In the wee hours, Stone came half awake. There was a distant rumble coming from somewhere and there was a light on outside that filtered into the bedroom. He got out of bed, found his slippers with his toes, and went to the door that opened onto the master suite portal. He unlocked it and went outside. The hot tub, set into the ground a few feet away, was on, and so were its underwater lights. He found a switch on the instrument panel and turned it off, then pulled the cover over it. He went back to the door and found that it had locked behind him.

“Well, shit!” he muttered to himself. He knocked on the door to summon Holly, but got no response. He found a stone and rapped hard on the glass with that. Finally, a sleepy Holly got the door open.

“What happened?”

“The hot tub came on—it must be on a timer. I went out to turn it off, and the door locked behind me.”

“What time is it?”

“Around two o’clock, I think.” He secured the door again.

“Who would set a hot tub to come on in the middle of the night?”

“Good question. I’ll look into it tomorrow.”

They got back to sleep, until they were wakened by bright sunlight streaming into the room. Stone got up and closed the blinds, but they were both awake now.

“It’s six o’clock,” Holly said. “That makes it eight o’clock where my stomach lives. I’ll make breakfast.”

She was back in half an hour with breakfast and a New York Times.”

“Where’d you get that?” Stone asked.

“It was on the kitchen doorstep. Apparently, you’re a subscriber.”

Stone turned on his recording of Morning Joe. Then, at seven o’clock—nine in New York—he called Mike Freeman.

“Where are you?” Mike asked.

“In Santa Fe, where I’ve just bought a house, and I need the security system checked out and, if necessary, beefed up.”

“Hang on.” He came back after a minute or so. “What’s your address?”

Stone gave it to him.

“I’ve got a team in Albuquerque. They’ll be there before noon, your time.”

“I’ll look forward to seeing them.”

“What created the urge for more security?”

“Paranoia. See you, Mike.” Stone hung up. “There’ll be people here later this morning.”

Then a strange woman’s voice called out, “Hello?”

“Who is it?” Stone shouted.

“It’s Maria.” Maria was Gala’s housekeeper.

“Come in, Maria.”

A middle-aged woman wearing an apron came into the bedroom.

“I’m very glad to see you,” Stone said.

“Miss Wilde said you might need me.”

“I certainly do. You go right ahead and do whatever you think needs doing.”

“Yes, Mr. Barrington.”

“Oh, and this is Ms. Barker.”

Holly gave her a wave.

“You already ate breakfast?”

“I didn’t know you were coming,” Holly said.