“All the better. We can just occupy it for like three weeks, let them surrender, and then give them foreign aid.” He glowered. “Now you’ve done it. You’ll repeat that everywhere and the president will hear about it and he’ll never have to come and hear me explain it. You’ve blown my chances for an invitation to the White House,” he groaned. “And I did so want to spend a night in the Lincoln bedroom!”

“Listen, break out those files on aliens that you keep in your filing cabinet and tell the president you’ve got them!” Carlie suggested, while Michelle giggled. “He’ll come right down here to have a look at them!”

“They won’t let him,” Cash sighed. “His security clearance isn’t high enough.”

“What?” Carlie exclaimed.

“Well, he’s only in the office for four years, eight tops. So the guys in charge of the letter agencies—the really secretive ones—allegedly keep some secrets to themselves. Particularly those dealing with aliens.” He chuckled.

The girls, who didn’t know whether to believe him or not, just laughed along with him.

Michelle stopped back by Minette’s office to tell her the good news, and to thank her again for the job.

“You know,” she said, “Chief Grier is really nice.”

“Nice when he likes you,” Minette said drily. “There are a few criminals in maximum-security prisons who might disagree.”

“No doubt there.”

“So, will Monday suit you, to start to work?” Minette asked.

“I’d really love to start yesterday.” Michelle laughed. “I’m so excited!”

Minette grinned. “Monday will come soon enough. We’ll see you then.”

“Can you write me a note? Just in case I need one?” She was thinking of how to break it to Roberta. That was going to be tricky.

“No problem.” Minette went to her desk, typed out an explanation of Michelle’s new position, and signed it. She handed it to the younger woman. “There you go.”

“Dress code?” Michelle asked, glancing around the big open room where several people were sitting at desks, to a glass-walled room beyond in which big sheets of paper rested on a long section like a chalkboard.

“Just be neat,” Minette said easily. “I mostly kick around in jeans and T-shirts, although I dress up when I go to political meetings or to interviews with state or federal politicians. You’ll need to learn how to use a camera, as well. We have digital ones. They’re very user-friendly.”

“This is very exciting,” Michelle said, her gray eyes glimmering with delight.

Minette laughed. “It is to me, too, and I’ve done this since I was younger than you are. I grew up running around this office.” She looked around with pure love in her eyes. “It’s home.”

“I’m really looking forward to it. Will I just be reporting news?”