Cut and Thrust

23

Ann finished her calls and hung up.

“Now what?” Stone asked.

“Now I go see Kate. Come with me.”

“All right.” Stone got up and followed her out of the house and across the back lawn and the road to the presidential cottage.

Ann looked around the ground floor and returned. “She’s still upstairs with Will,” she said. “Let’s wait in the library.” She led the way.

Stone took a seat on a sofa while Ann fielded calls on her cell phone, mostly from the press. “I didn’t know about it until it happened,” she said to one reporter. “No plans for a press conference now. You’ll be notified.” She hung up. “That was a typical conversation,” she said, switching off her phone before it rang again. They could hear the phones ringing in the office next door. Ann went in there, then came back. “Molly’s got it under control,” she said.

“Why don’t you have a seat and take a breath,” Stone said, patting the sofa next to him. “Would you like a drink?”

“I would,” said a voice from the door. “So would I,” said another.

They looked up to see the first lady and the president, closing the door behind them.

Ann ran to hug Kate, and Stone stood up. “Congratulations, Kate,” he said, pecking the offered cheek. He shook Will’s hand, too. Then he went to the bar and filled everyone’s order. Finally, they were seated.

“Governor Otero called,” Ann said. “He wants to meet.”

“I don’t want to see him,” Kate said.

“Then will you call him? I think it would be a good idea.”

“Then get him on the phone, please.”

Ann dialed the number on the phone nearest Kate and handed it to her. She pressed the speaker button and set the phone down.

“This is Pete Otero,” a man’s voice said.

“Hello, Governor, it’s nice of you to call,” Kate replied.

“I wanted to congratulate you, Director. I don’t know how this happened, but whatever you did, it was effective.”

“I myself am not sure how it happened,” Kate said, “but I expect someone will tell me pretty soon.”

“Director, I’m at your disposal,” Otero said. “What would you like me to do?”

“Governor, I think the best thing to do is to continue to follow the published schedule of the convention and hold the balloting tomorrow night. I expect we’re all curious to find out what the delegates do.”

“Are you going to choose a running mate before then?” the governor asked.

“No, Governor, I’m not. I don’t want to get into the business of trading appointments for ballots. I want to see how the voting goes and, if I’m nominated, then I’ll consider my options.”

“I understand completely,” Otero said.

“Would you and your wife like to be my guests at the fund-raiser at The Arrington tonight?”

“We had planned to attend and we’d be delighted to join you.”

“I’ll see you then.” Kate said goodbye and hung up. “Ann, will you call Mark Willingham’s campaign manager and Marty Stanton and ask them to join me in my box tonight? I invited Governor and Mrs. Collins a couple of days ago.”

“I’ll see that the furniture is arranged correctly in the box,” Stone said.

Kate found a sheet of paper and made some notes, then handed it to Stone. “Here’s the seating plan. I’d like the seats marked with the names.”

Stone looked at the sheet. Will was on one side of Kate, he and Ann were on the other. The Bacchettis and the Eagles were on the far side of Will, and the Collinses, Stanton and guest, the Willinghams, and the Oteros were in the row behind.

Stone went and called the hotel manager, faxed him the seating plan, then returned to the library. Sam Meriwether had arrived and made himself a drink.

“Sam,” Kate said, “what do you expect in the balloting?”

“Are you going to pick a running mate before then?” the senator asked.

“No. I told Otero I didn’t want to get into swapping jobs for delegates and that seemed fine with him.”

“My people are calling every delegate now,” he said. “We should have an estimate within the hour.”

“Director,” Ann said, “can you tell us now who was on the phone with you at lunchtime?”

“I suppose I can now,” Kate said. “It was Dick Collins.”

“Did he tell you how all this came to pass?”

“He didn’t. He just told me that Marty was going to nominate me.” She turned to Will. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you — Dick swore me to secrecy.”

“He did a great job of keeping it under his hat,” Sam said. “It’s my bet that only he, Marty, and you knew what was going to happen. I’ll bet the chairman didn’t know until it was Dick’s turn to speak.”

“It’s my guess,” Ann said, “that the governor took the vice president aside and told him that some California delegates were going to jump to you and that the offer of the Senate appointment was expiring.”

“If he did, that was a masterful move,” Kate said. “Dick never even told me what he was going to do after the first ballot. If that’s what happened, then I’m very impressed with him. Stone, what was your impression of him at your meeting at Peter’s house?”

“Calm and entirely in control,” Stone said. “That was quite a contrast with the vice president when I spoke to him later. I’ve always liked Collins. I’m impressed with his record and now I admire him.”

“That pretty much speaks for me, too,” she said.

A phone call came for Sam Meriwether and he took it outside the room. He came back five minutes later. “Our head count put us with a hundred and eleven delegates for Kate — that’s the great majority of the vice president’s count — sixty-nine for Willingham, and fifty-seven for Otero. About forty-three are undecided. I’d say we’re looking very good.” Another call came for him and he left again.

“You’re going to have to get a majority of the undecideds,” Will said to Kate. “It may not happen on the first ballot.”

Sam Meriwether returned. “That was Dick Collins. Ann, your take on what Dick did was right on the money. He’s now personally calling all the undecideds in the California delegation. There are fifteen or so.”

“Let’s hope he swings them all,” Will said. “That will make it a lot easier for Kate.”

Kate stood up, and everyone stood up with her. “Let’s all go and get ready for tonight,” she said.