‘My bedroom wal s.’
‘Yeah, that’s good. Safe, familiar. When you throw that up between you and anyone listening, they should find it hard to get behind it. But it takes work
—and we al forget from time to time.’
‘The savant working for the shooter—has he let his shield drop?’
Zed shook his head. ‘That’s why we know he’s good—powerful. Either that or he’s long gone, but we doubt it.’
‘They’l try again?’
‘We think so. We hope so, because now we are expecting them, we have a chance of catching them, and they might rol over on the mole in the FBI. But knowing what’s in the wind, you be extra careful, promise?’ He ran his finger lightly over the back of my hand, sending a shiver down my spine.
‘I promise.’
‘I’m keeping you a secret, even from my family.
You’re too precious to risk anywhere near this mess.’
Tina couldn’t understand why I wasn’t getting Zed to teach me to ski. ‘You’ve got one of the best skiers in the district as a boyfriend—and I’m stil angry with you for not tel ing me the truth about that, by the way
—and you ask me to teach you?’
‘That’s right.’ I picked up a scraper and helped her clear the snow off her car windscreen in the school parking lot.
‘Why?’
‘Because according to Zed you total y rock on the slopes yourself. You’re my Obi Wan and I am your faithful apprentice.’
She preened with pleasure at the praise. ‘Thanks.
I didn’t think he noticed girls like me.’
‘He’s not what you think. He’s not as unapproachable as he seems. He’s just got this …
this problem with relaxing around people.’ And he’s stressed out half the time witnessing major crimes for the FBI, but she didn’t need to know that part.
‘And our parents aren’t too keen we spend time together—not since we ended up at the police station.’
‘Oh my God, it’s like West Side Story!’
I didn’t think that very accurate. If my memory of the musical was any good, I don’t think either of them was pursued by assassins with extra-sensory perception.
‘Fine, I’l teach you,’ continued Tina. ‘Besides, there’s only so many times a girl wants to fal on her butt in front of the boy she’s out to impress.’
Actual y, she had a point. Perhaps it would be better to learn from her.
‘Wisdom you speak, Obi Tina.’
She laughed. ‘None of that—I’m the one who gets to speak backwards—no, we’re both wrong—that’s the little green guy, Yoda.’
I slapped my forehead. ‘You’re right. So I just get to pout and act badly when you try and teach me anything.’
‘Try channel ing Luke rather than Annakin—the outcome is better. I’l take you Sunday morning if you like, after church. We finish about eleven so I’l pick you up at quarter past.’
‘Great.’
‘Got any gear?’
‘No. What do I need?’
‘Don’t worry. I’l bring you my old suit—I grew out of it years ago. You can hire skis at the sports store.’
‘I can’t wait.’
‘Think you’re going to be a natural?’
‘Um.’
‘Sure you are. Feel the force, Sky.’
I wasn’t a natural skier—not by a long way. But I was a natural at fal ing over. My balance needed a lot of work. I’d been compared to Bambi before but today I felt like him when he first gets up on his hooves, legs slipping in al directions.
‘Don’t you sometimes have those daydreams,’ I panted, spitting out snow after my most recent face plant, ‘where you try something new and find yourself to be an undiscovered talent?’
Tina patted my back consolingly. ‘Al the time.’
‘It’s just not happening here.’
We were stil at the foot of the nursery slopes. I could see the cable car doing good business taking the more experienced skiers up to the peak, Xav manning the ticket booth. It was a perfect day for skiing—sky pale blue, snow glistening with seductive promise, the heights beckoning. The mountains were at their most benign, Old Man Weather in his chair, rocking gently, no nasty changes of mood in mind.
Tina caught the direction of my gaze. ‘Zed’s probably up top. Mr Benedict pays the boys to work the weekend shift.’
At least he wasn’t here to see my failure. I was providing Xav with enough entertainment as it was.
‘OK, let’s go again. Remember, Sky, it’s just your first lesson.’
I watched with a sensation of despair as a little four year old whizzed by on mini skis. She wasn’t even using sticks.
‘You can’t compare yourself to them. They don’t have so far to fal and are indestructible at that age.
Once more. Yeah, that’s it. Keep the skis paral el.
No, no, don’t let them spread!’
‘Ouch.’ My thighs were screaming protests as I nearly did the splits.
‘That was good—better.’
‘Better than what?’
‘Better than the time before. Had enough for today?’
‘Oh yes.’
‘Would you mind if I went up to do a run down?’
‘Of course not.’
‘You could come too.’
‘You are joking?’
‘You could take the cable car back again. You might like the view from the top.’
I grinned, pleased that Tina was coming round to Zed going out with me. She had dropped her dire warnings, decreasing the threat level to ‘yel ow alert’
rather than ‘crisis’. ‘I might just do that.’
Skis on our shoulders,
we trudged to the queue for
the lift. Xav’s eyes widened when he saw me at the kiosk. He shot a panicked look at Tina.
‘Sky, sweetheart, don’t you think it’s a bit early to take a run from the top?’ he asked.
‘No, I feel just in the mood.’ I suppressed my grin.
‘Tina, you need to talk her out of this. She could kil herself.’
‘Don’t sweat it, Xav. She thinks she has undiscovered talent.’
He covered the ticket with his hand. ‘Not sel ing you one, Sky.’
I rol ed my eyes. ‘For heaven’s sake, Xav, I’m not completely stupid. I’m just going up for the ride.
Tina’s the one who’s going to ski down.’
He laughed with relief. ‘Great. No charge then. But just to be sure, I’l look after your skis.’
Tina flashed her season ticket and we climbed into the car. The view was spectacular. We hung over the roof of the Benedict house for a second then set off up the cable, brushing the tops of the firs until they too plunged away and we were swinging across a gorge. Below us antlike skiers zipped to and fro, making the whole business look so easy.
Ten minutes later we got out at the station at the top.
Zed was busy loading the car to go down—there were only a few sightseers like me so it wouldn’t take long.
‘Grab a coffee.’ Tina nudged me towards the concession stand. ‘I’l meet you back by the bottom of the cable car in half an hour.’
‘OK. Have fun.’
Settling her feet in her skis, she propel ed herself off the start of the black run.
‘A coffee with milk and a doughnut please,’ I asked the shiny faced man at the stal .
‘Not skiing, hon?’ he asked, handing over my pastry in a white bag.
‘First time on skis. I’m rubbish.’
He laughed. ‘So am I. That’s why I stick to serving coffee.’
‘How much?’
‘On the house—to celebrate your first experience of skiing.’
‘Thanks.’
Zed jogged up behind and scooped me round the waist, lifting me in the air, forcing a squeak from me.
‘How’s it going?’
‘I’m crap at skiing.’
‘Yeah, I thought you might be.’ He spun me round.
‘I’ve only a minute until the next car arrives, just enough to steal a bite of whatever you’ve got in there.’