“What are they doing?” Bobby finally asked. “Did they leave without us?”
Suddenly, someone grabbed me by the shoulder. I spun without thinking, twirled my arm up and around, and forced an arm lock on whoever it was that shouldn’t have been grabbing me.
“Hey. That hurts.”
I gasped. Poor Egon was all doubled over, his arm twisted in my grip. I let loose, and he stood up slowly. “Nice move.” He smiled, rubbing his shoulder. “We should spar some time.”
The very thought filled my head with pictures that I never knew I was capable of imagining…Kathryn would have been proud. I opened my mouth to say something witty, but just sort of gurgled.
Egon peeked at me out of the corner of his eye. “On second thought, maybe I’ll keep my distance. I don’t wanna be damaged.”
“Oh, Egon, I’d never damage you. I am so sorry. Are you okay?”
He continued to rub his poor shoulder. “I’ve had meaner opponents. But if you’d like to make it up to me, we could dance.”
I nodded happily. One quick dance before telling Andy about Scallion couldn’t hurt. Scallion wasn’t going anywhere.
“No more nose powdering?”
“I promise.”
“Can you retrieve my date first?” Bobby asked.
“She said she’d be right back.” I looked up at Egon.
“Go ahead. I’ll be right here. Then you’re all mine.”
What a sweet thought. When this kidnapper thing was over and Tammy was doing time, I would be free to be all his. As I worked my way through the crowd back to the bathroom, I thought about Tammy’s Amplifier. It would help us locate the other Knights. Maybe even their training ground. With Andy’s gadgets, he could trace it to wherever it had been. Like he always said, Memories…better than DNA.
Just as I reached for the bathroom door, it crashed open. Boot Milner burst through and pushed me aside with one arm, a wild look in her eyes. Agatha Chew rushed after her.
“You’re excused,” I said.
“Rinnie.” Agatha stopped in front of me, blocking the bathroom entrance.
“Look,” I said. “I don’t want trouble.” Then I noticed the terrified expression on Agatha’s face.
“It was him.”
Suddenly, I was frightened out of my mind. “Who? What happened? What did you do?”
Boot yelled, “Shut up!” and ran.
Agatha followed, disappearing into the crowd, and I shoved the bathroom door open. Thick cigarette smoke rolled out, burning my eyes. The bathroom looked empty through the haze.
“Kathryn?” I whispered.
No answer. No sound, not even breathing. Suddenly, my heart pounded. My breath came in rasping gulps. Strands of luxurious, blond hair protruded from under the closed stall door, stuck to the grimy tiled floor and soaked in blood.
“Kathryn!” I slowly lowered myself to my knees to look under the door. My whole body shook. Kathryn lay unmoving on her side, facing away from me, her head in a puddle of blood. I knew I had to get to her, but couldn’t force myself to crawl into the stall. Pushing aside my fear, I put my hand under the door, but stopped short, afraid to touch her, afraid of what I might feel. I had never touched a dead body before.
“Kathryn,” I sobbed. I reached for her throat to check for a pulse that I knew wasn’t there. As my quivering fingers touched her skin, Kathryn moaned.
“Kathryn!” I jumped up and tried to pull the stall door open. It was locked from the inside. Without thinking, my hair fluffed and I released a Mental Blast. The door crumpled, burst off its hinges, and landed upright on the toilet against the stall wall.
Instantly, I was inside. I rolled Kathryn on her back. Her forehead was gashed open. A tiny rivulet of blood ran from the crook of her elbow, and a hypodermic needle lay on the stall floor.
Suddenly the bathroom door was flung open. Egon and Bobby rushed in.
“What’s wrong?” Bobby yelled. “Egon heard you scream—Kitty!”
“I don’t know what happened. The needle…”
“Kitty?” Bobby’s mouth hung open. “Egon, gimme your cell!”
“I’m on it,” Egon said with less than his normal coolness. I listened as Egon called for an ambulance. I shivered when I heard him say, “Overdosed and hit her head.” That wasn’t right. Kathryn didn’t use drugs. But the needle…
It felt like hours before the paramedics arrived. I watched helplessly as they bandaged Kathryn’s head, strapped her to a gurney, and loaded her into the ambulance. Bobby grabbed the door as they were about to close it. The paramedic put his hand on Bobby’s chest.
“Sorry, we can’t—”
“She’s my girlfriend.” Bobby swiped the man’s hand from his chest. “I took her to this dance. I’ll bring her home.”
“I wish I could let you.”
“I didn’t ask permission.” Bobby forced his way into the ambulance. He squatted next to Kathryn and held her hand.
“I want to go, too,” I said, but I could see there was no room. The paramedic looked at me apologetically as he closed the ambulance door.