“I’m sure.” He made another sharp turn. “I covered all this ground on foot many times before I was allowed to put a foot inside a car. I was a city boy, and I can’t tell you how many times I got lost. That tends to engrave every turn into one’s memory.”

She looked at him in surprise. “You learned to drive here? This is your home?”

“Something like that. More than any other place, I suppose. We’re almost there. The gates are just beyond the next bend.” He pressed a button on his key ring as he made the turn. “I’ve let Sam Rennell know we’re coming, and he’ll probably meet us. Don’t be startled if he’s not what you’d call friendly. He was one of the hotshot, idealistic police officers injured when the South Tower came down on Nine Eleven. When he finally recovered, he had trouble…adjusting. He’s still one of the best security people on the planet, but there’s nothing young or idealistic about him.”

“He works here?” Maria asked.

“This is his home, too. I doubt if he could live anywhere else now. He’s the caretaker and wears a dozen other hats. But he’s happy here, and this is where he’ll stay.” He glanced at Lara. “So if you have trouble, you’ll have to be the ones to adapt.”

She shrugged. “We’ll only be here for a couple of days. Less if I get my way. If he’s not violent, there shouldn’t be trouble.”

“He’s not usually violent, but no promises.” They were approaching a twelve-foot stone fence, and the metal gates were swinging slowly open. “If he is, it’s usually aimed at me. That shouldn’t bother you.” They’d reached the gates, and Lara saw a huge SANDRINO PLACE engraved on the post. He drove through the gates, and a massive stone house came into view at the end of the driveway.

She gave a low whistle. “It’s a mansion. That I wasn’t expecting. It’s like fighting our way through Sleeping Beauty’s thorny forest to get to her castle.” Her gaze ran over the glittering deep-set mullioned windows. The house was in perfect repair and the gardens and floral bushes surrounding it were well kept, the lawns perfectly barbered. “It’s beautiful. Does it belong to you?”

“In a way. I sort of act as guardian.” He pulled up to the front door. “But I guarantee there will be no Sleeping Beauty lolling around to get in your way. No laziness permitted on the property. Rennell makes sure that the interior is as perfect as the gardens. In his eyes we all have our duties to perform.”