Dottie Underwood

"You know this woman?" asked Mr. Smith.

"Why, yes," said the woman Peggy once knew as Dottie Underwood. "We used to be roommates. And friends. In fact, more than friends. But something came between us and you know... we drifted apart. Of course, part of it was the fact that she worked for -- oh, who did you work for again, Peggy? You've had so many jobs in all the time that I've known you that I forgot. Last time I heard about you, you were working as a waitress in some seedy club but I'm pretty sure that rumor can't possibly be true."

Dottie was obviously lying through her teeth but that wasn't unusual for Dottie. In Peggy's experience, Dottie telling the truth was as unusual as fish walking uphill but that wasn't what really worried Peggy. What worried her was that now the mission was effectively over.

Dottie just had to say one word to Mr. Smith and her cover would be blown. For good. And Peggy would be lucky if she escaped with her life.

So why wasn't Dottie doing that?

"I heard you were in prison, Dottie," Peggy couldn't resist saying. "How did you get out?"

Dottie smiled. "Well, you're right. I was in prison. But thanks to friends in high places -- and of course, Mr. Smith here -- I managed to get out. Now I help him run this place -- which is a good thing because you'd be surprised at how many people balk at hiring an ex-con. Or a woman. Or a person like me who walks both sides of the street, so to speak. It says something about Mr. Smith's generosity that he was willing to overlook all that in exchange for a small investment in this enterprise."

"How small?"

Dottie smiled again. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Mr. Smith looked at Dottie. "So you're willing to vouch for this woman?"

"Of course," Dottie said. "Like I said, Peggy and I are old friends. I'm sure she's glad to see a familar face on her first day here. And hey, it's not like she's likely to be armed. Nor do we have to worry about other stuff. Even Stark Industries is not likely to have recording equipment small enough to go along with that outfit."

Peggy flushed.

It was all she could do to put down the coffee tray before she broke something.

While she was doing so, Dottie said, "By the way, I'd like it very much if you let Peggy stay with me tonight, Mr. Smith. I'm sure she'd rather share a tent with me rather than with some strangers. And we have so much to catch up on. So much."

Mr. Smith just shrugged. "Okay."

Then he thought a moment and said, "By the way, is she like you?"

"You mean, is she a woman?" asked Dottie.

"No, the other thing. Not the ex-con thing."

Dottie smiled. "I think so. In fact, I think Peggy is more like me than she realizes."