Neon Prey (Lucas Davenport #29)(105)
Virgil’s old man was an Episcopalian minister.
“That’ll work,” Weather said. “About halfway through labor, you’ll do anything to get your mind off of it. Even get married.”
“Seems treacherous,” Virgil said. “I like it. A lot.”
Weather handed Lucas his cell phone. “You gotta talk to Elmer. He seemed . . . disturbed.”
Virgil: “Oh-oh.”
Elmer Henderson was a former governor of Minnesota, now a U.S. senator. He’d been appointed to the job by the current governor after the previous senator had been shot to death in Washington. According to the local political pundits, the appointment had come only after considerable arm-twisting. The current governor was not numbered among the brightest half of Minnesotans and initially had wanted to appoint his sister to the job.
Lucas took the phone, pressed recall and then speaker, and Henderson instantly picked up. “Lucas?”
“Senator . . . or Governor . . . Elmer?” Lucas said.
“Lucas. We’ve got a nasty problem,” Henderson said. “Nasty. When can you get here?”
“Washington?”
“Yes, of course. Can you make it tomorrow? I’ll send a plane.”
Virgil shouted, “Senator . . . Virgil Flowers: could he get shot again?”
Henderson asked, “Is that that fuckin’ Flowers? Ah, jeez . . .”
Lucas: “Well? Could I get shot again?”
Henderson: “Look, guys. I can’t promise anything . . .”