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From the records at the tree far there, Kravitz had full access to the maple tree before it was loaded on a truck and sent to DC This included during after hours, because he had a key to the special storeroo The insertion of a boe, even housed inside a basketball, would not be difficult for an experienced hand like Kravitz, the report had found Any disturbance at the site of entry could be easily covered up and then further disguised by the burlap container

Kravitz had been shot with a rifle round that had ripped through his heart, killing him instantly Stone had to admire the skill of the sniper, since the person would have had to make that shot with the distraction of Stone and Chap at him The secretary at the tree farm had succumbed to a

45 round froun blast to the face and finally Tom Gross had taken two 45 rounds to the chest He had fired his weapon once, hitting the wall

Two different guns used in the attack un was problee but very noisy The handgun could be used with a suppressor Yet no one had heard anything, the report added This was not so unlikely as it seemed When Stone had traveled there with Gross and Chapman he’d observed that the tree far by would’ve heard the shots And the other people working there at the ti was low and long It would have blocked the view of any vehicle cos And tree farms were noisy places with machinery on for much of the time Still, everyone there had been interviewed and professed to have heard or seen nothing There were only three people in the office and they were all dead

Stone leaned back and drank his coffee as outside the dawn began to ee

So Kravitz was part of the bo plot and he was killed when the cops ned, sealed, delivered Check off the box But why the attack at the tree farm in the first place? Was Lloyd Wilder part of the conspiracy? There was no evidence to point to that And Stone had seen the man’s face when they told him why they were there Stone had seenThe secretary? No connection No evidence of wrongdoing

Stone heard the footsteps outside the cottage He quickly closed the laptop, sending the room into darkness Just as he had with Riley Weaver, he pulled his gun from his desk drawer and crouched down in the kneehole with his eyes barely above the top edge He was getting a little tired of late-night unannounced visits

The silhouette at his door was that of a woman He could tell by the hair, the shape of the face and torso

Agent Chap

“Oliver?”

He er and rose

A fewat Annabelle Conroy as she walked into his cottage and plunked down in a chair by the fireplace, crossed her arms and scowled up at him

“Annabelle, what are you doing here?”

“We need to talk”

“About what?”

“About everything But let’s start with you being in trouble and needing our help”

He said wearily, “I can handle this And I don’t want all of you—”

“What!” she snapped “You don’t want us to what? Care about what happens to you? You want us to just come to your funeral and wonder what if? Did you really think that was going to work?”

He sat down next to her and slid his pistol into his waistband “No, I guess I didn’t expect that”

“Good, because I’ to help, whether you like it or not”

“How? You can’t ation”

“I wouldn’t call itinvolved in official investigations? Fro just that”

“It’s different this time”

“Why, because you’re noorking for the government? I don’t see how that really overnht noould think you’d need some unofficial help”

“But still I’m not sure what any of you can do”

“That never stopped us before” She turned to hi is ant to help Just like you did with ood old Camel Club”

“But you’ve already paid inia, but for you”

“This isn’t a tit-for-tat contest, Oliver I’m your friend I would be here for you at any time”

Stone let out a sigh “Where are the others?”

“Out in the car”

“I thought so Would you like to get them? I can put some more coffee on”

“Don’t bother We brought breakfast too”

She rose as he looked up at her in mild amusement