“I hate inefficiency. It was beginning to annoy me to see you using that computer that wasn’t worthy of you. So I called ahead and asked Sherman to make certain he contacted my New York office and had them send down one of mine with all the bells and whistles when we arrived here.” He started the car. “It’s a very special computer that I won from one of Silicon Valley’s geniuses, Herb Cramer. I’ve always thought technology gives an edge in any business, and I set up the stakes deliberately when I heard about the new computer he was developing. He wouldn’t put anything but the prototypes into the pot anyway, but that was all I wanted. Most technology is out of date in a couple of years.”

“What’s so special about it?” Maria asked.

“It’s a laptop equipped with the next-gen CPU that won’t be available to the public for a few years.”

“What will that mean to me?” she asked.

“That CPU is capable of millions of more calculations per second than anything else out there. That, combined with the state-of-the-art decryption software package also provided, will give you the ability to crack into private files and business records of almost anyone you choose. It will give you power you would never have had otherwise.” He grinned. “And it will offer you at least a shot at discovering all my deepest mysteries. My only request is that you reserve it for personal use only and not let anyone else have access to it. I promised Cramer that when I won it from him.”

Maria gazed blankly at him. “Why would you give me this? You’re defeating your purpose.”

“Because he’d think it wasn’t fair,” Lara said suddenly. “It wouldn’t be fun for him.”

Tanner smiled at her. “Along with a few other obscure reasons. I believe we may be getting to know each other, Lara.” He glanced back at Maria. “And it’s an extremely complicated piece of technology. It will give you something to do putting it together and discovering all the search engines and such.” He was pulling out onto the road and gestured at Mallory, who was waiting at the side of the road at the wheel of a Toyota truck. “Lara will just have to be bored. She’s had her treat for the day. I’m not going to have Mallory set up her keyboard. We’d be crowded for space.”

“Whatever,” Maria said absently. She was already digging into the box and pulling out leaflets.

Lara’s gaze was on Mallory. “He’s going with us?”

He nodded. “I decided I might want to have Mallory and a few other men to patrol the woods near the house.”

“How many men?”

“Four.” He looked at her inquiringly. “I hope that’s okay?”