Alien in the House

Len and Kyle get a car ready. They need to drop the ambassador and Representative Martini off.”
    Jeff grumbled but he didn’t argue. I raced upstairs to grab my purse, our coats, and his hat. Got a few more hugs and kisses from Jamie as well as a discussion of Ancient Babylonia. “Take Harlie and Poofikins, Mommy,” she said as I was finally heading to the door.
    “Why?” Opened my purse. No Poofs. “I don’t know that Harlie and Poofikins want to leave Jamie today.” As soon as I said their names, the Poofs appeared, though.
    “They just want to be sure you want them, Mommy,” Jamie said. “Don’t worry, they still love you best.”
    “Mous-Mous loves you best, right, Jamie-Kat?”
    “Right!” Her Poof was on her head, purring. Confirmed this meant that it was agreeing as well.
    Poofs on board were never an issue. Gave Dad and Jamie one more kiss each and trotted back downstairs. The boys were in the kitchen, discussing my Sith and Dial L for Murder theories.
    “I’m with Kitty,” Kyle said. “The Sith idea makes total sense, and I think the L is suspicious in the extreme.”
    “I’m kind of with Jeff,” Len said. “It seems like a stretch.”
    Kyle shot me a long-suffering look. “He’s not into the comics like we are.”
    “Oh, we’ll bring him around. Richard, Paul, are you guys okay here?”
    “We’ll call you if we discover anything or make any new connections,” White said. “Go actually have a little fun.”
    “I’ll ensure you’re contacted with any news, Kitty darling,” Pierre added. “Now, off you go.”
    We headed down and got into a limo. “You know, have you listened to any tunes recently?” Kyle asked.
    “Actually, no, I haven’t.”
    “Well, we can’t have that.” He fiddled with something. “I made you a playlist,” he said a little shyly.
    “Really? That’s so awesome, Kyle, thanks.”
    He beamed. “I went for songs I think will help you think.” He hit the button and the sounds of “Live and Let Die” by Paul McCartney and Wings hit my personal airwaves.
    “I love you, Kyle.”
    “How is this song a help?” Jeff asked.
    “Just channel your inner James Bond and let’s let the good times roll, boys.”



CHAPTER 78
    T HE BREWERS TRULY didn’t live that far from us. They were in the Dupont Circle area, at the Cairo, which was a really cool, tall, older building.
    We had enough time for “I’m Still Here” by the Goo Goo Dolls and “Some Might Say” by Oasis. Len pulled us up in front of the Cairo in the middle of Pink’s “Bad Influence.”
    I felt a hell of a lot better as we got out and went up the stone steps. The foyer was all glass with marble floors and Egyptians columns, along with a nice lounge that was doubling as the lobby. Happily, no one shot at us or the boys as we waited for Brewer to come down and collect us.
    Living up to its name, the Cairo was a U-shaped building with an Egyptian theme. It also had gargoyles above the front entrance, griffins high up on the cornices, and then some. One wall of the lobby had a big mirror surrounded by photographs of the building’s construction and other photo-worthy Cairo events. There were two reddish-orange square columns in front of two elevators. Double glass doors between them showed a stairway leading down to a stone central courtyard that was in the center of the U. We were admiring these when Brewer joined us.
    “It’s very Zen, isn’t it?” he asked after we’d shaken hands, indicating the courtyard.
    “If you say so. It’s all pretty as far as I’m concerned. This is a great building.”
    He beamed. “We love it. It’s just so full of character. The first floor has elephant heads, looking left and right from the stone windowsills of the front windows. Their trunks interlock at the corners of the entrance arch.”
    “Wow.”
    “And the fourth floor has dragon and dwarf crosses. There are carved stone façades all over, too.” There were two wide staircases made of marble and wrought iron. Brewer pointed them out, too. “They span the height of the building. But we’ll take the elevator, unless you’d rather walk all the way up.”
    “You’re at the top?”
    “Oh, hell, no. Though the Cairo rooftop has a fabulous view. You can see the entire northwest skyline, including the Capitol building and the Washington Monument. But no, we live on the sixth floor. And that’s high enough, believe me.”
    Remembered Brewer had said he was afraid of heights. I could