took a sip, waited some more, cupped her hands around the mug. âIâm not here to talk about Halsey,â she said. âChip is what you call him, right?â Of course right. You people know everything about us. âYou can relax. I just need to ask you a few questions about the plane crash.â She waited yet again. Something seeped into me like damp air. âI thought the crash was an accident,â I said. âWe have to look at all possibilities. The report from the NTSBââ I shook my head. âThe National Transportation Safety Board. Theyâre the investigative board that takes possession of the wreckage after a plane crash. Their findings indicate that we need to look more closely at the circumstances. Since 9/11 itâs policy.â She indicated the Thermos again. âYou sure you wonât have some tea?â âPositive.â âAll right, I just have a few questions for you. I know you want to get back to your sister, so Iâll try not to take up too much of your time.â That had never been a consideration with the FBI before. âYou were there the day of the crash, yes?â âYes.â âAnd you saw your sister before the plane took off.â âYes.â She paused after every answer, as if I might want to add more. I didnât. âWhere exactly did you see her?â âOn the plane.â âYou were on the plane.â That was what Iâd said, plainly. âHow would you describe Soniaâs state of mind when you talked to her?â I couldnât help the widening of my eyes. âItâs just a routine question,â she said. âShe seemed like she always is. Upbeat. Anxious to get going.â âAnxious?â âEager.â âShe didnât seem preoccupied at all, maybe distracted?â âNo.â Sonia had been totally aware of what went on with everyone, inside and out. âWho else was on the plane when you were on board?â âMy husband. Marnie, her assistant.â âDid she appear to have any issues with either of them?â I scraped my palm with my nails. âI hadnât seen my sister in two years, and Iâd never met her assistant before that day. I couldnât tell you if they had issues.â âOf course. Iâm just asking for an observation.â She took a long sip of her tea. âYou seem like an observer to me. I just thought you might have noticed something.â I pretended to be considering that. One thing Iâd learned about the FBI: if you didnât tell them something you knew, it came back to bite you later. You or someone you loved. âSonia wasnât happy with Marnie because she hadnât told me we werenât all going to my homeâthat they had to leave for Pittsburgh right away. That was evidently a last-minute change in plans that I wasnât notified about.â The agent scribbled something on the legal pad. Good. A meaningless detail was now in writing. âDo you know why the change in plans?â she said. âNo. I donât have anything to do with my sisterâs company.â She fingered her chin. âEven though your husband was employed by thisââshe consulted the padââAbundant Living Ministries?â âHe lived in Nashville for the past three months. I stayed here. We didnât discuss it.â âSo you and your sister are not close.â âNo.â âHow did the assistant react when Sonia called her on her mistake?â I couldnât even remember, being too busy recovering from the sight of her making love to my husband with her eyes. âI donât think it was any big deal,â I said. âSonia moved on to the next thing.â âWhich was?â âThe pilot told her they needed to get going.â âSo you saw the pilot.â âI got a glimpse of