“He’s certainly politically astute,” Ed said, “but I’m not sure what it would take to convince him that he can’t win. I mean, Kate’s not likely to have all the votes she needs when the voting gets down to the Ns, is she?”

“We think she’s likely to have enough without New Mexico and Virginia,” Stone said.

“I’m going to have to do some arithmetic,” Ed said, “then see how the voting is going before New Mexico is called on. Are you going to be on the floor?”

“No, I’ll be in the skybox, but my cell works there.”

“I’ll call you if I have news.”

“Thanks, Ed, I’d appreciate that.” Stone hung up and got back onto the tram with the others.

“What’s going on?” Ann asked.

“Looks like Kate is right on the edge,” he said.

“Oh, God, I don’t know if I can take the balloting,” Ann said.

“Will you be in the skybox with me?”

“Sure. I can’t do anything back at the hotel.”

“You’ll be only a phone call away from Kate.”

“I think that she and the president may want to be alone anyway. If she wins the nomination, they won’t have much time together again until after the election.”

“Just tell her you’ll be with me. She can always reach you if she needs to.”

“All right, I’ll do that.”

Chapter 30

Late in the day, Billy Burnett was returning from the set to the offices in his golf cart when he passed a construction site for a new sound stage. The construction crew worked from seven A.M. to three P.M., so the site was deserted. Except it wasn’t.

Billy stopped his cart and watched as a familiar figure strode across the site. The young man stopped, looked around, and didn’t see Billy. It was Harry Gregg, the gunsmith at the Centurion armory whom Billy had hired and trained the year before, and there was something furtive about his actions.

Sure that he was alone, Harry began doing something to the door lock on the construction shed in which hand tools and explosives were stored. Billy glanced at his watch, then waited patiently until Harry emerged from the shed. He had been there for a little less than two minutes and he was carrying something in a brown paper bag. He watched as Harry got into a golf cart and drove back to the armory.

Billy drove back to his office, lost in thought. He’d have a word with Harry tomorrow. The young man always came in early to get a head start on his work.

—