F. Wilson - Secret Circles

She shrugged. “Serves him right.”

Her lack of hesitation surprised Jack. Then he remembered Mrs. V‟s words and decided to bounce them off Karina.

“But … someone invaded their privacy.”

“Yeah, true, but he was running for public office. Don‟t people have a right to know who they‟re voting for? I want to know everything about anybody who‟s going to be making decisions that affect me.”

“Everyone‟s got a right to privacy.”

She nodded. “Absolutely. But if you want privacy, don‟t go public. A man with a secret life shouldn‟t step into the spotlight and expect to keep his secrets.”

Jack had a secret life—things he couldn‟t talk about to anyone. He vowed then never to run for any sort of public office.

But didn‟t everyone have a secret life? Even the animal in the buried town had had a secret life.

“I think it comes down to truth,” she added. “Isn‟t the truth important?”

“Very.”

She raised a fist. “Truth.”

“But what mi struth?” he asked, just to see how she‟d react.

“The truth is.”

He waited. She said no more, simply watched him, smiling.

“That‟s it?”

She nodded. “Yep. The truth is. We can twist it every which way with our minds and our words, but that doesn‟t change the truth. The truth is what trips you up when you walk around with your eyes closed.”

I like you, Karina Haddon, Jack thought.

“You‟re a thinker, aren‟t you.”

She frowned. “Been told I think too much.”

He nudged her. “Well, someone‟s got to make up for all the people who don‟t think at all.”

She leaned against him as she laughed. He liked the feeling and liked the sound. “Thank you!

I‟ll use that next time I‟m accused of thinking too much.”

“Who tells you that?”

Her smile faded. “My father, mostly.”

That rang a familiar bell.

“Wants you to be a bow-head?”

Her jaw dropped. “How do you know ?”

“I know someone with the same problem.”

“Really? How does she deal with it?”

He glanced back at Weezy, reading a book.

“She stays herself.”

“Not easy sometimes.”

He nudged her. “Stay you. You‟re great just the way you are.”

Instantly sure he‟d said too much, he wanted to recall those last words. But then he saw Karina give a secret little fist pump and knew it was okay.

They sat in silence a moment and Jack thought about what Weezy had said.

Don’t you feel that a circle has closed?

Yeah. More than one.

He thought about how complicated his life had become—a series of intersecting circles all leading back to that strange little pyramid.

Was it good or evil, or like what they‟d been learning about in chemistry: a catalyst …

something that kicked off reactions?

One circle had led to the deaths of a number of Lodge members—one of them a freeholder—but had exposed Steve Brussard‟s problems. If Steve was getting help, that was a good thing.

But the death of that freeholder had led Mr. Vivino to run for his spot, and accidentally brought Jack back into the circle of Tony‟s family. Jack had thought that had resolved to a good end until talking to Mrs. V this morning. Now he wasn‟t so sure.

Another pyramid circle had led them to the Lodge last night. Because of that, Cody Bockman was alive and with his folks this morning. He‟d have drowned if Jack and Weezy hadn‟t gone looking for the pyramid.

Circles within circles … wheels within wheels … gears in the machinery of his life, turning and turning.

Was that what the pyramid was—a catalyst?

If so, maybe losing it was a good thing.

Or maybe not.

The last couple of months had been pretty interesting.

May you live in interesting times … wasn‟t that an old Chinese curse?

But Karina … none of the circles involved her. She was outside the pyramid zone. And that seemed a good thing.

He liked being with her. She was like Weezy in some ways—smart, opinionated, a thinker—but different in others. He liked her slant on things.

May you live in interesting times …

Jack sensed he had more interesting times ahead. He just hoped they weren‟t too interesting.

Document Outline

Repairman Jack - Jack: Secret Circles

Cover

Title Page

Praise for Jack: Secret Circles

SATURDAY

Chapter 01

Chapter 02

Chapter 03

Chapter 04

Chapter 05

Chapter 06

Chapter 07

Chapter 08

Chapter 09

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

SUNDAY

Chapter 01

Chapter 02

Chapter 03

Chapter 04

Chapter 05

Chapter 06

THE MYSTERY MACHINE

MONDAY

Chapter 01

Chapter 02

Chapter 03

Chapter 04

Chapter 05

Chapter 06

Chapter 07

Chapter 08

Chapter 09

TUESDAY

Chapter 01

Chapter 02

Chapter 03

Chapter 04

Chapter 05

WEDNESDAY

Chapter 01

Chapter 02

Chapter 03

Chapter 04

Chapter 05

Chapter 06

Chapter 07

THURSDAY

Chapter 01

Chapter 02

Chapter 03

Chapter 04

Chapter 05

Chapter 06

Chapter 07

Chapter 08

Chapter 09

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

FRIDAY

Chapter 01

Chapter 02