After I hung up, I studied the phone. I could trash it. I’d bought it from a store with a paid card, and I didn’t want to toss it. Was that dangerous? Not as dangerous as not shooting someone who could kill me. I’d keep the phone. My chest felt a little more settled after I’d made that decision.
Jezebel came out a while later. “How much chocolate did you eat? I followed the trail of wrappers.”
I got up. “So much. How’s Minx? I’m sorry about that. I?—”
“Minx has some mental health challenges, but she’s still an asset. Like you.” She patted my head and then took a swig of her mineral water. I opened my mouth to tell her not to touch my head, but realized I didn’t mind. She was older than I by a few years, and she would have out-villained me if she hadn’t gone vigilante.
“What are your plans for tonight?” I asked.
“Poker.”
“With the girls or…”
She shrugged and sat down, stretching out her long legs. “I love it too much. A long time ago, I gave up easy money and playing other people’s games. I play my own game with my own rules. I threw you in cold, but you held your own. You even took care of the bodies. I couldn’t find where the lean-to had been when I went back.”
“The urge to return to the scene of the crime…”
“Minx lost her earring. Trix flew me, so it didn’t take too long. What’s this about Death-Hammer going to a Band of Demons party?”
“It’s on Wednesday, and I’m playing for it. Horse asked if I’d like to invite Death-Hammer, and since I want Dirk to hear me play, I guess he invited the whole group. Sorry.” I quickly glanced at her to see what she thought about my weak and foolish desire to be seen and admired.
Jezebel frowned at me. “Don’t apologize. If this is about you coming out of your shell and playing in public, and you need moral support, then we’ll be there. Also, seeing Trix and Horse together is hilarious.”
I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “I’ve never played in public before. I mean, once on a street corner, but not with other people. I’m nervous, but kind of excited.”
She raised an eyebrow. “So you went to Horse and offered to join his orchestra? Smells fishy, but we’ll be there to make sure he doesn’t screw you over.”
“Thanks. Not that I trust you.”
She grinned and leaned her chin on her hand. “Then I won’t have to be honest. It’s good to get out there doing what you love, not that you aren’t good at falling off cliffs, but being on Nix’s team isn’t going to keep you pretty.”
“You’re pretty. No, you’re gorgeous.”
She rolled her eyes and stole one of my chocolate bars. “Just to show you that I’m not motivated by flattery.”
I laughed. “Go ahead. I’m just going to buy more. I think I’ll go to the nearest chocolaterie and clean them out.”
“Do you know what you’re going to play?”
I frowned. “No. Do you know who takes care of those things so I don’t have to ask Horse? We’ll have to rehearse. Three days until the performance? We need to start now.”
“Dirk would know. He had his own team before, so he’s not perceived as strictly a Death-Hammer employee. He’d know who actually arranges things.”
“Why would Dirk know anything about Horse’s employee? Did he date her or something?” My heart raced at the thought of Dirk being with someone else. Even though he was evil and had knocked me unconscious and set me up for this entire mess, no one else got to touch him. He shouldn’t have seduced me if he didn’t want me to be possessive.
She laughed and snagged my low-tech temp phone. “Dirk will have an aneurysm when he sees this. He’ll be begging you to let him give you an upgrade. I’m putting his number in the phone, because that’s the one I know. He’ll be able to help you.”
I felt my cheeks heat up for no rational reason. “I’m sure. You’re not acting at all weird.”
She grinned and walked off, swinging her hips and leaving me with a phone and Dirk’s number just waiting for me to push the button. It’s like she was trying to set us up. Did she hate him? Maybe she was a closet romantic. Maybe she hated me and wanted me to reveal my pathetic obsession. Like he didn’t already know. He knew I was stupid about him and was probably just playing me.
Did I want to call him? My hands moved as soon as I thought that. Yes, apparently, I wanted to call him, whether he wasdiabolical or not. I walked through her house towards my room while it rang and rang and then went to an answering machine.
“If it’s a serious problem, call Nix. Otherwise, leave me a message.” He sounded like a boring tech guy, not a villain who got under my skin like nobody else.
It beeped, and my heart pounded as I was left suddenly without my brain. “Oh. Hi. It’s…” Did I say Pinkie or Dani? Toni? “Me? Um. Jezebel said you’d know something. It’s not important. So, you can call me at this number. It’s my phone. Bye.”
Had anyone ever left a more idiotic voicemail? Oh yes, listen to the villain completely choke. I clicked off and licked some chocolate off the corner of my mouth before heading to Othello. How humiliating to admit that I wanted to call him, even if it was only to myself. I’d only been playing for fifteen minutes when my phone rang. I fumbled for it, almost dropping Othello in my haste.
