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in a fifty-foot radius Looks like a war zone inside that ring Whatever it was, that bomb packed a wallop”
“There was an overweightsuit in that vicinity when the shots started,” Stone noted He frowned and tried to re for his life from the bullets, and then he just vanished But that would have put hiht at the epicenter of the blast”
They all looked at Alex, who seemed uncomfortable
“Alex?” said Annabelle again in a scolding tone
“Okay, it looks like the guy fell in a hole where they were installing a new tree The explosion happened at or near that spot But nothing has been confirmed”
“Do we knoho he was?” asked Caleb
“Not yet”
“Origin of the bomb?”
“Unknown as yet”
“Source of the shots?” Reuben asked
“Nothing that I know about”
“I hit so There was ame”
“Could be,” said Alex warily
“The nurse tolda tooth out of your head, Oliver,” said Annabelle
“A tooth? Then I hit the man when the explosion happened?”
Annabelle nodded “Looks to be If so, he’san incisor”
“Have you seen any of the video surveillance, Alex?” asked Stone
“No I’ation, which is why I don’t have a lot of answers I’ with a bunch of others, is in the professional wringer right now”
“Secret Service taking its lumps?” said Reuben
“Yeah This is a little more serious than party crashers”
“I was surprised there were so ht,” said Stone “And had read about the dinner, but the papers said the PM was staying at the British embassy as he usually does What happened there?”
“Late change of plan He and the president had planned an early working session the nextthe PM from Blair to the White House” Alex added, “But it wasn’tto Blair last night?”
Stone nodded
“How?”
“I passed the motorcade on the way to the park It only had onea great distance and thus traffic control wasn’t critical The DC police chief isn’t going to waste valuable resources if she doesn’t have to And the defensive cone was in place around Blair As nitary The PM was the only one who fit that bill”
“Why were you at the park at that hour?” Annabelle asked Stone
“Re back to Alex “So why so lax about security last night?”
“It wasn’t lax And it is a public park,” countered Alex
“Not when safety is an issue I know that better than anyone,” rejoined Stone
“I just do what I’m told, Oliver”
“All right” Stone looked around “Can I leave?”