Page 64 of Once a Killer

Theo gave her a puzzled look, then shifted his gaze to Jameson. “What’s going on, Jameson?”

He blew out a breath. “It’s a long story, which I’ll tell you in a minute. This is Bree Gordon. She’s my bodyguard. Please let her do her thing first.”

Theo’s eyebrows rose when Jameson saidbodyguard, but he nodded. Turned to Bree and lifted his arms from his sides. “Is this okay?” He asked.

“That’s perfect,” she said, patting him down quickly and efficiently. Then she nodded to Jameson. “He’s good.”

Jameson said, “You want a drink, Theo?”

Theo stared at his former student. “Am I going to need one to listen to what you have to say?”

Jameson sighed and headed for the bar. “Probably.”

“Scotch then, please,” he said. “Single malt, if this joint has it.”

His advisor’s teasing words eased the tension in Jameson’s shoulders. “I think we can scrounge up something that won’t make you choke.”

He found a mini-bar-sized bottle of Johnny Walker Blue and poured it into a glass. “Ice?” he asked before he handed it to Theo.

“Not with that liquid gold,” Theo said reverently. He took a sip and saluted his old student. “I love it when my kids are successful.” He nodded at the Scotch. “Based on this, looks like you fall into that category.”

“I hope so,” he said, nodding toward the two couches facing each other across a coffee table. “Let’s sit down.”

Theo sat on one side of the table, and Bree sat at the other end of the couch on the other side. Theo’s gaze slid from Jameson to Bree. Studied her for a moment, then returned to Jameson. “Tell me why you need a bodyguard.”

Bree relaxed into the couch while Jameson described what had led up to hiring Bree, as well as what had happened after she arrived. He shook his head. “She’s working on the assumption that it’s someone in the lab.”

Theo’s gaze slid from him to Bree. Back to him. “That sucks,” he said. “Big time.”

“Yeah, it does.” Jameson shrugged one shoulder. “I guess I should have expected it, but it took me by surprise. Shook me up.” He scowled. “Especially if the person behind it is someone working in my lab.”

Theo switched his gaze to Bree. “You have any ideas on who it might be?” he asked.

She glanced at Jameson, and he nodded. “I trust Theo. Tell him anything.”

So she described her talks with the four engineers in the lab. Finished by saying, “I can’t rule anyone out, and I could make a case for any of them. Jameson set up surveillance cameras in the lab, as well as more audio recorders. We’re hoping someone takes the opportunity to search for his program while we’re gone.”

“But they won’t find it, will they?” Theo said.

Jameson shook his head. “It’s in a safe deposit box at a bank. Didn’t want to leave it behind, didn’t want to bring it here.”

“Good,” Theo said, taking a sip of his scotch. “How are you doing with it? Close to patenting it?”

“Getting there,” he said. He glanced at Bree. Reached out to touch her, then drew his hand back. Theo watched him, his gaze sharpening. “Bree’s bugging me to get the patent moving more quickly. I have an appointment with my patent attorney next week.”

“That’s smart,” Theo said. He took another sip of his drink and leaned forward. “People in our field are already talking about you as my most accomplished former grad student. They’re saying that your program is going to win awards and make you lots of money. I hope they’re right, because I couldn’t be more proud of you.”

“Yeah, a couple of Army guys came by this week and offered me an obscene amount of money for it. But I’m not selling it. I’m going to license it. I want to retain control of my work.”

“I think that’s wise,” Theo said. “Your thesis program was brilliant, and I know you’ve revised it since you got your degree. You should make lots of money when you license it. I’m glad you’re shrewd enough to retain control. That you weren’t tempted to hand it over for a big payoff.”

“You taught me well, Yoda,” Jameson said with a smile. “And I’m pretty sure I’ll still make plenty of money by licensing it.”

“I think so, too,” Theo said. “That was an amazing program when it was your doctoral thesis. And I’m sure you’ve refined and expanded it. You’ll be a wealthy man, Jameson.”

“I hope the program makes lots of money,” Jameson said, leaning against the back of the couch as he braced for Theo’s reaction. “Because you’re going to get five percent of whatever the licensing brings in.”

Theo reared back, shocked. “What the hell, Jameson?You’rethe one who wrote that program. You’re the one who’s revising and expanding it. That money is yours, because you earned it.”

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