Chapter Thirty-Six
It was possible Mandy had used more CareFree than recommended. Her skin felt amazing—airy and smooth—but her thoughts slipped
and wriggled from her grasp. She leaned back against the sandy bank and stared up at the darkening bowl of the canyon, letting
her mind drift as the stars slowly punched themselves out of the sky. She tried to count them.
It felt impossible. It felt normal.
She realized: That was the difference. Despite the insanity of the day—the discovery of Babette’s dead body, the shock of
her dad crashing the trip, the arguments and uncertainties and potential dangers floating in the river—she felt at ease. Not
perfect; all the sharp rocks were still there. But they had been bathed in muddy water. It was as if the tide of her equanimity
had risen, blanketing the hard things, making them soft.
Liv’s voice floated toward her as if in a waking dream.
“Mandy. I have to ask you something.”
“Hmm?”
“Earlier, when Dad—are you okay?”
“Yeah, just . . . you know.” Mandy waved to the canyon. The air felt thick, her hand moving slower than usual, sculpting the
night.
“Tell me your favorite painter,” Liv said.
“Magritte.”
“And the name of Dad’s convertible from when we were kids?”
Mandy scowled. “What was it you wanted to ask me?”
“Look, I know you think I’m some kind of stick-in-the-mud—”
“More like a stick-in-the—”
“—but that datura plant is no joke. You heard Fiona. It could have been the cause of Babette’s death. There’s something we
still don’t understand about that last focus group . . .”
Mandy sat all the way up. The vehemence in Liv’s voice was a buzzkill. “Look, I get it. You’re worried. You get State Department
alerts about how criminals use the datura plant to turn people into zombies in Bogotá, and you think the worst. But CareFree
is a professional product made by a legitimate company. There are lots of things derived from natural materials where if you
took too much, or the wrong kind, it could hurt you. And besides, if there were anything wrong with it, we’d figure it out.”
She really hoped there was nothing wrong with it. CareFree felt too good—and her dad had too much invested—for it to be another
flop. Or worse, she supposed. Some kind of illegal poison drug would definitely be worse.
“Here’s what I want to know.” Liv’s voice was soft, riding the quiet desert air. “Do you think Dad is telling the truth about
why he came down here with Babette?”
Mandy felt a spike of irritation at her sister’s implication. Then, just as quickly, it melted away. “Honestly? I don’t think
even Dad knows why he came down here.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’re not like you.” Mandy tossed a pebble in the river. “You’re a rock. We’re water.”
This seemed to her to encapsulate the situation. But judging from Liv’s confused expression, she had to say more. “We don’t
have a fixed plan or position. We go where opportunity takes us, moment to moment. If Dad said Babette asked him and he decided
to come, that’s probably what happened.
“And you know what’s weird?” Mandy continued. “Babette changed her plan too. We all thought she’d descend from a helicopter, but instead she waited and brought Dad down with her the next day. It was all a surprise.”
“Babette seemed to be full of surprises,” Liv said.
“But she wasn’t chaotic,” Mandy said. “She was a rock, like you.”
“Your hero is like me?” Liv’s voice was so low Mandy could barely hear her.
“Ex-hero. That puppy thing was messed up.” Mandy shook her head. “And don’t die, okay?”
“Deal.” Liv looked out toward the water. “I could use your help with something else,” she said. “Hypothetically.”
“Hit me.”
“Imagine a situation where you have a group of people. And maybe a couple of those people could be dangerous. Or not. You’re
not sure.”
“Like, they could be werewolves?”
“Mandy . . .”
Okay. Too hypothetical.
“There are a few people who had the opportunity to be alone with Babette before she died,” Liv said. “I’m worried they could
be a risk to the rest of us.”
“Like Stefan,” Mandy said.
“And Charlie,” Liv said. “They each had time on their own on the trail.”
Mandy’s mind drifted back to the dark, rough-edged slot she and Thor had navigated as a shortcut around the trail. How long
had she been wedged in that narrow place after Thor had abandoned her? Could he have made it down to Babette’s body and back
in that time?
But Liv spoke again before she could mention Thor.
“They could be dangerous. Or they could be perfectly safe.”
“Like Dad,” Mandy said. “He’s safe.”
“Uh-huh.” Liv flicked a speck of nothing onto the sand. “What do you think we should do with them? The risk factors?”
“You didn’t happen to pack your lie detector, did you?” Mandy asked.
“It’s in my other bag, the one that went to the van that will pick us up at the end of the trip.”
The end of the trip. It was hard to imagine they’d keep rafting to Lake Mead now. Mandy tried to envision it, the river bucking
and breaking for days and miles to come, their group paddling farther from Babette’s silent grave. CareFree might offer a
respite tonight. But they couldn’t forget forever. Could they?
Mandy considered her sister’s question. “Let’s think of it another way. There were just a few people who could have witnessed
Babette’s death. If one of them was spotted by the killer, they could be in danger. Maybe they aren’t suspects.”
“Maybe they’re witnesses,” Liv said.
“Exactly. Either way, they’re all in the same boat. They all need to be protected.”
“The same boat,” Liv said. “That’s it! Thank you.”
Mandy felt the delicious shock of her sister’s approval, even if she didn’t fully understand what she’d done to earn it. Liv’s
attention had already moved on. Her sister stared out at the dark streak of the river, deep in thought.
“Still want me to tell you what Dad’s convertible was named?” Mandy asked.
Liv turned her head.
“Rita Moreno,” they said in unison.
“Jinx,” Mandy said.
“Remember when he traded it for shares in that goji berry company?” Liv said.
“You’re jinxed. Can’t talk.”
Mandy let herself slip back into the carefree pleasures of the evening: the languid fatigue in her muscles, the warm fullness
of her belly, the cool sand under her bare feet. She stood silent beside her sister, all the threads and questions unraveling
in her mind.
Below them, the river rushed on, fading to black.