Starstruck

Chapter 24b: Apparent magnitude (part 2)

CHAPTER 24

Apparent magnitude (part 2)

When we got home, I rushed through my going-to-bed routine, afraid Rigel might call before I was safely in my room, where I could talk. Which meant I had an extra long wait once I was in bed. Even though he'd said the phone was on vibrate and I had it in my hand so I couldn't possibly miss his call, I kept checking the screen just in case.

Finally, nearly two hours after we got home, with my nerves stretched almost to the screaming point, the phone vibrated. I nearly dropped it in my eagerness to answer.

"Hello?" I whispered. "Rigel?"

"Hey, I hope I didn't wake you up," he said. "I wanted to wait long enough for your aunt and uncle to go to bed so you could talk privately."

"They've been asleep almost an hour. What's going on?"

"A lot, actually. It's mostly good news, though, I think."

That surprised me. "You mean what happened with the car really was an accident?" I was skeptical.

"Nope, definitely not an accident. Grandfather just got a call from his guy who went to the garage to check on it. It had been tampered with by Smith, just like we thought."

"How is that good news?" I asked. "Other than it not actually killing us, I mean."

"Because they caught Smith--at your house. That's where he went when he left the game."

A chill ran through me. "My house? What was he doing?"

"He hadn't done anything yet, but from what they found in his car, they think he was planning to burn the place--maybe if the car thing didn't work. A backup plan."

"I'm still not getting good news out of this," I said, the chill turning colder. It proved that not only did these people really want me dead, but they also didn't care who else they hurt in the process.

"The good news is that Smith is in custody. He can't do anything else to threaten you. And Grandfather thinks they'll be able to get the whole plan out of him eventually."

"Wait. You said he got a call from . . . Is Shim here in Jewel?"

"Yeah, he flew to Indy and rented a car. Got here about the time the game ended, along with a couple other people. M . . . I really think you're safe now." The warmth, the relief in his voice was contagious and melted my chills away.

"That's . . . that's great." Then I remembered something else. "What about Morven? He was on his way here, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, but they don't think he'll dare try anything now we've got Smith. He won't know what Smith has told us, for one thing. Plus there are enough of us now to protect you, even if he did come after you. Which he won't."

"I hope you're right." I was still trying to wrap my head around Shim hopping a last minute flight from DC to Indy--because of me. "But how will Morven know you have Smith? Won't he just assume his plans are going the way he expected?"

"Nope." Now Rigel sounded positively smug. "He called when he landed in Indy and my grandfather answered Smith's phone. I don't know exactly what he said, but his guess is that Morven is trying to get back to LA--or even out of the country--as fast as he can."

Suddenly, I felt sleepy--maybe a reaction to how keyed up I'd been for the past few hours. "Rigel, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you telling me this. And for what you did tonight--I just realized I never thanked you for saving my life."