“Of course.” She looked at the human ashtray and then the big guy. “You,” she said to the big guy. He walked behind her until they reached the parking lot. She unlocked the doors and they both got in. She put the radio on and selected a hip-hop station that Flynn liked, then turned up the volume, though she knew somehow that the man wasn’t going to bother with conversation.

When they reached the front gate and the man got out to rejoin his partner, she noticed a bulge under his armpit. A gun. How on earth could Ted have signed off on this? What did he have in mind, a gunfight with her supposed abductor? Or did he think she might put up a struggle? She could throttle Ted. And yet underneath her surprise, she was crushed. He could’ve at least come for her himself. She drove up the driveway slowly, dodging the guests walking up the hill who recognized her and waved. She waved back. She had no idea who they were.

She stopped at the top of the hill, the crowd of people between her and the garage much thicker than it had been when she’d left. She cut off the engine and changed back into her sandals. Then she opened the door and stepped into the party, cheeks stretched and fingers waving, beaming like Miss America.

Erin found her first. Her face was as composed as a ventriloquist’s, only the big, wet eyes behind her glasses betraying the strain she’d been under in Holly’s absence.

“Jane thinks you left to help a friend with a crisis. Julia just went up to the master suite to tell Ted it’s time to come down. Serafina’s been asking to talk to you for an hour, but she’ll relax now that you’re here. I’ll tell her you’re ready?”

“After. I need to give my speech first.”

“Oh. Okay. We had it on the schedule for an hour ago, but we can do it now. That’s a good idea.” Erin opened her portfolio and tugged a sheet of paper out of the inside sleeve. “I have your talking points.”

“That’s okay. I know what I’m going to say.”

“You do?”

Holly squeezed Erin’s forearm. “Yes, I do. Come. Act like we’re working.”

They walked through the party together to the sounds of The Supremes, falling into the well-worn routine they’d designed years ago to keep people from approaching. Erin held the portfolio open in front of her and handed Holly sheets of paper that Holly pretended to consider and handed back.