Page 4 (1/2)

While Donovan recited the naleaned fro I never read until I becaroups, Muehlenhaus held paper on a large chunk of the metropolitan area If the Twin Cities were a corporation, he’d be the senior partner Prescott Coole ruled an eas stations throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin Glen Gunhus made a quarter from every railroad car that rolled into and out of the state of Minnesota Carroll Mahoney, probably considered ues, was founder and first president of the 22,000-member Federation of Minnesota State County and Municipal Eardless of income I had never heard of Donovan, yet soained access to this exclusive circle by selling azine subscriptions door-to-door Collectively, they and their friends were known as the Brotherhood by us peons, and they moved and shook the Twin Cities into whatever shape that suited them

Each of the men nodded when he was introduced to me, but none smiled and none of them made an attempt to shake my hand Except for Troy Donovan He rounded the conference table, took ave it a firm squeeze He soodwill and the tone of his voice was politely de to a trespasser, but at least he lanced at Muehlenhaus The old man nodded and Donovan said, "We have been informed that the first lady has beenthe past few days and ish to learn what it is"

I felt the icy grip of panic on ht was folded twice and resting inside my jacket pocket

Lindsey Bauer Barrett was the most attractive first lady in the history of Minnesota, maybe in the history of all fifty states The week after her husband was elected governor they were both featured in Peopleweek it was Glamour By my estimate, her face must have appeared at least a dozen ti the two years since the inauguration and Lord kno many tilasses all the sillier Who was she kidding?

I found her sitting alone at the Groveland Tap in an old-fashioned wooden booth, the kind with high backs that you can’t see over It wasn’t hard

"Honestly, Zee You need to work on your disguise"

"McKenzie," she whispered She grabbedaround to see if anyone had noticed her

The Groveland Tap was a neighborhood joint in St Paul where you could get a cold beer, a bowl of chili, watch the ball game on one of a half dozen TVs, and shoot sos it was croith college kids fro the day it belonged to the families and business folk that lived and worked in the Macalester-Groveland area The lunch hour crowd filled most of the tables and booths, but no one paid attention to Lindsey except a heavyset man with relentless eyes who sat alone near the door

I sat across frolasses and s like ice water Lindsey had always possessed a kind of Renaissance quality that caile beauty flaunted so carelessly by teenage rock princesses, beauty that erodes inexorably with ti beauty, the kind that inspires the iination, like the canvas of a Pre-Raphaelite ht study for hours, days, perhaps even a lifeti each line, each curve, each brush stroke until he falls helplessly, hopelessly, perht so even when I was a kid, even before I knehat fine art looked like

"It’s good to see you," I said

"Long time," she told me

A waitress appeared, set two menus before us, and asked for drink orders Lindsey requested iced tea after first being assured that the Groveland Tap brewed its own I had the sahtly "It’ll be just a moment, Mrs Barrett" Lindsey nodded her approval The waitress departed and Lindsey sighed deeply, pulled off the knit hat, and dropped it on the bench next to her

"Ah, the joys of celebrity," I told her

"I wanted ourto be secret"

"Why?"

The waitress reappeared I wondered when I had last seen such brisk service