She let herself out of the house, walked down the outer steps, and headed across the lawn holding her sweaters, walking past Daniel as she did. He was startled when he saw her, and she looked very pale.

“Can I help you, ma’am?” he offered.

“No, I’m taking these to Paris,” she said with a determined look, and walked right past the station wagon with them toward the driveway. The gardener was staring at her too. Her bodyguard wasn’t sure whether to interfere or not, or if the visit had been too much for her and snapped something in her mind. The gardener was watching her closely as Daniel followed her discreetly. She was standing in the driveway, looking confused. She gazed up at him when he reached her.

“I can’t find my suitcase. It was here a minute ago. Did you bring it down?” she asked him.

“Not yet. It was in your dressing room, ma’am, when the gentleman left. I put your valises in your dressing room two hours ago.”

“What gentleman? Was someone here?” He could see that her face was glistening with sweat, and she looked like she needed to sit down. He took the sweaters from her and walked her back to the front steps. She sat down and glanced up at him again. “I think I feel a little sick.” As she said it, the gardener dropped his shovel and approached, and spoke in a smooth even voice to the bodyguard.

“I’m a paramedic,” he said quietly as he reached for Theo’s wrist and took her pulse. It was unusually slow and he glanced up at the bodyguard. “Does she take medication for low blood pressure?”

“No, I don’t,” she answered for herself, “but I’m feeling sick. Maybe I have the flu. I have a terrible headache.” The gardener-turned-paramedic looked into her eyes and saw that her pupils were constricted. He stepped away and Daniel followed.

“She’s been drugged, or drugged herself, an overdose of some kind. I’m calling an ambulance now.” He took something out of his pocket then that appeared to be a wallet, and Daniel hoped it wasn’t a gun, since he wasn’t armed himself. The gardener flipped it open and it was a badge.

“I’m DGSE, assigned to Mrs. Pasquier. We need to get her to a hospital fast.” He took out a cellphone and walked away to make the call for an ambulance, and as Daniel turned to check on Theo, she had her cellphone in her hand. She was calling Mike in New York. It was almost nine in the morning for him. She couldn’t figure out the time difference, but she knew that something was wrong. She was groggy and dizzy, and felt confused. She was nauseous and her head was pounding and spinning. Mike had been doing his morning exercises and answered when he saw her name come up on his phone.

“Good morning, sunshine,” he said in his deep morning voice that she knew now.