IT FELT AS if my heart stopped and then started up again. My mind was racing. Kyle must have had some kind of major procedure. His face wasn’t Kyle’s at all.

“That’s right,” he said. “Everything you’re thinking right now is true. Except for the part where you save everybody. That’s not happening.”

Farther up the beach, Nana was watching from under an umbrella. Damon, the only one not to have met Max Siegel, was on a lounge chair beside her, listening to his iPod.

“What do you think, kids?” Kyle said, putting some Siegel back into his voice. “Want to go give your dad a good-morning kiss?”

He pocketed the phone and took up Ali’s hand, making sure to show me a flash of whatever was under that towel. A gun of some kind.

God, no. This wasn’t happening.

We’d left our own weapons back in DC, very much on purpose. Now that seemed like a horrible mistake. I’d have to improvise. But how? Using what as a weapon?

I whispered fast and low to Bree as they came across the beach. There was no time to consider options. There was just my instinct, and a quick prayer that we got this right.

“Hey, Daddy!” Ali called out as they came toward the terrace stairs. He tried to pull ahead, but Siegel — Kyle! — kept hold of his hand. It was everything I could do to stay where I was.

Jannie ran ahead of them. “Can you believe Mr. Siegel is staying here, too?” she said, and kissed me on the cheek. “Is that crazy or what?”

“Unbelievable,” I said. Neither she nor Ali seemed to notice how hollow my voice sounded.

“Sorry to drop in like this,” Kyle said, as Max. He was grinning at me, daring me with his eyes, obviously wanting me to make some kind of move. And the voice — it wasn’t Kyle’s, but it was Kyle’s. How could I have missed the similarities before? It’s amazing how the brain follows what the eyes see — or don’t see.

“No problem,” I said. I kept the charade up for the kids’ sake and moved back inside. “Come on in. Bree’s taking a shower, but she’ll be right out.”

Kyle put a hand on Ali’s shoulder, and my stomach turned. “Why don’t you go and get her?” he said, smiling. “I’ll wait here with the kids. I’m sure she’d like to know I was here. What a coincidence. Is this crazy?”

Something like an electric charge passed between us — something a lot like hatred. “Bree?” I called out. I moved toward the bathroom with my eyes still on Kyle. “Can you come out here?”

For just a second, I poked my head in. “Max Siegel just dropped by,” I said, loud enough for his benefit.