“I’ll do that.” Stone hung up and turned to Hedy. “If you like, you can leave your painting equipment here, and I’ll buy you replacements in Paris.”

“Good idea. I won’t have to pack everything.”

—

They beat the rush hour traffic out of Rome and were at the airport in half an hour. Stone’s Citation CJ3+ awaited on the ramp. Hal loaded their luggage while Stone did the preflight inspection.

“You have a choice of seating,” Stone said to Hedy. “In the copilot’s seat or in the cabin.”

“You weren’t kidding when you said you flew yourself?”

“Nope.”

“I’ll take the copilot’s seat,” she said.

“Do you want me to have you met at the other end?” Hal asked.

“I don’t think so, we’re not quite so hot in Paris.”

He got Hedy seated and buckled in, then closed the door and began running through his checklist. He started the engines, then entered the flight plan into the computer and checked the weather report. Shortly they were at the end of the runway and cleared for takeoff.

“Here we go,” Stone said to Hedy.

“What should I hold on to?”

“It’s just like the airlines, relax.” He pushed the throttles forward and the airplane accelerated quickly. He rotated, then raised the landing gear and the flaps and switched on the autopilot.

Hedy made a swooshing sound.

“Have you been holding your breath?” Stone asked.

“Yes, I didn’t even realize it.”

“The autopilot is flying the airplane now,” he said. “It will continue to do so until we’re on final approach to Le Bourget.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“I don’t think anything will make you feel better,” Stone said, “but it’s too late to get out and walk.”

—

An hour and a half later the airplane touched down at Le Bourget.

“Well, that was fairly painless,” Hedy said, when Stone had shut down the engines.

“It usually is,” Stone said. Stone got out of the pilot’s seat and opened the door. A large car pulled up to the airplane, and Stone unlocked the luggage compartment and began handing the driver their bags.

Reflexively, Stone looked around the ramp for suspicious cars or people. He saw nothing, but somehow, he didn’t feel relieved.

15

When they arrived at the entrance to Stone’s mews in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the gates were open; Joan had arranged for them to be expected. As they got out of the car, the gates closed.

“Wow,” Hedy said, looking around the mews. “This is beautiful.”

“That’s what I thought when I first saw it,” Stone said.

“This is the first thing I’m going to paint,” she said.

“And I will be the customer for your painting.”

The driver took their bags inside. Stone introduced Hedy to the housekeeper, Marie, who then took the driver and the luggage upstairs to the master suite.