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Jared met Angela glare for glare. “For Kami,” he snapped. “I’m going to write for the paper because Kami’s here, and I’m not going to leave Kami’s side. Someone’s trying to kill her.”
Chapt
er Ten
Falling All Around You
Chaos descended on Kami’s headquarters. Ash gave Jared an appalled stare and shut the door with a slam. Holly jumped, her apple rolling off the computer and onto the floor.
“You maniac!” Angela got in Jared’s face. “That’s not funny. Where the hell do you get off saying something like that?”
“I’m not joking,” Jared said coldly. “Someone’s trying to kill her. Tell them, Kami!”
Everyone looked at Kami. Kami bit her lip. “Well. Yes. Someone’s trying to kill me. But you don’t have to make such a big deal out of it.”
Now everyone was looking at her in the same way they’d been looking at Jared.
“You maniac!” Angela whirled on her. “Someone’s trying to kill you, and you didn’t tell me about it?” Her dark eyes narrowed, furious instead of being shocked or scared. That was Angela’s way of dealing.
Kami grabbed her hand. “I was going to tell you. I couldn’t think of how to put it, and I knew you would freak out.”
“Of course I’m freaking out! Who wouldn’t freak out? Anyone would, apart from you, because you are a suicidal idiot!”
“Uh,” said Holly awkwardly. “Am I missing something? If someone is trying to kill Kami, shouldn’t we—um—go to the police?” She looked around at the group and gave an apologetic smile. “Just a thought.”
Kami had not been looking forward to explaining this. “We can’t do that; I already told the police I wasn’t pushed down the well.”
“Down the well,” Angela repeated, and had to go sit down and hold on to her letter opener. It was in the shape of a dagger. Angela said holding it soothed her; seeing Angela hold it did not soothe Kami.
Ash cleared his throat. “And why would you say that?”
“Because when I told them I was pushed down the well, they thought Jared had done it.”
Everybody’s eyes swung to Jared.
“Jared didn’t do it,” Kami added quickly.
“Kami,” said Angela, in a dangerous tone. “Sit. Explain.”
Kami made for her desk, then pulled out her spinning chair, sat, and explained. It took some time, because people kept breaking in with unnecessary questions.
“What do you mean, the police were suspicious because you weren’t wearing enough clothes?” Ash demanded, staring coldly at Jared. “Where were your clothes?”
Jared had his back to the wall, which Kami thought was a reflex when he was uncomfortable. She wanted to shield him. “He was doing some—Zen jogging,” she claimed.
Jared flicked her an incredulous glance. “Yes,” he said slowly. “Zen jogging. I wasn’t wearing that many clothes because—that’s part of the process. You’re meant to commune with the elements. Normally, I wouldn’t have worn my jeans, but I put them on because I know the English are a modest people.”
“If I beat my head against this desk, maybe things will make sense,” Angela murmured. “Or if I beat someone else’s head against this desk …” She eyed Jared speculatively.
“So, anyway!” said Kami. “To recap: Someone shoved me into a well. In order to clear the name of my unjustly accused and indeed heroic rescuer”—she paused to see the effect of this praise on Angela; it seemed to be cutting no ice at all—“I had to hide this from the police. Which means we’re going to have to find out who did it ourselves.”
Holly smiled, as if warming to the idea of playing detectives. Angela wasn’t smiling, but her anger had become more theatrical and less real. Nobody was taking Kami entirely seriously. She was used to that. She got a lot of practice with that, due to being the girl who spoke to someone in her head. It wasn’t like all of this sounded plausible, even without the question of Zen jogging.
“Why would anyone want to kill you?” Ash asked in a calm, patient voice.
Kami sighed. “I have no idea.”
“Doesn’t it have to be whoever killed that fox?” Holly asked.
