Alien in the House

with you,” Jeff told Len. “I don’t want anyone wandering solo right now.”
    The boys didn’t look happy. “We’re supposed to stay with you,” Kyle argued.
    “We’re going into an office building. Just get the car back home and get over to us. By the time we get through security, you’ll probably already be back.”
    Jeff had a point, and it was hard to believe that anyone was going to attack us between the car and the entrance.
    Len pulled up into the loading zone in front of said entrance and Kyle helped us out of the car. I was sure I saw Bruno get out, though I didn’t think anyone else had spotted him. It was still raining, so I flipped my hood on.
    “You’re sure we should go?” Kyle asked me. “Len’s driven alone before, you know.”
    “Yeah, we’ll be okay. Just don’t take too long.”
    Vance and Oliver went ahead to get out of the rain as Kyle got back in the car. The boys waited for the rest of us to go inside. Which we would have done immediately, only there was a gust of wind. My hood flipped back, and Jeff’s hat flew off. He caught it quickly and had it back on his head in just a moment.
    However, that’s why I was looking up and so saw someone on the roof of the building. Someone I was pretty sure was holding a sniper rifle.



CHAPTER 51
    I DIDN’T THINK ABOUT IT. I just grabbed Jeff and Reader and ran up the stairs and for the entrance at hyperspeed.
    Managed to stop before we slammed into Vance and through the doors. Let go and spun around. There were no bullets hitting the ground, nor were any hitting the limo. Kyle gave me a “you so crazy” look, and the limo drove off.
    “What was that about?” Jeff asked quietly.
    “I thought I saw—” Who knew what I’d really seen, four stories up and in the rain? Bruno hadn’t freaked out, so I was probably mistaken.
    “You thought you saw what?” Vance asked.
    “Donuts.” As replies went, this had to be in the running for Most Lame Reply Ever, but it was all that came to me.
    “Okay,” Reader said slowly. “We’ll get you a snack once we’ve gotten checked through, okay, Kitty?”
    The others seemed to accept this, but Oliver gave me a look that said he didn’t buy it. However, we shortly had other issues to worry about.
    Apparently, even though Jeff was going to be sworn in today and had been pointedly told he was inheriting Reyes’ office, no one had told anyone here so no one was prepared for us to arrive. It got better. The police had cordoned off Reyes’ office, so we weren’t going to be allowed in it anyway.
    When asked why the police had closed off an office where no crime had happened, the only answer was that the Rayburn House prided itself on always working with the fine policemen and – women of Washington, D.C. That was the party line, verbatim, because we heard it from at least six different people.
    No one seemed moved at all by the fact that Reyes’ dying wish had been for me to clean out his desk. Apparently precedent said that if a representative died, then whoever wanted a look at his stuff could wait until someone “in authority” gave the go-ahead. The boys rejoined us long before that happened.
    Irene, the woman who helped us the most, as in the one who stayed with us throughout the ordeal, insinuated that Jeff had been assigned a much better office than Reyes had been given, and as soon as clearances were authorized, we’d be allowed to see it.
    Time was wasting, we had no idea what Vance’s theory had turned up, and no way to get into Reyes’ office to do anything, let alone hunt for clues. It didn’t help that Jeff’s office was going to be on the fourth floor, and Reyes’ had been on the third, either.
    “We just have so many offices being cleared out these past few days,” Irene said mournfully, as we once again waited for another someone to tell us that, no, sorry, not authorized yet.
    “Ah, yes,” Oliver said. “The three other representatives who passed away earlier this week. It must be putting quite a somber tone on the holiday season.”
    Irene nodded. “Two were so young. And Representative Holmes was always so full of life, even at his advanced age.” Her lower lip quivered. “I can’t believe I’m never going to see any of them again.”
    “Are their offices all near each other?” I asked.
    “Yes, most of the committee members liked to stay nearby.”
    “Which committee?” Jeff asked.
    “The House Committee on Foreign Affairs,” Irene replied.