The Senator’s Daughter Read Online Free Page B

foot to the other.
    The “On the Spot” logo came up, and the theme music swelled. Sylvia gave Lyle a nervous glance. He wasn’t looking at her.
    To her relief, they weren’t on first. The lead story showcased the shocking disappearance of well-known developer Tony Valetti. Over a week now and no one could account for the man who had driven to work downtown one morning and never come home. His calendar had been full in the a.m.; he’d made all his meetings. After lunch he had been in his private office, at least his administrative assistant had thought so. Around seven p.m., after a call from his wife, Janine, who had expected to meet him at a dinner party, his staff opened the closed door.
    An alien spaceship might have beamed him up.
    Next, the spotlight fell upon Tony’s vintner brother Andre, whose Villa Valetti was considered one of the best boutique wineries in the northern Napa Valley. The feature, true to the show’s form, was not about his medal-winning vintages, or his stunning estate north of Calistoga. Rather, the speculation was that if Tony had angered someone and met with foul play, his brother might be next.
    â€œWhat a bunch of bunk,” Sylvia said. “Do they think they’re Mafia?”
    Lyle made a neutral sound, and it was their turn in the spotlight.
    Over footage of them kissing, the voice-over, “Party girl Sylvia Chatsworth is at it again. On the rebound from Rory Campbell, she sets her sights on Lyle Thomas. But we can’t help wondering how brief a candle burns for these two.”
    They switched to Castillo’s soundtrack recorded at Ice. “Looks like Sylvia’s found a new
amour …
”
    Her face heated while Lyle watched their embrace with an impassive expression. When they did a cut to him with his livid face smeared with lipstick, he didn’t look as collected.
    With the reporter’s verbal taunt edited out, all the City saw was Lyle bring up his fist and then let his arm drop. “It’s not worth it.”
    â€œSylvia Chatsworth isn’t worth it,” Julio Castillo finished.

    Lyle’s cell phone rang. He jumped.
    His eyes met Sylvia’s across the room. She pointed the remote like a gun; the TV went dark.
    He fumbled for the phone in his wet pants pocket, wishing the rain had deep-sixed the damned thing. Though he didn’t want to answer, Sylvia’s expression said the climate here couldn’t get much colder.
    Flipping the top, he put it to his ear. “Lyle Thomas.”
    â€œMr. Thomas,” shouted his boss’s boss, District Attorney David Dickerson. “Would it be too much trouble to tell me what you’re doing behaving like a tom with a she-cat in public?”
    â€œSir,” Lyle tempered, imagining the scowl on Dickerson’s pale moon face. The DA had a tendency to make an anthill into the Matterhorn.
    â€œDon’t ‘sir’ me. You’ve been Mr. Conservative; trying to fit the mold you know I demand in a prosecutor. Well, you showed your true colors tonight, mister.”
    Lyle thought about saying Sylvia had kissed him, but after watching his heated response televised, that would be preposterous.
    Across her living room, she stood wide-eyed. He knew she could hear every syllable the DA uttered.
    â€œI hardly think my personal life—” Lyle tried.
    â€œYour personal life begins and ends with your public image. Larry … Senator Chatsworth is a respected figure with a cross to bear. Your taking up with his tramp of a daughter is a career-limiting move …”
    Sylvia turned and fled to the bedroom, which Lyle had briefly imagined being invited into. On instinct, he made his choice. “I have to go.”
    Folding his phone, Lyle started to cross the carpet.
    The bedroom door slammed. In three strides, he was knocking. “Sylvia!”
    No answer.
    â€œCome on, let me in.” How awful she must feel, but he did, too, and he needed