the next election, Gotham needs to start over."

"Do you think he's guilty?"

"I can't tell you that. Not should I try to guess. A lawyer has to respect the legal process." A canned answer? Maybe, but a believable one.

"And what about the Bat? You don't seem to like using him."

"Is there a place in a system of laws for a self-appointed crusader? I don't think there is. If we could work with him, though, turn him into a part of that system, then I would be quite glad to have him on my side."

"Is that a policy statement?"

Dent laughed. "Mister Knox, I'm not running yet. Once I'm in office, perhaps then I'll say something more." Which was Dent's way of trying to tell Knox not to run that last bit. Not that Knox had ever let anyone tell him that.

Knox thought if there was anything else to ask. But decided for now that a short interview was for the best. "I think that's it."

"That's all? You are clearly not used to interviewing lawyers. We can go on for hours.

"Not the ones I know. 'No comment' takes five seconds."

Knox got up, taking in the office one more time. "Good to meet you, Mister Dent."

"And you too. I expect I'm stuck with you now. If I run, that is." The lawyer smiled, but in that smile was an implication that Dent would play very rough with any reporter who crossed him. The Harvey Dent Knox already knew never did that.

"If you run." Knox headed out of the office, retrieving his coat and hat from the spacious reception area, and went back to wrote the story. As he headed back, one thing struck him - Harvey Lee was from Boston. So was US Attorney Foley. Coincidence? Or something more?

In the office, Knox made a few notes to look into links between the two men from Boston, and then got to the story.