The Mortal Groove Read Online Free PDF Page B

background noise. “What are you listening to? Iron Butterfly?”
    â€œI sometimes play Tn-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’ when I’m setting up for poker night. Gets me in the mood.”
    â€œYou’re going ahead with it? I thought maybe you’d cancel.” The second Tuesday of every month, Cordelia played poker with her theater pals. Jane didn’t like card games so she rarely attended.
    â€œWhy? I can’t spend all my time crying. Besides, being around friends will be good for me. By the way, you’re invited,” she yelled.
    â€œGee thanks,” Jane yelled back. Considering it was her house,it was extremely kind of her. “But I’ll be home late. FYI, I liked Roy Rogers better.”
    â€œNo you didn’t.” As the song in the background changed to “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple, Cordelia said, “Better go. I’ve got some of my famous black bean chili on the stove. Wouldn’t want it to burn. Bye, babe.”
    â€œDon’t you give any of that to Mouse,” yelled Jane, clutching the phone tight to her ear. “Did you hear me?
No chili for the dog!”
    Â 
    As Jane trotted down the restaurant’s back steps to her basement office, her cell phone rang again. This time it was her father.
    â€œJaney, I need to talk to you and your brother, tonight if possible.”
    â€œYou sound upset.”
    â€œIt’s nothing we can’t handle. I asked Peter to meet us at the Lyme House pub at seven. That work for you?”
    â€œThat’s perfect.”
    See you soon.
    Â 
    Jane scooped fresh popcorn into a paper bowl as she led Peter to her favorite table in the back room, the one nearest the fire. This early in the evening, the table was still free. A waiter appeared almost instantly with two longneck Grain Belts. He set them on the table and then asked if Jane wanted anything else.
    â€œThanks, Rich. We’re great,” she said, giving him a smile.
    Jane and her brother sat and talked until their father finally breezed in a few minutes after seven.
    For all his traveling around the state, the late nights and bad food, Jane thought he looked great. Campaigning clearly agreed with him.
    Ray gave them each a kiss on the tops of their heads, thenpulled out a chair and sat down. His silver hair, usually a little shaggy, had been styled. He’d also lost a little weight.
    For the past four months, he’d been crisscrossing the state, making speeches and doing radio and TV interviews. Sometime in the next couple of weeks, he was scheduled to tour southern Minnesota again. To save money, he was using his Cessna to get himself around, usually taking along his press secretary and sometimes his campaign manager. He always had people on the ground ready to meet him and whisk him off somewhere for a speech or dinner.
    â€œYou want something to drink?” asked Jane.
    He glanced at the beers. “No, I better not. I’ve got a meeting later.”
    â€œSo, give us an update,” said Peter, pulling the popcorn closer. “Oh, hey, I heard about the Oberstar endorsement. Congratulations.”
    â€œThis is really happening, isn’t it,” said Jane.
    â€œYou bet it is,” said her father. “I hopped a train a few months ago that’s picking up steam. It surprises me, too. Coming in late the way I did has proved to be an unexpected advantage. I took the media off guard. It’s taking my opponents some time to lock and load, but it will get nasty before we’re all done, you can count on that.”
    Jane thought back to her interview with Tia Masters. She had no idea how she’d be painted in the article, and no control over it. The lack of control drove her nuts.
    â€œActually,” said Ray, “we had our first shot across the bow today.”
    â€œWhat?” asked Peter.
    Ray’s gaze roamed the room. “Look, you’re going to hear this sooner or later, so I wanted it