Wildest Hearts

checking with me first?”

    “I had Bolt investigate Featly and Moss,” Oliver said patiently. “In the process he turned up some unexpected information on Cork's last trip to California. Cork recently held some very interesting meetings in motel rooms with important people who represent Lyncroft's competition.”

    “I should have been kept informed,” Annie declared, clearly outraged.

    “You're being informed right now,” Oliver pointed out.

    She narrowed her eyes at him. “Oliver, this is another example of your incredibly poor communication skills. What's more, I think it was deliberate this time.”

    “Annie, be reasonable. I just found out about Cork myself.”

    “You must have known something when you called me last night,” she shot back.

    “I didn't want to talk about it over the phone.”

    She pursed her lips disapprovingly. “I've told you I want to be kept informed of any major developments that affect Daniel's company.”

    “Yes, I know. His precious company comes first at all times, doesn't it? I know what my role in all this is. I'm supposed to save Lyncroft for you. Believe me, I'm doing my best.”

    “Oliver, I didn't mean you weren't doing your best, just that you are sometimes very uncommunicative.”

    Oliver glanced at her. “I told you in the beginning that you were going to have to trust me, Annie.”

    Annie slid an embarrassed glance toward Bolt who was stoically ignoring the quarrel. “We'll talk about this some other time,” she muttered.

    “Agreed. We'll table it for the meeting we're going to have later. There are a couple of other items on that particular meeting's agenda.”

    “Don't you dare try to intimidate me, Oliver Rain. It won't work.”

    “If you say so.” Oliver frowned thoughtfully at the screen. “This looks like the last of your brother's notes.”

    Annie leaned closer to the screen to read over Oliver's shoulder. “Those are dated only a week before Daniel disappeared.”

    There's been a change in the pattern. I suspect Cork has a new contact in Seattle. Not related to the California crowd as far as I can tell. This is a fresh development and I don't like the feel of it. There's something more involved here than a little routine corporate espionage. Cork's more nervous than he was a few weeks ago. And there's a lot of money involved. Too much money. I checked Cork's bank accounts. I pay the man well, but not that well. I could fire the son of a bitch now and be done with it. But I'd rather find out more about this new arrangement before I give him the ax.

    Rain, if you're reading this, it's because Annie has found this diskette and asked you for help. It means that for one reason or another, I'm not in the picture. I don't know what to tell you, because I haven't got anything more to go on than Cork's actions, evidence of the money he's salting away, and a solid hunch that this is more serious than I thought at first. You and I both know things can get tricky when there's a lot of cash involved.

    If Annie comes to you, my friend, I'm going to hold you to that promise you made to me five years ago. Take care of Annie and Joanna for me and we'll call it even. Deal? By the way, my advice is to keep Annie out of this. If I know her, she'll be on a one-woman crusade for truth and justice. You'll want to handle this with your own methods, and she probably won't approve of the way you do things.

    Annie spun around in the chair to confront Oliver. “What on earth does Daniel mean by that last bit? And what's that part about you making him a promise five years ago? What exactly did you promise him and why?”

    Oliver blanked the screen. The sharp, bright light from the halogen desk lamp provided a circle of illumination over the desk and threw the rest of the room into deep shadow.

    He picked up another slice of pizza and deliberated over his answer. “I told you about the incident five years ago.”

    “That business with the gunrunner? Gretchen or Grissolm or something?”

    “Gresham.” Oliver took a bite out of the pizza, letting the memories of what had happened in the island warehouse flicker through his head. “I told your brother that night that I owed him for uncovering the operation and for helping me put a stop to it. I also told him if I could ever repay the favor, he was to let me know.”

    Annie gazed at him for several thoughtful seconds. “I see.” She sank deeper into her chair. “Since Daniel seems to think you