Twisted Hunger (3 page)

Ellery narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. “Whether it’s my good instincts or experience in Washington, I know better than to accept any of what you just said on face value.”

Mr. Brevowski gave her an appreciative nod. “Of course. If you’ll have a seat, I’ll explain everything then I’ll drive you home, as promised.”

After another moment’s hesitation, she got into the man’s car and took off her black-veiled hat. By the time Mr. Brevowski slid behind the steering wheel, she had formulated and discarded several scenarios that might follow his mysterious comments.

His expression was one of grave concern as he scanned her features. “I was told you were attractive, but I hadn’t expected you to be quite so… exceptional. That could be a problem. At least you don’t look anything like your mother.”

That was hardly news to Ellery. Besides their drastically different body shapes, her mother had light gray eyes and fair hair that had gone silver years ago. Ellery had inherited the coloring of her father’s family—dark reddish-brown hair with hazel eyes. As to his comment about her attractiveness being a problem, she knew from experience that her appearance gave her both advantages and disadvantages, depending on the situation.

He made her wait a few more seconds while he removed his own hat and carefully placed it on the back seat. It appeared to be as expensive as his suit and tie. His attire and manicured nails suggested he was a professional of some sort. Based on the moderate amount of gray in his salon-styled haircut and the lines across his forehead and around his eyes, she placed his age in the mid-forties with a lot of stress in his life. He was probably an attorney.

Unbuttoning his suit jacket, he finally began his explanation. “As I’m sure you’re aware, many of the state primaries are now over, and there doesn’t appear to be any doubt that Sam Erikson will be heading the Republican ticket come November. Unless he commits a monumental
faux pas
between now and then, he will probably also win the election by a landslide.”

Ellery had met the governor of Illinois and, although she didn’t agree with Erikson’s nearly right-wing platform, she did respect his record.

Rather than respond with any personal opinions, however, she narrowed her eyes and said, “As you said, I am aware of the situation, but I didn’t get in this car to discuss politics. You implied that you know something about my mother’s death. I would much prefer to hear what you meant by that.”

“I assure you that is where I’m leading, but the situation is so delicate, it is imperative that we establish certain facts first. Please bear with me.”

She wasn’t happy about his evasive answer but she motioned for him to continue.

“You studied political science at Berkeley, Miss Winters. If you were one of Erikson’s advisors, who would you recommend he select as a running mate?”

His question intrigued her despite its irrelevance. “Well, I’d tell him he needs to balance the ticket politically by choosing someone who was far enough left to be a Democrat, but still firmly entrenched in the Republican Party.”

Mr. Brevowski angled his head at her. “Can you be more specific?”

“As a state governor, Erickson’s focus has been on domestic matters. He’s a little weak on the international stage. So an ideal veep should have some foreign affairs experience. Geographically, his base is the Northeast and the last president was from the South. I’d look for someone from the central or western United States.”

Mr. Brevowski smiled slightly. “So far, you’ve given the exact same recommendations that Erikson’s advisors made. But can you suggest a name?”

She sighed but decided to answer that question, and then she was going to insist he explain why they were talking politics while her mother’s casket was being lowered into the ground. “My first thought would be Abraham Lincoln Jones. And quite honestly, Mr. Brevowski, I’ve had enough of Twenty Questions. Either tell me what connection any of this has with my mother’s death or take me home.”

“I apologize,” he said with a frown. “It was inconsiderate of me to approach you during your hour of grief, but time is of the essence and my questions are pertinent. You’re right, of course. Jones is the name that’s bubbled to the top. Being a California state senator puts him in the desired electoral region. Plus, he’s a favorite of some of the most liberal groups in America. And he’s a child of world politics. His mother is the daughter of a Republican U.S. senator, his father a diplomat, assigned to various American consulates around the world. Jones was born in Paris, spent his grade school years in New Zealand and Australia, high school in Japan and the first two years of college in Germany. In other words, he
seems
to be perfect.”

Ellery couldn’t help but hear the insinuation that Jones was not what he seemed, but beyond that, she was still in the dark.

“You know your mother was in Senator Jones’ Sausalito home when she had a heart attack. And his name was the only one she managed to communicate clearly, besides yours and her husband’s, along with words like ‘horrible’, ‘secret’, ‘scared’, ‘saw’ and ‘he’. Is that not correct?”

Ellery was no longer intrigued or impatient. Icy fear was creeping into her mind. He had just recited most of the list of fully formed words her mother had managed to point out on the alphabet screen during her conscious moments.

Considering the fact that Audrey had been in the senator’s home, Ellery had not thought there was anything unusual about her mother spelling out his last name. Rather than raising her suspicions about Jones, however, Mr. Brevowski’s insinuations made her leery of
him
.

“How… how do you know about those words?”

“Let’s just say I have my sources. I also know that your mother once told you there was something not quite right about Senator Jones and his wife.”

She felt her stomach fill with acid. “Not quite right” was the precise phrase her mother had used during a telephone conversation with her, but that call had taken place nearly a year ago, after Audrey’s first catering job for the senator.

Her mother made a similar comment when she visited Washington a few months ago. She talked about the uncomfortable tension she’d picked up in the Sausalito home the four times she catered parties there. She mentioned strange looks shared between the senator and his wife when they thought no one was watching. She had the feeling that Mrs. Jones was
not
the sanitary political wife everyone assumed she was.

Though her mother’s intuition was often right on target, Ellery had figured she had to be wrong this time. Everyone else seemed to highly approve of “Honest Abe” Jones.

However, whether Audrey had been right or wrong, the important point here was, how did Carl Brevowski know about her intuitive feelings? “I don’t believe it’s customary procedure for a junior-level congressman’s aide to be spied on or to have her phone tapped without a valid reason. I’d appreciate it if you’d give me one, Mr. Brevowski… which I now doubt is your real name. And while you’re at it, you can tell me which agency you work for.”

He waved a hand at her. “I’m not affiliated with any official government agency. Due to the delicacy of this matter, I can only tell you that I represent a group of people who have a vested interest in the future of this country, and it is their belief that Abraham Lincoln Jones should be kept out of the White House.”

“Why don’t you simply present your group’s concerns to the Republican National Committee and let them—”

“The Committee, as well as routine private investigations, has confirmed that Jones’ background is spotless. No one has uncovered a single blemish that would make him an unfit candidate. The worst thing anyone has come up with is some ancient gossip that Mrs. Jones was somewhat, shall we say,
loose
in her college days, but since she has apparently been completely respectable since then, no one cares if the gossip is true or not.”

In a sarcastic tone she said, “And yet you and your group want to find something big enough to do just that. Why don’t you manufacture something or try entrapment? That might work.”

He smirked at her. “Our goal would stand a better chance of success if it was achieved honestly. We’re seriously concerned about his political platform and economic views.”

“Since when do the opinions of the vice president seriously concern anyone?”

“Since there is a very realistic question about Erikson’s advanced age and a health matter, despite what is being formally released to the public. Whoever is chosen as his running mate could very well end up King of the Hill. But before I go further, I want to assure you that your phone was never tapped. We have been observing Jones’ political climb for some time. More recently, our, uh, observations extended to people around him.”

Ellery shook her head in disbelief. “My mother was an independent caterer, not an employee of Jones.” His shrug didn’t make her feel any better. “I’m out of here.” She opened the car door to get out but his fingers closed around her upper arm to hold her inside.

“Jones may have killed your mother,” he said quickly.

That was enough to keep her there. “My mother was not murdered, she suffered a heart attack.”

“There are ways to kill someone and make it appear to be a heart attack. I doubt that any of the medical personnel administering to your mother would have been looking for an injection mark in a discreet place on her body.”

Ellery rubbed the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut. “This is ridiculous. Why would the senator want my mother dead?”

“Remember the messages she was trying so hard to convey to you? We believe there’s a chance that Audrey Weiss saw something she wasn’t supposed to see that night—something terrible enough for her to use words like ‘horrible’ and ‘scared’. Perhaps she witnessed an incident or came across some sort of evidence that revealed that Jones was not the loyal American everyone thinks he is. If so, we need to find out what she saw… before he’s named as a running mate for Erikson.”

Again, she shook her head. “The national convention is less than five months away. If no one has uncovered any negative information by now, how do you think you could find it between now and August?”

“Unfortunately, we really don’t even have
that
much time. The party wants Erikson to name his proposed running mate on the Fourth of July. They believe it will make good press, especially if that mate’s name is Abraham Lincoln. With that in mind, Jones’ aide in his Sacramento office has just accepted an offer in the private sector that requires her to leave his employ by May 15. We intend to put one of our people in her place, and although we have several others in mind, we think you’d be the best choice.”

“Why?” she asked with an increasing feeling of dread.

“Your credentials are legitimate and impressive enough that it would not be difficult for us to put a few words in the right ears and get you the position. We can practically guarantee your acceptance with little more than a superficial background check. Your interest in politics and the future of America should be enough for you to want to learn the truth. But more than that, you have a personal motivation. Don’t you want to know why your mother has been taken away from you?”

“Of course I do,” she snapped back at him. “But you’re asking me to be a spy for an unidentified group of people. I’m not sure I can be so… so sneaky. Besides that, I voted for Jones in the last election. I
like
his platform.”

“Then prove that he’s innocent of any wrongdoing. Either way, if you work with us on this, we’ll guarantee you an easy path into that seat in the California House of Representatives that you’ve wanted so badly.”

Her brows shot up. Did he know everything about her? “I don’t believe I’ll need anyone’s
questionable
assistance to get elected. In time—”

“We can shorten that timetable of yours. You know very well that honesty and experience do not always win elections, and if you don’t win, you can’t make a difference, now can you?”

His words hit another vulnerable chord. She wanted to see changes made in the system, and she couldn’t do that as an aide to an unambitious congressman.

The truth was, it would enhance her credentials if she were Jones’ aide when he went on to become vice president. On the other hand, if he didn’t, because his horrible secret was something traitorous, she could end up being painted with the same brush.

She took a deep breath. “What if your suspicions are right about my mother witnessing something she shouldn’t have? Wouldn’t I be putting my own life on the line then?”

“Possibly. That’s why you’d have to keep your relationship to Audrey Weiss a secret, just in case. At any rate, we’d be watching you closely. You might not see us, but if it looked like you were in trouble, we’d get you out. I’m afraid you’d have to trust me on that.”

She wasn’t at all convinced that he could save her from danger if it truly existed, but if there was any possibility that her mother’s death was not by natural means, she owed it to her to right that injustice. “All right. You’ve got yourself a spy.”
But only until I’m satisfied one way or the other.

“Good. As soon as I’ve made all the necessary arrangements, I’ll contact you again, but our plan at this moment is to have you in Jones’ office by the first of May. That will give you about two weeks to train with his present aide. The best-case scenario would be for her to tip you off to something before she leaves, so try to get friendly with her.” He pulled a card out of the inside pocket of his jacket. “Meanwhile, if you absolutely
must
reach me, call this number from a public phone, never your cell phone or any line that could be connected to you, even indirectly. When you hear a beep, punch in four eights and hang up. I will be your only contact. Don’t trust anyone else who approaches you from this moment on, even an old acquaintance.”