Bonus Scene #1:
Rachel, Kevin, and Sally meet in Canal Park on the night that Rachel disappears

Warning: Don't read these scenes unless you've already read the book! These scenes give away many of the secrets behind the twists and turns of IMMORAL.

She was like a ghost, luminescent against the gray tower of the bridge.

Below her, muddy brown swells flooded into the canal, spewing waves over the concrete piers and swallowing the spray in eight-foot troughs. The water tumbled over itself, spilling backward and forward as it squeezed into the tiny man-made strip that joined the lake to the harbor. To land in that narrow valley, deep enough to grant passage to giant freighters weighted down with bellies of iron ore, was to drown. But with each angry swoop of wind, the girl swayed, ready to pirouette from the three inches of wet steel on which she perched.

The bridge felt like a living thing. As cars sped onto the platform, a whine filled the air, like the buzz of angry hornets. The railing vibrated, quivering under her feet. She felt the trembling sensation coursing through her body like electricity. With her eyes closed, she smiled. She was very aroused.

Freezing sleet, blown horizontal, rained from the night sky. The water threatened to harden on the steel into a glassy surface of ice. But on the girl's warm skin, the rain left only a sheen on her tranquil face. Each time she exhaled, her breath condensed in a puff of fog. The cold brought a flush to her cheeks, but not enough to color the creamy alabaster of her skin. She had full red lips and raven hair falling in wet strands below her shoulders. A single hoop earring dangled in a glint of gold from her left earlobe, and a gold bracelet hung loosely on her right wrist. She was tall. She wore a black down vest over her long torso and a white turtleneck underneath. Her black jeans fit snugly over her buttocks and followed her slim legs down to her bright white sneakers.

She was seventeen years old, beautiful, and as close to death as she had ever come before.

Rachel opened her eyes and gasped in pleasure. The world was laid out beneath her, and she was weightless, suspended above it. She saw the milky reflection of the pier lights in the canal below. The twin lighthouses at the end of the piers flashed revolving beams of green and red. Between them, directly before her, she saw the looming blackness of Lake Superior.

Carefully, she tilted her head upward, aware that even the smallest motion could cause her to lose her balance. She stared at the criss-cross scissors of steel overhead, towering above her like a giant erector set. She felt its power seep through her. She closed her eyes again, keenly aware of her body: the taste of rain on her lips, the damp fabric clinging to her breasts, the singing and biting of the wind in her ears, and the wanton, supple sensation between her legs.

She was in the dead center of the bridge and in the center of a vortex, alone, buffeted by the October storm.

It occurred to her that if she arched her back and let herself drift forward, the fierce current of wind might carry her and keep her hovering like a gull over the violent water, like an angel, with wings. She brought her arms slowly up from her sides until they were stretched straight out, palms upward. The stream of air seemed to lift her off the railing.

She really could fly. Couldn't she?

"Rachel! Get down!"

Kevin sprinted along the lakeshore toward the canal. His girlfriend Sally trailed behind, wondering what all the excitement was about. Then she spotted Rachel Deese, perched precariously on the narrow railing of the vertical lift bridge that rose periodically to give the ore boats access to the shipyards of Duluth harbor.

"That crazy bitch," she said.

The two teenagers hurried toward Rachel. The grass in the park was crusted with frost and crunched under their feet as they ran. Normally, on a fall night, the park would be crowded with tourists. But the cold storm had driven everyone inside, leaving Kevin and Sally almost alone. It took Kevin only a few seconds to dash forty yards and skid to a halt on the sidewalk bordering the canal. Sally was close behind.

They could see Rachel through the fog and sleet, with her arms spread wide and her eyes closed. The spotlights that illuminated the bridge in a gauzy light made her face glow. She was absolutely motionless.

"Rachel!" Kevin cried again. His voice sounded like a whisper, lost in the wind.

"Why doesn't the keeper do something?" Sally asked.

Kevin shook his head. "He's probably not watching. He's only going to check the cameras when the bridge is ready to go up."

Kevin thought frantically for a way to get Rachel's attention, to get her to open her eyes and give him a chance to talk her down. But he also realized it was too late for any of that. Even if she wanted to, Rachel couldn't get down. Like a treed cat, she was helpless. If she tried to move at all, she would slip and tumble into the water. Somehow she had achieved a perfect equilibrium, where the gusts of wind and the throbbing of the bridge formed a perfect balance. But how long could it last?

There was only one way. He had to take her down physically from the bridge himself.

Kevin ran again, following the sidewalk along the pier, splashing through pools of lake water. He felt his shoes slipping. The ground was slick.

There was no shortcut to the bridge. He could have leaped for the railing and pulled himself up at the lowest point where the bridge crossed the sidewalk, but he was afraid that his weight would ripple along the steel frame. Any little jolt could dislodge Rachel. Instead, he ran through the small park, falling twice in the mud, to the very end of the bridge where it re-joined the street. He turned and hurried toward the bridge, then stopped as he reached the edge of the pedestrian ramp stretching to the far side.

He waited there, breathing heavily. Despite the cold, sweat beaded on his forehead. Rachel was forty feet away, seemingly oblivious to his presence. He heard Sally catching up to him. She had run, too, but carefully, without falling. Sally's round face was pinched with anger.

"Don't be stupid, Kevin," Sally said. "This is just another one of her games."

Kevin ignored her.

He didn't know if Rachel had heard him shout to her. He was reluctant to call to her again, afraid that a sudden voice would startle her.

He inched onto the platform. Immediately, he felt a strong vibration under his feet. Cars whizzed by a few inches away on the other side of the tangle of steel. He expected them to stop, gawking at Rachel's suicidal pose, but no one saw her.

"Rachel, it's me, Kevin," he called in a soft voice. Rachel didn't react.

She was twenty feet away now. Kevin held his breath. As he edged out over the water, the crosswinds intensified, and each one felt strong enough to blow Rachel forward into the canal. The next gale whipped into Kevin's back, forcing him momentarily off balance. He was built like a bear and played fullback on the high school football team. But the wind shoved him around like a doll.

"Rach," he pleaded.

Kevin peered over the railing. The water churned below him, slapping against the piers. He wondered how cold it was. The overnight temperatures had dipped into the twenties for the past week, and the daytime highs hadn't climbed out of the forties. Cold, he thought. It would be like submerging in ice. The jump would be easy, only a short drop to the water, but then he would be gasping for breath, struggling to stay on the surface above the undertow, hunting for Rachel in the black water.

Why was she doing this?

"I'm very close to you, Rach," he said calmly. "Don't move, okay?" He didn't know if she heard him.

"I'm almost behind you," he told her.

He was close enough to touch her. Her face was in profile. He couldn't help staring at her, because he always did, anytime he got close to her. She had smooth, flawless skin. Her black hair glistened. Her curves were in all the right places, and her breasts swelled to the size of overripe oranges. All the guys hungered for her body. But there was something more, something special, about Rachel, how she behaved, how she moved, how her eyes penetrated you, how her fingers grazed your shoulder. Ever since they were kids, he had worshipped her.

But it was all a fantasy. She was out of his reach. He knew how many other guys she had slept with. But never him.

Still, he knew she needed him. She needed him right now.

He edged into position directly behind her. He could see her body swaying. It was a miracle she hadn't fallen. "I'm right here, Rach. I'm going to grab you now."

He didn't get the chance.

Without a sound, Rachel fell backward. He didn't know if she meant to fall, or whether the wind finally pushed her. She glided like a bungee jumper confidently diving into the arms of the air and dropped into Kevin's arms. He grabbed her and hugged her to his chest, then gently lowered her to the sidewalk. Kevin let out his breath in a great sigh of relief.

Rachel's eyes popped open. She had emerald green eyes flecked with blue. They twinkled at Kevin.

"My hero," she giggled.

Kevin shook his head fiercely. "Christ, Rach. Sometimes you go too far."

"There's no such thing, Kevvy."

Rachel winked. She gave Sally, who had followed Kevin onto the bridge, a sly smile. Sally stood a few feet away, her hands jammed in the pockets of her red parka and her jaw clenched angrily.

"You could have fallen in, Rachel," Sally snapped. "And then Kevin would have jumped in after you, and you both could have drowned."

"I'm sure he would have done the same for you," Rachel replied with a dismissive toss of her hair.

Sally bit her lip. Her eyes were livid.

"Anyway, if you two had been on time, I wouldn't have gotten bored," Rachel added. "It's Friday night. Do you expect me to stand around waiting all night?"

"We said nine o'clock," Kevin complained.

Rachel laughed. "So? That was ten minutes ago."

Kevin knew he was being teased. Rachel was always like this, playing games and seeing how far she could push him. She toyed with him, like she did with all the guys. Although this latest escapade was extreme, even for Rachel.

The threesome wandered to the far side of the bridge, where the land extended in a narrow spit dividing the lake from the harbor. They descended the iron steps from the bridge deck to a small plot of frozen grass bordering the east pier. Rachel stayed a few steps ahead of Kevin and Sally. Occasionally she spun in a circle, checking them out behind her. She sucked in deep breaths of cold air and held her arms out like the wind might still carry her off. She led them past the grassy plot to a cluster of trees, which were draped in ice from the constant spray that washed over the branches. Just beyond the trees, at the base of a crumbling concrete retaining wall, lay a sandy strip of beach. The three teenagers climbed down to the sand. Ahead of them, the big lake and the big sky merged in the darkness.

Rachel ran to the water's edge, where the waves lapped the shore in a swirl of foam. She dipped her fingers in the frigid surf, then danced back, laughing, as a high wave spilled in and threatened to douse her feet in an ice bath. She trudged back up the sand to where Kevin and Sally waited for her.

Possessively, Sally clung on Kevin's arm. Sally was nearly a foot shorter than Kevin, with a rounded but attractive physique. She had chestnut brown hair, falling in a fluffy pile of curls below her neck. Her face was round, with dark brown eyes and oversized lips set in a perpetual pout. Sally was pretty, but Rachel was beautiful, and Sally hated the competition, particularly when it came to Kevin. Tonight, like always, Kevin couldn't take his eyes off Rachel. Fortunately, Sally knew Rachel had no interest in Kevin, except to torment Sally for her own amusement.

"The history test today was a bitch," Kevin announced, breaking the uncomfortable silence among them.

"No kidding," Sally said. "It's only October, and he's giving us essay tests on half the book. It's not fair."

Rachel shrugged. "That's Herbie's style." She mimicked the history teacher's military voice, which boomed in the classroom like a cannon. "I don't want you reciting facts! Facts are nothing! You must understand context!"

"I'd understand a lot more context on a multiple choice test," Kevin said.

"You have to know how to bullshit, Kevvy," Rachel told him.

"My bullshit only got me a B- last time," Kevin said.

"C+ for me," Sally added.

Rachel smirked. "I got an A."

"Yeah, well, I'm not a suck-up like some people," Sally murmured.

Rachel smiled, hearing her. "I'm not a suck-up, Sally. The teachers just don't like you."

"Fuck you!" Sally snapped. "You take psychology, and suddenly you're spouting all the teacher's theories on screwed-up families. You take English, and the teacher's poetry is so wonderful. You take math, and you volunteer to grade papers after school."

"Whatever works," Rachel said.

They all stopped as they heard a ship's horn rumbling across the water.

Rachel turned and looked toward the lake, where the hazy lights of a freighter glimmered through the fog. It had appeared seemingly out of nowhere and still looked tiny on the horizon. But the ships always seemed to cross the last stretch of water with amazing speed. As children, Kevin and Rachel had spent hours on the beach, watching the ore boats grow larger as they neared the canal or shrinking into distant specks as they steered northeast toward Sault Ste. Marie.

"The bridge will be going up soon," Rachel said, her eyes bright, as if she had an idea. "Come on."

"We just got here," Sally protested. "Why go back across so soon?"

"I don't want to go across. I want to go up."

"Up?" Sally asked nervously.

"Up. On the bridge."

"They don't let you do that," Kevin pointed out.

"I can get us up there," Rachel declared confidently.

Sally shook her head. "Not me. I'm scared of heights, Rachel."

"So's Kevvy. But he'll do it."

Kevin hesitated, eyeing the top of the bridge. "I don't know, Rach."

"Oh, don't be a big baby. All you have to do is stand there. It goes up. It goes down. What's the big deal?"

"But they won't let us do it," Kevin repeated.

"Leave that to me."

Rachel grabbed Kevin's hand as she headed for the bridge. She glanced over her shoulder, where Sally lingered behind them. "Come on, there isn't much time."

Sally's feet felt like they were rooted in the sand, but she wasn't about to let Rachel wander off hand in hand with Kevin and leave her behind. She caught up with them and grabbed Kevin's other hand tightly. Then she deliberately slowed her pace, waiting for Rachel to get bored and skip ahead of them, as she usually did. She didn't have to wait long. Rachel took off, climbing from the beach back into the cluster of trees and breaking off ice from the branches like shards of glass. When she reached the grassy area, which bore the tracks of their three sets of footprints, she retraced their steps back to the bridge. Kevin and Sally hurried to stay close behind, mounting the steps and following Rachel onto the bridge deck out over the canal.

Rachel stopped right where she had climbed atop the railing. The sleet had stopped, but the wind was still cold and strong. Out on the lake, the lights of the ship grew larger second by second. Rachel leaned on her elbows and tracked its progress.

"It won't be long now," she said.

Kevin smiled wanly at Sally. "You want to?"

"No!" Sally insisted. She lowered her voice to a quiet hiss. "And I don't want you up there with her."

"Oh, it's okay, Sally."

"No, Kevin."

Sally began walking off the bridge, back to the Duluth side. Kevin glanced at Rachel, who shot him a covert wink, then rolled her eyes. Kevin frowned and jogged after Sally, catching up with her near the end of the bridge. He grabbed her sleeve.

"I can't let her go by herself, Sally. You saw what she did earlier."

"That's her problem. If she's going to risk her neck, why do you have to do it, too? Are you here with her or me?"

"You don't understand, Sally," Kevin sighed. "I've known her my whole life."

"She's trouble, Kevin."

"She's my friend. I've got to go."

"I won't be here when you come down, Kevin. I'm telling you that right now."

"Sally, don't be like this. It'll only take a few minutes."

"Kevvy!" Rachel shouted. She waved her arm at him.

A warning bell sounded on the bridge, clanging throughout the park, signaling traffic and people to clear the roadway. A few tourists came running for the canal to watch the ship's passage.

"I've got to do it, Sally," Kevin murmured. He leaned down and kissed her quickly, but Sally's lips were unresponsive. Without another word, she turned her back on him and stalked off the bridge. Kevin hesitated, torn between conflicting loyalties, then hurried back to where Rachel was waiting for him. Rachel grinned and took his hand. They both knew Kevin always did whatever Rachel wanted.

The deafening bell kept on, and Kevin covered his ears. On either side of them, the guardrails fell, trapping cars outside the superstructure. The ore boat was only a few hundred yards from the entrance to the canal. Kevin squirmed, spotting the cameras that monitored the bridge. He wasn't at all surprised when the bridge keeper burst out of a small office suspended ten feet above the roadway. He was a bent old man, with a Twins baseball cap on his head. He wore a blue flannel shirt that hung on his shrinking frame.

"Hey, you kids! Get off the bridge!" he shouted. "Are you deaf? I've got to raise it!"

"Hello, Mr. Nash!" Rachel called in a girlish voice.

The bridge keeper squinted through bottle-cap glasses. "Rachel? Is that you?"

"Sure is."

"Lord, honey, what are you doing? The bridge is going up."

Rachel beamed at the man. "I know, Mr. Nash. Couldn't you let us stay on just this once?"

Nash shook his head. "You know I can't do that, Rachel. I could lose my job."

"Please? It's just me and my boyfriend. I promised him it would be okay."

"You're a schemer, Rachel," Nash called back with a chuckle. "All right, all right, once and never again. But stay put and be careful, you hear?"

"We'll be careful. Thanks, Mr. Nash!"

"Sure, sure. Take care now, Rachel. I miss your daddy."

Rachel's eyes widened. She swallowed hard. "Yeah. Me too."

Nash disappeared inside. A few seconds later, the sidewalk shuddered, and Kevin gulped as the bridge jerked upward. The bell kept ringing, as loud as ever, filling their ears. Rachel smiled as the wind increased and the steel swayed around them. Kevin thought about closing his eyes but didn't want to look scared. He fixed his gaze on a point far off in the horizon.

Rachel pushed up the sleeves of her turtleneck, oblivious to the icy breeze. She twisted the gold bracelet hanging loosely on her wrist.

Kevin, bundled up in a down coat and peering out from under a wool cap, shivered. "Aren't you cold?" he shouted.

Rachel laughed. "I don't get cold."

"Yeah, you're just Supergirl, aren't you?"

"You got it."

High in the air, the lift bridge creaked to a halt. The bell stopped suddenly, leaving them in an eerie silence. They waited, way above the world, watching the ship glide toward the canal and listening to the rush of the wind.

Rachel turned around and leaned casually against the railing. Her black hair whipped around her face. "My father and I used to come down here a lot. He knew Mr. Nash. The three of us would sit in the keeper's booth there while the bridge went up and down. I loved it."

"Do you remember your father clearly?"

"Like he was standing right here."

Kevin nodded. "I guess some things you never forget. I only remember him a little bit. That was rough on you, huh?"

"You have no idea."

"I'm sorry, Rach. From what I remember, he was great."

"Yes, he was."

"Do you remember him taking us both up to Gooseberry? When we stood near the highway and looked down at the falls?"

"You were scared shitless," Rachel recalled, laughing.

"Yeah."

"Not me. I think heights are easy. Isn't this great?"

Rachel dangled her head and shoulders over the edge as far as she could. Kevin had to restrain himself from grabbing her. Below them, the superstructure of the ship slipped into the narrow canal. It went on forever. They saw the crew, shadowy figures like mice on the deck. They didn't look up.

The ship blasted its horn. The bridge keeper responded by sounding the bridge's horn, a giant noise that made Kevin jump.

Rachel stared at Kevin and grinned. "Tell me, Kevvy, are you in love with me?"

Kevin didn't answer. He looked at his feet. "That's not fair, Rach," he said finally. "You know I am. I always have been."

"Poor Kevvy. And what about Sally?"

"She's sweet. She's everything my mom says I should be looking for in a girl. And I'll probably end up marrying her. But she's not you, Rach."

"You'd never be happy with me. Try to remember that."

"You don't know that."

"Oh yes, I do." Rachel frowned. "Really. I'll never be happy with any man. I destroy them before they can destroy me."

"Come on, Rach."

"I'm serious, Kevvy. Don't you know that's why I never let anything happen between us? I care about you too much."

"Like a brother," he said, looking down.

"No," Rachel told him. "Not like a brother."

Rachel took two steps and stood in front of Kevin. She placed her bare hands on his cheeks and lifted his face until he stared at her with a sad, starry look in his eyes. Rachel leaned forward. Her cool lips pressed against Kevin's mouth in a soft kiss.

"See?" she asked.

"You don't have to do this, Rach."

"I know. I want to."

Rachel kissed him again. Her lips were more insistent. She pressed his mouth open and slid her tongue inside. Kevin responded, wrapping his arms around her. Rachel pushed him away.

"Is this really what you want, Kevvy?"

"You know it is."

"Sally can see us."

"I don't care."

Rachel shook her head. "Don't you see? I'm no good for you. I'll turn you into someone you're not. You're a sweetheart, Kevvy. Why not stay that way? Why get mixed up with someone like me?"

"You need someone like me, Rach."

"Maybe I do. But that's not who I am."

"It could be."

"Sorry, Kevvy. I can't be the angel you're looking for."

"You're not giving me a chance," Kevin protested. "You're not giving yourself a chance. I've known you your whole life, Rach. You're not the kind of girl you think you are."

"Oh, Kevvy." Rachel's voice broke. She wiped away a freezing tear from her cheek. "Here's the kind of girl I am."

Rachel pressed up against Kevin, her body nestled against his. She reached for his arms and guided them around behind her back. Kevin stared at her with a mixture of fear and wonder in his face. Rachel brought her face closer, staring at him, letting him drown in her green eyes. She ran her index finger slowly along his lips, then onto his ears and his neck. Rachel smiled. With her other hand, she stroked Kevin's thigh. She glided up between his legs, where she traced the outline of his penis, which was fully erect. Kevin jumped back.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Being me," she whispered

Rachel crowded him again. Her hand curled around his penis through his pants. "Isn't this what you want?"

"Rach, stop it."

She squeezed again, softer, then harder.

"Rach," Kevin protested weakly.

The walkway shuddered again as the bridge began going down. Kevin leaned back, supporting himself against the railing. He closed his eyes as Rachel rubbed her palm against his crotch. She bent forward and kissed him again, brushing her lips against his. Her fingers fluttered on his penis. His knees buckled, and Kevin's whole body tensed. Rachel tugged quickly at the long bulge in his pants, and Kevin gasped, feeling a warm gush in his jeans.

"Oh Rach," he murmured. He clung to Rachel's shoulders.

Rachel rested her head against his chest, which heaved up and down. His heart thumped in her ears. She kept her hand cupped over the shrinking bulge in his pants.

"Thank you for loving me," she murmured in his ear.

With a gentle thud, the bridge crept back in place. The bells stopped. The guardrails went up. Life began again. A backlog of cars on both sides gunned their engines and headed onto the bridge, some going home to the narrow peninsula, some heading into the city.

Kevin stared at Rachel and tried to catch his breath. "Wow," he said.

Rachel smiled uneasily. "Let's go, Kevvy."

They re-traced their steps off the bridge and wound around back to the pier on the west side of the canal. A few hardy tourists lingered there, watching the ship disappear into the harbor. Kevin glanced around guiltily at the crowd, noticing several people sneaking glances at them behind secret smiles.

"Shit," he declared. "Sally's gone."

"It's past her bedtime," Rachel said.

Kevin frowned. "Do you think she saw us?"

"I told you she could, Kevvy."

"That was really mean of us, wasn't it?"

"Are you complaining?" Rachel asked him.

"No, no. That was incredible."

"I'm glad." Rachel shivered, like she was cold for the first time. "Walk me to my car, okay?"

"Sure."

The two teenagers strolled along the pier, then up the steps to the boardwalk. They headed toward the parking lot. Rachel shoved her bare hand into Kevin's pocket and laced her fingers with his. She glanced at the watch on her other hand. It was ten o'clock.

"Do you want to go somewhere?" Kevin asked. "It's still early."

"I'm tired, Kevvy. I'm going to turn in early."

"Okay."

"You must be a little tired, too," Rachel murmured slyly.

Kevin blushed. "Yeah."

They reached Rachel's car, a bright red Volkswagen Beetle. Rachel kissed Kevin again and slid into her car, extending her long legs under the dashboard. She rolled down the window. Kevin leaned in, his elbows on the door.

"How about tomorrow night?" Rachel asked. "You can take me to a movie."

"Oh," Kevin said. "I made plans with Sally."

Rachel shrugged. "Break them."

Kevin looked at her strangely. "Okay. I will."

"See, Kevvy? I've corrupted you already."

"It's all I've ever wanted, Rach. For you to give me a chance."

Rachel put her cool hand on Kevin's cheek. She didn't say anything. Her other hand twisted the key and fired the engine. Loud music blared into the night air. Kevin drew back reluctantly as Rachel put the car in gear. She stared at him long and hard, then swung her eyes to the road.

Then, with the icy wind blowing into the car, Rachel was gone.

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