While the small blaze was quickly snuffed by the local fire department, a few attendees suffered smoke inhalation. “This is a classic example of why we need to shut down these establishments. Not only do they bring an untoward element to our neighborhoods, they are clearly dangerous. I shudder at the thought of the type of damage the fire could have wrought had the fire department not been nearby,” Casey said, reading on, the frustration deep in her voice.

Jack blew out a long stream of air after she’d finished.

“What are we going to do about this? This is a whole new wrinkle. How are you going to finesse this?” Jack said to Henry.

“We don’t have to finesse it,” he said. “Because the facts are wrong. This isn’t one of our clubs.”

Casey’s eyes lit up. “This is perfect. This shows exactly why it’s better to have regulated clubs run in a reputable fashion.”

Jack beamed at his sister. “Look at you. Already toeing the party line.”

Denkler laughed. “We’ll send her to Nevada next. Talk up keeping prostitution legal.”

“Well,” Casey said insistently as she turned to Henry, “that’s the point, right? You don’t have any problems at your club like this. You have regular inspections. You adhere to the fire code. You have a liquor license. You follow laws.”

“Exactly,” Henry said with a nod, and Marquita dropped a hand over his, a look of pride on her face as her husband spoke. “We afford a safe place for these activities. If the regulated clubs are shut down, there will be more incidents like this.”

“The question is, how hard do you want to hit this message?” Jack asked, turning to Denkler. “How bad is this killing you in the polls?”

“It’s pretty bad. No one wants to hear about schools and safe streets anymore, now that Conroy has made everyone think the clubs are bringing down the neighborhood,” Denkler admitted, his voice that of a man nearing the end of his rope, as he pushed a hand through his hair. He seemed like a classic heart-of-gold guy. He’d clearly gotten involved in politics because he wanted to make a change for the better, but his platform had been turned upside down by a bastard who went for the jugular.

“You need to get preemptive,” Jack said firmly, reflecting back on his days with the army. “You don’t let the enemy walk all over you. You have to understand the enemy. Understand the problem. Act on it.”

Denkler nodded enthusiastically. “We’ve tried refocusing back to the core message, but my PR manager doesn’t think that will work until we explain openly why we’re not opposed to the clubs, like Conroy is. He thinks we need to talk about why the neighborhood doesn’t need a Times Square style sweep of the clubs. Come at it from an education point of view.”

Henry jumped in. “We should be more vocal in our support too. I think we need to talk more to the press about why Eden and the clubs support Paul, and not simply because he’s my lovely wife’s brother,” he said, squeezing his wife’s hand.