And suddenly I remembered something I had once considered ridiculous.
A seven-digit number.
Years earlier, my former director, Martin Shaw, had required every senior consultant to memorize one international emergency contact number.
I had teased him.
“No one memorizes numbers anymore.”
Martin had answered without smiling.
“Exactly.”
Standing alone in Phuket without my phone, I finally understood why.
I still remembered the number.
I put on linen trousers and hurried back downstairs.
“Can I use a hotel phone for an international call?”
The receptionist pushed a handset toward me.
I dialed.
Martin answered on the fourth ring.
“Hello?”
“Martin. It’s Nora Vance.”
A pause.
“Nora?”
I looked at Evelyn’s note in my hand.
Then I said the phrase I had hoped never to need.
“Blue Lantern.”
Everything about Martin’s voice changed.
The sleepiness disappeared.
“Do not explain the full story yet. First, tell me exactly where you are.”
“The Regent Bay Resort in Phuket. Suite 412.”
I heard rapid typing.
“Are you in immediate danger?”
“No.”
“Who is with you?”
“No one. Julian left with his mother and Maya four hours ago. He took my phone and passport. My return flight was canceled yesterday.”
Martin stopped typing for a moment.
“Did you authorize Maya to leave without you?”
“No.”
“Did you give Julian permission to take your passport or phone?”
“No.”
Another pause.
Then his voice became steady.
“Understood. Stay at the hotel. Do not contact Julian if you find another way to reach him. Do not tell anyone connected to him that you have reached us.”
“What about Maya?”
“We’re dealing with that now.”
I swallowed.
“Julian believes he can use her to pressure me into surrendering my equity in the firm.”
“That needs to be documented.”
“He’s already on the way to the United States.”
“That helps.”
I stared at the phone.
“Helps?”
“It means we know where he is for the next several hours.”
For the first time that morning, my breathing slowed.
Julian believed he had removed every option.
No phone.
No passport.
No family.
No ticket.
But he did not know about Blue Lantern.
Martin continued.
“A regional security contact is being dispatched. We’re also notifying legal counsel and the appropriate diplomatic channels. Stay where you are until someone arrives.”
Approximately ninety minutes later, a sharply dressed security representative entered the lobby carrying a black case.
He verified my identity and handed me temporary travel documents, a secure phone, local currency, and a first-class ticket leaving Phuket within hours.
