Cut and Thrust

26

Hattie finished her performance, then Immi Gotham took the stage and sang her way through a repertoire of Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart, Jerome Kern, and Irving Berlin. The audience was transported — and Stone would have been, too, but he was still in his most watchful mode. However, by the concert’s rousing finish, no threat had appeared.

Everyone rose in a standing ovation, and Hattie, Immi, and the conductor took their bows. Stone’s guests in the box had begun making their way toward the outside door and the waiting tram when the president fell in beside him.

“What was all that about with Agent Beam?” he asked.

“You’ll be getting a new agent in charge of your detail,” Stone replied. “It appears that the threat Beam warned us about emanated directly from Beam himself. He’s in custody now, and I’m sure the detail is being reorganized as we speak.”

“Nothing like this has happened during my two terms of office,” Will said.

“And I expect nothing like it will happen again,” Stone said.

“Do you think Beam has collaborators?”

“I’m sure that will be thoroughly investigated, but my own opinion is that he does not. His behavior was very much that of a lone wolf, and deranged people don’t easily attract collaborators.”

“I hope you’re right,” Will said.

They got into the tram, and Mike Freeman appeared and took a seat next to Stone. “We’re holding Beam at our operations center,” Mike said. “Other agents from the L.A. Secret Service office are on their way to take charge of him, and the rest of the detail is in place.”

“The president asked if Beam had collaborators,” Stone said.

“I think not,” Mike replied.

The tram returned to Stone’s house without incident. He and his guests went into the house for drinks and a late supper, which was laid out as a buffet in the dining room. Martin Stanton, Mark Willingham, Pete Otero, and Dick Collins, and their respective wives, joined them, though Willingham had only a drink, then excused himself.

Ed Eagle introduced Stone to Otero, and Stone found him good company. His wife, Eagle told Stone, was half Navajo. During dinner, Stone managed a seat next to Governor Dick Collins. “Yours has been quite a performance,” Stone said to him.

“I’ve no idea what you’re referring to,” Collins replied with a smile.

“Nevertheless, everybody was impressed with what I’m referring to. Tomorrow night might have gotten rough after the first ballot.”

“Well, I’m sure we’ll have a good evening of balloting tomorrow night,” Collins said, then changed the subject.

Mike Freeman found Stone alone a few minutes later. “The Secret Service has taken Mervin Beam to a hospital for a psych evaluation,” he said.

“Will he be charged with anything?” Stone asked.

“Well, he didn’t do anything chargeable, did he?” Mike said. “You and Dino saw to that. My guess is, he’ll undergo treatment for quite some time — if he can be persuaded to commit himself. My people at our operations center said he was babbling about attacks on the Constitution and fighting for liberty, making no sense at all.”

“I’d love to read the psychiatric report on him when this is all over,” Stone said. “It’s scary that someone who was responsible for the lives of the president and first lady could degenerate like that without someone noticing.”

“You noticed,” Mike said.

Ann got away from the Oteros and joined them. “I’m going to want to hear all about what happened tonight,” she said.

“I will fill you in later,” Stone replied.

“What were you and Dick Collins talking about?”

“About nothing that he would admit to,” Stone said.

Manolo came and got Ann and took her from the room. A minute later, she returned in the company of the female Secret Service agent who had accompanied Kate from New York on the Strategic Services jet. “Gentlemen,” she said, “you met Christy Thomas on the way out here. Christy has been appointed by the director of the Secret Service to head up the presidential detail.”

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.