Angel looked at her wall clock and saw she was expected in Mr. Johnston's office in just five minutes. Where had all the time gone? She was so into scanning the newest photos into her computer and then scaling them. She then superimposed one over the other as her hunch proved out. All three persons matched each other perfectly.

Closing her programs and putting the password protection on, she then locked the papers and pictures away in the file cabinet. She looked in the small mirror on the back of her door, fixed her hair, touched up her lipstick, and left for Mr. Johnston's office.

His secretary saw Angel coming and buzzed him.

"Yes Margaret?"

"Miss O'Hare is here sir."

"Send her right in please"

"Yes sir."

As Angel approached, Margaret greeted her and told her to go straight in.

"Good morning Mr. Johnston."

"Yes it is Angel, please have a seat."

Angel sat in one of the comfortable chairs opposite his desk. She looked at him, as he was busy shuffling a few papers and apparently scrutinizing the writing. He marked out a few things and added this and that. She studied his facial expressions and couldn't help giggling at one in particular. His eyes narrowed and squinted, his nostrils flared out and his lips he drew tight in a grimace. He did look comical with that expression on his face.

Mr. Johnston looked up from what he was doing and gave Angel a stern look. It was only a second later he began laughing at Angel's expression. She changed in an instant from looking like an amused little girl to one that got caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

Mr. Johnston set aside what he was working on and picked up a thick folder.

"Angel, there is a big bike show in Germany next week and you are going to attend. My contacts with the women's pro circuit tell me that Jenny's child, the one in question, will also be attending. I want you to get close, but not introduce yourself yet. Just find out as much as you can from all those that know Drew. Try to listen in on his conversations with others, but don't be obvious about it. Shadow him from a discreet distance and take in everything he does and says."

"All right Mr. Johnston, but how am I to listen to what he says to others being a discreet distance away?"

Mr. Johnston chuckled deeply as he thought she is smart, but she sure doesn't know the tricks of the trade yet.

"You will be met at the airport and driven to your hotel by one of our employees over there. He will be giving you a few items and showing you how to use them. Just a couple of things we use in our trade from time to time Angel. You will have no problems fulfilling your assignment without exposure. If things get a little dicey, contact me immediately. I mean immediately Angel, no matter the time. We will go over things together and come up with a solution then and there alright?"

"Yes, Mr. Johnston, I understand."

"Good, here is a file I put together with all the pertinent material and questions that need answers. I have put together an outline, but you are free to organize things as you see fit. One thing though, I want everything in my outline completed and all the questions will get answered no matter how you organize the priorities and subjects ok?"

"Ok Mr. Johnston."

"Good, now what have you discovered so far for yourself?" Angel informed him of all she knew to date and what she had done. Mr. Johnston was very pleased!

Angel only had a few days to get everything organized the way she wanted them and finish up on digesting her latest information. She took the thick folder back to her office and scanned over it quickly. She was very surprised at what this folder contained!

* 1 round trip ticket to Germany
* $5,000.00 in travelers checks
* a hotel booking receipt in her name for a weeks stay
* international credentials in her name listing her as a staff reporter for the Sentinel
* a new passport also specifying her as an internationally credited reporter
* an itinerary for the bike show
* pictures of Drew, his grandmother, his father, his sister, his mother and all the members of the cycling team she belonged to.

Angel, very glad she has a photographic memory began to memorize all the details of each person depicted and listed within the folder. There were other things and information in that folder, but we will get to those later.

Connie knocked on Angel's door and stuck her head in.

"Hi Angel, a few of us girls are going out to lunch, would you like to join us?"

Angel was surprised at this invitation; she had thought it would take a little while before anyone would warm up to her being new and hired in her present position right out of school. She knew she had no choice but to accept no matter her desire to keep working. It was a very bad thing for someone new to reject an invitation such as this.

"I would love to join you for lunch Connie, and thank you for inviting me."

"Not at all Angel, but you know everyone is going to pump you for information."

Connie laughed and Angel giggled knowingly. Yes, they were all sure to try to find out as much as they can. Not only about her, but what she is working on as well.

The girls had decided to take Angel to a small cozy quiet place for lunch. They didn't want to have this luncheon at their regular restaurant. That one was always crowded, noisy, and full of those in the trade. No, this luncheon had to be in a nice quiet place so they could find out as much as possible without word getting out to others.

The group of girls represented some of the different departments. There was Misty Dawn (Mysti) from women's sports apparel, Prudence Walker (Prue) from sport's equipment. Maggie O'Malley (Kitten) from children's sports, Kim (Kimmie) from sports health. Cat (hates being called by any other name) from the news desk and Constance (Connie) the receptionist. Each had been assigned to get as much info on the new girl as possible by their bosses.

The restaurant, the Olympic Flame, was a favorite of the local dwellers. Not many Sentinel employees frequented it because they adopted another eatery they claimed as their own. The girls were a great treat for the locals as they came in and seated themselves. They chose the outside patio near the stream to eat. They were welcomed though, six pretty women all at once was a rare thing at the 'Flame.'

They chatted of this and that until their orders Arrived. Each chose a type of Stromboli. A sort of pie stuffed with anything you desired to put into it.

Between the bites of food, the questioning began. Each of the girls had their turn questioning Angel of this and that. They all became frustrated at the evasive and general answers they received from Angel. The trick Angel now was using was the old, answer a question with a like question. In the end, Angel knew much more about each of the girls than they had learned of her.

All they knew about Angel came from Connie and the odd bits their bosses had gathered from Mr. Johnston. They knew she had just bought a new pickup truck, a nice girlie one at that! They knew she was making a better than average salary for a newbie. They knew she was off to Germany soon and had received international credentials, another rare thing for a newbie. They knew she had an office of her own and even getting an office at all was unheard of for a newbie. They also knew this young thing was smart! They still did not know anything new about her even though they had questioned her for forty-five minutes!

They walked back to the office together still fishing for just a little bit more information. Just before they parted, Angel gave them a little snippet of information.

"Oh, I'm going to be covering a bicycle show. The person who would have covered it is to busy and it isn't important enough to send a seasoned reporter."

With that said, Angel took the stairs instead of the elevator leaving the girls to ride up without her.

"Prue, what do you think about her?"

Mysti and the others wanted to know because they all loved and respected Prue.

"She's smart, that's for sure. She is really cute and knows how to twist questions around better than anybody I know. I'm going to be watching her closely. I bet she advances through the ranks quicker than Tess!" (Tess is a very well known reporter known for her natural ability to sense a story and then, doing a superb job writing the story in one go! She went from a cub reporter to a staff reporter in less than six months!)

Maggie jumped in here with her two cents.

"I like her! She is a good listener; she pays attention to you when you talk to her. I love her giggles, and she is so cute! Like you said Prue, she is one smart girl."

Kimmie and Cat jumped in together, as they always do which set them all laughing. The elevator came to a stop and each went their own way. One thing was certain, and that was they all liked this new kid!

Angel, now back in her office studied all she had on the Bond family and their friends. The more she read, the more she found herself giggling. This kid Drew sure did get himself in situations that turned him into Gaby often enough. From the first recorded instance, a fund raising affair with his mother Jenny Bond dressed as Xena, Drew dressed as Gabrielle. YES! Gabby is short for Gabrielle, so that is how it all started! Several photos the photographer shot accompanied the newspaper clippings she received and even more photos from other sources. Drew sure looked convincing as a girl.

She read his school records and was impressed with them. This kid is smart, but maybe lacking in the common sense department. She started giggling again.

She read a small file on the Peters. 'Uh huh! Gabby Peters, ok, let me see what we have online 'she thought.

As some people know, news people and agencies have killer research programs on their computers. One whole semester Angel studied how to research and utilize the many programs and services offered online. She now put this knowledge and the Sentinel's programs and the services they subscribed to too use.

So, they are into Anime and love to go to the conventions. Ok, let me see what else...

OH MY GODDESS! Look at these pictures! Angel began to download picture after picture of the Peters and Gabby. Hm, Maddy Peters, they look like they are more than just friends to me. The more Angel delved into Drew's friends, the more she was able to search for further pictures and information. Angel remained glued to the computer hour after hour.

Connie came by to say goodnight and soon the only people left at the Sentinel were Mr. Johnston, the cleaning crew, the night shift staff and Angel. As the cleaning crew left and the graveyard shift came on, Angel was still at it. People nearby could hear her giggling like a schoolgirl from time to time.

At three in the morning, Mr. Johnston stopped by Angel's office. He was very surprised to see her still working. He laughed aloud when she started giggling at something else she saw or read.

Angel looked up to see Mr. Johnston laughing as he looked at her.

"What is so funny Angel?"

"Oh, I didn't know anybody was still here!" She said.

Mr. Johnston laughed again.

"Angel, I am always here until about three each morning. You on the other hand I am surprised to see still here."

"Well, I started doing some online research on a hunch and found so much info I can't stop."

"Ok, let's see what you have so far."

With that said, Mr. Johnston sat down next to Angel and before they both knew it, the morning shift started arriving.

Mr. Johnston had even more respect for this new upstart he had high hopes for. She had shown him the natural ability to look for the hidden news and keep at it. People walking by would start laughing when they heard Angel giggling and Mr. Johnston laughing. They just couldn't help it, genuine laughter and giggles are contagious after all!