Flash

head several times. "Right. Big personal loss, too, of course." He crinkled his brow in a vaguely bewildered fashion. "Sort of an unusual situation, I guess, having an outsider come in and take over the way Sloan is doing."
    Olivia widened her eyes. "We don't consider Jasper an outsider. He's part of the Glow team."
    "Yeah?" Andy glanced from Olivia to Jasper and back again. "I've heard a few rumors about Glow. Maybe you'd like to confirm or deny them? I'll be happy to set the record straight in print for you."
    "What rumors?" Olivia asked.
    "Like I told Sloan, yesterday, there's talk about a sale or merger."
    Jasper put down his cognac very casually. "And like I told you, Andrews, that's a lot of hot air." He gave Olivia another intimate smile. "I'm looking forward to a very long-term relationship with Glow."
    At that moment Olivia would have been willing to believe that Jasper had telepathic powers. She could actually feel him willing her to back him up. There was no need for him to waste all that mental energy, she thought. She obviously had no other option than to go along with his demand for a united front.
    "I can assure you, Andy," she said very smoothly, "that the Chantrys are delighted to have an executive as experienced and capable as Jasper Sloan at the helm."
    Cool satisfaction gleamed in Jasper's eyes. He reached out and took Olivia's hand with an unmistakably proprietary air. "There's your story, Andrews. Now if you'll excuse us, I'm going to steal another dance before Olivia goes back to work."

    Olivia glanced inside the karaoke bar shortly after midnight. The crowd was clearly enjoying the entertainment. Charlie Silverthorne, himself, set the tone. In classic Las Vegas lounge lizard style, he made love to a microphone and crooned the lyrics to a 1940s torch song. His silver-sequined cummerbund and matching bow tie sparkled in the dim lights. His voice, augmented by the latest electronic gadgetry, oozed over the audience like thick, warm syrup.
    It was amazing what technology could do, Olivia reflected. Earlier she had heard Charlie sing the Silver Galaxy Foods song without the aid of a karaoke machine. He had the voice of a healthy sea lion.
    Things were under control, she concluded, turning away from the karaoke lounge. The late-night dessert buffet had opened a few minutes ago and was attracting an enthusiastic crowd. The dance band was still going strong. There were no serious disasters going on at the moment.
    She had time to slip downstairs to her cabin and change her shoes, she decided. She always brought along a second pair when she expected to spend a long evening on her feet.
    She went down two flights of stairs and walked along the narrow corridor. Her tiny cabin, together with the others that had been assigned to the crew and staff, was on the lowest passenger deck just above the waterline. The better rooms had all been allocated to guests.
    At the end of the hallway she took her key out of the hidden pocket in her black and silver gown and slipped it into the lock.
    She saw the envelope on the carpet as soon as she walked into the room. Someone had pushed it under the door.
    She scooped up the note and switched on a lamp. She opened the sealed flap and unfolded the single sheet of paper.

    Your punishment has been determined. The price for keeping the secret of Logan Dane's real Dark Muse is one thousand dollars. You will receive instructions for the first payment soon.

    For a few seconds Olivia could not grasp the meaning. And then the computer-generated message hit her with the force of a blow to the stomach.
    Impossible. It could not be true.
    She read the note a second time, but the words did not magically disappear. The secret she thought she had shredded three years ago had come back to haunt her.
    The blackmailer knew about Nina.

15
    « ^ »
    H e was lounging against the bar, a glass of the spring water he'd switched to an hour ago in his hand, when he saw her in the doorway. For a split second there was no one else in the room. At least, no one else who mattered.
    Jasper wondered if he would gradually grow accustomed to the light-headed sensation that came over him whenever he saw her.
    She stood there, unconsciously regal in silver and black, the never-ending mystery of her eyes enhanced by the upswept hairstyle. For an instant he simply stared while he absorbed the impact of her presence. She was looking for someone in the crowd. Probably a member of her staff. But he could