Page 11 (1/2)

By the ti with their foster parents for three years Lacey’s birth parents had beenin and out of jail until finally a half-starved and terrified Lacey had been taken away fro Lacey She was as sunny as her hair was blond, a cheerful little girl who’d taken the lonely Emma in hand and announced they were sisters Just like that As if deciding it somehow made it so

But for Lacey it did, and eventually for E horrible apart the syste two and three jobs to ht to work, while E decision to ton, the center of power, the place where their fortunes would be made--or married into, in Lacey’s case

And now, as Ehtlessly at the computer screen in front of her, she wondered if Lacey would still beif Erimace at the sound of her boss’s voice--or rather her boss’s wife’s voice, which was the sa up and over her monitor

Sharon Coffer frowned down at her, every strand of her carefully tinted and styled hair in perfect alignment, her face almost i at it en What was it with so many of these political women that they felt the need to roll on the et started on that helmet of a hairdo

"Have you finished the draft of that constituent letter yet?" Sharon demanded, which was pretty standard for Sharon She never asked; she demanded

Emma nodded "I just finished You want me to print it out?"

Sharon’s scowl deepened further as she clearly tried to decide if E her or not God forbid the woe letter on her colasses instead of hiding them in her purse like some sort of shameful deformity

"Do that," Sharon said at last, then spun on her heel and stomped off to torment some other unfortunate

"I don’t think she likes you," Noreen whispered froressman Coffer’s personal secretary, not that Sharon ever perressman alone Sharon didn’t trust any feood looks and charet elected also made him far too attractive for Sharon’s peace of ossip about the congress, she would have heard about it The grapevine in these hallowed halls made the old ladies back hoossip departina," Emma mur laughter

Not that Eave a damn about Sharon or her handsome husband Except that Sharon’s insane jealousy was a ressman’s office for anyone female and under sixty, and Emma had aspirations for her career that ell beyond dealing with constituent coree, da here at all, which brought her thoughts right back to Lacey

"Em, there’s a birthday party next door and I need cake You want soave her a blank stare

"Earth to Eed the last word out tantalizingly, but E down at her watch She couldn’t do this Couldn’t sit here like everything was business as usual while she waited for the va had happened to Lacey

"I have to leave early today"

Noreen goggled at her No one left early, not from this office, and pretty ress was in session

Enored her friend’s disbelief to open her desk drawer and drag out the enoro with so smaller, but each ti one She was closing the drahen the staccato sound of high heels announced Sharon Coffer’s return

"E"