Everyone shook hands with her. She was about forty, Stone thought, fit-looking, fairly short brown hair, dressed in a business suit. She was a big improvement on Mervin Beam, he decided. After a little polite conversation, she stationed herself near the door, her eyes sweeping the room.

“That’s a relief,” Stone said to Ann.

“Yes, indeed. I’ve had a chance to talk with her a few times since we arrived and she’s very smart. She’ll make a nice change for us.”

“What’s on your plate for tomorrow?” Stone asked.

“Tomorrow will be surprisingly relaxed,” Ann said. “Kate will be lying low, not speaking to a lot of people.”

“Perhaps she would enjoy touring Centurion Studios,” Stone said. “Peter would like to have us to lunch in his bungalow.”

“I’ll speak to her about it,” Ann said, and left to do that. She returned a couple of minutes later. “She and the president would both like to come,” she said. “I’d better go alert Christy Thomas. She’ll have some organizing to do.”

Stone took his cell phone from his pocket. “And I’d better alert Peter, and he’d better alert Leo Goldman,” he said.

Chapter 27

Stone had breakfast on the patio with Ed Eagle and Susannah Wilde.

“Stone,” Ed said, “what are you expecting to happen with the balloting tonight at the convention?”

“Sam Meriwether, who’s the expert on counting heads, thinks Kate will get the most votes on the first ballot, and maybe get another fifteen or twenty of the California delegates, but that won’t give her the nomination. In that case, it will go to a second ballot, and the delegates will be free. I think they believe they can win then.”

“Is there any expectation that either Willingham or Otero will throw his delegates to Kate?”

“I haven’t heard that voiced, but if either did, that would get her the nomination. Frankly, I can’t see Willingham doing that. Maybe Otero would, though.”

“Tell them not to count on Otero doing that,” Eagle said.

Stone looked at him sharply. “Have you heard something?”

“I have, but I can’t say what it is. I’m a member of the New Mexico delegation and we’ve all promised not to talk about our business with anyone else.”

“Ed, do you think Otero thinks that on a second ballot he might get enough delegates for him to win the nomination?”

“I can’t tell you. But remember, the convention rules state that after a second ballot of freed delegates, if no candidate has a majority, then the top two candidates will be in a runoff.”

“I hadn’t been thinking that far ahead,” Stone said. “Anything else you can tell me?”

“No, but I can make suppositions.”

“Then what do you suppose?”

“Suppose that Otero and Willingham reach an accommodation.”

“What kind of accommodation?”