The 22nd Secret (108 page)

“
W
h
o
?
”
Tom inte
r
rupt
e
d.

“
P
a
ula. You know, the
g
i
rl
y
ou
w
e
re
look
i
n
g
f
o
r.”

“
S
he
to
l
d
y
ou h
e
r n
a
me
w
a
s
P
a
ula
?
”

“
Y
ea
h
.”

“
S
he
g
i
v
e
y
ou a
last n
a
m
e
?
”

J
i
m r
ea
l
iz
e
d he
h
a
d plan
n
e
d to sp
e
nd the
re
st of his
l
i
fe
with a
w
oman
w
h
os
e
last n
a
me he didn’t know.
He
fe
lt
n
a
i
ve
a
nd stup
i
d.

“
No,
I
g
u
e
ss she did
n
’
t
,”
he
s
a
id she
e
pish
l
y
.
“
I
h
e
l
p
e
d h
e
r out of
the p
l
a
ne
a
nd
ca
r
r
i
e
d h
e
r to a fl
a
t bou
l
d
e
r
a
w
a
y
f
r
o
m
t
he
c
r
a
sh. The
storm
w
a
s coming
so
I
h
a
d to
g
e
t
us out of th
e
re
in a hur
r
y
.
I
loc
a
t
e
d some
a
d
d
i
t
ional
c
lo
t
hing
in
t
he
suitc
a
s
e
s
t
h
a
t
I
h
e
l
p
e
d h
e
r
p
ut on.”

“
S
o it
w
a
s
y
ou who
r
a
ns
a
c
k
e
d the l
u
g
g
a
g
e
?
”

“
Th
a
t’s r
i
g
h
t
.
B
ut
I
on
l
y
t
ook some
c
lo
t
hing for
h
e
r, noth
i
ng
e
lse
.
”

“
A
r
e
y
ou s
u
re
y
ou didn’t
take
a
n
y
th
i
n
g
a
w
a
y
f
rom
the
c
r
a
sh s
i
te oth
e
r th
a
n
c
lo
t
hin
g
?
”

“
J
ust one
th
i
n
g
, she
ins
is
ted on taking
h
e
r
c
os
m
e
t
i
c
s c
a
se
with he
r
. I
didn’t
th
i
nk it
w
a
s wo
r
th hauling
out of t
h
e
r
e
, but for
some
r
ea
son
w
h
e
n she
a
sked
for
it
I
w
e
nt and
g
ot
i
t.”

“
S
he
take
that
c
osmeti
c
s
ca
se
to
t
he
c
a
bin wi
t
h h
e
r
?
”

“
Y
e
s.”

“
S
o
y
ou took
t
his
g
irl
y
o
u kn
e
w
a
s
P
a
u
l
a
b
ac
k to
y
o
ur
lo
d
ge
a
lo
n
g
with h
e
r
c
osmeti
c
s
ca
s
e
. T
h
e
n
y
ou r
a
dioed
y
our
f
ri
e
nd
B
i
l
l and lied
a
bout
t
he
whole
th
i
n
g
.
W
h
y
?
W
h
y
’d
y
ou l
i
e
on the
F
AA
r
e
port
a
nd
wh
a
t
made
y
ou t
r
y
to h
i
de
h
e
r
a
t
y
our litt
l
e
c
a
bin
?
”

J
i
m
l
ook
e
d down
a
nd thou
g
ht for
a
f
e
w mome
n
ts.

“
I
don
’
t know,”
h
e
said
s
o
f
t
l
y
.
“
I
tru
l
y
do
n
’t kno
w
.”

“
Oh
c
ome no
w
, Mitc
h
e
l
l
,”
Tom r
a
ised his vo
i
c
e
.
“
You don’t
k
now
w
h
y
y
ou
l
i
e
d
?
”

“
Mr.
W
a
lke
r
,”
D
a
vid
i
nte
r
je
c
ted.
“
L
e
t
m
e
r
e
m
i
nd
y
ou
that Mr. Mit
c
h
e
ll
is
volun
t
a
ri
l
y
c
oop
e
r
a
t
i
n
g
with
y
ou. He
is
t
e
l
l
ing
y
ou w
h
a
t hap
p
e
n
e
d. You
w
i
l
l not
b
a
d
g
e
r him just be
ca
use
y
o
u don
’
t
l
ike his s
t
a
te
m
e
nts.”

“
I
’m so
r
r
y
,
”
Tom soft
e
n
e
d his ton
e
.
“
B
ut
y
ou must have
some
r
ec
ol
l
ec
t
i
on
o
f
w
h
a
t h
a
pp
e
n
e
d du
r
i
n
g
those
few hou
r
s bet
w
e
e
n wh
e
n
y
ou
a
r
r
ived
a
t
y
o
u
r lodge
a
nd
y
ou
r
a
dioed the she
r
if
f
.
S
ome m
e
mori
e
s
of
wh
a
t
m
a
de
y
ou
h
e
lp
t
his
g
irl hide
f
rom the
a
ut
h
o
r
i
t
ies.”

J
i
m’s voice
qu
a
v
e
r
e
d
a
s
he
b
e
g
a
n.
I
t
w
a
s
c
l
e
a
r to
e
v
e
r
y
one
t
h
a
t he
wa
s
n
e
a
r t
ea
rs.

“
I
t
’s like a
d
r
ea
m,
l
ike a
fo
g
.
I
ca
n
’t s
ee
m
t
o bre
a
k
throu
g
h
it.
I
m
e
a
n,
I
kn
o
w th
e
r
e
’s somethin
g
, but
I
just
ca
n
’
t se
e
m
t
o r
e
memb
e
r
wh
a
t
. You
’
re
not
g
oi
n
g
to bel
i
e
ve
th
i
s
bu
t
–”
J
im look
e
d
a
t h
i
s l
i
f
e
long
f
ri
e
nd,
B
i
ll
, knowing
that he
would know he
w
a
s tell
i
ng
the t
r
uth, at l
e
a
st
a
s he
re
m
e
mbe
re
d i
t
.
“
S
h
e
to
l
d me she
w
a
s ju
s
t a
g
ir
l
f
r
i
e
nd of
one
o
f the
m
e
n ki
l
led in the
c
r
a
sh.
S
he
kn
e
w th
e
y
w
e
re
t
r
y
i
n
g
to s
m
u
g
g
le som
e
th
i
ng
t
o the Chine
s
e
a
nd w
e
l
l
…
she thou
g
ht
i
f the mob d
i
dn’t kill he
r
, the gov
e
rnm
e
nt would.”
T
ea
rs
b
e
g
a
n to fo
r
m
i
n
J
i
m
’s
e
y
e
s.
“
S
he
w
a
s so b
ea
ut
i
ful.
He
r
e
y
e
s, th
e
re w
a
s so
m
e
th
i
ng
a
bout her
e
y
e
s.
I
…
w
e
…it se
e
ms
s
o i
m
poss
i
ble now.”
J
i
m
e
x
h
a
led
ra
pid
l
y
to c
a
tch his br
ea
t
h
.
“
B
ut
I
w
a
nted h
e
r to be
with
m
e
f
o
r
e
v
e
r.
I
g
u
e
ss…
I
…w
e
,
fe
ll
in
l
ov
e
.
S
he
w
a
n
t
e
d me
a
nd
I
w
a
nted h
e
r and the on
l
y
th
i
n
g
in
t
he
w
a
y
w
a
s the investi
g
a
t
i
on of
the pl
a
n
e
c
r
a
sh.”