The Dead Drop by Jennifer Allison Page A

explains why he was pointing to that word.
    Still-why would the ghost of Lincoln want to tell me about the place where his son was buried?
    Gilda heard the sounds of museum security guards, information-desk attendants, and retail clerks arriving for work, pouring coffee, and slamming the refrigerator door shut as they put away lunches.
    “You have a good night? Feels like you just left, huh.”
    “There’s Mr. History. Oooo! You look sweaty! You run all the way to work today?”
    Matthew Morrow made some comment Gilda couldn’t quite hear.
    “Only ten miles? You slackin’ off, boy!”
    Gilda heard voices approaching and turned to see Matthew and Jasper Clarke standing in the doorway and speaking in hushed, concerned tones.
    A moment later, Janet trudged past Jasper and Matthew into the office. “Oh.” She regarded Gilda with thinly disguised disappointment. “You’re here early.”
    I bet she was hoping I’d be late so I’d get in trouble with April again, Gilda thought. I can tell she’s the competitive type. “I couldn’t sleep thinking about these cipher wheels that need to be finished,” Gilda fibbed.
    “Now we’ve got a lot more than cipher wheels to give us insomnia,” said Janet, moving closer to Gilda’s desk and speaking in a low voice. “April’s freaking out because one of her Spy Camp counselors canceled at the last minute with a family emergency. Roger’s freaking out because his colicky baby is keeping him up all night. When I passed him in the hallway just now, he told me he was heading home ‘either to rest my eyes or be killed by my wife,’ which sounded kind of disturbing. He looked like he had just seen a ghost.”
    “What kind of ghost?”
    “Um, I think that’s just a figure of speech.” Janet opened her large purse and unloaded a can of Slim-Fast and a paperback titled Love’s Fever into her desk drawer.
    “Whatever you do,” Janet added, “don’t have any problems today.”
    “I wasn’t planning on it.”
    April abruptly burst into the room with a colorful flurry of silk scarves, tote bags, and morning stress, pushing between Matthew and Jasper and breaking up their conversation in the process.
    “Excuse you,” said Matthew.
    “Sorry, but I have an emergency.” April tossed a tote bag onto her chair impatiently.
    “Is everything okay? Is Gabriel sick again?”
    “Gabriel’s fine; it’s our Spy Camp that’s in trouble.”
    “We already heard about it,” said Janet, clearly enjoying being the first to know.
    “Heard what?” Jasper and Matthew looked perplexed.
    “April is short one counselor,” Janet announced. “I heard you talking on your cell phone in the hallway,” she explained, noticing April’s slightly annoyed stare.
    “I already knew about it, too,” Gilda added.
    Janet rolled her eyes. “Gilda only knows because I told her.”
    “The first session of Spy Camp starts tomorrow, doesn’t it?” Jasper leaned in the doorway casually, but he looked concerned.
    “That’s right; it starts tomorrow.”
    “So who are you going to call for a substitute counselor?”
    “I’ve been calling everyone I can think of, and so far, everyone is working, out of town, or just avoiding my phone calls.”
    “I’m sure nobody in this city would avoid your phone calls, April.”
    April fixed Matthew with a broad, false-looking grin. “That sounded like the helpful comment of a volunteer. Yes! You, Matthew, are going to be my new camp counselor.”
    “Um—I don’t think so.”
    “He can’t,” said Jasper. “We just accelerated his deadline on a couple of publishing projects, and he needs to be available to answer calls from the press.”
    “Thank you, sir,” said Matthew, turning to Jasper. “You’re a gentleman and a scholar.”
    “I’m not sure I’m doing you a favor; it would probably be more fun to do Spy Camp.”
    “What do you mean, ‘probably’?” April slumped in her chair. “It would definitely be more fun.”
    Gilda cleared her