The kids headed inside with the other agents. Real Gilroy had told her that they were going to do a sweep of the house, make sure there wasn’t anything suspicious. Teri started to follow, but Real Gilroy shook his head. “Teri, hang back a minute, would you?”

Teri paused. “Everything okay?”

“Just wanted to talk to you about something.” Real Gilroy rocked back on his heels and looked at her with a rare, wry smile. “You did well tonight. There are agents who’ve been in the field for years who couldn’t have handled themselves as well. And with three kids, to boot.”

“Oh.” Teri felt a spark of pride ignite in her chest. “Um—thank you.”

“We’re always looking for talented people.” He pulled out a business card and handed it to her. “And your theater background would be an asset. Actors are some of our best.”

“How did you know I did theater?” A second later, Teri shook her head. “Right, because you can know everything and there’s no privacy. That’s cool.”

“Think about it,” Real Gilroy said. “You could have a bright future.”

Teri nodded. Her head was spinning—but in a good way. “I will. I promise.”

The two agents who’d done the sweep of the house came out. “All clear,” the male agent said.

“We’ll be off then. Take care,” Real Gilroy said.

“You too,” Teri said, giving him a wave. She watched as all three agents ran across the yard to the chopper, and a moment later, it started up again, the sound of the blades cutting through the quiet suburban night. The helicopter rose straight into the air, above the trees, up and up and up. Teri watched until it banked left and then headed out of sight. A moment later, the sound was gone and the leaves settled back down… like it had never been there at all.

The guesthouse was quiet and dark when she got home—Kat and Stevie still in New York, even though it was close to three. The Stones had come back an hour after she’d gotten the kids to bed, furious about their car trouble and so apologetic about the time that they’d paid her double the rate. Teri showed them the pictures that it turned out Daryl had Photoshopped on the chopper ride home. They showed an evening with the kids, her, and Kat—watching movies, playing board games, everything ordinary and wholesome.

Teri had used the lateness as a reason to explain Kat’s absence—that she had a curfew she’d had to go home for. As the Stones walked her to the door, Bobbie Stone asked her if she’d had a good night. And she’d taken only a tiny pause before smiling and telling them that she had.