The voice on the other end of the call was poised, confident and utterly self-collected. "Bobby," was the greeting, sounding so keen to talk to him that it rang false. "Do you mind if I call you Bobby? I wouldn't want to stand on formality, now you're joining the family!" She had a laugh like chiming glasses. "I first heard about you when Sinjin was fifteen. It's lovely to finally talk to someone who's always been so important to my son."

She allowed that to sink in for a few moments, then continued. "So, you're in Paris, aren't you? That sounds very romantic."