“You can hope.”
Holly ran for the door, then downstairs to her room and installed a fresh battery in her cell phone. Almost immediately, it rang. “Hello?”
“It’s Stone. Want to have some lunch?”
“Yes, please, I need to think about something else.”
“Something else than what?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Meet me at the patio restaurant in ten minutes,” Stone said. “I’ve got a table.”
“See you there.” Holly ran into the bathroom, checked her makeup, then hurried out of the presidential cottage. She hopped into her electric cart and barreled down the cart path toward the restaurant.
Stone was sitting at a table, drinking iced tea. Holly joined him.
“This,” she said, “is the first time I’ve ever been able to see three movie stars in one place, live.”
“I know,” Stone replied, “the place is infested with them.” He waved at someone behind Holly.
“Who are you waving at?”
“Charlene Joiner.”
“Another movie star? How do you know her?”
“Don’t ask.”
“She’s the one who had an affair with Will Lee when he was still a senator, right?”
“I think it was more of a one-nighter, and they were both single at the time. I’ve heard some opinions expressed that when the news of that incident broke, he picked up half a million votes.”
Holly laughed. “America wanted a stud president?”
“I guess so. Now, what were you so discombobulated about when I called?”
“Well, I barged into Kate Lee’s bathroom without knocking and caught her in the shower with her husband.”
Stone burst out laughing. “No kidding?”
“I kid you not. She says the incident will probably make his memoirs.”
“It’s nice to know they still have that kind of relationship.”
“I guess so.”
“What was so important that you went into her bathroom without knocking?”
Holly sighed. “I wish I could tell you.”
“Are you forgetting that I’m still under contract to the Agency as a consultant and that I have the highest security clearance?”
“That’s right—you do, don’t you? All right, here’s what’s happened.” She told him everything from her phone call to Hamish at Annabel’s the day before.
“Who the hell is Hamish?”
“He’s an asset of the Agency who reports only to Kate and me.”