Amaryllis

'It was an accident.' Lucas forced himself to release his grip on her shoulders. 'Can't you get that through your head? The only person who had even half a reason to want him removed from the scene is Gifford Osterley and you told me yourself that Osterley isn't the kind to commit murder.'

'He isn't. At least, I don't think he is. But what about Sheffield?'

'Any politico who wants the governor's chair as badly as Sheffield does might be willing to kill for it, I'll grant you that much. But there was no need to murder anyone in this case. Landreth was not a threat to Sheffield.'

'He could have exposed Sheffield's connection to Unique Prisms.'

'How many times do I have to tell you that there is nothing illegal going on between Sheffield and Unique Prisms.'

'There is a question of ethics,' Amaryllis insisted.

'I can't see Sheffield risking a murder charge simply to avoid an investigation into his use of some very discreet prisms. Any such inquiry would be bound to find him innocent.'

'Some of the prisms might be willing to testify against him.'

'Then he would be far more likely to murder a few of them, wouldn't he? Come on, Amaryllis, think about it. Sheffield isn't killing prisms for the same reason that he didn't kill Landreth. He's got no reason to commit murder. You saw him in action tonight. He's headed straight for the governor's office.'

'This whole situation feels wrong, Lucas.'

'Damn. I can't believe I'm arguing with you about something so obvious.' Lucas flexed his hands. 'I suppose this is one of the reasons why the conventional wisdom holds that full-spectrum prisms and strong talents don't make good marriage partners. They'd likely spend all their time quarreling with each other.'

The second the words were out of his mouth, he wanted to recall them, but it was too late.

There was a very long silence before Amaryllis answered.

'Yes,' she said. 'It would be a pretty miserable existence, wouldn't it? Thank heavens for the marriage agencies and all of their tests and interviews.'

Lucas felt as if he had just fallen into a bottomless well of jelly-ice. The cold was endless. 'Yeah. Right. Lucky us.'

'Mr. Trent, you have a visitor.'

Lucas glared morosely at the intercom. 'Who is it, Maddie?'

'Mr. Calvin Rye.'

Just what he needed, Lucas thought. As if things weren't bad enough today. He was still feeling bruised and battered from the midnight quarrel with Amaryllis. Now Dillon's father wanted to see him. 'Send him in, please.'

Maddie ushered Calvin into the inner office and then quietly closed the door behind him.

Lucas rose. The old habits of politeness died hard. 'Have a seat. Rye. What brings you here today?'

'I think you can guess the answer to that.' Calvin settled into a chair with statesmanlike composure. The outward assurance was belied by the expression in his eyes. 'Dillon told me everything.'

'Everything?'

'About his losses at that damned casino. About the way you came to his rescue and covered his debts. The whole sordid tale.'

'I see.' Lucas sat down, unable to think of anything else to say. 'I had a feeling he might do that.'

Calvin's mouth thinned with disgust. 'Yes, I'm sure you did.'

'Rye, what is this all about?'

'I'll be blunt. What do you want from me?'

'I don't want anything from you.'

Calvin narrowed his eyes. 'We both know you didn't rush to Dillon's aid out of the kindness of your heart. You took advantage of the situation for your own purposes. I would like to know what those purposes are.'

'I don't want anything from you. Rye.' Lucas was aware of a great weight of weariness descending on him. Absently, he rubbed the back of his neck. He wished he could lose himself in an illusion of the hidden grotto in the islands. But he would need a capable prism for that sort of talent project, he reminded himself. A full-spectrum prism. Hell, he needed Amaryllis.

'There is something you should know,' Calvin said quietly. 'Shortly after the conclusion of the Western Islands Action, a reporter came to see me at my office.'

Lucas stopped massaging his neck. He folded both hands on his desk. 'Nelson Buriton?'

'Yes.' Calvin's mouth twisted. 'Buriton said he had some information about Jackson's death. He wanted to discuss the matter.'

'I hope you threw him out the door.'

Calvin's gaze was unblinking. 'I did. Eventually. But I made the mistake of listening to what he had to say first. It was . . . upsetting.'

'Forget Buriton. I dealt with him in the islands. The man is an opportunist. He'll say or do anything to get a story.'

Calvin got to his feet and went to the window. He stood there looking down at the street below. 'He certainly told me a pack of outrageous and insulting falsehoods.'

'I'm not surprised.'

'He claimed that during the period in which he covered the Western Islands Action he heard talk of an affair that had supposedly gone on between Jackson and your wife, Dora.'

'You should know better than to listen to a reporter's lies, Rye. Buriton was just trying to goad you. He hoped you'd become emotional and blurt out some tantalizing tidbit he could have used on the ten o'clock news.'

Calvin's shoulders stiffened. 'He also informed me that he had heard rumors that Jackson actively conspired with the pirates. He said that there was a strong possibility that my son had betrayed you not just with Dora but in a business sense as well. Buriton said Jackson may have sold you out in exchange for the promise of becoming the sole owner of Lodestar Exploration.'

'I'm glad you didn't give any credence to Buriton's lies.'

Calvin fell quiet again for a long moment. Then he turned slowly to face Lucas. 'I didn't believe a word of what he had to say, of course.'

'Of course not.'

'But I have always wondered if he approached you with the same disgusting gossip.'

'He did. But I reminded him that I was the one who found Jackson's body. And I was the one who searched the records and files of the pirates' leader after it was all over. I know the truth.'

'Yes. Yes, I suppose you do.'

'Nelson Buriton hasn't bothered you again since that one visit, has he?'

'No.'

'I didn't think so. When he came to see me, I warned him that if he attempted to go public with his lies, he would answer to me. It all happened three years ago, Calvin. I know Buriton's kind. There's no profit for him now in resurrecting ancient gossip. He'd only lose ratings if he went on the air with unfounded, three-year-old rumors.'

Calvin watched Lucas intently. 'It occurred to me at the time that the only person who had the clout to refute Buriton's accusations was you.'

'You're right. As the president of Lodestar and the one in charge of the defense of the islands, my account of events is unassailable. Buriton could do nothing without my cooperation.'

'And you refused to give it to him?'

'Why would I bother to help him put together a story filled with lies and innuendoes?' Lucas leaned back in his chair and braced his hands on the arms. 'There was certainly nothing in it for me. Lodestar didn't need that kind of publicity.'

'You're telling me that you forced Buriton to drop the story because you feared it would be bad for business?'

Lucas smiled humorlessly. 'You know me as well as anyone. Rye. Can you think of any other reason why I would have bothered to kill Buriton's story?'

A deep flush suffused Calvin's patrician cheekbones. He held Lucas's gaze for a long moment, but eventually his eyes slid away. He began to pace the office. 'You have acknowledged that your actions are grounded in reasons