Page 131 of The Session

Mark stepped onto the expansive seaside terrace of Summit’s exclusive resort, where towering video walls cycled through majestic landscapes, sweeping ocean vistas, and celestial imagery—subtly showcasing Summit’s global reach, from corporate training to ambitious infrastructure projects. Upbeat music pulsed gently across the gathering, reflecting off softly glowing tables and clusters of casually dressed executives conversing beneath strings of warm ambient light, while attractive waitstaff wove through with drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

Max Lightman’s three-hundred-foot yacht The Logician was anchored offshore as a speedboat tender ferried guests back and forth.

Mark had spent the morning and afternoon trying to crack Kevin’s phone passcode—which meant waiting ten minutes between attempts so it wouldn’t wipe itself.

He’d considered telling Marnie or Tru he had it but still wasn’t sure he could trust either.

As he entered the patio overlooking the ocean, he spotted Tru standing next to a glowing ice sculpture of a dolphin. She wore a sequined gown that shimmered in the lights as she talked with two older men who looked like they did billion-dollar mergers between rounds of golf.

“Mark,” Tru greeted, looping an arm around him. “This is Jack, and this is Vincent.”

“Nice to meet you,” Mark replied. He offered his hand, and both men shook it with an unusual amount of vigor.

“You’re one of Max’s boys, right?” Vincent asked. “Where have they been hiding you?”

“Georgia,” Mark answered.

“I saw the video. That was one hell of a move,” Jack noted.

“What video is that?” Vincent asked.

“Don’t you remember the viral clip of the EMT who carried the cop out of the line of fire?”

“Oh shit, son. I didn’t know that was you. And you’re Max’s boy! What the hell are you doing driving an ambulance?” Jack blurted.

“Trying to make an honest living,” Mark replied.

“What’s that?” Jack asked with a laugh.

“Kids these days,” Vincent agreed.

“Mark just did a rotation with Constellation, helping them with their medical strategy in Haiti.”

“You’ve got a pair on you,” Jack said.

“That or just bad judgment,” he replied. “Do you all mind if I pull Tru away?”

Mark guided her to a side table. “I went with Nathan Morris to Eleuthera yesterday.”

“I know. To look into what happened to Kevin. Max was asking about that. He heard from Morris but wanted to hear it from you.”

“Are you ready for this?” he asked. She nodded, attentive. “Okay. Morris met with Kevin the night before he died—but lied to me about not going to the island. I think he went to find out something, and then decided Kevin had to be killed.”

Tru didn’t seem shocked by the accusation. “But he wouldn’t do the killing himself.”

“No. But I think he had to decide for himself there, in person.”

“What did Kevin know that he couldn’t tell Max? Or me?”

“Maybe he tried to tell Max. I’m not sure. But I had an interesting conversation with Marnie,” Mark informed her.

“What did she say?”

“She thinks Kevin was murdered too. But she painted a pretty grim picture about the likelihood of convincing Max that Morris planned it.”

Tru shook her head sadly. “Kevin pushed their patience. Max began tuning him out. So did I. Goddamn it.”

“Can we trust Marnie?”