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Turns out he is not fine. Not at all, actually.
In fact, Dr. Dick Napper, bio-tech genius, inventor, and philanthropist, is most definitely dead. And I, in my infinite wisdom, just showed a group of minors a live death. On an enormous, ‘you can’t miss it because it’s in HD’ screen.
Which I just shut off.
One of the boys yells, “Whoa! That dude died! No cap!”
“No, he didn’t!” I squeak.
“He totally died,” Candace drawls.
The girl next to her says, “He’s like … super dead.”
I blink back tears, my voice all squeaky as I say, “I’m sure he’s just fine. Probably a few bruises, maybe a broken rib or something, but Dr. Napper is going to be a-okay.”
“Then why’d you shut the video off?” the lube shop heiress asks.
Crap. She’s got me there. “Umm … because it was done. So…”
“Turn it back on then,” the boy says.
“What?” I ask, a cool sweat forming, oh, everywhere.
“If he’s fine, turn it back on again so we can see him get up.”
“I would because he’s definitely alive, but um, because of the time…” I glance at my watch, even though my eyes are too blurry to see what it says. “We should get you all back on the bus.”
Mrs. Jones stands, her face white. “Yes, everyone file out. We need to leave immediately.”
“I’m so very sorry,” I whisper to her.
“If he’s actually dead, you will be sorry,” she whispers. “Half of these kids’ parents are lawyers. You’re going to get your ass sued from here to the end of the galaxy and back if you just showed these children a live death.”
So, that’s just great…
3
What Was That Thing I Said About Timing?
Ty
I know something’s wrong the second I step out of the jet. Donna is standing at the bottom of the staircase, and even though the sun is setting behind her, making it difficult to see her face, I can tell by the way she’s standing that she has something to tell me that I won’t want to hear.
I jog down the stairs to her, inhaling the cool breeze off the Santa Cruz Mountains and start toward the limo while she falls into step with me. “Please tell me you didn’t make the long drive because you think you can talk me into changing my mind. Because if there’s one thing I won’t do it’s?—”
“Dick is dead.”
I stop in my tracks, my heart free-falling to the asphalt under my shoes. “What?”
She turns to me. “Dick died. About two hours ago.”
My brain feels as if it’s going to shut down. My entire body goes numb, but I somehow manage to turn toward Donna. “The volcano?”
She nods. “The gas got him.”
Blinking hard, I try to make sense of what she’s saying. “What are you talking about? What gas?”
“The fumes. From the volcano. He passed out, then started to roll, then hit a boulder. It was pretty awful actually.”
