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Gary shrugged. “They were close, her dad said. The senator reported her missing, tried to locate her, offered a reward. We need to know if there’s anything more.”
Dan googled the senator and came up with an image of a man in maybe his sixties, with dark eyes and silver hair, a little gray still here and there. In his navy-blue suit, white shirt, and pale blue tie, arms folded, mouth locked in a smile, he looked every inch the politician. “How old is he?”
“Sixty-four, I think.”
“What’s he like?”
“He’s a Republican. He’s also popular, except with his party.”
“Why not?”
“In the past he’s voted in favor of stuff like gun laws, gambling restrictions, longer sentences for supplying drugs….”
Dan gazed at the image with interest. “Are you sure he’s a Republican?”
Gary chuckled. “See if you can find a number for his office. They’ll know where we can find him.”
Dan’s thumbs got busy, and it wasn’t long before he’d found the number. A pleasant-sounding woman told him the senator was at his Boston residence in Louisburg Square, but that he would be returning to the family home on the coast on Saturday.
“Can we make an appointment to see the senator?” he asked her, after explaining they were with the police department.
“One moment, please.”
Dan held the phone to his chest. “Just what are you hoping to discover?”
“I don’t know if wewilldiscover anything,” Gary confessed. “But I’m not going to leave him off the list simply because he’s a senator. We need to talk toeveryonewho knew her.”
Dan put the phone to his ear just in time to hear that pleasant voice again. “The senator says he’ll see you tomorrow at two o’clock.” She reeled off the address.
Dan thanked her, then hung up. He went back to the image he’d found.
Gary glanced across. “Yeah, that’s him.”
Dan studied the senator’s face. He was clean-shaven, his brow smooth. His most striking feature was undoubtedly his eyes, however. Then he noticed the senator’s hands, tucked out of sight.
Why does he hide them?
Friday, July 20, 2018
DAN GAZEDup at the townhouse that served as the senator’s office. “Am I right in thinking this is a much-sought-after address?”
Gary nodded. “Beacon Hill istheplace to live, if you can afford it.”
The house stood on the sunny side of Louisburg Square, an imposing federal-style residence comprising at least five levels that Gary could see. In front of the second-floor full-length windows was a black iron balcony. All the townhouses in that row had one, and in each case the pattern of the scrollwork was different. Black shutters stood out against the red brick, and eight steps led up to the gleaming black-painted front door surrounded by glass decorated with thin black lead strips.
They climbed the steps, and Gary raised the heavy brass door knocker. The door opened to reveal a woman dressed in dark blue, her short gray hair neatly framing her face, gold-rimmed glasses perched on her nose.
She smiled. “I’m Eleanor, the senator’s housekeeper. Mr. Lane, his personal assistant, will be down shortly. He’ll take you to the senator.”
Gary thanked her, and they stepped into the light hallway. A black antique chest of drawers, decorated with flowers painted on its sides and front, sat against the wall, two tall lamps on top. A cream-and-white polka-dot rug covered the wooden floor.
Eleanor gestured to the rear of the house. “I was about to take the senator some coffee. He’s asked that you join him in the small sitting room. If you would just wait here….”
“Of course.”
She gave them another smile, then walked sedately along the hallway. No sooner was she out of sight than a young man appeared, tall and slim, with long brown hair tied at the back in a ponytail.
“Gentlemen? I’m Curtis Lane, the senator’s assistant. If you’d like to follow me?”
