Page 139 of The Session

“Cop?”

“Do you want to see my handcuffs?” Diane shot back.

“That really depends on the context,” Mark jabbed.

“It does. And the context is, How deep into this are you, Mark?”

“Maybe you know more than I do,” he countered.

“You’ve had quite the trajectory. A few weeks ago you were an out-of-work paramedic working at a nursing home. Now you’re being paraded around a bunch of billionaires as the next big thing. How does that happen? How do you move up so quickly?”

“Nepotism, I guess,” Mark replied.

“That didn’t work for Kevin, did it?”

“Last time we spoke, you dropped a pretty vague hint about my father being involved in Kevin’s death,” Mark said.

“I don’t remember that, but what conclusion have you come to?”

“I’m convinced Kevin was killed, but not by my father. Probably somebody close to them both. But I guess you already suspect that too.”

“I suspect a great number of things. Your new friends have more skeletons than closets to hide them in.”

“I get the impression that Kevin and that other employee’s deaths aren’t your primary concern. Maybe not even your jurisdiction.”

“His name was David McCready. What makes you say that?”

Mark had been thinking about the first time he met Diane back in front of the condo in Miami, and then again here on the island. She seemed like she was probing for something else, but he couldn’t figure out what.

“I think it was just an opportunistic entry point for you—maybe to get my attention. But why exactly do you want that?” he asked.

“I think you’re a good guy but in way over your head and maybe you need some help.”

“Help,” Mark echoed. “This is when I get asked for something.”

“Of course. You’ve seen enough to realize that Summit isn’t so much a labyrinth as a house of cards about to come crashing down. And if you want to stay clear of the wreckage, you’re going to need a friend.”

“And what would this friend want from me?”

“Help sorting everything out. Details. An insider’s perspective.”

“I’m not an insider,” Mark replied.

“It’s a relative thing. What can you tell me about the Vault?” she asked.

“I don’t know what that is.”

“Right. Have you ever googled Summit Strategies? Because it’s not exactly a secret.”

“It’s news to me,” Mark replied.

“People wonder how Summit has been so effective. And the answer’s out there if you know where to look.”

“Marketing?”

“Secrets, Mark. You know this. You have to have figured this out by now. You’ve done a Session. Some of the darkest things about your life were put in front of you. Where do they keep them? How do they get that information? What are they using it for? Surely you’ve thought about this.”

He didn’t speak.