She waved both hands to stop him. "Not that. The bit about the broken heart."
He shrugged. "It's no secret in the family."
"It's ridiculous. Some kind of stupid joke."
"We don't joke about that kind of stuff in my family," Jeff said.
"I don't know what Cruz told you, but I can assure you, I did not break his heart."
Jeff just looked at her, not speaking.
She sighed. "For Pete's sake. Forget it. Tell me about your version of the family talent."
"Right." Jeff was eager to change the subject. "I'm a para-hunter, so I've got the good night vision and the reflexes and all the rest. But what I'm really good at is reading a crime scene. I can walk you through the series of events that took place there. Something about the way psychic energy gets thrown off by acts of violence."
"Really? That sounds interesting."
A spark of excitement gleamed in Jeff's eyes. "Don't laugh, but I'd like to apply to the FBPI academy and become an agent."
"The Federal Bureau of Psi Investigation? Why would I laugh? Sounds like a fine and noble career goal to me."
Jeff made a face. "Not as far as my dad and the boss and Big Jake and everyone else in the family is concerned. We've always had sort of a weird relationship with official law enforcement. I can't figure it out, to tell you the truth. It's not like AI Security doesn't occasionally do favors for the FBPI, just like we do for the Guilds and the Arcane Society."
"Favors?"
"Well, sure, those agencies only come to us when they know they can't deal with the problem on their own, and they pay for the work we do, so I guess you can't really call it doing favors, but you get my point, right?"
"Uh, yes. Yes, I think so."
"The thing is, AI Security is a business. Bottom line is we work for people who can afford us. I want to be a part of real law enforcement, the kind that tries to get justice for everyone, even people who can't afford high-priced security agencies. I want to make a contribution."
"I understand," she said.
"More and more I feel like it's something I was meant to do."
"A calling."
He thought about that. "Maybe. In a way."
"Well, why not quit the family firm and follow your bliss? Apply to the FBPI academy."
He stared at her as if she had just suggested that he fly. "Quit Amber Inc.?"
She spread her arms wide. "It's a big world. Lots of opportunities for a motivated young man. Who says you have to stay in the family business for your whole professional career?"
"Well, that's sort of how things are at Amber Inc. If you're in the family, you work for the family firm. One way or another."
"Surely a few of your relatives have gone out on their own."
Jeff thought for a moment. "Well, there's my great-uncle Ned. He opened a travel agency."
"There you go."
"But mostly his company just handles corporate travel for Amber Inc."
"Oh."
Jeff cogitated for another moment. "The boss's father is a lawyer. So is his mother."
"Really? I didn't know that. Okay, it sounds like they didn't toe the family line."
Jeff sighed. "Their law firm has only one client."
"Let me guess. Amber Inc."
"Yeah." Jeff pondered briefly and suddenly brightened. "Aunt Brenda."
"What happened to her?"
"She's a doctor, a pediatrician at the Frequency Medical Center."
"The Frequency Medical Center was built by Amber Inc. Right. Well, Jeff, looks like you've got a problem. I'll tune some amber for you, but if what you really want is to become a genuine FBPI agent, you're going to have to kick over the traces and take a stand against family pressure."
He gave her a morose look. "You don't know my family."
"Are you kidding me? After what I went through since I met your boss? Trust me, I know your family."
He winced. "Yeah, I guess maybe you do. You know, you're not quite what I expected, Miss Dore."
She narrowed her eyes. A lot of men were prone to tasteless jokes about female amber tuners. The phrase getting one's amber tuned had multiple meanings in certain quarters frequented by males.
"And just what did you expect?" she asked coldly.
"I dunno," he admitted. "Should have known you'd be a little different, though."
"And why is that?" she demanded.
"Because you're the woman who broke the boss's heart."
Chapter 19
JEFF DROVE HER BACK TO HER APARTMENT SHORTLY before two so that she could change clothes for the auction preview appointment with Wilson Revere. They used a small, nondescript Float provided by Amber Inc. Security. The little vehicle did not call attention to itself in any way. If Jeff hadn't explained that beneath the boring gray paint job the car was discreetly armored with heavy-duty mag-steel, Lyra would never have known.
"Gets lousy mileage because of all the steel," Jeff said. "And it's sort of embarrassing to drive. But it has one big advantage. No one looks twice at it."
"Does Amber Inc. Security maintain a fleet of armored vehicles?" Lyra asked.
"The company garage always has a few on hand."
"To protect the executives? Not that I can envision Cruz Sweetwater buzzing around in a Float, mind you."
Jeff laughed. "If you're in any of the executive suites at AI, it means you can take care of yourself. You drive whatever you want. Mostly we use the armored cars for clients."
"So now I'm an AI client?" She wrinkled her nose. "I hope no one plans on sending me a bill because, thanks to a recent lawsuit against a certain unnamed company, I can't afford a high-rez private security firm."
"Don't worry, there won't be any bill." Jeff slid the little compact into a parking space at the curb. "The boss is picking up the tab on this case personally." He glanced at the rearview mirror as he powered up the engine. "Speaking of the boss, looks like he's ready to take his shift."
"What?" Alarmed, Lyra twisted around in the front seat just in time to see a familiar black Slider glide into the parking space behind the Float. "Oh, no, no, this is a really, really bad idea."
Even as the sense of impending doom settled on her like a dark cloud, Vincent, perched on the back of the seat, started bouncing and chortling with anticipation. His red beret flapped wildly.
Lyra watched Cruz get out of the Slider and walk toward the Float. He wore another sleekly tailored black jacket, black trousers, and black bolo tie trimmed with a gleaming amber stone. The well-dressed assassin on his way to an upscale auction.
She grabbed Vincent and her tote, opened the door, and jumped out.
"No," she said. "Absolutely not, Cruz. You cannot go with me to the auction preview."
He halted in front of her. "Sure I can." He batted one of Vincent's paws a couple of times in greeting and kissed Lyra in a quick, outrageously proprietary way. Before she could protest, he straightened, braced one hand on the roof of the Float, and leaned in to speak to Jeff through the open window. "I'll take it from here. I'll give you a call when we need you back."
"Yes, sir. Bye, Miss Dore," Jeff said as he drove off down the street.
Lyra glared at Cruz. "Wilson Revere is an important client."
Somehow Cruz managed to look politely innocent, even a little confused.
"So?" he said.
"Look, you and Revere obviously have a history. If I walk into that auction with you, he might decide he doesn't need my consulting services after all."
"Revere reads the papers like everyone else. He knows that you and I are seeing each other again. He wouldn't have hired you if that was a problem. I told you, I think it's actually the reason he did hire you. He's going to try to use you somehow."
She ignored the last sentence and focused on the main point she wanted to make. "One night doesn't mean that you and I are involved," she warned.