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"Thanks so rasp Dr Jessup’s as he rises to greet her The sh we know each other well The s to act like we don’t know each other at all, okay? After work, over drinks, we’ll kick off our high heels and eviscerate these people behind their backs

Except that I’ flats with my dark stretch cords and equally stretchy black tunic blouse I didn’t knoas going to have ain the president’s office today

Muffy introduces Lisa and me to the newcomers, whose names and titles I fail to catch It doesn’t matter, because I wouldn’t have remembered them anyway They’re all men in business suits who look exactly the same, have the same kind of nonsense titles--executive vice chancellor for the general council; senior executive of the board of trustees; chaire Express is to be trusted, receive the same kind of enormous bonuses

They’re here, Muffy explains, to "troubleshoot this here itty-bitty little thing" In times of crisis, Muffy’s southern drawl becomes more pronounced

"How about y’all take a seat now, and let’s get right to business," Muffy says as she tucks her cream-colored skirt beneath her in a ladylike ested and take a seat, with the exception of Special Agent Lancaster, who declares he’d prefer to stand I suppose if he sat down, the stick up his butt would lodge so deeply into his brain that he would instantly expire, and then we’d have another corpse on our hands, so it’s just as well

"So," Muffy says Her lipstick is a very bright red, as are her fingernails "I’irl in our building died yesterday"

"Another one?" President Allington cries in surprise A bite of egg salad sandwich falls out of his old tie "Jesus Christ!"

Gloria coe the mayonnaise stains off his tie while the rest of us politely avert our gazes

"Er, yes, Phillip," Muffy says "Remember, I told you? She died yesterday, of asthton wants to know

"Nine people a day," I volunteer "It’s one of this country’s most coton says again, this ti to take back control of her"Well, sad as that is, it’s not e’re here to talk about This is about the piece that appeared on New York College Express this reat strides to keep that information out of the press--"

"I know, Muffy," Dr Jessup says apologetically, "and I just want to assure you that a lot of the particulars in that piece were pure lies"