"Excuse me," Sam says, cutting the concierge off mid-spiel. "Ms. Hayes and I aren't looking to book a room, stay in a room or do anything but get back down to the White House. What's the address here?"

He gives an apologetic smile. "If you can't tell, we're tourists, and we just really want to see the White House. So if I went outside, how many blocks do I have to walk? Am I going to need to get a cab?"