temper. "Damn it, Jack, don't lie to me. I've sunk several hundred thousand dollars of Aurora Fund cash into this venture. I've got a seat on your board."
He winced. "You don't have to remind me about your position on my board."
"I've got a right to know what's going on."
He said nothing for a moment, just studied her intently, as if she were an interesting lab specimen. Then he shrugged. "What, exactly, did Shaw say?"
With an effort of will she regained her self-control. "I just told you, he said he'd heard that a new R & D specimen was stolen from your labs. We both know that the only secret Excalibur has is Soft Focus. Has the crystal disappeared, Jack? I want the truth. Yes or no?"
He gazed at her for a very long time, a dark, brooding expression in his honey and gold eyes. Her heart sank. He was going to lie to her, after all, she thought. What had ever made her think that he would tell her the truth? He had his list of priorities. If she was on it at all, her position was no doubt very near the bottom with a little notation next to her name: Ignore whenever possible; stonewall when cornered.
"True," Jack said. "The crystal is gone, and so is Tyler Page."
She stared at him, more stunned by the unexpected honesty than by the news that Soft Focus really had disappeared. She got her mouth closed and regrouped quickly.
"You weren't going to tell me, were you?" she asked.
"Not if I could avoid it." He unclasped his hands and spread them slightly. "I had a plan, you see."
"Yes, I'm sure you did. You always seem to have a plan, Jack. But it's a bit late to come up with one now, isn't it? Speaking as a member of the board, I think it would have been smarter to tighten your security before Soft Focus disappeared."
"The plan, Miss Cabot, was to find Tyler Page and the crystal before you or anyone else learned that they were missing."
"When, exactly, did they disappear?"
"I'm not sure. I worked late last night. On a whim, I performed an unscheduled security check at about nine o'clock. That's when I found out that the crystal was gone. An empty, duplicate container had been left in its place. If I hadn't checked the contents, I still wouldn't know that Soft Focus was gone."
She frowned. "A duplicate container was left behind?"
"Yes. It's still there in the vault. I've told no one else except Milo. As far as everyone else is concerned, the crystal is still safe in the lab. The research team has been instructed not to touch it until Dr. Page returns."
"You must have some idea of when it disappeared?"
His mouth twisted slightly. "Tyler Page went home sick yesterday afternoon. I think he took the specimen with him when he left Excalibur."
"Are you telling me that he just walked out of here with Soft Focus?"
"Tyler Page is the most respected member of the research team. Security had no reason to search him."
A fresh wave of outrage shot through her. "Why wasn't I told immediately?"
"Primarily because I knew you'd go ballistic and start threatening to yank our funding."
She smiled coldly. "You were wrong."
"Was I?"
"On one count, at least." She shot to her feet. "I'm not going to go ballistic. But I certainly intend to speak with my lawyers as soon as I get back to the office. Without the crystal, Excalibur is dead in the water, and we both know it. The Fund has a right to terminate the contract."
"That's a little shortsighted, don't you think? You and your precious Fund stand to lose a fortune in future profits. Soft Focus will be worth millions in the long term."
"You'll have to find it first, won't you?"
"I'll find it, Miss Cabot." His eyes were brilliant, unwavering. "Don't doubt that for even a second."
The relentless certainty in his voice sent an electric chill across her nerve endings. He meant every word he said. He would do whatever it took to recover the crystal.
Slowly she sank back down into the chair. "So, what's this plan of yours?"
He studied her thoughtfully for a long time. Then he got to
He winced. "You don't have to remind me about your position on my board."
"I've got a right to know what's going on."
He said nothing for a moment, just studied her intently, as if she were an interesting lab specimen. Then he shrugged. "What, exactly, did Shaw say?"
With an effort of will she regained her self-control. "I just told you, he said he'd heard that a new R & D specimen was stolen from your labs. We both know that the only secret Excalibur has is Soft Focus. Has the crystal disappeared, Jack? I want the truth. Yes or no?"
He gazed at her for a very long time, a dark, brooding expression in his honey and gold eyes. Her heart sank. He was going to lie to her, after all, she thought. What had ever made her think that he would tell her the truth? He had his list of priorities. If she was on it at all, her position was no doubt very near the bottom with a little notation next to her name: Ignore whenever possible; stonewall when cornered.
"True," Jack said. "The crystal is gone, and so is Tyler Page."
She stared at him, more stunned by the unexpected honesty than by the news that Soft Focus really had disappeared. She got her mouth closed and regrouped quickly.
"You weren't going to tell me, were you?" she asked.
"Not if I could avoid it." He unclasped his hands and spread them slightly. "I had a plan, you see."
"Yes, I'm sure you did. You always seem to have a plan, Jack. But it's a bit late to come up with one now, isn't it? Speaking as a member of the board, I think it would have been smarter to tighten your security before Soft Focus disappeared."
"The plan, Miss Cabot, was to find Tyler Page and the crystal before you or anyone else learned that they were missing."
"When, exactly, did they disappear?"
"I'm not sure. I worked late last night. On a whim, I performed an unscheduled security check at about nine o'clock. That's when I found out that the crystal was gone. An empty, duplicate container had been left in its place. If I hadn't checked the contents, I still wouldn't know that Soft Focus was gone."
She frowned. "A duplicate container was left behind?"
"Yes. It's still there in the vault. I've told no one else except Milo. As far as everyone else is concerned, the crystal is still safe in the lab. The research team has been instructed not to touch it until Dr. Page returns."
"You must have some idea of when it disappeared?"
His mouth twisted slightly. "Tyler Page went home sick yesterday afternoon. I think he took the specimen with him when he left Excalibur."
"Are you telling me that he just walked out of here with Soft Focus?"
"Tyler Page is the most respected member of the research team. Security had no reason to search him."
A fresh wave of outrage shot through her. "Why wasn't I told immediately?"
"Primarily because I knew you'd go ballistic and start threatening to yank our funding."
She smiled coldly. "You were wrong."
"Was I?"
"On one count, at least." She shot to her feet. "I'm not going to go ballistic. But I certainly intend to speak with my lawyers as soon as I get back to the office. Without the crystal, Excalibur is dead in the water, and we both know it. The Fund has a right to terminate the contract."
"That's a little shortsighted, don't you think? You and your precious Fund stand to lose a fortune in future profits. Soft Focus will be worth millions in the long term."
"You'll have to find it first, won't you?"
"I'll find it, Miss Cabot." His eyes were brilliant, unwavering. "Don't doubt that for even a second."
The relentless certainty in his voice sent an electric chill across her nerve endings. He meant every word he said. He would do whatever it took to recover the crystal.
Slowly she sank back down into the chair. "So, what's this plan of yours?"
He studied her thoughtfully for a long time. Then he got to
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