police."
" No . At least not yet." Olivia uncurled herself very quickly and sat forward in her
chair. She pressed her knees tensely together. "I know that there's an implied threat
to you in that note. That's why I told you the whole story."
"The threat is to both of us," he pointed out dryly.
"Yes, but it's probably meaningless."
"Meaningless?"
"The blackmailer is lashing out in anger," she said. "He must know that you and
I are not the kind who would ever pay blackmail. He's just trying to scare us off so
that he can prey on Zara."
Her airy dismissal of the threat to herself irritated Jasper. "I take it you've had a
lot of experience with blackmailers?"
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm just telling you that I don't think you're in any real
danger."
"Thanks. I can't tell you how much better that makes me feel."
She gave him an annoyed glare. "There's no call for sarcasm."
"Sorry, don't know what came over me."
"My only concern here is for Aunt Zara. I promised her that we'd make another
attempt to identify the blackmailer."
"We?" he repeated cautiously.
"If the next attempt fails," she continued briskly, "I think I can talk her into
hiring a private investigator. She has a rather romantic view of PIs because of her
years in television."
Jasper dropped the blackmail letter onto the table. "Just how do you propose to
catch this guy? You didn't have much luck this afternoon."
"I didn't have time to put together a really good plan today. The disguise was a
spur-of-the-moment thing."
"I see."
"But surely between the two of us we should be able to come up with a way to
nail him." Olivia paused. "Or her."
"The quickest way to end this is to turn it over to the authorities."
"The quickest, quietest way to end it is to identify the blackmailer."
He contemplated the fresh enthusiasm and determination in her eyes. apparently
now that she had got past the awkward part, namely informing him that he was
involved, her goal-oriented nature had reasserted itself. She was ready to move
forward on the project
"What do you plan to do with this blackmailer if you do make an identification?"
he asked.
"Zara believes it's someone from her past," Olivia said. "She says it has to be
someone who once knew her very well. Maybe someone who actually worked with
her on those X-rated films. She's convinced it's an old rival who's now down on his
or her luck and looking for a way to make some quick cash."
"I see."
"She thinks that once we know the identity of the blackmailer, she can confront
the person and warn him or her to leave her alone."
"What makes her think that will work?" Jasper asked.
"She believes that the blackmailer won't want to be exposed as someone who
once worked in the porn industry any more than she, herself, does."
"In other words, she thinks she can neutralize the threat by making her own
threats."
"Right." Olivia looked pleased by his quick grasp of the concept.
"Hmm."
She pursed her lips. "You don't sound convinced."
"I probably don't sound convinced because I'm not convinced."
"Look, if it's any consolation, I happen to agree with you. I think we should turn
the matter over to the authorities. But I promised Aunt Zara that we'd try to identify
the blackmailer first and let her decide whether or not to handle it on a personal
basis."
Jasper said nothing.
Olivia's brows came together in a tight line above the frames of her designer
glasses. "You know as well as I do that Zara's approach to this is no different than
the way most businesses handle employees who commit fraud or embezzlement. It's
all hushed up."
"This is not quite the same thing."
"Yes, it is," she said urgently. "Companies rarely go to the authorities when they
suspect embezzlement because they don't want their clients and customers to find
out that their internal security was lousy. They prefer to handle the matter
privately. Zara wants to deal with this the same way."
"And you promised her we'd
" No . At least not yet." Olivia uncurled herself very quickly and sat forward in her
chair. She pressed her knees tensely together. "I know that there's an implied threat
to you in that note. That's why I told you the whole story."
"The threat is to both of us," he pointed out dryly.
"Yes, but it's probably meaningless."
"Meaningless?"
"The blackmailer is lashing out in anger," she said. "He must know that you and
I are not the kind who would ever pay blackmail. He's just trying to scare us off so
that he can prey on Zara."
Her airy dismissal of the threat to herself irritated Jasper. "I take it you've had a
lot of experience with blackmailers?"
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm just telling you that I don't think you're in any real
danger."
"Thanks. I can't tell you how much better that makes me feel."
She gave him an annoyed glare. "There's no call for sarcasm."
"Sorry, don't know what came over me."
"My only concern here is for Aunt Zara. I promised her that we'd make another
attempt to identify the blackmailer."
"We?" he repeated cautiously.
"If the next attempt fails," she continued briskly, "I think I can talk her into
hiring a private investigator. She has a rather romantic view of PIs because of her
years in television."
Jasper dropped the blackmail letter onto the table. "Just how do you propose to
catch this guy? You didn't have much luck this afternoon."
"I didn't have time to put together a really good plan today. The disguise was a
spur-of-the-moment thing."
"I see."
"But surely between the two of us we should be able to come up with a way to
nail him." Olivia paused. "Or her."
"The quickest way to end this is to turn it over to the authorities."
"The quickest, quietest way to end it is to identify the blackmailer."
He contemplated the fresh enthusiasm and determination in her eyes. apparently
now that she had got past the awkward part, namely informing him that he was
involved, her goal-oriented nature had reasserted itself. She was ready to move
forward on the project
"What do you plan to do with this blackmailer if you do make an identification?"
he asked.
"Zara believes it's someone from her past," Olivia said. "She says it has to be
someone who once knew her very well. Maybe someone who actually worked with
her on those X-rated films. She's convinced it's an old rival who's now down on his
or her luck and looking for a way to make some quick cash."
"I see."
"She thinks that once we know the identity of the blackmailer, she can confront
the person and warn him or her to leave her alone."
"What makes her think that will work?" Jasper asked.
"She believes that the blackmailer won't want to be exposed as someone who
once worked in the porn industry any more than she, herself, does."
"In other words, she thinks she can neutralize the threat by making her own
threats."
"Right." Olivia looked pleased by his quick grasp of the concept.
"Hmm."
She pursed her lips. "You don't sound convinced."
"I probably don't sound convinced because I'm not convinced."
"Look, if it's any consolation, I happen to agree with you. I think we should turn
the matter over to the authorities. But I promised Aunt Zara that we'd try to identify
the blackmailer first and let her decide whether or not to handle it on a personal
basis."
Jasper said nothing.
Olivia's brows came together in a tight line above the frames of her designer
glasses. "You know as well as I do that Zara's approach to this is no different than
the way most businesses handle employees who commit fraud or embezzlement. It's
all hushed up."
"This is not quite the same thing."
"Yes, it is," she said urgently. "Companies rarely go to the authorities when they
suspect embezzlement because they don't want their clients and customers to find
out that their internal security was lousy. They prefer to handle the matter
privately. Zara wants to deal with this the same way."
"And you promised her we'd
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