NO WAY OUT: An unputdownable psychological thriller with twists that keep you guessing to the very last breath by Ruby Scott & Susie Fleming

Author:Ruby Scott & Susie Fleming [Scott, Ruby & Fleming, Susie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: D&V Publishing
Published: 2024-02-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 39

TWELVE MONTHS BEFORE THE MURDER

Karma

I catch her watching me as I remove my helmet and flick back my fringe. Mid-thirties, tall, a slim to delicate build, with fine facial features and full, mousey brown hair which skims her shoulders. Tilting my head in her direction, I smile. I don’t wink, that would be cheesy, and even though she is standing a good twenty metres away, I can see her cheeks redden. It’s the Top Gun effect. Ever since they released the second movie, I’ve become irresistible to women when wearing my jumpsuit. She waves back, which surprises me because the awkward way she’s standing suggests she’s the shy type.

‘That’s Abigail. My girlfriend,’ says Pete from behind me just as I raise my hand to wave back.Wow, I hadn’t seen that coming.

‘That’s great she’s come to support you,’ I say, cringing from my presumption that his girlfriend was interested in me.

‘She didn’t think I’d do it,’ he tells me, and I understand, because until about eight minutes ago I didn’t think he would either.

I usually end up with the difficult and terrified, and with tandem charity jumps, there are more of them than you can imagine, although very few are like Pete. He was a special type of petrified. One that takes a great deal of investment to build the trust required for them to believe you aren’t luring them to their death. That’s how I know he’s in the AI industry, and he knows all about my current focus in raising the profile of new tech companies to select parties of interested investors. Especially those who have a potential military application, because that’s my background, military intelligence. Small talk builds trust and acts as a distraction.

‘I’d like to introduce you to her.’ Pete looks at the bundle of nylon parachute I have in my arms. ‘If you have time?’ he says.

Usually, I do my best to avoid the ‘come for lunch’ invites after tandem jumps because that rush of euphoria clients feel is a mix of relief and false intimacy created by fast bonding. Being ten thousand feet up and putting your life in the hands of someone you’ve just met is a big thing for them… It’s just a normal Saturday for me. By the end of this month, I’ll have another eight firm friends for life—until the high wears off. But there’s something intriguing about Abigail, so I agree.

‘Just let me sort this lot out, and I’ll meet you back at the entrance,’ I say. He has to change back into his civvies anyway, so he shouldn’t be waiting long.

Half an hour later and we’re sitting in the Pickled Frog, a local pub, and we’ve ordered their Seacuterie platter to share. The food here always tastes great, but I hardly even notice it today because my attention is focussed on Abigail. Pete is rambling on about how the jump is better than sex, and describing in detail the sensory overload everyone experiences the first time. It’s background noise for the main event.

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