Taking a deep breath, I made myself smile. “Yup!” I called brightly. “Practicing for debate club!” I gave Dad a little wave, but he jerked his head, beckoning me over.

Hiding a sigh, I jogged away from David and Bee, up the porch steps and into the kitchen.

It was cooler in there, the air-conditioning nearly making me shiver. “Harper Jane, I know you’re not in the debate club,” Dad said as he walked over to the island.

I tried very hard not to fidget as he braced his hands on the counter and fixed me with a look, his eyes as green as mine. He was wearing a polo shirt and khaki shorts, plus there was a slight sunburn on his balding head, so I guessed golf had been on the agenda earlier.

“It’s nothing,” I told him with a little toss of my head. “Typical me-and-David stuff.”

Dad frowned. “You never yelled at Ryan like that.”

“Sure I did,” I said, even though when I thought back, I realized that was a lie. “You just never heard me. And seriously, Dad, this is no big deal. Promise.”

Another lie. I was furious, nearly shaking with anger at the idea that David wanted me to offer up Bee like some kind of Get Out of Paladin Life Free card. And if there was a part of me that didn’t necessarily like giving up control, well... I could think about that later.

Now, I just smiled at Dad. “I’m going to head back out there now,” I said. “I promise not to bean David with my baton. But if I do, luckily I know a good lawyer.”

Dad rolled his eyes, but I could tell he was trying not to smile. “I’m a tax attorney, honey. You murder someone, that’s on you.”

I grinned back, then thought of Dr. DuPont, my shoe sticking out of his neck. What would my dad think if he knew I already had killed someone? That I was about to go through some kind of tests that might end with me killing more people? Or someone killing me?

When I went back outside, David and Bee were sitting near the fence, talking. As I approached, whatever conversation they’d been having died, and David nodded at the house.

“Is your dad going to kill me?” His thin shoulders hunched forward, one ankle crossed in front of the other.

“Not today,” I said with a cheer I didn’t feel.

David’s eyes met mine, and I could tell there was more he wanted to say. This argument wasn’t over yet, and that made me feel a weird combination of sad and frustrated. Why couldn’t he see that this was the best way to handle things?

Leaning down, David grabbed his bag. “So I’m gonna head home,” he said. “See you tomorrow, Pres?”