Page 43 of Mission: Possible

"Go on."

"We finished cutting the slab and Manny sent me out to check, just in case. I didn’t know what I was looking for so I went out of the kitchen and called Mrs. Takahashi’s name. I didn't hear anything so I figured she might be upstairs and I walked to the entryway. I saw her body right away. She was just lying there," he said, sweeping his hand towards the floor.

"Can you describe exactly what you saw?"

David glanced at Manny, and Manny nodded. "She was lying on top of the banister, holding onto it, and her face was down. There was blood everywhere. I thought she was dead. I yelled for Manny and took her pulse. Then Manny made sure she was breathing before he called 911. We stayed with her until they came."

"She was holding onto the banister?" I asked.

"Her fingers were wrapped around it," said Manny.

"It was awful," said David, his brow furrowing with worry. "I can't stop thinking about it, wondering if we did the right thing."

"I think you did," I said, standing up. "One more thing, was anyone else around here that day?"

"Just us two," said Manny. "I sent the other guys into town to pick up supplies."

"You didn't notice anyone else at the house? A visitor for Sophie maybe?"

"No," said David, "but we probably wouldn't have heard anyone’s arrival what with all the noise we were making."

"Thanks for your time," I told them.

"Are we in trouble?" asked David.

I shook my head. "No," I answered but he didn't look relieved. I thanked them again and walked to my car. Hopping into the driver's seat, I plugged Sky Outdoors into the navigation system and drove out the driveway, thinking about Sophie's injuries. She was found face down, but her injury was at the back of her head. Her fingers were wrapped around the banister but I knew from seeing her in the hospital that none of them were broken. I wondered how they couldn't be broken after such a fall as that. The more I thought about it, the more I believed her fall was staged.

The drive was pleasant, the cityscape making way for broader roads hugged by tall pines. I knew the road well. I traveled it many times on the way to Lake Pierce but this time, instead of continuing to the cabin-filled lakeside, I turned off after a couple of miles. I followed a long, winding road that terminated in a dirt parking lot. A big, shiny truck was parked to one side amongst several others. I wasn't sure but I thought it might be the same one I saw tearing out of the Takahashis’ house the first time I visited. I parked close to the tall wooden poles with a flag suspended between them that signified the entrance. The flag had a print of a happy group of people flying through the sky on zipline chairs, their hands clinging to the ropes, their smiles broad beneath their safety helmets.

I hopped out and walked towards the large, log-built, chalet-styled building at the end of the gravel path, zipping my jacket against the chilly breeze. The chalet doors were made of glass, affording me a brief moment to observe the interior before I reached for the handle and stepped in. The door closed softly behind me. On one side was a group of men dressed in expensive sportswear, getting fitted for harnesses by a pair of instructors in Sky Outdoors fleece jackets. One was a tall man with a neat beard and a the other was a perky blond woman who kept telling the clients everything would be "rad!"

"Are you with the group?" asked the tall woman behind the desk as I approached. She wore a Sky Outdoors vest and looked lean and strong with her hair styled in an unruly, curly bob that looked both artful and cute. "I'm Vanessa and I'm working the desk today so I can help you with anything you need. They're almost ready to go but I can still get you fitted out. Do you need a helmet or did you bring your own?"

"Actually, I'm looking for Zach Gallo. Do you know where I can find him?"

She frowned as she glanced over me. "Sure, he's here but he's working. I can give him a message?"

"It's important. It's about his sister."

"Oh!" Vanessa sighed knowingly, her face creasing with compassion. "Yes, of course. I heard. It's so sad. Is she okay? Did something happen?"

"She's still stable," I assured her since she clearly knew about the accident.

She pushed her sleeves up. On one inner wrist, I spotted a small, swirling tattoo. "I got it a few years ago," she said, noticing my stare. "Hurt like a bitch!"

"I can imagine!"

"So it's good news about Zach's sister, although not the best news, obviously," she said, wincing slightly, "I'll call him on the radio. I'm sure he'll be pleased to get any news. I know he's very worried and honestly, he's been in a crabby mood all week."

"He has?"

"Like any of us would be," she said as she reached for a walkie-talkie. "I know I'd be a mess if my brother had an accident as bad as that."

"We're heading out," called the blond, stepping past us as she herded the group out the door. "See you in an hour. Guys, we're having hot chocolate afterwards! Isn't that rad?" She beamed at me as she passed and I couldn't help smiling back. Her happy persona was infectious. The rest of her group didn't look particularly thrilled so I figured they were on a heinous company morale day. I guessed they would have to "trust their teammates" before they went home, despite feeling shattered, annoyed and resentful of the hours they would have to make up at their desks for the morale-building experience. The hot chocolate did sound nice though.

"Zach's on his way," said Vanessa. "He was just working on the climbing wall so it'll take him ten minutes to walk here. You can have a seat while you wait." She waved to the small seating area the group previously occupied. "Can I help you?" she asked as the door opened and another group filed in, unbuckling their harnesses and offloading helmets. Two tall, muscular men, both of them displaying buzzcuts and Army tattoos on their arms, assisted the second group.

"Thanks," I said but it was lost in the cacophony of the new group chattering while clattering their discarded equipment on the desk. As I waited, I grabbed a magazine, idly browsing the workout plans and reading an article about a woman who climbed what looked like sheer cliff faces without any climbing gear. Just reading the article terrified me.