Page 75 of Mission: Possible

"They think they're being discreet but I don't buy it. That's what you wanted to know, right? About why someone might hurt Sophie? Your client is a depraved creep."

"I wanted to ask you about an argument someone overheard you having with Sophie about money."

"I don't recall that."

"I know you're in a lot of debt."

Zach stopped. "How do you know that?"

"It doesn't matter. But I know it's true."

"Yeah, sure, I am. Who isn't? Sophie offered to help me out before she had the accident. She felt bad for having so much when I have to work my butt off for the rich kids who want to play in the woods for kicks. They have no idea what survival is all about," he scoffed. "They wouldn't last a minute on a real deployment."

"If that's true about Sophie helping you, why did you take out credit cards in her name?" It was a punt but a good one. Lily got it right. Zach froze and his jaw stiffened. Then he dropped to his knees, fiddling with the ropes by my ankles.

"What are you accusing me of?" he asked, his voice audibly colder.

"I'm just asking..."

"PI for the insurance? Hmmm. Austen's got you trying to set me up, doesn't he?" he said, stepping towards me, his face furious. "You know what I think of that?" He placed a hand on my chest. "I think you can tell Austen that he's never going to take Sophie away from me. Never!" Then he pushed me.

I fell backwards, my hands wildly clasping the air but there was nothing to grab hold of and the railing slipped out of my reach. Zach unclipped the security rope and I dropped headfirst towards the ground. I did the only thing I could do: I screamed.

Chapter Fifteen

"How long has she been like this?" Solomon's voice reached me from far away.

"An hour. All she does is babble incoherently. I can't make sense of it." Lily patted my head. "She didn't even respond when I offered her pizza. Is she broken?"

"I was flying," I muttered as I stared at the glossy expanse of nothingness. "Flying. Whee!"

"Flying?"

"She fell off a bungee-jumping platform," explained Lily.

"What the hell was she doing bungee-jumping?" asked Solomon.

"Interviewing a suspect."

"While bungee-jumping?"

"Flyyyyiiiinnng," I sighed, the word skimming the air as I physically did only an hour before.

"By the time I realized what was happening, Lexi was upside down, bouncing in the air, up and down, up and down, secured by her ankles, and screaming like a banshee."

I lifted my head. "Am I dead?"

"No, honey, you're at home," said Lily.

I lay my head on the kitchen counter again, relishing the cold surface. If I were dead, it wouldn't feel this cold, surely? Wasn't heaven perpetual summertime? Warm and glowy, a haze of golden sunshine amid blue skies and pretty flowers. Shouldn't someone be playing a harp?

"I think she's in shock," said Solomon.

"My head nearly smooshed like a watermelon," I mumbled against the counter top. "Smoosh."

"What does that mean?" asked Solomon.

"I think she thought she would land on her head."