The memory of Mr. Rainbow came flooding back to her. She did not want another death on her conscience. She wasn’t worth it. “If he shows up again, we’re just going to leave the country.”
Jackson refolded the paper and replaced it in his pocket. He made a precise steeple with his hands. “You obviously do not fully understand the situation. Were you the only one he was onto, then perhaps your simplistic solution might resolve the matter, at least temporarily. However, the man has a list with the names of eleven other people with whom I worked. I would submit that a resolution involving all of them fleeing the country almost simultaneously would be essentially unworkable.”
LuAnn drew in a sharp breath. “I could pay the man. How much money can he want? That would take care of it.”
Jackson smiled tightly. “Blackmailers are a bad lot. They never seem to go away.” He added sharply, “Unless they receive extreme persuasion to do so.”
“Mr. Jackson, please don’t do it,” she said again.
“Don’t do what, LuAnn? Ensure your survival?” He glanced around. “And with it all of this?” He rested his gaze back upon her. “How is Lisa, by the way? As beautiful as her mother?”
LuAnn felt her throat constrict. “She’s fine.”
“Excellent. Let’s keep it that way, shall we?”
“Can’t you just let it go? Let me handle it.”
“LuAnn, many years ago we were confronted with a situation regarding another would-be blackmailer. I took care of that incident and I will take care of this one. In matters like this I almost never opt for delegation. Count your blessings that I’m allowing Riggs to live. For now.”
“But that man can’t prove anything. How can he? And even if he could, they’ll never be able to trace anything to you. Maybe I’ll go to jail, but you won’t. Hell, I don’t even know who you really are.”
Jackson stood up, his lips pursed. He took a moment to rub his left hand delicately along the edge of the bedspread.
“Beautiful needlework here,” Jackson commented. “Indian isn’t it?”
Distracted for an instant by his query, LuAnn was suddenly staring down the barrel of a 9-mm, a suppressor attached to its muzzle.
“One potential solution could involve my killing all twelve of you. That would certainly qualify as a startling dead-end for our inquisitive friend. Remember that the ten-year period is up. The lottery’s principal amount has already been returned to a Swiss account that I have set up in your name. I would strongly advise against transferring that money into the United States.” He pulled another slip of paper from his pocket and put it down on her bed. “Here are the authorization codes and other account information that will enable you to access it. The funds are untraceable. There you have it. As agreed.” Jackson’s finger curled around the trigger of his weapon. “However, now I really don’t have any incentive to keep you around, do I?” He advanced toward her. LuAnn’s fingers tightened around the letter opener.
“Put it down, LuAnn. Granted, you’re remarkably athletic, but you’re not faster than a bullet. Put it down. Now!”
She dropped the letter opener and backed up against the wall.
Jackson stopped a few inches from her. While he lined up the pistol with her left cheekbone, he ran a gloved hand along her right cheek. There was no sexual content to the motion. Even through the glove, LuAnn could sense the purely clinical chill of his touch.
“You should have thrown it the first time, LuAnn. You really should have.” His eyes were mocking.
“I’m not going to kill someone in cold blood,” said LuAnn.
“I know. You see, that is your greatest shortcoming, because that’s precisely when you should strike.”
He removed his hand and looked at her.
“Ten years ago I felt you were the weak link in the chain. During the intervening years, I thought perhaps I was wrong. Everything was going so smoothly. But now I find my initial intuition was correct. Even if I were in no personal danger of discovery, were I to let this man blackmail you or perhaps even expose the manipulations of the lottery, then that would be a failure on my part. I do not fail. Ever. And I do not let other people have any control whatsoever over plans of mine, for that, in itself, would be a form of failure. Besides, I couldn’t bear to let such a grand performance be ruined.