I stood there and watched as my dreams of sleuthing and being a spy were pretty much crushed. If only she had given me directions about how to get back in the general direction of where the group might have been. I could have "gotten lost" yet again and hopefully have found some way into the actual research labs. But instead I was going to be walked back. The humiliation.

"Thanks," I said, at least pretending to sound grateful for her help. And then realized this might not be a totally lost cause. "Hey, do you mind me asking-- what do you do here?"