The Trouble with Twelfth Grave (Charley Davidson #12)(68)

“Where’s Amber?” I called out to her.

“Working on a school project before winter break. She should be back soon.” She handed me her keys and a bottle of water before running to my living room and bringing back the third book, Stardust. “You know, in case you have to go on a stakeout or get stuck in traffic. You need to read this book.”

“Okay. Hopefully I’ll be back soon, hydrated, well read, and with good news.”

“Don’t get shot at again.”

“’Kay.”

I threw a scarf over my head and took the back exit. After narrowly missing a light post, I stole around the building to Cookie’s aging Taurus, wondering if Reyes was still sleeping in Misery. His behavior made no sense, but I didn’t have time to worry about it. As soon as I found the priest, there’d be plenty of time to capture Rey’azikeen and try to beat some sense into him.

I started to turn the key when I noticed two men in an unmarked government car at the exit to the parking lot. I ducked down, then craned my neck to check out the second exit and my only escape. Another unmarked car with two men drinking coffee. Four G-men on little ol’ me. What the bloody hell? Kit must’ve been more than a little peeved I’d disobeyed her direct order. She was so touchy about those things.

I sank into the seat, frustrated. I could go in the opposite direction and slink down the alley, but I’d need a distraction. And I didn’t dare pull Osh off Nicolette duty or Garrett off Pari. They needed to be there in case the priest showed up.

Cookie was my only hope.

In her defense, she could be quite the distraction when she put her mind to it. I turned the brightness on my phone down so as not to draw attention to the fact that someone was hiding in Cook’s car, then I dialed her number.

“Did you get busted already?” she asked.

“Ye of little faith. I’m incognito in your car. They have both exits staked out, but if I had a distraction, I could sneak down the alley and avoid them altogether. At least, that’s the plan.”

“You’re so bad at plans.”

“Cook.”

“Okay, okay, give me twenty minutes.”

“Twenty minutes? What are you going to do?”

“Just leave it up to me.”

Dread crept up my spine as she hung up. Oh, well. If I got nothing else out of it but sheer entertainment, it would be worth it.

Since I had twenty minutes to spare, give or take, I turned up the light on my phone and brought out the third book written by the prodigy from Jakarta, Pandu Yoso. The book titled Stardust that was supposedly about Beep.

It picked up where the second book left off, with the dark son, a.k.a., the Dark Star, a.k.a., Reyes, watching over the First Star while she fulfilled her duties in Jehovahn’s kingdom. She had given up her kingdom to watch over His, all so Jehovahn would spare the Dark Star the torment of the lightless realm Jehovahn had tricked him into creating. The one encased in Star Glass.

The book basically described parts of her life, calling her the First Star and recounting events in her life as a physical being that had shaped her, including an indifferent stepmother, a betrayal by her best friend, and an uncle who loved her unconditionally.

It went through her first meetings with Dark Star, when she was still afraid of him to when she found his true self at last. His physical manifestation, dark and beautiful and untamed. They fell in love and collided, creating Stardust. Creating Beep.

And when she was born, the galaxies glistened in her eyes, for she was the daughter of the two most powerful stars in all the kingdoms in all the world, and she was destined to do great things. She was destined to save Jehovahn’s kingdom.

I had to admit, the kid nailed it. According to other prophecies, Beep was destined to defeat Lucifer, which would explain his desire to destroy her and our desire to keep her safe.

A knock sounded at the window. I jumped, then looked over at a homeless woman named Cookie Kowalski Davidson and tried not to giggle. She stood enshrouded in rags that I was pretty sure were actually rags. She even had a shopping cart.

I rolled down the window. “Where the hell did you get that cart?”

“I borrowed it from Saratoga Sally.”

“You know Saratoga Sally?” I asked, impressed. The woman didn’t talk much.

“Not really.”

“She just let you borrow her shopping cart? That’s like her castle.”

“Actually, I should have said I rented it from Saratoga Sally. She’s a shrewd business woman, let me tell you.”

“How much.”

“Twenty. And I have to have it back to her in ten or she starts charging interest.”

“I knew I liked her.”

“Even after she threw peanut butter in your hair?”

“She said it was a great conditioner. She was only looking out for me.”

Cookie nodded then winked at me. “Get ready.”

I gave her a thumbs up and watched as she strolled to do her stuff, not sure what to expect. If she could just distract one of the cars, I could turn the opposite direction of the other so the building would be between us.

But what would she do? Would she bang on their car and demand they move? Would she pound on the glass and insist on money for Buffalo wings? Would she fall to the ground and feign injury, forcing them to leave their car to see to her, giving me a window of opportunity to hightail it outta there?