" Well, to the matter at hand,” Westerfield said. “I was pretty surprised the whole morass rose as high as it did.” He caught that mixed metaphor, at least, and hesitated. Then: “A U.S. senator. Hm.” His voice and attitude continued to be as irritating as I remembered from the last time we met. Well, every time we’d met. I "

― Jeffery Deaver , Edge