Villainous (18 page)

“Well, I wanted to ask you for a favor.”

A favor? That was not what Daniel was expecting her to say. He’d hoped, in a wild fantasy-type way, that she was here to profess her undying love for him.

“Sure,” he said. “What’s up?”

With a sigh, Mollie dug into her backpack and produced a heavy, well-worn textbook. Doodles of a donkey-faced teacher decorated the sides.

“Will you help me cram for tomorrow’s final?”

He woke up the next morning still exhausted from their marathon study session. Over the course of one evening, Daniel had tried to recap weeks’ worth of lessons, and it hadn’t gone well. Daniel was distracted and Mollie turned impatient early on. She’d snap at him for going too slow; then when it came time to demonstrate that she’d understood, she’d miss a step and end up crumpling her paper in anger.

At first, Daniel found that sitting so close to her, sharing the same book, made it even harder to concentrate on what he was telling her. Those kissing fantasies kept getting in
the way. But after she’d lobbed the book at his head in frustration for the fourth or fifth time, his infatuation turned to exasperation, and finally, aggravation. By the end of the evening he didn’t want to kiss her so much as strangle her.

Worst of all, he genuinely feared she might not pass the test. She’d simply fallen too far behind to catch up now.

He’d woken up the next morning too late to bike to school and was forced to ride the slow bus instead. He half hoped that he might find Mollie waiting for him at the bus stop, just like old times, but she wasn’t there.

When Daniel finally walked into Smiley’s class, Mollie was already at her desk, and though she nodded at him as he walked by, they didn’t say anything. Her mood didn’t seem that out of place, however. There was an anxious pall over the entire class. Everyone knew what was at stake here.

Smiley set a timer and wrote “90 minutes” on the board. Then they were instructed to take up their pencils and begin.

At the thirty-minute mark, Mollie put down her pencil and walked her paper to Smiley’s desk. Daniel had to stop himself from whispering
What are you doing?
to her as she gathered up her things. Any talking during the final would result in an immediate failing grade. Daniel watched her as she slung her backpack over her shoulder. Maybe she’d taken the test at super-speed? Maybe last night’s study session had just needed time to sink in?

They made eye contact briefly as she headed out the door, and in that instant he saw that he’d been wrong. The
tears pooling in her eyes told him everything. She’d bombed the test.

Mollie Lee wouldn’t be going to high school next year with Daniel after all.

After Mollie walked out, Daniel very nearly didn’t finish his own test. His instinct had been to run after her, to try in his awkward way to console her, but if he did that, he too would fail. He couldn’t bear to see the disappointment in his parents’ faces if that happened, and besides, he knew what Mollie would do if he did throw the test just to chase after her— she’d break his nose. Nothing would make her angrier than knowing Daniel had flunked history for her. She wouldn’t see it as chivalrous; she’d see it as stupid. So he struggled with the last hour of the final and had to read most questions over more than once, forcing his brain to stop thinking about Mollie and focus on the task at hand. He was filling in the last answer when the bell rang. He hadn’t done as well as he’d expected to, but he hoped he’d done well enough.

Although he knew she was long gone, he tore out of the classroom the minute the bell rang. In the halls he looked for her face among the crowds, a flash of silver earrings against black hair.

He made it to the parking lot, but of course she wasn’t
there. Downhearted, he had just dragged himself over to the bike rack when he remembered that he hadn’t ridden to school that day; he’d taken the bus. This realization came as the yellow bus was already pulling out of the parking lot, to deliver the survivors of today’s finals like shell-shocked soldiers home from the war.

What a perfect end to a terrible day. Now he would have to walk the two hours it would take to get home from here, or call one of his parents at work. He was still trying to make up his mind when he heard a car pulling up behind him. A glance over his shoulder revealed a limousine rolling slowly his way.

Heads turned as the long black car came to a stop just feet from Daniel. He didn’t move. He didn’t try to escape, even though he knew who was in there waiting for him. To the contrary, he walked right up to the car, bold as could be. Herman Plunkett had picked the wrong day if he was hoping to intimidate Daniel. If he couldn’t take out his frustration on Smiley or Mollie or his own awkward, foolish heart, then Herman would just have to do.

As Daniel approached, the back door swung open seemingly by itself, and he heard Herman’s sandpapery voice.

“I was afraid we’d missed you.”

Herman was alone. His black clothes disappeared against the dark leather seats, so that it looked like he was nothing more than a ghostly white head, floating above a pair of curled, arthritic hands.

“What do you want, Herman?”

“I want to give you a ride if you’ll let me,” he said. “Unless you’re scared I will kidnap you. It’s not too late to yell
Stranger danger
, you know.” Herman chuckled at his mean little joke.

“I’d rather walk,” said Daniel.

“Fine. Since we’re done being polite,” said Herman, losing all patience, “get in or I’ll have Lawrence up there toss you in.”

Daniel looked over at the driver’s seat and saw a dragon tattoo crawling up the back of a bald head. Lawrence’s eyes were watching him in the reflection of the rearview mirror.

“You’d throw me into your car in front of all these witnesses?” asked Daniel. There were at least twenty kids gathered around, struggling to get a good look inside the car.

Herman smiled and waved at them like some kind of movie star. “I’ll do what I please,” he said, still smiling. “You of all people should know this by now. Come on, my boy. I only want to talk.”

If Herman had wanted to hurt Daniel, this wasn’t the way he’d do it. Daniel believed him when he said he wanted to talk, but that was the problem. Sometimes with Herman Plunkett, talking was the most dangerous thing you could do.

Still, his anger over the test and over Mollie was making him feel reckless, and in the end Daniel’s curiosity got the better of him, just as Herman no doubt knew it would.

He took a seat on the side opposite from Herman, as far away from the old man as he could possibly get without hanging out of the car.

“You have moxie, I’ll give you that,” said Herman. “Your grandmother had it too. Eileen wasn’t afraid of anything.”

If Daniel had known they were going to talk about his gram, then he wouldn’t have gotten in the car. Everything Herman did was an affront to her memory.

Instead, Daniel pointed to the tablet in Herman’s lap. The screen was a field of stars.

“Nice screen saver,” said Daniel. “You taking up astronomy?”

“Old men need hobbies,” answered Herman, closing the tablet cover.

“Or are you still searching for your comet?” Daniel asked. Herman had once shown him the paintings hidden deep within the caves beneath Mount Noble. The people who lived there long ago had a legend about a comet of green fire, the Witch Fire Comet, which appeared every few generations.

“When the comet last streaked through the sky over Noble’s Green, it left eight children and one ignorant woodsman with godlike powers,” said Herman. “Not like these floating firemen, or even your super-friends. Do you think the world’s ready for that?”

Herman had a way of recasting himself as the hero in these hypothetical scenarios. Again and again he’d rationalized all the repulsive things he’d done as being in the service
of some greater good. The old man had said goodbye to reality long ago.

“I think,” said Daniel, “that you’d sell your soul for a chance to get your Shroud powers back, and I bet you stare at the stars every night just praying to see a glimpse of green light in the sky.”

Herman’s eyes narrowed and Daniel imagined he could see the hate glittering there, reflecting like a cat’s eyes in the dark.

“You’d lose that bet,” said Herman after a moment. “I don’t stare up at the stars. I pay other people to do it for me.”

Daniel laughed in spite of himself. In this at least, Herman was probably telling the truth.

“All right, Lawrence,” said Herman, calling up to the front of the limousine. “And you, put your seat belt on. Lawrence drives like he just got out of prison. Which, incidentally, he did.”

Daniel saw Lawrence glaring at them in the mirror as he put the car into drive, but whether that look was meant for Daniel or Herman he couldn’t tell.

“I think I liked your old nurse better,” said Daniel. He went ahead and buckled himself in, even though it felt a little bit like putting on his own handcuffs.

“I’m going to pay my dear estranged relatives a visit today,” said Herman. “See about kicking those freeloaders out of my house.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” said Daniel. “Theo’s not crazy
about living there, especially since he learned what you really are.”

“He’s a Plunkett. He should get used to disappointment,” said Herman. “But enough about my unsavory relations and phantom comets. How’s your little investigation going? The Case of the Sabotaged Sweets Shop?”

Plunkett was openly sneering, his disdain for Daniel’s detective work plain to see. But Daniel wouldn’t take the bait.

“The ones who vandalized Lemon’s shop also tore apart the high school,” said Daniel.

“And you know who did it?”

Daniel looked Plunkett in the eye. “It’s out of my hands.”

“Then I’m no longer a suspect?” asked Herman. “You found another
bad guy
?”

“I think there are a lot of strange things going on in this town,” said Daniel. “And I know you well enough to know that you are probably up to your armpits in most of them.”

“Hah!” barked Plunkett. “I am no more responsible for those silly acts of vandalism than I am for the sudden and most inconvenient return of my arch-nemesis!”

Daniel gave Herman a look. With everything that had been going on, he hadn’t stopped to think about what Herman might make of Johnny’s return.

“Oh yes,” said Herman. “The good Principal Noble. What do you think he’s really up to with that school of his? Certainly you’ve wondered, haven’t you?”

Herman leaned across the seat and took off his tinted glasses, as if he wanted to get a good look at Daniel. Once again, Daniel was struck by the old man’s eyes. So clear, so bright, like Johnny’s. Only something else showed there as well—something fearful. It was why the old man usually hid them behind a pair of dusty spectacles or tinted shades. Those eyes couldn’t be trusted.

“Why is Johnny here?” asked Plunkett. “Why now, after all these years?”

Johnny was teaching. Or at least helping others teach. Daniel believed Johnny now, though whether it would work was another matter altogether. The important thing, Daniel guessed, was that Johnny was trying. And if he couldn’t get Drake and his friends to fall in line, there was always Eric and Rohan. They might get some evidence on them yet.

Of course, Herman needed to know none of it.

“If I knew why he was here,” said Daniel, “what makes you think I’d tell you?”

Herman steepled his fingers under his chin and grinned.

“Exchange of information,” said Herman. “I’m aware you and Johnny had a talk, and I want to know what it was about. Tell me and I can give you the proof you seek regarding those unfortunate attacks.”

So Herman was looking to bargain. He might very well have evidence against Drake. After all, he’d been compiling files on the Supers for years. But he could have a signed
confession from Drake and Daniel wouldn’t take it. Not from Herman. Not ever.

“Nothing happens in this town that I’m not aware of,” said Herman. “You know that.”

“Uh-huh,” said Daniel. “Yet you don’t know what Johnny and I talked about. Maybe we were talking about you?” Herman’s grin disappeared.

Yes
, thought Daniel.
How’s it feel not to have all the answers for once?
He’d just given Herman a taste of his own bitter medicine.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” asked Herman.

“I’m starting to,” said Daniel. “Especially because I don’t need your help with the vandalism. I know all about the Nobles and what they’re up to.”

“Nobles?” Herman said. “What are you talking about?”

Plunkett looked, for the moment, genuinely puzzled. Herman’s feigned surprise was such a bravura performance that Daniel almost clapped. But they were interrupted as Lawrence called back to them.

“Mr. Plunkett?”

“Yes, Lawrence,” said Herman irritably. “What is it?”

“You’d better see for yourself,” said Lawrence.

With a sigh, Herman stabbed one bony finger at a button on the car door and the window slowly rolled down. They were approaching the entrance to Cedar Drive, the private street that led to the Plunkett estate. The mansion wasn’t visible from the road, but the sky above was black with smoke.

“My house!” cried Plunkett. “Lawrence, drive!”

Lawrence turned the limo into Cedar on two wheels, and Daniel was very glad he’d taken Herman’s advice about the seat belt.

As they sped up the road, Daniel pulled out his phone and dialed 911. He couldn’t care less about Herman’s home, but his friend Theo lived there.

He’d just finished shouting the address to the 911 operator as she calmly informed him that the fire trucks were already on their way. Lawrence stopped the car at the bottom of the driveway, but the mansion, or what was left of it, was unrecognizable. Its entire lower two floors were an inferno. Flames were licking up to the top floor, and so much smoke was billowing out that the air inside the limo already tasted of it. Nevertheless, Herman hauled himself from the car the minute they’d stopped, not bothering to wait for his man to help him. Daniel slid out the side and followed.