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“How?”

“I don’t know, exactly. It’s what I’ve been thinking about for years. But there has to be a final solution.”

Kathy liked that phrase, “final solution.” Of course, she had never heard it in its original context. Max didn’t know what it meant, either; it just sounded good. “That’s a good phrase,” Kathy said. “Did you make that up?”

“I don’t think so. I heard it. I think it comes from a war. It means taking care of business once and for all.”

“Well, if anyone can come up with a plan, it’s you. You’re amazing and I feel a part of you.”

* * *

“She’s brilliant,” John Van Dyke said to the President. “I have never seen anyone, except for you, who can take in tremendous amounts of information so quickly and with such understanding.”

“That’s what I thought.” The President got Susanna on the line. “You still want the job after spending all that time with John?”

“Yes, sir. I do.”

“Okay. Why don’t you call your family and close friends and tell them you are to be the eighty-first, and first woman, Treasury Secretary of the United States.”

Susanna let out a squeal. “Thank you, Mr. President.”

“Get your life in order over the next week; we’ll get you in front of the Senate and they’ll fall in love with you like everyone else here. I think you’re going to be superb. And Susanna?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Besides California, work on the one-world currency idea we discussed. Give me your thoughts on that as soon as possible.”

“Absolutely. I’m thrilled. I hope I don’t give you any problems with the Senate.”

“The only problem you’ll give me is that they’ll want to keep you there.”

“Thank you, Mr. President.”

“See you soon.” The President turned off his screen.

“Sir,” Van Dyke said, “do you want help in wiping that grin off your face?”

“Does it show that much?”

“I think she’s great, too.”

“She’s more than great. Except for you, she is the easiest person to talk to in this whole place. She might even be easier than you.”

“Should I be worried?”

“Always. You should always be worried. But I’m telling you, John, her business acumen will come in handy. She is full of ideas and so persuasive, but in a good way. She makes you think it was your idea. That’s an incredible gift. Quite frankly, I’m surprised she never ran for office. She would be impossible not to vote for.”

“She was probably too busy becoming superrich.”

“And that’s another thing,” the President said. “You absolutely forget that when you’re with her, and when you’re reminded of it, you don’t care. She doesn’t wear her money, which I love.” At that moment Betsy appeared on the President’s screen.

“How did it go?”

“We love her. She’s in.”

“I’m proud it was you who picked the first woman. It’s important.”

“Thank you, sweetheart. I’ll see you later.” Bernstein got up from his desk and walked over to the bowl of M&M’s. “You mark my words, John, this country is going to fall in love with this woman. She’ll be like a mother figure that you trust. I want a global currency to be part of my legacy. She’s going to help me with that.”

“I believe she will. But most important, maybe she’ll have some ideas about Los Angeles that no one’s thought of yet.”

“Jesus Christ. Los Angeles. I can’t go five minutes without hearing the name of that city. I don’t even think they voted for me. What’s going on this morning?”

“Every day is worse; it just gets worse.”

“We need to go back out. Two times isn’t enough.”

“I agree,” Van Dyke said. “Let’s get her sworn in and we can take her with us. Pray God she can help.”

The President smiled. “Maybe she can pay for it.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Brad Miller, along with two thousand others in the Pasadena tent, was slowly giving up. There had been two suicides over the last week; one was a gentleman Brad had become friends with.

One morning, on the news, Brad saw that the President had just appointed a new secretary of the Treasury and they were both going to come and tour Southern California. There were also going to be several video town halls where people could ask the President