Washington, D. C., Wednesday…

Daniela Romano looked around the Georgetown townhouse with a smile.

"This is a lot better than the apartment I shared in New York," she observed.

"Don't get used to it," said Vladimir Kalinin "but enjoy it while you're here. Remember, though, from now on you don't know me. This is the most important acting job you've ever had."

"I'll do it so well you'll even start believing it."

Her laugh is soft and tinkling, like a wind chime. And she's smart. Too bad she's had such bad luck as an actor. Broadway is not known for its fairness. Daniela was a pleasant woman who had recently been effective in relieving his stress in New York City. Vladimir liked that she took pride in her appearance. Even now, in blue jeans, she still had her hair done up nicely and wore light makeup. Her loose, soft green sweater, barely hinting at her magnificent breasts, almost matched the color of her eyes, which he guessed was produced by contacts. Her only jewelry was a pair of small and tasteful earrings.

She didn't look like a kept woman. Which is exactly how Pierce Hamilton's mistress should look.

They had agreed on that. After studying the National Security Advisor's history, they had decided that Daniela should be the quiet and charming but sexy type, someone Hamilton could discreetly have an affair with.

Vladimir found Daniela's personality an intriguing one. He had always been interested in actors. He admired a lot of the old ones and knew quite a few of the current ones. He also knew that they were at their best when they got so immersed in their role that they became the person they were playing. He was fairly confident that Daniela could have been one of the good ones. Fickle fortune had not favored her, though. The roles were hard to come by. Rather than wait on tables or serve drinks at a bar, she had augmented her earnings by attending to the needs of rich men who could pay big money for her body.