"Cummings gave all the credit to Bert, who was heard to say that Harry and I were not friends—which I, of course, confirmed, as did Harry when we did our interviews with Joe Espinosa. Harry gave a very good interview to the Post. Maggie devoted the entire front page of the paper to the incident. She played up the human-ash part big-time. The story's all in living color, I might add. Harry, you want to say anything?"

Harry nodded. "Just that I think we pulled it off. Every member of the Senate gets a copy of the Post, so they'll read that front page in the morning with their morning coffee. What they don't know but will learn when they flip open the paper is Cummings's story. I think Judge Easter can pick up here."

Nellie looked around and smiled. "Jack asked me to call the airlines and book two tickets to Las Vegas for Thursday, which I did. We're to leave before the president makes his announcement. One ticket in my name and one ticket in the name of Elias Cummings. Both tickets were booked, confirmed, and paid for a little after nine o'clock that same night. It seems that Elias and I are getting married in Las Vegas. It was the only way we could think of to get Elias out of town to push the president to install Bert as director as soon as the Senate confirms him on Friday. No one is going to want the FBI to be without a director even if there is an acting director, what with the brown stuff splattering all over the place."

"You're getting married!" Annie exclaimed. "Nellie, how wonderful! I so love weddings. Goodness, what a day this has turned out to be."

Nellie groaned. "No, Annie, I'm going to pick a fight with Elias when we get there. No marriage. Well, maybe we'll get married if we don't have anything else to do." She twinkled. "Then again. . .if things work out and time permits, Lizzie and the Post reporter are to be our witnesses if the marriage comes off."

The room erupted in sound as the women clapped and hooted, congratulating Nellie.

"And Elias Cummings is going to go along with all this?" Nikki asked, a frown building on her beautiful face.

"He doesn't know yet, Nik," Jack said, doubling over with laughter. "He's going to read it in tomorrow's paper like the rest of Washington. He's no fool, he'll get the drift right away. It was the only way to get him out of town. Even the president isn't going to foul up a man's wedding plans."

"Well, since that seems to be taken care of," Charles said, "I suggest we get down to business. Girls, how does a trip to Las Vegas sound?"

Chapter 6