Absolutely, Positively

the implications.”

    Molly leaped to her feet. “That is absolutely, positively untrue. Harry is not crazy.”

    “Please, Molly,” Venicia soothed. “You must be rational about this.”

    Molly glowered at her. “Just what do you suggest I do?”

    Venicia smiled reassuringly. “Actually, I have an idea, Molly.”

    “What's that?”

    “You could turn the trusteeship of the foundation over to me,” Venicia said. “I know it's been a trial to you from the start. Let me handle things for you. If I took over, you would be able to step out of the picture entirely.”

    Molly stared at her. “Turn the foundation over to you?”

    “It's a thought,” Cutter said slowly. “Wharton Kendall would soon realize that you no longer hold the purse strings. The knowledge might cool his obsession with revenge. And Dr. Trevelyan would no longer be a risk, either.”

    “He's not a risk,” Molly whispered.

    “Look at it this way,” Cutter said gently. “If his romantic interest in you is genuine, he won't care if you're no longer in charge of the foundation.”

    “You'll discover soon enough if his intentions are honorable,” Venicia put in helpfully.

    Molly shook her head. “Aunt Venicia, you don't want the task of running the foundation, believe me. It's a constant headache.”

    “Well, no, I don't want the job,” Venicia said honestly. “But I'm willing to undertake the responsibility. It's the least I can do. Cutter could assist me. He's got a strong background in engineering. He could sort through the proposals and make selection decisions.”

    “I must admit, I would find the work interesting,” Cutter said thoughtfully. “Keep the old brain sharp.”

    “We're both retired,” Venicia reminded Molly. “We have the time for charity work.”

    “Give the matter some consideration, Molly.” Cutter rose to his feet and took Venicia's hand. “Turning the reins of the foundation over to your aunt might solve all of your problems. Now, you must excuse us. Venicia and I have an appointment with our travel agent. Got a honeymoon to plan, you know.”

    “That reminds me,” Venicia said. “You won't forget that you promised to come with me when I shop for my wedding gown, Molly?”

    “I won't forget,” Molly said.

    Venicia and Cutter turned toward the office door. They halted abruptly when they saw that it was open. Harry lounged there, one shoulder against the jamb.

    “Don't let me get in the way,” he said softly.

    Cutter bristled. “We don't intend to.” He conducted Venicia through the doorway.

    A moment later the front door of the shop closed behind them.

    Molly swallowed. “I didn't hear you come in.”

    “Why is it,” Harry asked, “that every time I walk into your office lately I find someone trying to convince you that I'm a threat to the Abberwick Foundation assets? First Gordon Brooke and now your aunt and her fiancé.”

    “I'm sorry you overheard that. Venicia and Cutter are concerned, that's all. It's the Wharton Kendall thing.”

    “It sounded like more than that,” Harry said. “I thought I heard something about honorable intentions.”

    Molly blushed. “Aunt Venicia and Cutter are a little old-fashioned.”

    “What a coincidence.” Harry's eyes were unreadable. “I just came from a meeting with someone else who takes an old-fashioned view of two people living together without benefit of a marriage license.”

    Molly gave him a very bright smile. “Luckily for us, we're both modern thinkers.”

13

    “He goes by the name of Wharton Kendall,” Harry said into the phone. He paced the floor of his study as he talked to Fergus Rice. “I want you to find out where he is now and where he might have been yesterday, if possible.”

    “I'll do my best. Fax me what you've got from that grant proposal you said he wrote and anything else that looks interesting.”

    “I will.”

    There was a pause accompanied by soft clicking sounds on the other end of the line. Harry knew that Fergus was making notes on his computer.

    Fergus Rice was a private investigator. One of the best. Harry had used his services occasionally in the past when he had needed practical information to supplement his own scholarly deductions in the course of an investigation into scientific fraud.

    Harry was an expert when it came to studying the academic and technical evidence, but he was not a trained investigator in the old-fashioned, gumshoe sense of the word. He could have