Red Queen by Christopher Pike Page A

be here in a few minutes.”
    â€œDid you have fun on the lake?”
    â€œA blast.” I paused. “Why are you here, Kari?”
    She shrugged. “It’s our graduation party. One long weekend of thrills and chills. Why shouldn’t I be here?”
    â€œJimmy told me what happened.” She didn’t respond and I added, “I want to tell you how sorry I am.”
    She smiled right then, it was spooky. “Why are you sorry? It wasn’t your fault.”
    â€œYou must be going through hell.”
    â€œYou have no idea what I’m going through.”
    I wanted to be compassionate. “Do you want to speak to Jimmy? I can go for a walk if you need time alone with him.”
    She shook her head. “I’m not here to see him.”
    â€œWhy are you here?” I repeated.
    â€œTo warn you.”
    â€œWarn me? About what?”
    â€œThe same thing is going to happen to you.”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?”
    â€œHuck. Jimmy told you his name, didn’t he? I see that he did. It’s good, you should know. At least that way you can’t say I didn’t warn you.”
    â€œHuh?”
    â€œThey never take just one, Jessie. They always take both.”
    â€œKari, I’m sorry. I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.”
    She smiled again, faintly, and casually walked past me. For an instant I was sure she was going to attack. I held my breath, prepared to respond. But all she did was brush my side.
    â€œGood luck,” she said.
    Jimmy arrived minutes later. By that time Kari was long gone. He knew I was upset. I had to tell him what had happened. We spoke in the car in the lake parking lot, then he reached for his cell.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” I asked.
    â€œCalling her. She has no right to stalk us like that.”
    â€œPlease don’t. Let her be.”
    Jimmy hesitated, then put the phone away. It was clear he didn’t want to talk to her. “The loss of Huck was hard on her. I think she’s having a nervous breakdown. What else did she say?”
    â€œI told you everything,” I said. Except how deeply her weird remarks had shaken me. I felt as if I needed help, protection even, but I didn’t know who to turn to.
    â€œCome by when you don’t know what else to do.”
    Why had Russ told me that? It was almost like he had foreseen this moment and understood how confused I would feel. A sudden strong desire to see him again swept over me.
    I knew then that my theory on how he had beaten the casino was seriously flawed. He had won using magic. He really was the magic man. If I could see him again, he would know what I should do next. At least, like with cards, he would know whether I should act or hold.
    â€œTake me back to the hotel,” I told Jimmy.
    Our suite was deserted when we reached the MGM. There was a note from Alex that said to call her on her cell but that was it. I told Jimmy I was tired and wanted to take a nap—alone. He was sensitive to my moods. He said he would go out for a walk, come back in an hour or so. I told him to make it two hours. He kissed me before he left but my mind was elsewhere and he sensed that as well.
    â€œAre we okay?” he asked.
    I forced a smile. “We’re fine.”
    â€œShe told me she wasn’t coming. She swore it.”
    â€œSwear too much and it loses all meaning.”
    He hesitated. “Good-bye, Jessie.”
    â€œGood-bye, Jimmy.”
    There was something frightening in the sound of our farewells. Like they had the potential of being permanent.
    With Jimmy gone, I took a quick shower and dressed in the new clothes I had purchased, the short black skirt and the red silk blouse. I picked up the phone to warn Russ I was coming over. I had to go through a switchboard. I asked for him by name, not by room number. He answered on the second ring.
    â€œHello?”
    â€œRuss. It’s