As the first rays of sunlight filtered through the curtains, Tang Xue Mei stirred from her sleep. Her phone suddenly began to ring, startling her fully awake.
She answered, "Hello?"
"Miss Xue Mei!" came Barbara's frantic voice, her mother's maid from the Faroe Islands. "Something terrible has happened!"
Tang Xue Mei sat up, instantly alert. "Barbara? What's wrong?"
"It's your mother," Barbara said, her voice shaking. "She's been kidnapped! I heard a commotion last night, and when I checked this morning, her room was empty. There's broken glass and... and some blood. The police are on their way, but I had to call you immediately!"
Tang Xue Mei felt as if the floor had dropped out from beneath her. "What? How? When?" she stammered, her mind reeling.
