Programmed for Peril

reporter. He’s covered some of the case. He said that after the second murder the cops made Carson Thomas one of the suspects.”
    “Why did they do that?”
    “They wouldn’t tell him.”
    “Could he find out?”
    “Trish, what do you care? You’re three thousand miles away.”
    She swallowed. “I think he found me. He’s starting to destroy my life.”
    Eileen swore determinedly. “Oh, my God. My God! It makes sense.”
    “What does?”
    “After I got back from Alaska I met an old buddy who talked to Carson after he killed the guy and was dodging the cops. Before the first doctor was murdered. Carson said your running out was worse for him than being mixed up in a murder. He said that you were responsible for whatever he was becoming. Can you imagine that?”
    Trish recalled Carson’s mad intensity. “Yes, I can.”
    “He said he’d never forgive you. Never really let you go. I mean, come on, he was nutty.”
    “That sounds so like him.” Trish was aware of the leaden weight of her voice. “Now he’s going to ruin my life to get even.”
    “I can’t believe it! Are you sure?”
    “Yes. Definitely.”
    After promising to call Trish if her friend could find out anything more, Eileen hung up. Trish stumbled to bed and thrashed about, arms wrapped around her extra pillow. Sleep? Sometime. Carson’s face loomed up in the darkness, realistic as a hologram. So he had killed Jethro DuMont for sure, and possibly three doctors and their little girls. He had been enraged at DuMont over some imagined business- related insult. But why had he killed the doctors? And their children! Seven people!
    And he held her responsible.
    Had she really thought she could escape her past?
    Now all the disorders of the California years were crowding closer. She saw her business, her wedding, her future overturned like carts before onrushing horsemen. Worse, she imagined herself bound again to Carson Thomas, never to escape.
    She had attempted to hide the past. Now the time had come to confess something of what had happened. How much to expose of the saga of Carson and Queen of My Heart she couldn’t decide that fevered night. Regardless, her next step was obvious.
    She had to talk to Foster.
    She asked to meet him for dinner at the yacht club. He was always more mellow in familiar surroundings. When she got there she was surprised to find he had reserved one of the private dining rooms, as though he knew their conversation was to be most private.
    He wore a white silk jacket that showed off his deepened tan. He had spent the day out on the water. Walking with him through the main dining room, she couldn’t help but notice the covetous glances tossed his way by women middle-aged and younger. And why not? He was tall, dark, well-mannered, and very rich. And she was very lucky.
    In some ways, at least.
    She should have guessed from the table location that Foster brought his own agenda. As soon as their mimosas were served he got to it. He told her Nicholas Smith-Patton had insisted on meeting with him and Lois. He had some important information to share about Trish’s problems.
    Inwardly Trish writhed. She did not like Foster repeatedly being put into Lois’s presence. She sensed live embers still survived in the doused campfire of their attraction. “Why couldn’t Nicholas have talked just to you, Foster? Why did Lois have to be there?”
    “Nicholas insisted.”
    “I don’t like you hanging around Lois.”
    “Nicholas told me it was his wish—not his sister’s—that we meet.”
    Trish snorted. “She put him up to it. You know she controls him.”
    He sipped his mimosa. “I’m telling you the meeting was a surprise to Lois. I sense some... shifting in their relationship. Nicholas has become more assertive.”
    Trish was relieved. Possibly Nicholas was keeping his word not to betray her to Lois. That would depend on what he reported. “So what did Nicholas tell you?” she asked.
    Foster told her the stringy man had explained that Trish’s recent troubles originated with an unknown person who had done dangerous business, including bugging her business. She wasn’t to be blamed for having accused him and Lois. She had been frightened. And with good reason. Whoever it was that wanted the wedding canceled was very clever.
    “I arranged for us to be able to talk privately for two reasons,” Foster said. “First thing is I want to apologize for being... uncooperative when you asked me to talk to Lois. I