A Spy in the White House by Ron Roy Read Free Book Online Page B

find out?” KC asked.
    “I wish I knew,” the president said grimly. “They even found the hotel on Maui.”
    He glanced at Lois, KC, and Marshall. “I don’t suppose any of you accidentally let the cat out of the bag?”
    “I certainly didn’t,” Lois said. “I want our honeymoon to be private.”
    “I didn’t either,” said KC.
    They all looked at Marshall.
    “I know how to keep a secret!” cried Marshall. “Besides, I didn’t know the name of the hotel.”
    “Well, someone found out, and they told Darla Darling,” Lois said.
    Darla Darling wrote the society column for the
Star
newspaper. Her picture was at the top of her column.
    “I saw her at the press conference yesterday,” Marshall told them.
    “Yes, she was the reporter who asked about the honeymoon and my dress,” Lois said.
    “Maybe someone at the hotel blabbed to her,” Marshall suggested.
    The president shook his head. “The hotel people in Hawaii didn’t know our real names,” he said. “Lois and I were registered as Mr. and Mrs. Smith.”
    “Well, I’m going to get to the bottom of this,” Lois said. She picked up a telephone and called the newspaper. She asked tospeak to Darla Darling. A few seconds later, she hung up.
    “Her voice mail,” Lois explained. “ ‘Ms. Darling is on assignment and not available.’”
    The president picked up a different telephone and asked Vice President Mary Kincaid to come in. When she arrived, the president showed her the newspaper.
    “How did Darla Darling find out?” the vice president asked. “That was top-secret information!”
    “None of us leaked it,” the president said. “Could it have been someone on my staff?”
    “I can’t imagine that,” Mary said. “They knew you and Lois wanted your honeymoon spot kept a secret.”
    “Secret or not, Darla Darling foundout,” Lois said. “And she didn’t hear it from some little bird!”
    “No, but it could have been a little bug,” Marshall said.
    Everyone looked at him.
    “What do you mean, Marshall?” the president asked.
    Marshall pointed to the flower vase on the table. “Someone could have planted a bug!” he whispered.
    KC gasped. “Do you think?” She got up and walked around the room, peering into small spaces.
    “It’s not likely that anyone could have gotten a listening device in here,” the president said. “These rooms are very secure.”
    “Marshall may have a point. I’ll have the place swept just to be sure,” MaryKincaid said. “Meanwhile, will you two be choosing a different place for your honeymoon?”
    “Definitely,” the president said. He looked across the table at Lois. “How about—”
    “Shhh,” Lois whispered, grinning. “The walls may have ears. We’ll talk about it later.”
    “At least Darla Darling didn’t find out about your dress,” KC said to her mother.
    Lois smiled. “It’s the most beautiful dress in the world,” she said. “Michael is a genius!”
    During the night, the FBI checked the president’s private residence for bugs. They found nothing.
    The next morning, a drawing of Lois’s wedding dress took up almost all of Darla Darling’s column in the newspaper.

    There was even a picture of Michael, the man who had designed the dress. The headline over the picture read:
    NEW FIRST LADY’S DRESS IS
GRAND, GREEN, AND GORGEOUS!

3
The Stranger’s Voice
    KC dashed into her mothers bedroom with the newspaper. Lois was still asleep, but not for long.
    “Mom, wake up! Look at this!”
    Lois rolled over and blinked at her excited daughter. Then she looked at the clock. “Honey, it’s only seven o’clock. What’s so important?”
    “I went downstairs to get the paper. Look!” KC held the newspaper in front of her mother. “They found out about your dress!”
    Lois looked at the pictures and read the headline. “Oh my goodness,” shewhispered. Then she reached for the telephone and called the president.
    While her mom showered and dressed, KC called Marshall. He