Alien in the House

Chapter 22



“I WOULD LIKE TO offer Romania’s good offices to help resolve and repair this matter,” Andrei, Olga’s husband, said before anyone else could speak. He ensured his voice carried.

How anyone had heard the prior exchange was beyond me, but I put it down to my luck being consistent. On the plus side, Olga was here, and I was sure that was why Andrei had reacted so quickly.

“Good offices?” I was sure I’d seen this term somewhere. Couldn’t remember where, but was pretty sure it didn’t indicate the penthouse suite of an office building.

“Means Romania’s offering to help settle this dispute between countries,” Chuckie said. “Thank God, and please stop speaking, Kitty,” he added under his breath.

Really wasn’t sure how to react to this. Didn’t seem to matter. Andrei came to our part of the room and he, Reader, Cliff, and Chuckie started having a very fast, very high-level discussion. They managed to move in such a way that I’d have to shove in in order to hear or speak. Fine. I’d blown it, but I wasn’t the bad guy here.

Speaking of whom, Kevin moved Eugene next to Mom. Mona and the rest of the Middle East Contingent had followed Andrei over to this part of the room, but they were with Mom. So I went over there—I was more used to being bawled out by my mother than Chuckie anyway.

“It’s okay, kitten,” Mom said softly. “As the ambassador, you have every right to declare this an act of war.”

“If this had happened in our Embassy, we would have declared the same,” Mona agreed.

Oren nodded his agreement. “Same for Israel. Any of us, really.”

Jakob cleared his throat. “What, as good friends to American Centaurion, can we do for you right now, Ambassador?”

Had to say this for Chuckie telling me to shut up—I thought about the ramifications to whatever I was going to say to this question before I replied.

We were standing next to three powerful political couples. Now wasn’t the time to share insider information. “Honestly, if you all wouldn’t mind staying around, even after the police release you, I’d appreciate it so much. I feel very lost and alone right now, and could use some advice from all of you.”

Mom shot me a look that said I was indeed actually as smart as she’d always suspected. Mona nodded. “Of course, Ambassador. Just tell us where you want us to go and we’ll ensure that we remain to assist in any way.”

“I’d say the fifth floor, once you’re all cleared. Have one of the Barones come and escort you.” Jeremy and Jennifer Barone were an A-C brother-sister team of Field agents who’d been permanently assigned to our Embassy after Operation Destruction. We’d had them remain upstairs with Hacker International tonight, to ensure no one wandered up there and to have A-Cs right there to advise and alert in case the hackers found anything of significance going on. Clearly the impending murder of a representative hadn’t hit their airwaves. Had no idea what this might or might not mean.

“Absolutely, Ambassador,” Khalid said. “Is there anyone else you would like to join us?”

Everyone seemed so much more on top of things than me right now. Thank God. “Yes, please ask the Romanian ambassadress and her assistant if they’d be so good as to join you. It looks like the Romanian ambassador is going to be here for some time, so it would be nice for them to be able to wait comfortably for him.”

“I’ll make sure the police clear all of these guests first,” Kevin said, as he handed Eugene off to Mom and headed toward the officers I’d nicknamed Larry and Curly during Operation Assassination. They had real names, but for whatever reason, unlike Melville, they weren’t attached to my using them. Ergo, I still called them Officers Larry and Curly. Either they didn’t understand my Three Stooges references or they were flattered by them. Decided not to worry about it right now.

Jeff chose this moment to arrive, which was nice. But he was instantly pulled into the impromptu Kitty’s Screwed Up Again meeting, which wasn’t. Always the way.

Because of where we all were, Eugene was standing near to Brewer, who shook his head. “I can’t believe you’d do something like this, Gene. We’ll get it sorted out.”

“Thanks,” Eugene muttered. He looked at Brewer—his expression didn’t say, “So glad I have a friend.” It said, “I hate your guts.” He wiped the look off his face quickly, but I’d seen enough to recognize it—it was reminiscent of the looks Jeff used to give Chuckie, gave Buchanan these days, and was currently shooting at Raj, presumably just to keep in practice.

Pushed aside worry about Buchanan’s whereabouts for the moment—there were bigger fish to hook, gut, and toss to Pierre to have fried.

My brain nudged. Eugene was in the Cabal of Evil only because of two reasons—his wife had managed to get into the Cool Kids Crowd and had no intention of leaving any time soon, and he was sleeping with one of the other members. With Brewer’s wife, to be exact.

Maybe Eugene hadn’t changed as much as I’d thought. Or, rather, maybe he’d changed in a different way.

Stepped away from the group just a bit and examined our table. Not too much had been moved, Mom’s doing no doubt. Reviewed what had happened from the point Raj and I had reached this part of the room. Then I looked at Brewer’s place setting and the light dawned.

Rejoined Mom as Kevin came to take the Middle Eastern Contingent off to give their statements. Waited until Mom and I were alone. “I have a strong theory. Should I share it now, or do you want me to wait?”

“Wait one moment. Charles!” The way Mom said his name, there was no way Chuckie wasn’t going to come right over. She’d definitely put the “you will obey me without question, young man” tone into one syllable.

He indeed disengaged immediately. “Yes, Angela?”

“Kitty has a theory. I’d like you to hear it.”

Jeff had great hearing, yet another A-C trait enhanced by Surcenthumain. He joined us, too. “It’s okay, baby, we’ll get everything taken care of.” He took my hand and squeezed it. I squeezed back.

“Good. And, thanks, Mom. I actually think Eugene’s telling the truth. In a way.”

“Really?” Chuckie didn’t sound impressed or pleased that he’d been called over here.

“Really. I do think he’s the one who put arsenic in the water glass, only Santiago Reyes wasn’t his target.”

“Shut up, Kitty,” Eugene said desperately.

“No way in hell, you jerk. And, just in case you weren’t sure, I’m never forgiving you for both murdering Santiago in such a horrible way and doing it on American Centaurion soil, regardless of whatever diplomatic thing is being facilitated by Andrei.” Maybe I could insist that Eugene be executed in the public square, so to speak, as appeasement for American Centaurion’s outrage. Unlikely, but still something to daydream about.

“Kitty, can you get to the point?” Chuckie asked in a pained tone.

“Sure, since we’re on a schedule and all. Eugene wasn’t trying to kill Santiago—he was trying to kill Edmund Brewer.”