"So that's what they wanted." Maria whistled.
"Yeah, and I gave it to them." I frowned. I should've kept the backpack with me in my room. It was spy-craft 101, and I'd flunked.
Maria arched her left brow. "What do you mean?"
"They were looking for the packet I took but hadn't found it when I'd interrupted them. It must've fallen out of the backpack when I used it as a weapon." I slunk down in the chair the backpack had been on.
"Big deal," Maria said. "We know what was on the phone, and the papers revealed nothing."
"I hope so. I really do." But I wasn't quite convinced. "It does point the finger at Ito Jr. though. She caught me running loose in the embassy where I'd found it."
"Maybe Elvinia tipped them off after our little visit?" Maria asked.
I shook my head. "That doesn't really fit Elvinia's style. She's crazy, but she's not the type to rat us out. Besides, that would only draw attention to the fact that she'd given us the photos and info that yakuza were in the US. She wouldn't want their attention on her."
"So, what do we do now?" Maria asked. The sun was up, which meant the girls would be up any minute. I watched as she made coffee. I wanted to hug her. Maria wasn't giving up on our day.
"Now," I said as Betty, Lauren, and Hannah came into the room, rubbing their eyes. "Now we get ready to do some sightseeing."
Maria groaned but didn't complain as she poured herself a cup of coffee. I was really lucky to have her with me. I certainly couldn't talk to Mrs. Trout.
My cell rang, and I ran into the bedroom to answer it. When I saw who it was, I closed the door.
"Rex!" I said as he appeared on my screen in FaceTime. I heard Philby meow loudly behind him, and my stomach dropped. I missed home. And with trained Japanese killers on the loose, I wished I was there.
"Hey, honey," he said, and I melted. It was very early in the morning back in Iowa, but he looked like he'd been up and ready to go to work. His dark, short hair was perfectly combed, and he had shaved. I watched as he lifted Philby up to the camera.
My cat was a dead ringer for Hitler. She looked at me and started to lick the camera, probably hoping it was edible. I couldn't help but smile.
"What's up?" I asked. Was this just an I-miss-my-girlfriend call? I could have used one of those.
"I just wanted to let you know that Kelly is in the hospital. I think she's having the baby today."
I felt a stab in my heart. My best friend was having her first child, and I wasn't there for her. Granted, I'd had no choice when the Scout office informed me of the non-negotiable dates for this trip. But still—I'd hoped the kid would at least hold out until I was home.
"Robert called you?" I asked. I thought Kelly's husband would've called me, but I wasn't hurt. He was probably out of his mind with worry and excitement.
"Yeah." My boyfriend gave me a charming smile. "He put me on speed dial because he thought he might need to have a police escort to the hospital."
I laughed out loud. "Aww, that's sweet."
"Anyway, I'll let you know when I hear more. I sent flowers to her room from us. I hope that's okay?" he asked.
"Okay? It's perfect. You are the best boyfriend ever." Seriously! What man would think to do that? I had a winner on my hands. This was not the right time to tell him about Midori and Riley.
"Oh, and someone wants to talk to you," he said as he leaned down away from the camera. Rex plopped three kittens on the table, and they all looked at me on the screen and meowed.
"I miss you guys!" I said in a baby voice. Elvis kitten made a ffffft sound before her face filled up the camera.
"I have to go," I said sadly. "But please let me know the minute that baby is born!"
Rex promised before he hung up.
For a moment, I got to ignore the danger here in DC and get excited for Kelly and Robert. They'd refused to tell anyone—even me—the names they'd picked out. I turned the volume on my phone all the way up and joined everyone else in the main area, where a donut fest was taking place.
I held up my hand in the symbol for the quiet sign, and every girl turned toward me silently.
"Kelly has gone to the hospital. She's having her baby!" I squealed.
The girls screamed and clapped, every bit as excited as I was. I couldn't help but get caught up in their enthusiasm. This baby meant a lot to them too.
"Okay, okay, let's quiet down," I said. "We've got a big day ahead of us and lots to do. So let's finish eating and get dressed and cleaned up. We leave here in thirty minutes!"
My announcement created a mad dash, only rivaled in cartoons, as girls and donuts went flying everywhere. Evelyn Trout made an appearance and frowned, but she didn't go back into her room. She even wore the electric pink T-shirt we'd designated for today. Was she going with us? One more bit of good news. Maybe things were looking up.
Maria and I changed, brushed our teeth, and joined the group jumping up and down in the living room. Evelyn stood on the outskirts of the fray, eating a donut. She was still frowning. I wondered if I should explain that the Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson Memorials wouldn't have shopping malls or spas in them. But she was an adult and had access to Google. I was tired of kowtowing to her. Besides, it would be nice to have another adult today, just in case I got kidnapped.
It took a while for us to clean up and go. Maria pulled the van around, and I herded everyone in. Maria seemed to like driving us, and I let her. She knew this city better than I did. Besides, it gave me a chance to watch for anyone tailing us. Paranoia is a spy's best friend.
Maria and I had decided we'd hit the Jefferson Memorial first, saving the Washington Memorial for last. That way, we could hit the Smithsonian museums if we had extra time. For a moment, I pictured my troop turned loose on a bunch of museums with priceless artifacts. Well, it would be the museum's fault if the Hope diamond was used as a football. They should have better security.
The sky was a bright blue, without a single cloud. The perfect day for exploring. Well, except for the stifling humidity. But the girls didn't seem to notice. In fact, they were excited. A full day of running around outside might even wear them out. Might.
The good thing about hitting the monuments today was that there'd be crowds of tourists…witnesses, should anyone decide to get all kidnappy with me. I hoped that nothing would happen, but you could never really be sure in my line of work. The Girl Scout motto was "Be Prepared." It made me wonder if Girl Scouts founded the CIA with that in mind. I'd have to let them know I had twelve good recruits for them in ten years.
"Okay, ladies," I said sternly as Maria parked the van. "You have to be good. You are representing the Girl Scouts and the state of Iowa today. So I want you on your best behavior. Got it?"
Twelve little girls nodded solemnly as I got out of the van and opened their doors. They bounced out of the car with excitement and raced toward the memorial. Cars and tour buses were beginning to fill up the parking lot. Bring on the crowds—the more the merrier.
Evelyn followed the girls up the marble steps of the portico as Maria and I hung back a little. If someone was looking to get me, I wanted to be as far from my girls as possible. And if they approached me, I'd go. No point in getting anyone hurt on my behalf. Maria and I had decided that if something did happen to me, she would get the kids to my parents' house. My folks would make sure the troop got home safely.
I'd called my parents this morning to let them know that. Mom and Dad seemed a little alarmed that I thought something could possibly happen to me, but they agreed. I told Mom she could have my cats if I suddenly wasn't around anymore. Was it me, or did she sound a little excited to hear that?
A rather handsome park ranger who looked a little like Rex had gotten the girls' attention, and they huddled around him. Smart guy, I thought. Defuse the first threat you see with charm. Evelyn stood there with the girls, flirting with the ranger, grinning like a clown, and gushing over everything he said. Yeesh. What was with this woman? Actually, I ho
ped we'd never become close enough for me to find out. I watched as Maria joined them. She looked back at me and nodded.
My goal for the rest of the day was to keep a bit of distance between me and the girls and scope out the crowds to see if my suspicions were correct and I was being followed. I took up position against the wall and scanned the tourists.
A group of middle-aged tourists with huge cameras caught my eye when they seemed very interested in my girls. So did a couple of Japanese hipsters in suits and sunglasses. Expensive suits. One guy had a slick, Elvis-like pompadour—like the guy in one of Elvinia's photos. My heart skipped a beat as I studied them. It was hard to tell. The other guy with him didn't resemble the other men in the photos. I couldn't be sure enough to act.
They looked completely out of place though. But like the group of tourists, they made no eye contact with me. They didn't keep an eye on the exits or shoot suspicious looks around them. They simply focused on what the ranger was saying about Thomas Jefferson.
I didn't like it. Because if I was yakuza and didn't want to stand out—I'd do the exact same thing. These two were the only Asians in the whole crowd. I squinted at the big group. They were still staring at the girls. I could understand if they were eyeing the troop with fear or adoration. But a whole group watching them? That seemed a bit shady.
If you asked who I suspected more, it would be hard to say. Because of the photo, the two suits stood out as if they'd been naked and dipped in blaze-orange paint. They didn't have the right shoes or clothes for sightseeing, and they didn't look as refined as traditional Japanese businessmen.
On the other hand, the tourists with cameras would be the perfect cover. No one would suspect them, and an assassin could slip in there easily. With their large number, none of the other tourists would've called a stranger out for piggybacking with them. It was the perfect disguise.
Still, I had to wait for them to tip their hand, and it looked like they were prepared to wait. I was fine with that. It was way too early to deal with an attack. I needed a little more time to wake up. Getting up at three in the morning and staying up was not a good thing for me. I really needed a good, solid eight hours of sleep.
During our training at The Farm, the CIA was big on challenging us under the effects of sleep deprivation. It had been my only weak point, and I had barely squeaked through. I was hoping the three cups of Earl Grey I'd had before we left would help. Right now, though, not so much. Too bad Betty's ADD medication was back at the hotel. Those usually contained amphetamines, which would perk me up. I'd have to check that later. Great. Now I was considering stealing drugs from my kids. I was in danger of losing out on Role Model of the Year.
I moved around the memorial, reading the inscriptions on the walls, trying to blend in. No one followed me or even studied my actions. It could be that no one was there to watch me. Or it could be that they were just biding their time. Or I might get lucky, and no one was watching at all. But that was a risk I was not prepared to take.
The ranger finished his spiel, and the girls wandered away as the adult tourists stepped up to ask questions. We'd warned the girls in the van to stay in groups of four, and so far, they were following our advice. Maria and even Evelyn seemed to be paying attention to their every move. For once, Mrs. Trout seemed to be acting like a mom. Maybe I was being too hard on her. Maybe I should cut her a little slack.
The two Japanese businessmen asked a couple of questions before walking over to read the walls. The tourist group was polite and had shifted their attention from the troop to the memorial. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I relaxed. A little.
My cell rang out, echoing off the walls, and I slipped outside. I guessed that turning up the volume hadn't been the best idea. I'd given anyone looking the excuse to notice me. That wasn't good.
"Yeah?" I asked without checking the screen. My eyes were on anyone who might be following me. Would it be Kelly? Riley? A butt dial from my cat?
"How's it going, kiddo?" Dad's voice made me sigh with relief.
"So far, so good," I answered.
"Glad to hear it. I thought I'd check in and let you know that I got a strange call from the Japanese Ambassador just now."
My ears perked up, and I focused all my attention on the phone. "Oh?"
"He asked about my assistant who'd wandered off at the embassy. One of his protégés, a Ms. Ito, had complained that you'd looked suspicious."
"Terrific." I sighed. I'd hoped she'd think I was incompetent. But then, if you looked for trouble, you'd find it. And my guess was baby Ito was on high alert.
"I think it's alright," Dad said. "I told him you were not very smart and most likely just got lost."
"Did it work?" I asked. "Did he buy it?"
"I think so. He laughed it off anyway. But I thought I should let you know," Dad said.
"Thanks for the heads up," I said as other tourists began to pour out around me. "I'll give you a call later."
Hmmm… That meant that Ito Jr. was more connected to the Japanese Embassy than I thought. They had to know who she was. You didn't hire the daughter of a crime boss without doing a background check. It was a government job, for crying out loud.
But was the Japanese Ambassador involved? If so, it seemed like it would be career suicide. Still, I couldn't rule it out. I'd have to talk to Maria about this. Where was she?
The memorial had emptied out, and I didn't see the girls or the adults anywhere. That couldn't be good—unleashing a troop of sugared-up little girls on DC might qualify as a terrorist attack.
I turned and ran outside, stood at the top of the steps, and stared down into the parking lot. Okay—the van was still there. That was a good sign. At least they didn't leave me. I started the trek out to the vehicle to see if anyone was inside.
I heard the squealing before I was two hundred yards away. Yep. That was my troop. Waves of relief washed over me as I finally pulled open the passenger door. Of course, the screaming significantly increased once the door was open.
"What took you so long?" Evelyn barked at me from the front passenger seat. No shotgun for me, I guessed. Maria gave me a sympathetic look that told me all I needed to know. The Trout was there and going to stay there.
"Look!" Lauren squealed, and the girls started screaming again. I followed the line of her tiny finger to the top of the memorial. Where, perched as if he were an American bald eagle in clown face, was Mr. Fancy Pants.
I climbed in the van and closed the door. Maria hit the gas, and all we could see behind us was a strange looking bird taking off in flight. Did I pack any cookies for today's snack? I rummaged through the pink backpack but found only pretzels and crackers. That was either a great or terrible thing—I wasn't sure. So I called the zoo and reported the sighting, and they agreed to send some people out. I'd done my civic duty, and it was up to them to find the bird. I had other priorities.
As we climbed out of the van at the Lincoln Memorial, I grabbed Maria's elbow and pulled her aside.
"Go ahead and take them inside, Evelyn," I ordered. The woman gave me a glare that would've broken mirrors but led the girls toward the memorial.
"I thought you'd been kidnapped," I said softly to Maria as we kept a short distance behind the troop.
"No. I just managed to get them to the van. I may…or may not…have mentioned ice cream." Maria grinned sheepishly.
Great. Donuts for breakfast, ice cream for lunch. What could go wrong?
"You were worried about the two guys, right?" Maria asked. "They might be safe. Wouldn't they have tried something if they were yakuza? We don't even know that they're Japanese."
I shrugged. "You know how it is—every coincidence is fraught with suspicion."
"Right," Maria said. "You're walking a fine line between paranoia and racism."
The girls were starting up the tall steps with Evelyn grouchily egging them to keep moving. I'd really learned my lesson on this trip. Taking parents was a bad idea. At least taking Evelyn was. Kelly w
ould just have to strap that baby to her back and come with us next time.
When we reached the top of the stairs, I sent Maria inside while I scanned the parking lot. Sure enough, the large group of tourists was following us. Okay, so maybe they were just having a memorial visit day too. It would make sense for them to follow our same plan, with the Lincoln and Washington Memorials opposite each other. Maria was right. I needed to calm down. No point in seeing danger that wasn't there.
Except…that had been my training. To see what wasn't there. It was the CIA's fault I saw kidnappers around every turn. On the other hand, it didn't hurt to be careful. It made me look kind of stupid, but better safe than sorry, right?
I joined the girls inside, where another park ranger had taken it upon himself to act as tour guide. Okay, so the girls were safe here. That made me feel a little better. I went back to being paranoid.
The Lincoln Memorial had always been my favorite. There was something comforting about the statue of him, sitting and watching over us. It was pretty inspirational that someone who grew up in the middle of nowhere, had no formal education, and even taught himself to read, was able to guide the country through its toughest crisis. I wish he could help me with mine. I think he would've made an awesome spy.
Something crashed to the ground behind me, and I whirled around to see an elderly woman retrieving her dropped cane. If it worried her that I was facing her in a full-on defensive position, she didn't say so.
I had to calm down. My nerves were shot. I was overly caffeinated and had no sleep—a lethal combination in the past. Would I even make it through the day being so jumpy? The tourist group was happily listening to the Park Ranger who was still talking to the girls.
If only I could just enjoy this trip. Enjoy the time I was spending with my troop. That's what most people did. But I was so busy looking for crazed revenge killers around every corner and shoving the kids off to my parents' pool—I wasn't having fun.
When would I finally relax? When Riley was found? When my friends at the CIA retired? It wasn't when I retired, that's for sure. For the past year and a half, I'd had to look over my shoulder constantly. And instead of just me, I also had to look out for my best friend, twelve little girls, my boyfriend, and even my cats. Was this what parenthood was like? If so, I'd never survive it.
Marshmallow S'More Murder Page 11