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They had explained to her the cause of death as declared by the medical exaue awaiting collection

And so in the corner of a pantry, the First Lady of the USA and an elderly waitress, both descended from slaves, cohts of the VFW exchanged stilted conversation over soup and croutons

Nothing h thehis tuxedo in the private apartments two hours later that he asked the obvious question

Five hours after that, in the near darkness of the bedroolare over the city of Washington seeping through the bulletproof glass and past the curtain, the First Lady became aware that the man beside her was not asleep

The President had been in large part raised by his grandrandh it was his habit to ris

e early and put hiorous calisthenics to stay in shape, he could not sleep He lay in the darkness and thought

He had already decided the fifteen-year-old, whoever he ould not go to a pauper’s grave but to a decent burial in a proper churchyard But he was intrigued by the cause of death in one so young and hailing from a poor but devotedly respectable household

Just after three, he swung his long, thin legs out of bed and reached for a robe There was a sleepy “Where are you going?” fro,” he replied, knotted the belt and padded through to the dressing room

When he lifted the handset, the reply took two seconds If the duty operator was sleepy at that hour of the night when the human spirit is at its lowest, she did not show it Her inquiry was bright and eager

“Yes, Mr President”

The light on her console told her exactly as calling For his part, the o still had to re he liked anyti for it

“Would you raise the director of the DEA, in his home or wherever he is?” he asked There was no surprise froe pleasantries with the President of Mongolia, it will be arranged