“I ... need out of here.”
I need a phone. Where is my phone?
My chin lowers, and I search only for the knife—no, no, theletter opener. It’s a letter opener. I lift my hand to reach for it, but my fingers curl into my palm, resisting the blood-stained silver. More images stab at my mind, and I shove them aside. I cannot go there right now, not when I’m still in this hellish place, dying, for all I know. The hesitation of moments before evaporates. My hand closes around the knife’s handle, and I shift in an attempt to stand, fighting through the ache of my body. Somehow I manage to roll to my knees, crawling toward the stairs, inching my way closer and closer. Every part of me hurts, little dots swirling in my vision, but I pull myself forward. At some point the pain fades, and my body is numb, butmy energy is nonexistent. I rest my forehead on the steel bars, telling myself it’s just for a moment.
At some point I realize I’m dozing, and I jerk out of the darkness. That’s when the distinct heavy thud of footsteps, above me and headed down in my direction, registers in my mind. My heart races, adrenaline surging through me in that fight-or-flight way fear overtakes us mere humans.
I don’t know if I should call out or run.
Chapter Thirty-Six
A single lie discovered is enough to create doubt in every truth.
—Unknown
The past ...
The hail ends as abruptly as it began, the way truth ends in lies in a few spoken words.
With her contact with my father regarding his patent on my mind, I dial Jess in hopes she might clue me in on what the heck is going on.
“Hey, you,” she answers. “My God, this rain. It won’t let up.”
“Did you know my father got invited back onLion’s Den?”
“Oh good Lord, tell me he said no.”
“He didn’t tell you when you talked to him about the attorney?”
“Why would he tell me? No. Our talk was fast. I connected him with Nick Morris, the attorney I told you about. Is he going back onLion’s Den?”
“My mother says he was invited but on the fence about it. He didn’t tell me.”
“That’s kind of strange, but, you know, maybe it seemed unimportant since he doesn’t need them. He’s on his own path.”
“That my mother doesn’t know about?”
“Well, if she’s cheating—”
“What if she’s not? What if it’s not my mother who’s cheating, but my father?”
“Oh come on, Mia. Your dad—”
“Is human and flawed.”
“Okay. There’s truth in that statement. We’re all human and flawed. Only assholes think differently. But worrying about this won’t change anything. They’re adults. They make their own decisions. And maybe, just maybe, your father is simply doing what he told you he was doing. Surprising your mother with his success.”
Did I tell Jess he said that? I don’t remember. I must have. I tell her everything. “Right,” I say and change the subject. “What are you doing today?”
“I agreed to go meet some guy for coffee. He’s the president of some bank.”
“Some bank? Just some bank?”
“I don’t believe anything anyone tells me. You know that. I’ll remember what bank when he’s worthy of me remembering what bank, which is likely never.”
“Cynicism is sinful.”
She snorts. “Did you make that up just now?”
