The flattery boomeranged nicely and put Porter one up on Crane.
"The people must be served, of course," Crane said, "and that's one of the things I want to talk to you about. The people's interests."
Matthew Porter cocked an alarmed eye as he bit into a roll. "Have their interests been violated?"
Crane glanced around and lowered his voice. "There's been too much loose talk going around about that project you've got Brent Taber on."
Porter laid the roll down very carefully, as though he feared it might go off. "I'm not sure I know what you're referring to, Senator."
"Your reticence is quite understandable. That I bring it up at all must shock you, but—" Crane hesitated, a touch of sadness brushing across his face.
"But what, Senator?"
"You understand, certainly, that I hold the greatest respect for Brent Taber. That's why I hesitated to come to you."
"It seems to me Halliday said something about calling Taber in. It had to do with a mild reprimand over Taber's attitude on legislative-executive relations."
"Halliday?" Senator Crane asked innocently. "He's another of the really good men you picked for government service."