GRE Word Usage:

I started to tell her it was a case of mistaken identity, but Shelia ground her high heel into my foot. I recognized this tatic as didactic.
“There’s been a real dearth of you around here. You didn’t even call.” The cat-suited woman said.
I tried to look contrite, hoping Shelia would give me a clue.
Shelia rose to the occasion. “JK, we meet at last.” She held out her hand to shake.
JK gave Shelia a contentious look, but spoke to me instead, “I suppose she is the reason you haven’t been around?” She jerked her thumb at Shelia.
“Oh! Not at all!” I demurred. “I’ve been an unwilling guest of Dr. Cool.”
Jk laughed with derision. “How credulous do you think I am?”
“Darling,” I thought fast, “I’m culpable for clumsiness only. I foolishly fell into a trap. But at no time did I stop thinking of you.”
Jk launched into a diatribe, pointing out any and all of Mr. Anderson’s sins. she pointed out each fault as if she was a connoisseur of shortcomings. I could barely maintina my decorum during the onslaught, and I wasn’t even the intended target.
I tried desperately to think up any excuse, no matter how convoluted in fear she might push us into the mutant corn. But I knew she would only react with cynicism to anything I might say.
Finally, Shelia just interrupted her, “What do you do with highly caustic corn?”
JK halted, mid-rant, “We desiccate it and mail it to Flagstaff.”
Shelia said, “To Acme toxic waste, right? I read a research article about it, but it seemed like the article had been desiccated before publishing.”
JK said, “I think research articles are like that by convention. Here, get in my dune buggy and I’ll take you to our secret lair.”
It was the same dune buggy Dr. Cool had captured us in earlier. Was this another trap?