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Howie turned his head to the agent at the window. “Politics?”

“Her political inclinations. Does she generally lean to the left or the right?”

Howie thought for a moment. “I guess you’d say she’s liberal. You know, she’s always taking up for the underdog. Women, fags, foreigners, people like that. She voted for President Merritt.” He smiled all around at the unsmiling group. “The President sent her flowers recently. She got a kick over that.”

No comment on that from either agent. The one in the chair asked, “Is Ms. Travis a member of any organizations? Any activist groups, religious sects, or cults?”

“Yeah,” Howie said, nodding enthusiastically. “She’s a Methodist.”

One of the agents rolled his eyes. The other said, “You wouldn’t call her a religious fanatic?”

“No. She’s not opposed to letting fly with a four-letter word, or anything like that.”

“Does she sympathize with any particular splinter group or radical organization?”

“Not that I know of. But she’s participated in some protests.”

“Against what?”

“Banning books. Destroying the rain forest. Eating porpoises instead of tuna fish. Stuff like that.”

“Nothing subversive?”

“No.”

“What about her personal life?”

“She doesn’t talk about it much.”

“Boyfriends?”

“Nobody regular.”

“Roommate?”

“She lives alone.”

“Close friends?”

He shook his head. “I’ve never heard her mention any. She’s one of those women who’s, you know, married to her career.”

“What about her parents?”

“Dead.”

“Do you know their names? Where they lived?”

“Sorry. They died before she started working here.”

In his eagerness to appear important and be informative, Howie had almost forgotten that they were discussing Barrie and not a hardened criminal. He experienced a twinge of conscience. Barrie could be a pain in the butt, but he felt bad about discussing her so freely with feds.

“Is she in trouble? Has she done something wrong?”

“Just a routine check.” The seated agent came to his feet. “She’s called routinely to inquire after the First Lady’s health, showing what appears to be an inordinate amount of interest in Mrs. Merritt and her whereabouts.”

Howie relaxed. “Oh, hell, she’s calling as a friend. They got pretty close when Barrie interviewed her.”

The second agent said, “The White House tends to get suspicious when someone starts asking nosy questions about the President or members of his family.”