“I think it’s the right thing to do,” Guy responded. “And maybe we’ll get lucky and catch a bigger fish in our net. I just hope it’s a bigger fish than de Vaumont.” Mike fervently agreed with him. He slept better that night, knowing that by the next day Theo would have an agent assigned to her as a protective tail at all times. She wouldn’t even be aware of it, but he’d be there. Mike thought they should have been doing it for the last year, but better late than never. He could tell that Guy was already more alert and interested in the case. They had to find her husband’s killers. Theo would be even more at risk than usual until they did. Mike’s worst fear was that the same men would return for the rest of the money, and they’d kill Theo this time. He wanted to do all he could to prevent it from happening, whatever it took, and whatever he had to do to help.

Chapter 9

During the week after Mike left Paris, Theo felt as though she had been running from one meeting to the next. Meetings in Matthieu’s old offices, meetings at Theo.com. She hardly had a minute to breathe, and Pierre de Vaumont called her again. The call came through her assistant, and she told her bluntly she didn’t have time. She wasn’t interested in his social invitations or his attempts to become friends. He didn’t have a chance of that happening, and she was even more annoyed when he called again the next day, twice. He was persistent, if nothing else. She had been happy to invite him to the party at the pop-up in New York for the press he’d attract, but that was as far as it went. She had two mammoth businesses to run, and no time to waste on him.

On his third call, she finally picked it up and sounded somewhat exasperated when she said hello. As usual, she hadn’t had time for lunch. They were revising all their merchandise on Theo.com for the fall, and she had to approve every item they put on the site.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Pierre said when she answered. “Is this a bad time? I’m sorry to disturb you, Theo,” he said as though they were pals.

“I’m running between meetings. What can I do for you?” she said coldly. She didn’t want to encourage him or be a regular on his list of calls.