Flash

entrance to a small arcade filled with craft and food shops.
    Olivia slouched lower in her chair, trying to appear invisible as she pretended to sip her latte. Her goal today was to identify whoever picked up the yellow sack. The conversation with Zara had convinced her that the blackmailer had to be someone that her aunt knew well. If that was true, Olivia reasoned, she might recognize him, or her. Over the years she had met most of her aunt's friends and acquaintances.
    Even if she did not know whoever it was who retrieved the bag, she could at least get a description that would identify the blackmailer to Zara.
    Once they knew who the bastard was, Olivia thought, she would decide what to do next. Zara was adamant about not going to the police, but there were alternatives.
    A scruffy-looking man with a beard and a guitar wandered past the front of the espresso bar. Olivia watched to see if he headed toward the planter. When he walked straight past it into the arcade, she turned her attention to two stylishly dressed women pushing strollers. The little vehicles were laden with sleepy toddlers and bags full of fresh-cut flowers. Camouflage for a team of blackmailers?
    I'm going off the deep end here, Olivia thought.
    For a few seconds the women with the strollers came between Olivia and the yellow sack. She leaned to one side to keep the paper bag in sight.
    A large shadow fell across the tiny table.
    Olivia barely managed to swallow a startled shriek. "
Jasper
."
    "I got your message." Jasper took the chair across from her. He put a cup of coffee down on the table. "This had better be good."
    Olivia jerked herself back to an upright position. "What are you doing here?"
    "You tell me. It's not like I didn't have anything else to do this afternoon. What was so damn important that it couldn't wait until tonight?"
    She stared at him in amazement. He was not in a good mood. That made two of them, she thought.
    "You're blocking my view."
    "Sorry." He did not sound sorry. He picked up his cup and took a swallow. Above the rim his eyes gleamed with irritation. "I probably ought to mention that I'm not a real spontaneous kind of guy. I don't like being summoned out of an important meeting on a whim."
    "Get out of my way," she hissed, straining to see around his broad shoulders.
    "Get out of your way or what?" He lowered the cup. "Did you call me here to issue threats? You could have done that in my office."
    "It's not
your
office. It's
our
office. Oh, damn." She slammed down her coffee cup and leaped to her feet.
    A cluster of young Japanese tourists surged through the busy courtyard. They passed in a blur of black and white clothing emblazoned with New York designer logos.
    Olivia started around the table, intent on keeping the yellow sack in sight. When she went past Jasper he reached out in a casual, almost absent way and snagged her wrist.
    "Let me go." She tugged furiously to free herself.
    "I think I deserve an explanation. I left three department heads cooling their heels in the conference room to meet you here."
    "Go back to your stupid conference."
    The last of the young tourists disappeared into the shopping arcade. Olivia gazed anxiously at the planter.
    "Oh, damn," she whispered. "Damn, damn,
damn
."
    The yellow bag was gone.
    She scanned the courtyard in vain. The small crowd had dwindled. Whoever had retrieved the yellow bag had chosen his or her moment well.
    Furious, she turned on Jasper. "Now see what you've done."
    He released her wrist and searched her face with enigmatic eyes. "What, exactly, have I done?"
    She threw up her hands. "You've ruined everything."
    "Everything?"
    "Yes, everything. Thanks to your lousy timing, I never even got a look at him."
    "Maybe," Jasper said slowly, "you ought to tell me what's going on here."
    "It's none of your business." She took one last look around the courtyard. "nothing to do with you whatsoever."
    "Now there is where you've got it all wrong," he said softly.
    "What are you talking about?" She frowned as a thought struck her. "In fact, what in the world are you doing here in the first place?"
    "I'm here because someone, presumably yourself, sent word that you had to talk to me immediately."
    "About what, for crying out loud?"
    "About, and I quote,
an extremely urgent matter involving the future of Glow
. The message said that you were waiting for me here at this espresso café in the Market."
    "Good lord." She stared at him, momentarily distracted. "You broke off an