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voice was not dimmed one bit by the telephone line. His was a voice that had dominated the boardroom and presidential suite of Slater Aero, Inc. for years. It held the essence of a still vigorous man who was facing his sixties with the same determination that he'd used to build and hold together his successful aerospace manufacturing firm.
    "I'm not surprised." Amy half smiled at the thought of her mother's exceptional organizational talents.
    Gloria Slater had brought the task of being the perfect corporate executive's wife to the level of a fine art.
    If she'd been born a little later, she probably would have been an executive herself, not the wife of one.
    "Let's see, you two leave for London on the fifteenth, right? That's next week. You must be swamped trying to get ready." It was a desperate bid to avoid the unavoidable. Amy wasn't at all surprised when it failed. Douglas Slater was too shrewd to let her off the hook that easily.
    "Plenty of time. Listen, honey, we've got a great idea," Slater announced. His tone was still jovial, but it held an underlying insistent edge. "Your mom and I have decided that what you need is a vacation. Come to the island this week. You can help Gloria finish the packing, do a little diving, eat a few home cooked meals and relax. On the fifteenth you can see us off on the plane. Then you can stay as long as you like at the house. Plan on a month."
    "Dad, I'm really busy at the moment—"
    "You need some time off, Amy," her father interrupted firmly. "Don't you think I know the signs? Hell, I saw them often enough in the people who worked for me over the years. For the past few months you've been getting more and more concerned about your writing. Too concerned. It's obvious you're starting to feel the stress. You haven't come to see us for over eight months. You know how you love this place. I'm worried about you. When I was running Slater Aero I saw more than one good man burn himself out just as he started to taste a little success. Selling that science fiction series last year put some real pressure on you. I'll bet you've been spending the past few months worrying about whether you'll be able to do the same thing again this year, haven't you? I've got news for you, honey: If you don't learn to relax again, you won't be able to keep up the pace."
    "Dad, it's not a question of relaxing." Amy leaned back against the kitchen counter, absently massaging her temples as she tried to marshal her arguments. But even as she made the effort, she felt herself weakening. Sooner or later she would have to go back to the island. She couldn't put it off forever. "I'm right in the middle of a book and I wanted to get it finished before I took some time off."
    "It would mean a lot to both your mother and me if you could manage a few days with us before we leave for London, Amy."
    Amy groaned. "Come on, Dad. Mother might resort to this approach, but I always thought you were above using the old guilt trip routine."
    "I'm desperate."
    "You must be." There was a small sound to Amy's left. She glanced up and law Jed leaning in the kitchen doorway, buttoning his shirt while he listened with unabashed interest. "Look, I'll think about it, okay?
    I'll see what I can do about my schedule."
    "Call me tomorrow and let me know what you decide," Slater said bluntly. "I'll tell your mother you're thinking about it. She'll be thrilled. I'll take care of the tickets."
    "Dad—"
    "Listen, don't try to tell me you don't want to come to the island because of the accident. LePage was a fool and he paid the price. It was a tragic event, yes, but there's absolutely no reason to let it upset you forever. Accidents happen."
    Amy froze. "I know that. It's got nothing to do with what happened to Bob. It's just that I—"
    "Good. He was a nice enough guy and the whole thing was very unfortunate, but you shouldn't let it get to you. And I know you weren't in love with him so it's not as if you're pining, right? Come and see us,