Hazardous Duty (Presidential Agent 8)

“Our ‘keep me posted’ deal is still in place, right?”

“That’s why I’m paid the big bucks, Frank. Your word has to be good when you’re sec State.”

[FIVE]

1920 7 June 2007

“Mrs. Clendennen’s personal extension.”

“This is Natalie Cohen. Is the First Lady available?”

“One moment, please.”

“Hey, sweetie! How are you?”

“I’m sorry to disturb you, Mrs. Clendennen—”

“Natalie, honey, I keep telling you and telling you that you can call me Belinda-Sue.”

“Belinda-Sue, that’s very kind of you.”

“Don’t be silly. We girls have to stick together, particularly since there are so few of us around here. What can I do for you, honey?”

“Well, I know the President would like to hear they’ve found Lieutenant Colonel Castillo, but when I called just now, they said he was in conference, and I wondered if you thought I should insist on talking to him, or whether telling him can wait until the morning.”

“Just between us, honey, what he’s doing is playing pinochle in Lincoln’s bedroom with the boys from Buildings, Bridges, and Monuments.”

“Excuse me? With whom?”

“When Zeke was in the House, he was co-chairman—with Senator Forman—of the Joint Select Committee on Buildings, Bridges, and Monuments. You know, when one of them loses an election and has to go home, they name a building or a bridge after him. Or put up a statue, a monument they call it, if his hometown allows it. Zeke said it’s the on

ly really bipartisan committee in Congress. No arguments, no gridlock. Everybody gets one of the three.”

“Oh, yes, I’d forgotten,” the secretary said.

“Just between us girls, honey, he’s likely to be a little hungover tomorrow, so keep that in mind when you come in the morning.”

“You think it would be best if I came to the White House in the morning?”

“I’ll call the chief of staff to put you on the list as Number One. That’s the eight-thirty slot.”

“Thank you, Belinda-Sue.”

“My pleasure, honey,” the First Lady said. And then went on, “Say, I just thought, the next time he gets together with those bums, I’ll give you a ring, and you can come over and we’ll hoist a few belts ourselves. What’s gander for the goose, as they say.”

“That would be very nice, Belinda-Sue,” the secretary said.

[SIX]

The Oval Office

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C.

0825 8 June 2007