“Every candidate for reelection is on the defensive—that’s the nature of the beast.”

“I don’t know what I can do to help,” Stone said, “but please know that I’ll do whatever I’m asked.”

“You’ve already proven that with your help on this strong case thing, Stone. It’s not your fault that we’ve lost control of the situation.”

“How do we get control back?”

“I’m not sure that we can, but I’m thinking about it. If I come up with something and you can help, I’ll let you know.”

The two men said goodbye and hung up.

41

STONE SPENT THE NEXT DAY with a feeling of unease. It disturbed him that he had been so easily impressed, when he thought of himself as a skeptic. If he could be swayed, why not a great many others? The idea of Kate having to leave office without a second term was painful to him.

Late in the afternoon, his cell phone rang. “Hello?”

“Stone, it’s Ed Rawls.”

“What a surprise,” Stone said wryly. “Are you enjoying being back in your own home?”

“I’m impressed that you know that.”

“I think everybody who wants to know probably now knows. I hear you’re rebuilding your Islesboro house, too.”

“There’s only been one phone call on that subject, and that makes me wonder how you know.”

“I have friends, too, Ed, some of them remarkably well informed. In a recent conversation with one of them I asked a question you might be able to answer for me.”

“What’s your question?”

“Why would you want to release or even possess information that might be harmful to Kate’s presidency? Do you have something against her and Will, or are you just ungrateful?”

“I have no intention of doing anything that would harm either of them.”

“You’re kind of slow getting around to telling me that, aren’t you?”

“I have my reasons, and I can’t explain them over the phone.”

“You were in my house for three days—you could have told me face-to-face.”

“Once you know everything, you’ll understand my reticence.”

“What, exactly, do you plan to do, Ed?”

“Not over the phone.”

“Did you watch 60 Minutes last night?”

“I did.”

“What did you think of Knott?”

“Creepy and dangerous.”

“Is there anything in your strong case that would bear on his candidacy?”

“There is something, and St. Clair’s people have done such a good job of sanitizing his past that I might be one of only two or three people left alive who know about it.”

“Were the others very old or very unlucky?”

“Very unlucky. Three, perhaps four people are dead because they knew.”

“This is beginning to sound like a conspiracy theory, Ed.”

“It isn’t a theory, and it’s spelled out, with supporting evidence, in my manuscript.”

“And what do you intend to do with it?”

“Publish it.”