Page 32 of Goblins Don't Count
I narrowed my eyes at him. He shouldn’t know that. “I’m not at liberty to say.”
He leaned closer to me, eyes focusing, becoming serious, showing the steel behind the smile. “He had elven blood. He’s never felt guilty in his life.” He moved back, took his wife’s arm and smiled at her. “Would you like to dance?”
“Instead of following around the purple cop and watching her interrogate all the guests?” She sighed heavily and then grinned and dragged him onto the dance floor, so short and cute compared to his height and build.
“Interesting,” Sashimi said, taking my arm and leading me towards another politician.
“I know. I had no idea he had elven blood.”
“Interesting that he spoke to you honestly. He revealed that you have a leak in your police station’s security as well as letting you know that the letter was indeed fake. He doesn’t usually share his resources, but they are very good.”
I frowned at him and then smiled at the woman coming up, Senator Fisk, who was very concerned about the environment. My interview with her went on for a half hour of her ranting about the Representative ruining every one of her initiatives.
“Of course, it’s tragic that he died, but I’m glad he saw the error of his ways at the end,” she said with bright eyes and a firm nod of her head.
“Did he?”
She blinked at me. “Didn’t he?”
Another man came up beside her to smile at me. Another elf, only this one looked like it, so obviously shiny and flawless, with ageless everything and an aura of power and control that made him automatically incredibly suspicious.
“Good evening. Senator, Lucinda is asking about you. I know the two of you share a love of all things conservational.”
Was that a word? I glanced at Sashimi. He wasn’t looking at me, no, but giving the newcomer a cold, calculating glare that made me shift uncomfortably. You didn’t look at someone like that when you wanted them to open up.
“Hello. I don’t believe we’ve met,” I said, holding out my hand to the man.
He looked at my hand, then up at my face. “I prefer not to have physical contact with one of your kind.”
I dropped my hand while his words shot darts through my delicate self-esteem. “Well, at least I’m usually kind. Can’t say that much for you. Mr…”
“Clay. What business do you have here?”
“We’re dancing,” I said, squeezing Sashimi’s hand.
“No, you’re asking about Representative Phil’s death. You’re asking leading questions of Fisk when she’s not guarded enough to realize she’s being led.”
“I’m not asking leading…”
Sashimi took my hand and walked past Mr. Clay, towards the dancing, face impassive, like he didn’t see anyone else.
“Um…” I said once we were out of the man’s hearing. “What are we doing?”
“Dancing. We’re halfway through this event.” He pulled me around to face him and that dance was much slower, much closer, and made me very aware that I was wearing an edible dress.
“I wanted to talk to that man. He seems suspicious.”
“Oh, he is. He’s also the owner of every major media company in the country. If you don’t want your double life to be splashed across every paper and every tv station, you’ll avoid him. It might not work anyway.”
My heart started beating faster and I stepped closer to him, resting against his chest as he moved us slowly around the dance floor. “You think that he’ll go to the effort to dig up my life story and expose me?”
“I think that you’re here with me, and it’s noteworthy enough to send most reporters digging. Not Delphi. She already knows your double life and will protect you because she’s extremely odd.”
“You know her?”
“She’s Cross’s wife. Of course I know her.”
“Senator Silver is cross?”
