Chapter 8

The last of the police left as Joan arrived in the morning.

"What did I miss?" she asked Stone.

"A few unexpected visitors. I'm surprised they didn't wake you."

Stone owned the house next door, which had been divided into apartments, one of which Joan called home.

"I didn't hear a thing," she said.

"What is the name of that service that specializes in cleaning up crime scenes?"

"JN Associates?"

"That's the one. See if they can come this morning and take care of the blood at the bottom of the stairs. I'd rather Helene didn't have to deal with it."

Joan arched an eyebrow.

"One of the intruders took a bullet to the chest," he explained.

"You shot someone without me?"

"Sorry. There wasn't time to call you first."

"Likely story."

"Get ahold of Mike Freeman, too. I doubt whoever they were will be back, but it wouldn't hurt to have Strategic Services watch the place for a few days."

"What about your trip?"

"What about it?"

"Are you still going?"

"I've been given permission to leave by the commissioner himself. You'll have to carry on without me."

"Thank God."

Stone had been hoping to sit left seat when his G-500 took off from Teterboro so that he could log some flight time, but having been up a good part of the night, he opted for a reclined seat in the back and let Faith handle the duties.

This turned out to be a sound decision, as he was out before they reached cruising altitude and didn't wake again until they began their descent into Santa Fe.

By the time he drove up to the Lees' front gates in his rental car, it was early afternoon.

Two Secret Service agents searched his vehicle while a third looked on from the other side of the fence. After he'd been given the okay, the gate slid open, and he headed up to the house that had once been his. He had swapped it several years ago with the Lees for their townhome in D.C., which Stone had then let Holly use when she was secretary of state.

Will Lee was out front waiting for him when he climbed out of the car. Stone grabbed his luggage and headed over.

"So glad you could fly out," the former president said. "It's been too long."

Will pulled him into a bear hug.

"You're looking well," Stone said.

"That is a damn lie, and you know it. But thank you."

A Secret Service agent appeared from seemingly nowhere. "Let me take that for you, sir," he said, reaching for Stone's suitcase.

"Thanks, but I've got it."

"I must insist."

Will leaned toward Stone and whispered, "He needs to run it through their X-ray machine. That's the downside of being friends with us."

"If that's the only downside, then I'd say it's worth it."

Stone handed over his luggage, then followed Will inside.

"I guess we can forgo the tour," Will said. "We're putting you in the larger guest room. I assume you remember where it is."

"I do."

"How about something to drink? Just whipped up a pitcher of margaritas."

"I will not say no to that."

Will led him into the kitchen, where a woman was cutting fruit into bite-size pieces. A wide smile appeared on her face when she saw Stone.

"Hello, Martha," Stone said. "How have you been?" Martha had occasionally worked for Stone when the place had been his, and had been brought on full-time by the Lees.

"I am good, Mr. Barrington. But you…" She looked him up and down, then tsked. "Too skinny. You need to eat more."

Stone had neither lost nor gained a pound since the last time he'd seen her. "I only accepted the invitation to come here because I missed your cooking."

"Don't try to sweet-talk me," she said, blushing.

"Martha, what happened to the margaritas?" Will asked.

Pointing with her knife, she said, "I put them in the refrigerator so the ice would not melt." Then she started chopping again.

Will retrieved the pitcher and pulled three margarita glasses from a cupboard.

"You carry these," he said, handing the glasses to Stone. "Kate's at the pool, and Billy is down for a nap." Billy was their son.

They headed outside and joined Kate at the poolside patio table.

Once the margaritas had been handed out and tasted, Kate asked how the flight was.

"You'd have to ask Faith," Stone said. "I slept the whole way."

They caught each other up with their lives while enjoying a platter of fresh fruit, delivered by Martha. After they'd been talking for twenty minutes, one of the Secret Service agents approached Kate quietly, whispering something in her ear.

"Holly should be here by five," Kate said, after he left. "How does dinner at seven sound?"

"Okay by me," Stone said.

"Me, too," Will said.

Kate smiled. "Stone, don't get me wrong, while we're always happy to see you, we were especially pleased when Holly told us you were coming today. There's something Will and I would like to discuss with you before she arrives."

"You can't breathe a word of this to anyone," Will said, "but Sam Meriwether is going to resign next week." Sam was Holly's vice president.

Before Stone could ask why, Kate said, "He has a heart condition and will be undergoing surgery in a few weeks."

"I had no idea."

"Only a handful do."

"The problem is the election," Will said.

Stone's brow furrowed. "What about it?"

"Holly's told us that she's unsure if she wants to run again," Kate said. "She said she's mentioned as much to you, too."

"She has." That had been some time ago, and neither had brought it up since.

The primaries wouldn't start until early next year. While a half dozen politicians had announced their intentions to run for the nomination of the opposing party, no one had yet done so in Holly's. Everyone was assuming she was going to run again.

Will picked up the pitcher and began refilling glasses. "If she decides not to run, Sam would be our next best candidate, but he won't be in any shape to do so now."

"Does Holly know about his condition?"

"He told her this morning before she left."

"You both knew before she did?"

"Only because he wanted our advice."

"So, you're going to ambush Holly, and you want me to be a part of it?"

"We would never do that to you," Will says.

"After we make our pitch, she'll need someone she trusts to talk to," Kate said. "And she trusts you more than anyone."