Amaryllis Read Free

understand. What exactly do you think he’s doing? Other than buying your company’s secrets, that is?”
    Lucas hesitated. “I think he’s a hypno-talent. I believe he may be using hypnosis to force Miranda to sell him Lodestar proprietary information.”
    Amaryllis stilled. She blinked once or twice and then seemed to collect herself. “Let me get this straight. You think that a hypno-talent forced Miss Locking to commit an act of corporate theft?”
    “It’s a possibility,” Lucas muttered.
    “A highly unlikely one. Look, Mr. Trent, surely you know that there are very few strong hypno-talents. It’s a rare psychic power. People who do possess such skills generally go into medicine.”
    “Not all of them.”
    “Well, it’s true that a few do stage acts,” she admitted. “But I have never heard of a hypno-talent using his or her abilities to force someone to commit a crime. I’m not sure it’s even theoretically possible.”
    “I don’t see why it would be impossible,” Lucas said.
    “A hypno-talent would have to be extremely strong to force someone else to perform an act that violated the victim’s own ethical code. I’d say it would require a class-nine or even a class-ten talent. You know how rare nines and tens are in any talent field.”
    “There are a few around.”
    “Less than one half of one percent of the population, according to the latest research.”
    “But they do exist,” Lucas insisted.
    “Yes, but a hypno-talent with that kind of power would be able to do very well in a legitimate profession. He or she would be working at the university or at one of the hospitals. Why would such an individual take the risk of becoming a criminal?”
    “Who knows? The challenge of it all, perhaps.” Lucas spread his hands. “Hell, maybe brokering the theft of corporate secrets is more exciting than a career in anesthesiology or research.”
    “I doubt it.”
    Lucas smiled slightly. “No offense, Miss Lark, but you sound a little naïve. Spend a few months in the Western Islands and you’ll learn that there are a lot of people in the world who would jump at the chance to violate all your cute little notions about the ethical use of psychic talent.”
    Red flags appeared in her cheeks. She glared at him. “You’re forgetting something, Mr. Trent. Even if a powerful, extremely unethical hypno-talent exists and happens to live right here in New Seattle, that individual could not operate alone. He or she would require an equally powerful and equally unethical prism to focus the talent.”
    “I know.”
    Amaryllis sighed. “Be reasonable, Mr. Trent. The odds are very much against such a combination getting together to form a criminal team.”
    “But it’s possible.”
    She threw up her hands. “Well, yes, hypothetically speaking, I suppose it’s possible. But not probable.”
    “I want to check it out.”
    Amaryllis eyed him thoughtfully. “You’re clutching at straws, aren’t you?”
    “I’m approaching this in a rational, logical manner.”
    “Know what I think? I think you’re looking for excuses to explain why Miranda Locking sold your secrets to your competition,” Amaryllis said gently. “I understand. It’s easier to believe that Miss Locking fell into the clutches of an evil class-ten hypno-talent than it is to accept the fact that she betrayed her position of trust in your firm. Isn’t that right, Mr. Trent?”
    She was right, but Lucas had no intention of admitting it. He reminded himself for the hundredth time in the past twenty minutes that he had known this would be unpleasant.
    Hiring a professional prism to help him focus his psychic talent was something he had done his best to avoid. Utilizing the services of a trained professional in order to harness the paranormal energy of his own brain went against the grain. It was his mind, after all. He should be able to control it and use it without outside assistance.
    Most talents at the lower end of the power range