Alien in the Family

noticeably absent.
    This was the most comfortable briefing room I’d ever seen. The suite had a conference table, but it was loaded with food and drink, none of it alcoholic, I noticed. All the chairs were sleek and comfortable looking, and there were settees where the couples were perched.
    A can of Coke flew through the air. I caught it automatically. “Dude, you have got to stop that. I hate it when it sprays all over.”
    Chuckie laughed. “Sure you do.” Martini’s muttering got more intense.
    “Nice spread. I didn’t know we were moving in.” The place was huge, and the view was incredible. I stared down the Strip and found myself hoping we’d be here when it got dark.
    “Not at the moment.” Chuckie indicated we should sit as he went and closed the double doors. I heard him lock them.
    I decided not to rub it in and sat in a chair. Martini sat next to me and gave me a look. “His place, we play nicely,” I said quietly.
    “You’re so damned willing to play nicely with him.”
    “Because she’s smarter than you, Martini.” Chuckie sounded amused. He made eye contact with me, and I recognized his expression—there was someone nearby he didn’t like who didn’t like us right back. “But I’m willing to make allowances for Centaurion to be . . . adjusting to the way things are now.”
    “For the time being,” Martini corrected. I nudged him and tried to send an emotional “hush.” I caught Reader’s eye, he cocked his head, and I shook mine. He nodded and scooted his chair closer to Gower’s. I saw him put his hand on Gower’s wrist and assumed they were communicating in some way.
    “For the time being,” Chuckie said with a small smile. He seated himself in the chair on my other side. “How do you like the place?”
    “It’s okay. Is this room clean?”
    “It’s spotless. The maid service is impeccable.” Chuckie looked at me, and pointed to the centerpiece on the table. It looked like a bizarre pineapple, only it was orange and purple and pretty freaking ugly.
    Gower’s eyes looked glazed. I assumed he was having ACE share with everyone that it was quiet time.
    “Ah, good to know. I’d love to stay here, then.” Great. Bugged. Presumably by the C.I.A. But I figured I’d better be sure. “How’s things with your parents?” They were both in Temecula, California, where he’d moved them once he’d made his money. It had been their dream to retire there, he’d just moved them a lot sooner than they’d expected. And I knew how they were, because I kept in touch with them, just as he kept in touch with my parents.
    “Oh, they’re fine. I don’t see them very often, but we talk all the time. They send their love.” He shook his head.
    Okay, it was an audio bug, not visual, thank God for small favors. And it wasn’t from the C.I.A. So, why was Chuckie letting it sit there? “Your sisters and brothers?” Like me, he was an only child.
    “Fine, you know, the usual.” He shook his head again. Okay, so not an American agency. So, who?
    “How’s Australia been?”
    “Great, you know how I love the travel.” He shook his head again, harder.
    Not foreign. Not national. So, who? I could only come up with one other idea. “I’ll bet the view of the Luxor’s pyramid laser light show must be awesome from up here.”
    “Best view you could hope for. Like being on top of a mountain watching it.” He nodded, emphatically.
    Bingo. But how?

CHAPTER 9

    MARTINI GOT UP. “You mind if I have a bite to eat?” “No, go ahead, that’s what the food’s for.” Chuckie nodded and Martini shrugged.
    “Christopher, you look a little pale. You might want to eat something too.” Martini jerked his head, and Christopher got up.
    They started talking about baseball while Chuckie and I continued to chat about family members who didn’t exist. The others got the clue, and soon the whole room was filled with aimless chatter.
    Martini picked up the centerpiece and examined it. He shot a look at Chuckie while discussing the merits of the Diamondbacks over the Dodgers. Chuckie shrugged and pulled a small, black, rectangular thing out of his pocket. He put it near me: nothing. He got up, wandered around the room, still talking about his nonexistent siblings, while he put it near the others in the room. When it was by humans, nothing happened. When it was by Gower it turned purple, and when it was by Martini, Christopher, or the girls, it turned green.
    Chuckie waved the