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Authors: Jayne Ann Krentz
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fun.”
“How right I was.” Jessie waved a slice of pizza at Hatch and her father. “You two better be careful or Elizabeth and I are going to walk off in a huff and stick you with the bill.”
“We'll talk about this later,” Hatch said evenly as he saw Vincent's mouth tighten.
“Sorry, didn't mean to bore you,” Jessie drawled. “By all means, let's change the subject.”
Vincent glanced at Hatch. “This is the wildest thing she's come up with yet.”
“I think it sounds like fun,” Elizabeth said loyally.
Hatch eyed Elizabeth thoughtfully. The girl was a little shy but certifiably brilliant. Hatch did not doubt that someday she was going to cure rare diseases or journey into remote tropical jungles in search of exotic plants. In the meantime it was obvious Jessie was struggling to make certain the younger girl built a relationship with her father.
Hatch had figured out weeks ago just what Jessie's role in the complex Benedict family was. She was the go-between who held everything together, the one who linked Vincent to the clan and the rest of the clan to Vincent. It was clear that her real job in life was holding the Benedict family together. Anything else that might come along in terms of employment was going to be strictly part-time. He wondered why none of the family, including her own father, realized that.
“Don't forget you're supposed to pick Elizabeth up at ten o'clock on Saturday to take her to the science fair,” Jessie reminded Vincent.
“I won't forget. Got it on my calendar.” Vincent gave his younger daughter a knowing look. “You going to win first prize again this year?”
“Maybe.” Elizabeth spoke with shy confidence. Then she frowned. “Unless they give it to Eric Jerkface.”
Hatch frowned curiously. “Who's Eric Jerkface?”
“The science teacher's favorite. He looks like he came right off of some television show featuring cute kids, and he knows how to kiss up to the teachers. You know what I mean?”
“Of course Hatch knows what you mean.” Jessie smiled blandly at Hatch over her sister's head. “He's very familiar with that kind of corporate mentality, aren't you, Hatch?”
“Very.” Hatch shot her a withering glance and turned back to Elizabeth. “What's Jerkface's project?”
“He's doing something on extraterrestrial life.”
Jessie was incensed. “Nobody even knows if there is any extraterrestrial life. How can he do a project on the subject?”
“Eric Jerkface talked the teacher into it,” Elizabeth explained.
“Well, the project's bound to bomb next to yours,” Jessie declared. “You're going to knock the socks off the judges with your chemical analysis of a toxic-waste dump, isn't she, Dad?”
“Right,” Vincent agreed readily. Then he scowled at Elizabeth. “I just hope you're not going to turn into one of those radical environmentalists.”
“Ecologist, Dad, not environmentalist,” Jessie said quickly. “And Elizabeth hasn't decided which scientific career she wants to pursue yet, have you, Elizabeth?”
“No I'm still making up my mind.” Elizabeth concentrated on her pizza.
“No rush, I guess. Just don't take as long to make up your mind about a career as Jessie's taking,” Vincent muttered. “What's the difference between an ecologist and an environmentalist, anyway?”
Elizabeth assumed a serious, pontificating tone. “Ecology is the science of studying the environment. Environmentalism is the social and political movement that causes all the headlines.”
“I wonder if Edwin Bright is a genuine ecologist turned con man,” Jessie mused, “or just an opportunist.”
“I don't see that it matters,” Hatch said flatly. “Either way, you don't have any business getting involved.”
“But that's just it.” Jessie's smile was radiant. “This is business. I'm working for a living. I should think everyone would be pleased. Just think, I'm actually holding down a job for longer than one month.”
“Save me,”
“How right I was.” Jessie waved a slice of pizza at Hatch and her father. “You two better be careful or Elizabeth and I are going to walk off in a huff and stick you with the bill.”
“We'll talk about this later,” Hatch said evenly as he saw Vincent's mouth tighten.
“Sorry, didn't mean to bore you,” Jessie drawled. “By all means, let's change the subject.”
Vincent glanced at Hatch. “This is the wildest thing she's come up with yet.”
“I think it sounds like fun,” Elizabeth said loyally.
Hatch eyed Elizabeth thoughtfully. The girl was a little shy but certifiably brilliant. Hatch did not doubt that someday she was going to cure rare diseases or journey into remote tropical jungles in search of exotic plants. In the meantime it was obvious Jessie was struggling to make certain the younger girl built a relationship with her father.
Hatch had figured out weeks ago just what Jessie's role in the complex Benedict family was. She was the go-between who held everything together, the one who linked Vincent to the clan and the rest of the clan to Vincent. It was clear that her real job in life was holding the Benedict family together. Anything else that might come along in terms of employment was going to be strictly part-time. He wondered why none of the family, including her own father, realized that.
“Don't forget you're supposed to pick Elizabeth up at ten o'clock on Saturday to take her to the science fair,” Jessie reminded Vincent.
“I won't forget. Got it on my calendar.” Vincent gave his younger daughter a knowing look. “You going to win first prize again this year?”
“Maybe.” Elizabeth spoke with shy confidence. Then she frowned. “Unless they give it to Eric Jerkface.”
Hatch frowned curiously. “Who's Eric Jerkface?”
“The science teacher's favorite. He looks like he came right off of some television show featuring cute kids, and he knows how to kiss up to the teachers. You know what I mean?”
“Of course Hatch knows what you mean.” Jessie smiled blandly at Hatch over her sister's head. “He's very familiar with that kind of corporate mentality, aren't you, Hatch?”
“Very.” Hatch shot her a withering glance and turned back to Elizabeth. “What's Jerkface's project?”
“He's doing something on extraterrestrial life.”
Jessie was incensed. “Nobody even knows if there is any extraterrestrial life. How can he do a project on the subject?”
“Eric Jerkface talked the teacher into it,” Elizabeth explained.
“Well, the project's bound to bomb next to yours,” Jessie declared. “You're going to knock the socks off the judges with your chemical analysis of a toxic-waste dump, isn't she, Dad?”
“Right,” Vincent agreed readily. Then he scowled at Elizabeth. “I just hope you're not going to turn into one of those radical environmentalists.”
“Ecologist, Dad, not environmentalist,” Jessie said quickly. “And Elizabeth hasn't decided which scientific career she wants to pursue yet, have you, Elizabeth?”
“No I'm still making up my mind.” Elizabeth concentrated on her pizza.
“No rush, I guess. Just don't take as long to make up your mind about a career as Jessie's taking,” Vincent muttered. “What's the difference between an ecologist and an environmentalist, anyway?”
Elizabeth assumed a serious, pontificating tone. “Ecology is the science of studying the environment. Environmentalism is the social and political movement that causes all the headlines.”
“I wonder if Edwin Bright is a genuine ecologist turned con man,” Jessie mused, “or just an opportunist.”
“I don't see that it matters,” Hatch said flatly. “Either way, you don't have any business getting involved.”
“But that's just it.” Jessie's smile was radiant. “This is business. I'm working for a living. I should think everyone would be pleased. Just think, I'm actually holding down a job for longer than one month.”
“Save me,”
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