“Oh,” she said, relieved. She was afraid that he somehow knew she had slept with Brenda. She told herself to stop being so paranoid.
“It’s a gift,” Lanniter went on, “being able to spot fakes with the naked eye, without using a lot of fancy equipment. I knew you were talented back when I had you in that class at Laurel.”
“Well, I ought to be halfway good at it by now,” Jade said modestly. “That’s about all I’ve been doing during the past twelve months.” She wished he would tell her about the trouble he thought Brenda was in.
“You know, just three weeks ago, I was about to call you and offer you a job at Treasury. To join a special new project I’m working on.” There was a twinkle in his eye. “When I started checking you out, that’s when I discovered that the SAIC at your office is under
