Flash

distance. "Right now Eleanor's on a political roll, thanks in large part to Todd's skill as a political theorist. I guess I'm worried about what will happen to the relationship if Eleanor loses the election."
    "In other words, you're afraid Lancaster's feelings toward your brother have more to do with the fact that she needs him as a consultant than with true love?"
    "And, to be fair, vice-versa. I'm afraid that Todd is attracted to her, at least in part, because she's given wings to all his policy theories and ideas. He sees her as a sort of modern-day warrior queen, Boadicea leading the Britons against the invading Romans."
    "Got it."
    "But what do I know?" She unfolded her arms and pushed herself away from the counter. "I'm the first to admit that I'm not the world's best judge of what makes a relationship work."
    "Neither am I." Jasper was startled by the sound of his own words. He did not know where they had come from. He had not intended to say them. But there they were, hovering in the air alongside hers, stark admissions of past failures.
    There was a short silence. And then Olivia got very busy taking plates down from a cupboard. The microwave pinged. Jasper jerked open the door and took out the steaming containers. He winced when his fingers came into contact with hot spots on the plastic. He grabbed a towel.
    Sharing a kitchen and being threatened by a blackmailer could promote only so much togetherness between two people who had very separate agendas, he reminded himself.
    Five minutes later, dinner was on the table. Olivia managed to wait until she had finished her lasagna and salad before she swept her plate aside and fixed Jasper with a steely gaze.
    "Well?" she said. "You've been fed, and you've had a chance to think. Got any ideas about how to handle Zara's problem?"
    He took his time savoring the last of the lasagna. Then he put down his fork "First we need a list."
    "A list of what, for heaven's sake?"
    "Of all the people Zara knew in the good old days."
    Olivia's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "That would probably be a very long list." She gave the subject a few more seconds of reflection. "It could take ages to check out every person who worked with Zara and then try to figure out which one might be the blackmailer.''
    "It won't take long for an experienced private investigator to figure out which ones are here in Seattle at the moment," Jasper said bluntly.
    "Of course." She stared at him, understanding flashing across her animated face. "Jasper, that's brilliant."
    "It's a CEO's job to be brilliant That's why I get the corner office with the big windows."
    She ignored him. "I should have considered that approach right off. Whoever is blackmailing Zara has to be here on the scene. He could hardly pick up a blackmail payment from L.A., could he? Besides, he obviously knows too much about all of us and the layout of the Market."
    "Right"
    "The threat is definitely local. There can't be that many people who both knew Zara in the old days and who also happen to be here in Seattle."
    "It's a place to start." Jasper told himself not to get too excited about the look of glowing admiration in her eyes. "It means Zara has to be convinced to bring in a PI, however."
    Olivia waved that problem aside with a flick of her wrist. "Don't worry. I can talk her into it."
    "Get the list from her first. When you have it, I'll call someone I know at a firm I use for background checks on potential business clients."
    "I'll have Zara start working on the list first thing in the morning." Olivia jumped to her feet and began clearing the table. "You know, I feel much better about this whole thing now that we have a plan."
    "Nothing like a plan." He wished he felt as buoyed as she apparently did. He rose, picked up his dishes, and followed her into the kitchen. "Promise me you won't do anything else about this blackmail thing without talking to me first."
    "Okay," she said a little too easily. She set the dishes in the sink "Speaking of consulting with each other, that reminds me. We have to talk about Melwood Gill. What with this blackmail mess, I almost forgot about him."
    Jasper came up behind her to put his plate and silverware into the sink. He was so close he could smell the warm, womanly scent of her body mixed with something herbal from the soap and shampoo she used. He wondered what she would do if he put his arms around her and kissed her.
Bad timing
.
    "If you want to see the reasons I shifted Gill to another