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flowers for a large silver
    foil vase. Jasper recalled that the pair had been introduced as Bernie and Matty. He
    was not positive which name went with which person, though. Maybe when he
    figured out which was the male and which was the female he'd get that part
    straight.
    "Have a seat," Olivia said behind him.
    "Thank you." Jasper turned to survey the one unoccupied chair in the office. It
    was heaped with a variety of vendors' catalogs.
    Olivia followed his gaze. "Sorry about that." She started to get to her feet. "I'll
    clear those off for you."
    "Never mind. I'll handle it." He picked up the stack of catalogs and hesitated
    briefly while he considered his few available options. There was no place to set his
    burden.
    "Just put them on the floor," Olivia said carelessly. She held up her latte cup.
    "Coffee? This came from the café downstairs, but I can make some for you, if you
    like."
    He glanced at the gleaming black industrial-sized coffee machine in the corner
    as he sat down. "No thanks. I had some earlier."
    "So did I." She took a deep swallow and set the cup down. "But I've been
    mainlining the stuff lately. The past few weeks have been murder."
    For some reason Jasper had a sudden vision of his battle for life on the Pelapili
    cliffs. "An interesting choice of words."
    "You know what I mean."
    He watched her lean back in her chair. She propped both feet on the edge of her
    desk and stacked her heels. The cuffed legs of her trousers fell gracefully away from
    her slender ankles. He hoped she would not light up a cigar.
    "Yes," he said. "I know what you mean."
    A cool, critical gleam lit her eyes. "Ever since we got the news about Uncle Rollie
    and Wilbur, I've been swamped."
    "I apologize for not getting back to Seattle more quickly. I only got word of your
    uncle's death a couple of days ago."
    "Your office said you were out of touch."
    "Sort of. I was supposed to be on an extended vacation."
    She did not appear to be appeased by that explanation, but she let it go. "It was a
    shock."
    "The deaths of your uncle and his friend? Yes, it was."
    "Rollie and Wilbur Holmes were more than friends. They were together for
    nearly forty years. Absolutely devoted to each other."
    "I believe your uncle once said something about Wilbur Holmes owning an art
    gallery?"
    "That's right. Wilbur sold it last year, though." Olivia sighed. "He and my uncle
    planned to do more traveling."
    "I see."
    "I'll miss them both." She picked up her coffee cup and raised it in a small salute.
    "They were a couple of the good guys."
    "I never met Wilbur Holmes, but I got to know your uncle a little. I respected his
    business skills and his sense of the market. He was a valuable client."
    "Yes, I imagine he was." She smiled a little too sweetly. "Glow's profits have
    started to climb again in recent months. But I suppose you already know that."
    "I'm aware of that fact, yes."
    "All that money Uncle Rollie poured into research and development a while back
    is finally starting to pay off. Glow is poised to move out of its regional niche. It's on
    the brink of becoming a major player in state-of-the-art light technology."
    Olivia's lecturing tone told him that she had decided to cast him in the role of the
    outsider who needed to be brought up to speed. The tactic was a not-so-subtle one
    designed to put him firmly in the role of the junior partner in this relationship.
    He decided it was time to flex a little muscle.
    "It was my money that good old Uncle Rollie used to finance Glow's R&D
    expansion." He smiled slightly. "But I guess you already know that."
    She narrowed her eyes. "You mean, it was your company that lined up the
    investor financing for the expansion."
    "No," Jasper said very deliberately. "That's usually the way I work, but in the
    case of Glow, I was the sole investor."
    "What do you mean?"
    "It was my own, personal money that went into the R&D expansion."
    Her answering smile was as bright as a highly polished rapier. "Tell me, is