Page 59 of No Capes
“Duh.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
He shuffles his feet casually, like we could have been talking about the weather. “It seemed like not saying anything was the better option. I didn’t know if he hurt you, and if he did, I didn’t want him to know that I’d heard you scream. If he didn’t, then I had leverage—ASuperwas trying to helpyou. Why?”
As he says that, I realize I’d forgotten something about Fox: Fox is the kind of person who uses his intelligence to hide how intelligent he really is.
I push myself to think of a reply. Before I can, Phil Bridges runs between us, his face shining with sweat and his mouth twisting, trying to maintain a calm composure when he’s anything but. Phil, who tried to kill me. Phil, who knows I have powers. That Phil.
“Madeline,” he says, as if he doesn’t see Fox, “Arielle is missing. I can’t find her. Do you know where she might be?”
The conversation I’d heard when I was with D.S., when we heard her friends were going to surprise her with something, comes to mind. They said,“Arielle won’t see it coming,” and now Arielle is gone.
“Well,” says Fox. “It’d be great if there were any Supers around.”
I stop breathing.
“Madeline?” Phil pleads. “Ideas?”
“I’m sorry.” I can’t think. “The pool? Some kind of health-smoothie place?”
Phil whips out his cellphone to get one of his guys on it. “Thanks. In the meantime, would you mind searching the estate? Just in case she’s attending to something here? I have to do something else.”
Fox chortles at that. Phil won’t check his own house for his ownwife?
“Um, I guess,” I reply. If Arielle really is missing, then someone needs to address the kidnapping epidemic Capital City seems to have. On the other hand, Arielle could just be in her room with her friends, being surprised about whatever they’re gifting her. Who knows?
There’s one other option, however: this could be the trap I was waiting for.
“Great.” The mayor taps his cellphone and wanders into the crowd. I step into the hallway, away from the ballroom.
“I’ll come,” says Fox.
“You don’t have to do that.” Translation: I’d rather cover myself in slime, eat a spider’s nest, and crawl into a pit of alligators than have you come with me.
“Maddragon,” Fox replies, “you want to go wandering around Phil Bridges’ house alone? Who knows what kind of fun stuff there is for you to run into? Invisible heated lasers, or an army.” Only Fox doesn’t know that D.S. is still here somewhere,and D.S. is always twelve steps ahead of me. I’d bet that he’d seen the mayor talk to me. If I got into any trouble, he could help.
“I’ll be fine,” I say.
“Your funeral.” The apathy in his voice stings.
I look at Fox the way a cat looks at a fellow feline on the porch next door: back arched and hiss ready, prepared to go off at him. Fox exhibits my body language in reverse: calm, with a bored line on his lips.
“Just let Kristen know. Goodbye, Fox.” I stride out of the ballroom. Fox falls into step beside me.
“Madeline,” he says. “I think it’s important that you have someone with you. Not Kristen. I can ask Damian if you don’t want my help. Damian would walk around with you.”
My heart skips a beat. Damian Scott Jr. “I can’t…” I tell Fox. Translation:Heck yes, I could go see what in the world is going on with my sister with Damian Scott Jr.
Fox’s stare lingers on me for a minute longer. He shakes his head, giving up, and his midnight tailcoat trails away.
~
If I were Arielle’s bedroom, where would I be?Somewhere with the space to fit about six walk-in closets and a jacuzzi.
A jacuzzi, meaning water. If I focus, can I find the jacuzzi that would undoubtedly be in her bedroom? Since my powers are water based, maybe that means I can zero in on sources. Damian mentioned something similar inLeague of Comics.I close my eyes, which seems like a logical next step, but what to concentrate on? An image of a hot tub? Or water? The word jacuzzi?
Before tonight, the last time I’d seriously used my powers had been in that dungeon, and I’d destroyed the place. I didn’t think about water then, I just thought about how to get out of there. Before that, at my swim meet, I focused on runningaway from Mayor Bridges. Both times, I’d wanted to escape something.
