Alien in the House

you were in there. You want me going along off-site with those people if they suggest it?”
    “If you can cozy up to them enough that they will—and I’m sure you can—then yes. Just make sure you leave a trail of breadcrumbs, because I don’t trust any of them.”
    “You don’t trust me, either.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “You’re giving off signs of distrust. Minor ones, but I know how to spot them. You’re right to distrust me, by the way.”
    “Is this where you kill me?”
    She chuckled. “No. I’m on your side. Still. But you only know me as a double agent.”
    “Triple, really.”
    “Whatever number makes you happy. I should be suspect to you, it’s intelligent to distrust someone you know lies for a living. Keep in mind, though, that it’s also intelligent to distrust others who lie for a living, as well as those who don’t.”
    “So, what, distrust everyone?”
    Camilla smiled at me as she opened the door. “Now you’re catching on.”



CHAPTER 35
    C AMILLA MOVED CALMLY through the room while I contemplated how similarly she and Chuckie appeared to think. I missed what she did or who she spoke to, though, because my phone rang and I stepped away from the door to take the call.
    “What are you doing?” Jeff asked in a low voice.
    “Stuff. Why are you calling me?”
    “Because you’re hiding in the stairwell.”
    “Where are you?”
    “In our favorite bathroom.”
    “Super. Remember to wash your hands after.”
    “Hilarious. I know you, and I can tell you’re up to something and that it involves that Vance guy.”
    “It does. Look, we have a lot of ground to cover. You’re stuck being political. I have the hackers working on a variety of things, same with Raj, who has the boys, Olga, and the Middle Eastern Contingent. Amy and Caroline are missing. I’m betting on one of them having spotted my ‘uncle’ and them both having gone to investigate.”
    Jeff cursed quietly. “I can believe it. They both think they’re junior versions of you. I can’t find either one of them emotionally, either. But it would explain why the assassin had such a clear, uninterrupted shot at you and Eugene.”
    “Right, because my ‘uncle’ was being distracted by the girls. So, I want to look for them. Yes, I’m taking Vance with me because he has some theories I need to get and I want to kill two birds with one big rock.”
    “I don’t want you going anywhere alone. And before you protest, your new friend is not a fighter. He’s frightened, but not ready to do much more than run screaming.”
    “That’s his go-to move, I know from Operation Assassination. Time’s of the essence, though.”
    “Yeah, well, there’s more. And I need to talk to you before you disappear on me, too.”
    “I’m never the one who does the disappearing.”
    “So you say. Look, baby, I need my wife right now. Something major’s come up and we have to discuss it. I need you to meet me on the third floor.”
    “No, I’m not going onto the third floor, because once on, it’s clear I’m not getting out for hours. Can we do it over the phone?”
    Jeff heaved a sigh. “Sure, why not. We’re only fifty feet away from each other.”
    “Then use the superfast hyperspeed so no one can see you and come to me.”
    “You could just come down to the second floor.”
    “I could, but you’re faster than me.” I blinked and Jeff was there. Hung up my phone. “See? Was that so hard? You washed, right?”
    “I wonder if it drives Jamie as crazy when you ask that as it drives me?”
    “She always remembers.”
    “That’s our good little girl.” Jeff ran his hand through his hair, took my hand with his other one, and moved us up the stairs, about halfway between floors. “We’ve been given an interesting offer. And by interesting I mean something that I’m not happy about.”
    “Go on.”
    “Your mother contacted the President, so he knows what happened to Santiago, and to Eugene.”
    “Fabulous.”
    He shrugged. “The President doesn’t care about Eugene. The police are on it, and that’s not the political problem.”
    “Oh, political problems. Yay.”
    “Yeah. The district Santiago represented is now left, again, without a representative. Per your mother, a year ago, no one would have cared, they would have just done yet another special election. This year, however, they care, and not just because general elections have been suspended. There are a lot of bills going through the