Finding Sky

‘Very interesting, Mr Kel y, but I beg to disagree. I believe Sky is right to say you’ve been manipulating her.’

Sal y looked horrified. ‘You mean drugged her—or

… or what? Hypnotized her?’

‘That’s right, ma’am.’

‘You’ve no evidence of that,’ sneered Maria Toscana shoulder with her father. ‘But we do have ample footage from the CCTV of this girl storming in here and shooting wildly. Which of us is a judge going to believe?’

‘Sky.’ Victor gri

‘I’m saying nothing,’ Daniel Kel y said through his teeth.

‘That’s fine, because I have plenty of talking to do.

Agent Kowalski fitted Sky with a standard FBI wire—

the one you were blocking—but she didn’t know anything about the recording device in Sky’s phone.’

He pul ed my mobile from my back pocket and tapped it. ‘Every word you said to Sky is captured, preserved for the judge and jury to hear. I’m sure it’l make interesting listening.’

‘I want a lawyer.’

Victor’s grin widened. ‘Excel ent. My favourite four words. Daniel Kel y, Maria Toscana Kel y, Sean Kel y, I am arresting you for kidnapping and conspiracy to murder. You have the right to remain silent …’

Six uniformed officers stepped up to cuff the Kel ys as Victor continued to recite their rights. Zed led me apart and hugged me tight, rocking me to and fro so only my toes brushed the carpet.

‘Isn’t that a lovely sound—to hear their rights read to them?’ he murmured in my ear, kissing the very same place Sean had slobbered over, taking away the shivery feeling. I was safe. Home.

‘I hope they lock them up and throw away the key.’

‘From Vick’s expression, I think he’s pretty confident of that.’

‘Did you know about the phone?’

‘Yeah, but I couldn’t tel you in case the Kel ys picked it out of your mind.’

I rested my palm over his heart, listening to the steady beat as I came down from my adrenaline high. I couldn’t stop trembling. ‘Then you’re forgiven.’

‘I never dreamed they’d make you do something like this, baby.’ He gestured to the mess I’d made of the casino.

‘I didn’t do anything, remember? Wel , except for shooting that chandelier but, as it’s an offence to good taste, I was in fact doing everyone a favour.’

‘You real y OK?’

‘Yes, I am. Uriel helped me last time to sort out true from false; this time, once I sensed the fake stuff, it al fel into place much more quickly thanks to my soulfinder. But I’ve got a headache though. And I made an even bigger mess of the penthouse—

shook it up a bit.’

‘Yeah, we felt that. I’m impressed. You pack a powerful punch into your five feet and one debatable inch.’

I looked up to see the Kel ys being led away.

‘Someone needs to make sure Daniel Kel y doesn’t use his gift to get them out of jail.’

‘Victor’s on to that. He’s got procedures set up to make sure Kel y can’t get his claws into anyone.’

‘What about the two Kel ys that got away from jail?’

Zed ruffled my hair. ‘Come on, Sky, three col ars for one day isn’t bad going. We’l get them sooner or later. What I want to know is when you’re going to stop ru

I rested my head on his chest. ‘Ru

‘We’re not like your biological parents. We can make this work. Just trust me. Please.’

Standing peaceful y together in the chaos of the casino, I took a deep breath, relishing his scent of woodsy soap and something that was purely him.

That was what he was to me: my resting place. I’d been stupid to think I could survive without him. My fears had blinded me to the prize I had been about to throw away. ‘I think I might’ve stopped ru

He kissed the top of my head. ‘And I’m not moving.’

‘OK. You’re my soulfinder. There, I’ve admitted it.’

He gave a shudder of relief. ‘Painful?’

‘Yes, very.’

‘Scared?’

‘Out of my wits.’

‘Wel , don’t be. The only real y scary thing would be not to stay together.’

Sal y and Simon approached with my new friend Texan George.

‘This gentleman here told us what happened,’

Sal y said, looking at me warily.

‘I’m OK now, Sal y. Victor wil tel you al about it when he gets back.’

George nodded sagely. ‘It was the damnedest thing, Mrs Bright. I knew there was something wrong with your gal the moment I saw her eyes—al glassy.

Reminded me of a cabaret act I saw in the Paradise Lounge one time. Hypnotist made the man from the audience sing like Elvis until he clicked his fingers and broke the spel .’ He winked at me. ‘But those bad guys couldn’t get you to go against your conscience, could they, Sky?’

‘I suppose not, George.’

‘See, hypnotism has its limits.’ He patted my hand in a grandfatherly fashion. ‘Go get yourself some rest, Sky.’

‘And you go take your wi

He tipped his hat. ‘Sure wil , ma’am. There’s a condo in Florida with your name on it just waiting for me.’

When he’d left, I turned to my dad. ‘So, do you stil want to move to Vegas?’

Simon looked at Sal y, then at Zed and me, standing together. ‘I think that would be a “no”—a very big “no”.’

To my horror, photos of me standing in the casino, shooting at the chandelier, made it into the papers.

Daniel Kel y’s fal was such big news any part of the transaction made headlines. The account of exactly what I was doing there was understandably garbled; most made me out to be an FBI plant working undercover to expose the criminal dealings of the Kel y family. It made a good storyline but that didn’t wash at school where they knew me.

‘Hey, Sky!’ cal ed Nelson, practical y tackling me in the hal way. ‘What the heck were you doing in Las Vegas last weekend?’

The Benedicts and I had discussed what story would best explain my uncharacteristic behaviour.

Nelson was the first person on whom I was to try out the tale.

‘Oh that?’ I gave an airy laugh. ‘Can you believe the papers? It was a stunt I was doing for a British TV programme—a reconstruction; they’re doing this feature on American gun crime. Bad timing on the producer’s part as we happened to be there at the same time as the hotel management got arrested.

Some health and safety violation or something, my mum said.’

Nelson shook his head. ‘No, Sky baby, the Kel ys are very bad guys—wanted for conspiracy to murder.’

‘Real y?’ I opened my eyes wide.

Don’t overplay it. Zed came up behind. Nelson’s no fool. He’ll expect you to know about Kelly.

‘Wel , wow. That’s very interesting,’ I said, toning the i

‘So you’re go

‘Yeah. It’s a programme for kids, cal ed … um …

Blue Peter.’

‘Cool. Gun crime—sounds real cutting edge stuff.’

‘Absolutely.’ Use round-ended scissors and no one gets harmed.

‘Awesome. Let us know when they show it—make sure you get a copy.’

‘Wil do.’

Nelson jogged away, stealing a kiss from Tina in passing. ‘Sky’s go

‘She’s a stunt girl.’

Wel , that was one way of spreading the story.

Stunt girl? I rather liked that. Much better than nutty fruitcake who shot up a casino.