Troubleshooter

Chapter 2

Silver rattled on china as white-gloved waiters cleared the remains of the five-hundred-dollar-a-plate luncheon. Marshal Tannino stood milling with other Angeleno political luminaries, looking mildly out of place with his coiffed salt-and-pepper hair and his department-store suit. He tugged at his too-short shirtsleeves to bring his gold-star links into view and squinted up at the chardonnay-haired woman holding a glass of white wine.

"If we really are serious about committing resources-"

Across the vast ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel, someone's beeper chirped-a cutesy electronic rendition of "Jingle Bells."

"-to fully secure the courts, we need to-"

Another pager added a discordant melody, and then a multitude chimed in. Tannino glanced down, frowning at his own beeper. "Excuse me, Your Honor."

State assemblymen and deputies alike scurried to the ballroom's exits, checking the reception levels on their cell phones. Tannino was halfway to the lobby when the city attorney approached, holding out a Nextel. "It's the mayor."

Tannino snapped the phone to his ear, still moving. "Yes, sir. Uhhuh. Uh-huh." His face tightened. As he continued to listen, he fished his cell phone from his pocket and, holding it down at his waist, speed-dialed. "Right away, sir."

He handed back the Nextel and pressed his own phone to his ear. "Get Rackley."