people, too.”
Abby sighed. “How much work is she talking here? A whole house?”
“No. One room. It sounds bad, but I could probably pull it off in a day or two. She said she’ll get as many workers as I need. In fact, she says I don’t have to do the work at all, just tell them what to do and they’ll do it. I’d consult. I have to admit, I do like the sound of that.”
“Who does you sister-in-law work for?” Nadia asked.
“Ms. Archer. Apparently, she doesn’t have a first name.”
Gina glanced quickly in my direction. “Vicki Archer, from the Women’s Advancement Center?” I nodded and she whistled. “That was her doing the TV interview in the Metro before…Anyway, she’s supposed to be one of the fastest burners in D.C.”
“Really? You recognized her? I haven’t heard of her. I mean, I don’t watch the news as much as Irene does, but I’m not totally out of it.”
Gina climbed into the van and sat in the backseat. “I was reading an article about her a few days ago. She’s listed as one of the ‘Women to Watch in Washington’ this year. They think she’ll run for Congress. Her name is already popping up as a potential vice presidential candidate.”
I slid into the seat beside Gina. Was it too early for chocolate? I definitely needed some. Chocolate was my go-to stress-relief mechanism. I pulled out a few Hershey’s Kisses and offered some to everyone. Wellesley shook her head, but everyone else grabbed one. I said, “How am I going to be able to say no now? Summer’s hoping to get a full-time job with Vicki Archer after graduation, and if Archer has such great prospects, it would be an amazing job for Summer.” I popped the chocolate in my mouth and sat back to try and think of a kind way to let Summer down easy.
Nadia belted herself in and leaned forward to talk to Wellesley. “This afternoon, is it free again?”
“Technically,” Wellesley said as she reversed and pulled out of the parking garage, barely missing two pedestrians before she merged into the traffic of Crystal City. “I don’t have anything scheduled, but I was leaving it open for you to choose what you’d like to do. I thought possibly Union Station.”
“Perfect.” Nadia turned back to me. “I’d like to see where a potential vice presidential candidate lives.”
An Everything in Its Place Tip for an Organized Trip
Pick the right bag
Choose a bag made with a durable material, preferably one that is water-resistant. Check zippers and handles for sturdy construction and look for reinforced side panels.
Pick a color besides black to avoid confusion at baggage claim.
You can also use colorful luggage tags to help distinguish your bag from similar ones.
Luggage wheels that rotate 360 degrees make maneuvering easier.
Chapter Five
A fter our tour of the monuments, Wellesley parked the van on the street in front of a white 1950s Cape Cod–style house with a red front door. The neighborhood, a mix of bungalows and Cape Cods with tiny square footage and surrounding mature landscaping, reminded me of our neighborhood in an established section of Vernon in Washington state. Except this neighborhood had an air of aggressive maintenance. No peeling paint or scruffy lawns marred these streets.
“It’s so tiny,” Nadia said with dismay.
Wellesley said, “It may not look like much, but this is prime real estate, an inside-the-beltway location. These houses go for over half a million dollars.”
Nadia stared at her. “You’ve got to be kidding. For that little thing?”
“I’m serious. Fairchurch is a primo location.”
I climbed over Gina to get out of the van. “Thanks for dropping me off. Summer can give me a ride back to the hotel.”
As I stepped out of the van, a blue four-door car pulled into the driveway. A man in a suit and a woman in a pantsuit got out and paced toward me. They didn’t look threatening, but suddenly I felt nervous.
“Detective Jason Brown, Metropolitan
Abby sighed. “How much work is she talking here? A whole house?”
“No. One room. It sounds bad, but I could probably pull it off in a day or two. She said she’ll get as many workers as I need. In fact, she says I don’t have to do the work at all, just tell them what to do and they’ll do it. I’d consult. I have to admit, I do like the sound of that.”
“Who does you sister-in-law work for?” Nadia asked.
“Ms. Archer. Apparently, she doesn’t have a first name.”
Gina glanced quickly in my direction. “Vicki Archer, from the Women’s Advancement Center?” I nodded and she whistled. “That was her doing the TV interview in the Metro before…Anyway, she’s supposed to be one of the fastest burners in D.C.”
“Really? You recognized her? I haven’t heard of her. I mean, I don’t watch the news as much as Irene does, but I’m not totally out of it.”
Gina climbed into the van and sat in the backseat. “I was reading an article about her a few days ago. She’s listed as one of the ‘Women to Watch in Washington’ this year. They think she’ll run for Congress. Her name is already popping up as a potential vice presidential candidate.”
I slid into the seat beside Gina. Was it too early for chocolate? I definitely needed some. Chocolate was my go-to stress-relief mechanism. I pulled out a few Hershey’s Kisses and offered some to everyone. Wellesley shook her head, but everyone else grabbed one. I said, “How am I going to be able to say no now? Summer’s hoping to get a full-time job with Vicki Archer after graduation, and if Archer has such great prospects, it would be an amazing job for Summer.” I popped the chocolate in my mouth and sat back to try and think of a kind way to let Summer down easy.
Nadia belted herself in and leaned forward to talk to Wellesley. “This afternoon, is it free again?”
“Technically,” Wellesley said as she reversed and pulled out of the parking garage, barely missing two pedestrians before she merged into the traffic of Crystal City. “I don’t have anything scheduled, but I was leaving it open for you to choose what you’d like to do. I thought possibly Union Station.”
“Perfect.” Nadia turned back to me. “I’d like to see where a potential vice presidential candidate lives.”
An Everything in Its Place Tip for an Organized Trip
Pick the right bag
Choose a bag made with a durable material, preferably one that is water-resistant. Check zippers and handles for sturdy construction and look for reinforced side panels.
Pick a color besides black to avoid confusion at baggage claim.
You can also use colorful luggage tags to help distinguish your bag from similar ones.
Luggage wheels that rotate 360 degrees make maneuvering easier.
Chapter Five
A fter our tour of the monuments, Wellesley parked the van on the street in front of a white 1950s Cape Cod–style house with a red front door. The neighborhood, a mix of bungalows and Cape Cods with tiny square footage and surrounding mature landscaping, reminded me of our neighborhood in an established section of Vernon in Washington state. Except this neighborhood had an air of aggressive maintenance. No peeling paint or scruffy lawns marred these streets.
“It’s so tiny,” Nadia said with dismay.
Wellesley said, “It may not look like much, but this is prime real estate, an inside-the-beltway location. These houses go for over half a million dollars.”
Nadia stared at her. “You’ve got to be kidding. For that little thing?”
“I’m serious. Fairchurch is a primo location.”
I climbed over Gina to get out of the van. “Thanks for dropping me off. Summer can give me a ride back to the hotel.”
As I stepped out of the van, a blue four-door car pulled into the driveway. A man in a suit and a woman in a pantsuit got out and paced toward me. They didn’t look threatening, but suddenly I felt nervous.
“Detective Jason Brown, Metropolitan
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