"Oh Amanda, I wish you were home to see this! I'll save the clipping for you but you wouldn't believe how many people are calling and asking because it's simply uncanny! And of course, with you being away, it's so tempting to tell some of those silly women that it's true, but honestly, as if anyone could think it was is simply beyond me. I mean, not to say that you couldn't if you wanted to, but really, when would you have gotten the opportunity? Unless Penny introduced you, of course."

"Mother, I'm sure you're trying to tell me something but I have absolutely no idea what. What could I have done if I wanted to?"

"Oh, my goodness! I can't believe I didn't even tell you that part! I mean that's the funniest part, except you know, I'm looking at it myself and if I didn't know better, even I would think it!"

"Think what, Mother?" asked Amanda in a patient tone as she closed her eyes and shook her head in amused frustration.

"That this is you in this morning's paper! In the Post's society gossip column!"

"The Post gossip column?" Amanda had sat bolt upright and started making gestures at Lee across the kitchen table to pass her the newspaper. "Why, how ridiculous! Whatever would I be doing in that?"

Instead of passing it to her, Lee crammed his piece of toast between his teeth and began flipping rapidly through the paper in front of him.

"Well, I mean obviously it's not you, but my gosh, she's a dead ringer for you, Darling."

"Who is, Mother?"

Amanda watched as Lee found the right page and his eyes bugged out. It was probably a good thing he'd put that toast in his mouth to keep him from saying anything out loud. She waved her hand at him again, trying to see what he was looking at.

Soundlessly, he turned the paper and held it up with a grin. Her jaw dropped as she took in the photo. It was a candid shot, obviously taken by a freelance photographer somewhere with a telephoto lens, of her and Francine walking out the door of one of the many, many swanky stores Francine had dragged her in and out of that first day, and a caption that read "Mrs. Leland Cassidy, spotted out and about in the capital with an unnamed female companion. But where is her elusive husband?"

Amanda realized her mother was still talking.

"… and I'm going to go buy an extra copy for Lillian because I know she'll just think it's a hoot! I mean, I know everyone is supposed to have a doppelganger, but what were the odds that yours would be the wife of a billionaire? You should try and meet her and maybe get a job as her body double or something!"

"Mother!" Amanda interrupted, laughing. "I don't think rich women need body doubles!"

She watched Lee stifle a laugh at the idea of that and waved at him to stop, which just made him shake harder.

Her eyes widened at her mother's next words. "But isn't it funny how you can go years without hearing a name and then you hear it all the time? First you help save that man named Lee from being mugged and then you start working with another Lee and now here we have another one! I mean, not that Lee and Leland are the same, of course, but still, so similar!"

"Mother, what makes you think I work for someone named Lee?" Amanda squeaked. "My boss is named Billy." Lee had stopped laughing now and was staring at her, eyes wide.

"Is he?" asked Dotty doubtfully. "I could have sworn that the man who phoned about that camper van we had parked in the driveway that time said his name was Lee. I remember thinking it was a coincidence then."

"Maybe you just misheard Billy say his name," ventured Amanda, hoping to shut down this line of thought.

"I suppose I could have." said Dotty, although the tone of her voice suggested she thought otherwise. "And Leland isn't so close I suppose. I guess I'm just seeing patterns where there aren't any."

"That must be it," Amanda sighed with relief, short-lived as Dotty started up again.

"But wouldn't it have been just so romantic if the man at the station that day turned out to be a billionaire who fell madly in love with you and swept you off your feet but you had to get married in secret for some reason!"

"Mother! What possible reason would anyone have to get married secretly?"

"Oh Amanda, I didn't say it made sense! Just that it would be romantic – like a movie!" There was a pause then Dotty began to expand on that with renewed enthusiasm. "Or maybe it's a sign, Amanda! Maybe the universe is trying to tell you to be on the lookout for a man named Lee! Or that you should try and track down that man you helped that day! Maybe he's been looking for you too – pining away, wondering who his guardian angel was and wishing she'd left a clue like a shoe behind like Cinderella!"

Amanda couldn't help letting her eyes flick up to look at Lee who had given up all pretense of reading the paper now and was sitting back listening to her side of the conversation with a half-smile. "I doubt that very much, Mother, and what's more, I think you've been watching too many of those made-for-TV movies. And you haven't even told me yet how the boys are doing!"

"Haven't I? I suppose I haven't – well…"

Eventually she managed to wrap up the conversation with her mother with assurances that she had not in fact run off and secretly married a billionaire and that she would be home by tomorrow and that yes, she really had borrowed the kitchen at the boarding house they were staying at and she really had baked enough cookies for the class party. She put down the receiver and finally gave way to the fit of giggles.

She pulled the paper across the table to study the picture. It was a good shot of her, but Francine was partially hidden behind her shoulder.

"Unnamed female companion," said Lee chuckling. "Nice touch."

"How did they even find out who I was playing?" asked Amanda. She looked up with sudden realization. "Wait, did the Agency plant this? Was this on purpose?"

"Yeah, this has Francine's fingerprints all over it," confirmed Lee, eyes twinkling. "She's always got an eye for the detail that will confirm a cover. That'll be why she picked one where you can't see her all that well – she's too well known on the social scene for the Post not to know who she is."

Amanda looked back at the photo and pouted. "I've never looked so good in my life for a picture and I can't even admit to anyone it's me!" She looked back up at Lee, unable to keep the laughing smile off her face for long. "But my mother can frame it and tell people it's me!"

"I'll get an 8 by 10 of the original," he promised. "IF you promise to stay out of trouble at the party tonight!" He wagged a finger at her threateningly.

"Lee, you know I never try to get in trouble – it just happens," she said consolingly.

"I know," he answered, shaking his head. "But maybe, just once, it could not happen tonight?"

She held up her hand solemnly. "I will try. Scout's Honor"

A brief flash of frustration crossed his face. He hadn't told her about Singer's death, worried it might panic her but he was debating that now, wondering if he needed to make her understand just how dangerous this was getting to be. "I wish we'd been able to get some other agents in there tonight, but that guest list is locked down harder than the White House."

"You think I'm going to be that much trouble?" she asked, trying to sound flippant but actually worried that he might consider her that much of a liability.

"No, of course not," Lee smiled, reassuringly. "It's just that there's more than few people invited tonight that I'd like to be able to keep an eye on and that'll be trickier with only the two of us watching."

Two of us. Amanda couldn't hide a moment of panic at those words.

"What?" Lee asked, not knowing what that look meant.

"You said the two of us, like I'm really part of this," she explained. "Like you're not just stuck with me, like you usually are."

"Amanda! I'm never just stuck with you!"

"Yes, you are," she said, seriously. "I mean, I only ever end up in the middle of stuff like this by accident mostly – even this time."

"And you've always been helpful," Lee replied, still confused. "What's different about this time?"

"All the other times, I wasn't the only one there," explained Amanda worriedly. "Francine has always been there, or Efraim or Sammy – you had real agents backing you up. This time you only have me."

Lee reached over and took her hand. "I only had you at the train station, and in the hospital when Mrs. Welch and her goon came after me. That turned out pretty well."

"Yeah, but I didn't know what I was getting into then," she replied wretchedly. "This time, it isn't some guy getting mugged – this time it's the security of the whole country. What if I miss something that a real agent would have seen? You need more help than just me."

"Hey, come on – we wouldn't even be able to get into this party if it wasn't for you," Lee pointed out, seriously. "And you've been perfect so far – you came up with a cover on the spot with no training and ran with it as well as any agent I've ever seen. I mean, it's still amazing it ended up being this good a cover, but maybe that just means you have the one thing every agent wishes they had." His steady gaze lit up with a sudden smile.

"Which is what?" Amanda asked, already reassured by that grin.

"Blind luck," he laughed. "You must have a guardian angel looking after you the way you keep getting out of things without getting hurt." He caught Amanda's slight eyeroll and amended quickly, "Okay, without getting hurt worse."

"I'm still nervous about tonight," she confessed.

God, if she was already this worried, it's a good thing I didn't tell her about Singer. "Don't be," he said reassuringly. "Our chauffeur will be an agent and he'll be monitoring the mike I'll be wearing."

"What about me? Will I have a wire too?"

"Not necessary," Lee waved off her concern. "You're going to stay put right in the middle of everything and no one's going to say anything incriminating in the middle of a crowd like that. I mean, you might see something useful but you just need to make sure I know about it. And I'll be sticking like a burr to Hollander – he's the one we really need to hear, him and whoever he's meeting to get that missile information."

"But what if I do hear something? What if something happens and I need help?" Amanda persisted.

"Well, then I think you should probably just scream," Lee shrugged. "Amanda, stop worrying – you said it yourself, you're in the middle of a hundred Washington types, it'll be fine."

"Okay," Amanda nodded. "You're probably right."