No one was less like Volkov than Tanner. Volkov was a nightmare of ugliness and cruelty. Tanner wasn’t like anyone else she had ever met. Pantherlike sleekness, strength, intelligence, the way he’d watch with narrowed gray-blue eyes as she spoke, seeing far too much. That smile so rare, you found yourself waiting for it. Yet she felt that he understood and accepted her words in a way no one else could. And he had understood how much the keyboard would mean to her and gone to the trouble to get it for her.

The keyboard.

Why was she staring after Tanner, she thought impatiently. He was an enigma and too fond of hurling out challenges. She could deal with him later. She only had another two hours of the music before she’d have to give it up for a little while.

She flexed her hands, leaned forward, and started to play.

*  *  *

“Time’s up,” Mallory told Lara gently. “Tanner told me to pack up the keyboard and ask you to go up and sit with Maria and buckle up. We’ll be landing in fifteen minutes.”

“That soon?” She got to her feet and shook her head to clear it. “Tanner left it to the last minute, didn’t he? He said he’d only give me two more hours.”

“He was probably enjoying himself.” Mallory grinned. “As were we all. It was quite a concert.”

“A very long one.” Lara made a face. “I was being completely selfish. It was good that Tanner set me up at the back of the plane. I hope I didn’t disturb you.”

“No way. It was a pleasure.” He made a shooing gesture. “But I’ve got to get this keyboard ready to go in the trunk of the Land Rover. It can’t be left behind. Tanner told me it had go in first. Go buckle up.”

She was already making her way toward the seat next to Maria.

“Was it good?” Maria asked as Lara dropped down in the seat. “Or at least enough to hold you?”

Lara nodded. “Both.” She watched Maria put her computer in its case. “I hear you were doing a little work yourself.”

“I thought he’d tell you. It was the clever thing to do. How much?”

“Only the part that was the most damaging to him. You can tell me the rest later.”

“And by telling you himself, it served to dilute the poison. He realized what I was doing, and he didn’t try to stop me. He even told me to go on with it.” She paused. “He’s very dangerous, Lara.”