Free Over the Edge by Gloria Skurzynski Page B

shouldn’t have been said. But after discussing it with Morgan, your mother and I feel—”
    â€œFine,” Ashley said abruptly. She turned off the television and stood up. Her hands were clenched in the pockets of her jeans, but her father didn’t notice.
    His voice dropped low as he went on, “Look, I know it’s been a rough ride for you, Ashley. Morgan has behaved badly towards you, and I’m sorry you even know about it. Your mother and I understand that you were trying to help, but…the bottom line is that neither one of us believes Morgan had anything to do with that message.
    â€œTold you!” Jack said triumphantly.
    Steven shot him a look, and anything else Jack was going to say died in his throat.
    â€œI understand why you suspected him. For a bad couple of moments I didn’t know what to think myself. But it makes no sense that he would write a message like that. What good would it do?”
    Ashley’s face contorted. “Couldn’t he be trying to scare Mom?”
    â€œNot likely. As Morgan pointed out, he operates under his own code of ethics. Everything he’s ever done, right or wrong, has been up front. He attacks his enemies head on.”
    â€œThat’s true, Ashley,” Jack agreed.
    Steven continued, “Ever since he’s been with us, we’ve jumped on that kid pretty hard. We’re supposed to be helping him. Just try to get along, OK? All of you.”
    Ashley nodded, but her face was like stone.
    â€œThe main focus now is to alert the police to that message so we can track down the real culprit. I’m going now,” Steven announced. “I’ll meet you at the rim in about an hour.”
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    Not talking much, they’d started out from Yavapai Lodge, walked past park headquarters, then connected with the Rim Trail, which would take them to the observation station at Yavapai Point. Grand Canyon’s rim had warmed with the late-afternoon sun. Jack pulled off his sweatshirt and tied the sleeves around his middle, while Ashley bolted ahead up the paved trail, anxious, it seemed, to get away from the rest of them.
    Morgan hung back, his arms swinging loosely at his sides. Since Morgan’s sunglasses concealed his eyes, it was hard for Jack to guess what he was thinking. The silence of their half-hour walk had been broken only when Olivia asked questions to try to draw them out. When no one would answer, she’d given up, trusting, she’d said, in the rejuvenating powers of the canyon.
    Now, from the trail, Jack realized how right his mother was to bring them here. A wind blew up from the west, tousling his hair and making the pine trees shiver in the sun. Less than 30 feet away, deer munched lazily on wild grass, oblivious to the knots of visitors bustling by. Morgan stopped to watch, while the rest of them walked on. Jack drank in the sweet smell of air tinged with pine and felt himself relaxing. No problem seemed very big next to the Grand Canyon.
    â€œDo you want me to go after Ashley?” Jack asked his mother, his eyes following his sister’s retreating figure.
    â€œNo, it’s OK, let her go, she probably won’t walk any farther than the observation building,” Olivia answered. She sighed loudly. “I have no clue what’s going on with her. After that nasty stuff on Snipe’s Web page, I guess I can understand why she’s upset with Morgan. I’ve had a lot of problems with him myself. But it doesn’t make any sense that Morgan would break into an office at headquarters, compose a bizarre message, and then pretend not to know anything about it. Still, the idea that it’s Morgan has really taken hold of her. Any clues about what’s going on with your sister?”
    â€œI—don’t know,” Jack lied. He didn’t want to tell his mother what he suspected. The whole thing had started on the airplane ride, when the lines between Ashley and