Free Twisted Hunger by Marilyn Campbell Page B

group of librarians in San Diego this past Monday morning and, to her amazement, he had instructed her to go through every drawer in his office while he was out and make sure she knew where everything was kept… including his change of socks in case he stepped in a puddle outside.
    If the senator was involved in anything unethical, illegal or unpatriotic, there was no evidence of it in the office.
    She would also tell Brevowski about Jones’ mention of her mother. The senator’s expression had been sincerely sad as he spoke of her tragic heart attack and he truly seemed to have admired her. He couldn’t possibly have had anything to do with her mother’s death.
    Then why would he say she was going down the stairs instead of coming up? It was a small mistake, but she couldn’t dismiss it from her mind. She also wondered if that spaced-out expression she had seen on his face was what had spooked her mother. It was strange, but hardly frightening.
    The worst thing she could say was that on one or two occasions she had the feeling that the senator was looking at her too intently. Not in a sexual way, but as though he was studying her. But then he would smile at her as he did today, and she knew it was only her imagination trying to figure out what had bothered her mother about him.
    Of course, Brevowski might enjoy hearing about how the senator danced around his office in his bare feet to get rid of stress after talking to the Queen Mother. But if that woman were her mother, she’d probably resort to dancing naked under the full moon.
    It was nearly seven o’clock before Ellery could think about leaving, and even then she was delayed by the unexpected appearance of the senator’s brother. When she first met Theodore Roosevelt Jones, Ellery was astounded by how much the brothers looked alike. The differences were noticeable to people who knew them but, to a passing stranger, they could easily have exchanged places.
    Theodore was only a year older, so there was no clear age difference between them. His height and weight were about the same as his brother’s, though his tendency to slouch made him appear shorter and heavier. Theodore’s hair and eye coloring were just a shade darker—not enough to tell them apart if they weren’t standing next to each other. But the true difference was in the confidence and charisma each naturally exuded. Where Abraham was outgoing and clearly loved interacting with people, Theodore seemed painfully shy.
    “Good evening, Mr. Jones. I’m afraid you just missed him.”
    “Th-th-th-that’s all right,” he stuttered. “I just w-w-w—” He handed Ellery a folder filled with newspaper clippings. “Th-th-th-these aren’t urgent.”
    Ellery smiled despite the fact that she found it very hard to be patient while he struggled to get out each sentence. The few previous times they’d spoken more than a greeting, she had to bite her lip to keep from saying the words for him.
    “And I w-w-w— Please c-call mmme T-T-T-Teddy.”
    She smiled again. “Of course, Teddy. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
    He toyed with his gold pinky ring then looked around the room. Finally, he took a deep breath and murmured, “I’m g-going to a n-new Japanese restaurant tonight and th-thought, if you didn’t already have plans, mmmaybe you’d like to join mmme.”
    Ellery forced herself not to reveal the discomfort his invitation made her feel. “That would be very nice, but I’m on my way to meet the catering manager at the hotel to go over the details for tomorrow night’s banquet. Perhaps another time.”
    His expression reflected his disappointment… and the fact that he had expected a turn-down. It made her feel so guilty, she said, “Check with me on Monday, and I’ll let you know which evening looks open.”
    For the first time since she’d met him he smiled, then quickly ducked out the door to the private stairwell that led down to the parking garage and provided a shortcut to