Programmed for Peril

indeed broken loose for her eight California years. Having returned for the good reasons of pure survival, she had not only resumed but intensified the struggle: Marylou vs. Trish in the Classic Mother-Daughter Knockdown. Would it ever come to a head and end in some kind of psychological knockout? Or would it drag on till one of them died? Her face twisted into a grim grin. Ordinarily she would assume that her mother would go first, in the usual way of the world. After today she wasn’t at all sure about that. A chill angled into the back of her neck. Far worse things will begin to happen... to you....
    Something like rage at the Smith-Patton pair rose to a boil and stayed with her all the way to Lake Country Kennels. She found Foster in his office going over a computer printout. “We have some things to discuss,” she said.
    The tone of her voice brushed a brief frown across his brow. He put down the fan-folded sheets. “I assume you mean about Sunday’s disagreement?”
    She shook her head. “We’re both adults. We got carried away. I don’t hold any grudge or ill will. Do you?”
    He shrugged. “I suppose not.”
    “Good.” She pulled up a stool. “Because we’re back to Lois and Nicholas again.”
    He looked pained. “Must we be?”
    “We must. Listen. There’ve been new developments. First, Nicholas himself came to PC-Pros. He looked guilty as Judas all the while he was babbling about ‘helping’ me with the problems Lois ‘shared’ with him.”
    “Why is that so strange, Trish?” Foster said.
    “Why? Because I only met the guy once that day with you. He didn’t even look at me. Now he comes over and wants to ‘help’ me? The real reason he came was he felt guilty about what Lois had made him do. I mean, figure it out!”
    Foster sighed. He took off his glasses and polished their lenses on the silk handkerchief stuck in his jacket pocket. “What did you tell him?”
    “I told him to take a hike. I didn’t need his help.” Trish made a sour face. “Anyway, after we had talked a while he just about confessed to having played a major part in all the hateful stunts I told you about.”
    “Then?”
    “I asked him to leave. He did. I peeked out. He stood on the street for an hour staring at our building. He’s a nut case, Foster. Small wonder his sister has to take charge of him.”
    “He’s a very high-priced electronics consultant and a more than expert chess player.”
    “He’s a nerd!”
    Foster shook his head. “What he’s not is one of those harassing you and your business.”
    “Hang on a minute! You have to hear what just happened.” She told him about her and Tran’s battle against loss of her computer files. It had been a narrow escape from a fate as owner of a business with no past—and no future. “So you see somehow Nicholas got into PC-Pros during the night to do his mischief.”
    “It could have been one of your employees.”
    “None of my employees cares whether or not I get married! Believe me. My problem, though you refuse to believe it, is the Smith-Pattons.”
    Foster sighed again, annoyingly, she thought. “Why did you drive all the way out here to tell me this? You could have called.”
    “I like seeing you.” She smiled. Despite recent difficulties her affection for Foster was stronger than ever. His answering smile told her he felt the same way. “Well, there is another reason,” she said.
    He sat back. “I thought so.”
    “I was going to go to the police and give them the Smith-Pattons’ names. And make it clear to them who’s behind this vendetta against our wedding.”
    “That’s absurd. I tell you Lois is guiltless.”
    “Lois once said she’d kill me! And her brother does whatever she says. How can you say she’s guiltless? I knew you’d stick up for her—”
    “Trish!”
    “So I thought over what to do. Earlier I tried confronting her and got nowhere. Now... I want you to face her down.”
    “Me.”
    “You. She still loves you. She’ll pay attention to whatever you say. I want you to tell her to stop what she’s doing. That if she continues, she’ll end up talking to the police. And I know enough about the Smith-Patton family to be sure that kind of publicity isn’t up their alley.”
    “Does it do any good for me to say once again I’m sure she’s not involved with the incidents?”
    “It does not! Foster, she has to be made to understand that what she’s trying isn’t working. That she must stop. And fast! I