57aacbcd9598439b495cce0c68035a7c

“Very credible,” said Chase as he shot a look at Odelia.

Roulston nodded.“I hired some extra people so we should have everything covered. Appreciate the heads-up. Let’s just hope your source was wrong and things go smoothly.”

He walked off, barking some orders into his phone, and Odelia, Chase and her uncle watched from the wings as people milled about, and the theater quickly filled up.

“Looks like a full house,” Chase commented. “The kid’s a real draw.”

“Did this ‘hunch’ of yours tell you where the threat will be coming from?” asked Uncle Alec, who appeared very unhappy to be there. He truly wasn’t a pop concert fan.

“Not exactly,” she admitted. “I just…”

“Have a feeling,” he completed the sentence. “At least tell us if Dieber is the target.”

“I don’t know,” she said helplessly. “Him or someone in his entourage.”

“Right,” said Uncle Alec dubiously. “Look, I need a smoke. Be right back.”

“I didn’t know he started smoking again,” she said as she watched her uncle’s retreating broad back.

“He smoked before?”

“Oh, yes. After Aunt Ginny died he started smoking like a chimney. My mom finally convinced him to quit. Dad helped by showing him some X-rays of lung cancer patients.”

“He’s not a big smoker. A couple of cigarettes a day. At least he doesn’t smoke in the house.”

“How’s that working out for you, living with Alec?”

“It’s great. We’re like a comedy duo.”

She smiled.“So who’s Lucy and who’s Desi?”

Chase grinned.“I’m definitely not Lucy, I can tell you that.”

Uncle Alec returned, reeking of cigarettes, and announced,“Look who I found lurking outside the stage door.” He stepped aside to reveal Max, Dooley and Brutus.

“Odelia!” Max announced urgently. “You have to stop him! He’s going to kill her!”

She clamped her teeth together and crouched down.“Who?” she whispered.

“Nugent!” he cried. “I finally figured it out! Nugent is going to kill Regan!”

Chapter 28

Unfortunately, just at that moment Charlie Dieber walked onstage, to the booming roar of an ecstatic crowd, and the concert started. Whatever else Max was saying was lost on Odelia, for try as he might, he couldn’t raise his voice over the racket.

The terrific noise caused Brutus and Dooley to hug the floor, trying to cover their ears, and Odelia searched around to see if she could catch a glimpse of Jason Nugent. But wherever the guard was, he wasn’t here, and for a moment she feared he might already have struck. But then she caught a glimpse of Regan Lightbody, on the other side of the stage. She was keeping a close eye on the proceedings, her keen gaze swiveling from Dieber, as he performed, to the crowd. More guards had been placed in front of the stage, and they had a hard time preventing crazed teens, eyes wet with tears and screaming their lungs out, from trying to mount the stage and jump Dieber. Panties and bras and other items of underwear were being pelted onstage, along with teddy bears and lots and lots of plush cats.

Charlie took it all in stride, as he belted out his biggest hits. He seemed in his element, and Odelia had to admit he looked really cool, and his voice sounded great, too.

And then she returned her gaze to Regan and saw to her horror that a man was sneaking up on her from behind, holding a large knife that flashed in the stage spotlights. She recognized the man as Jason Nugent. Chase had seen the same thing, and so had Uncle Alec. Ignoring the confused looks from Charlie and the members of his band, she wasted no time darting across the stage, yelling,“Regan! Regan, watch out—behind you!”

Regan saw her coming, and frowned, instinctively going for her gun. Then, when she saw Odelia pointing, she whirled around and saw the threat. Nugent, not expecting this, tried to plunge the knife into her neck, but she managed to ward off the blow with a slashing movement of her arm, causing her gun to drop to the floor. In response, the flat-nosed bodyguard dropped the knife and brought out a handgun of his own, training it on Regan.

Chase and Uncle Alec, who’d joined them, stopped short when they caught sight of the weapon, and held their hands up in a bid to put the guard at ease and stop the attack.

The concert, still in full swing, drowned out any words that were spoken, but the look on Nugent’s face spoke volumes. For some reason Odelia didn’t comprehend, he wanted Regan dead. Presumably he’d meant for the attack to look like another botched assassination attempt on Dieber, and if Max hadn’t warned Odelia he might have gotten away with it, too. He still might, for he was cocking the gun now, Regan making pleading gestures.

Nugent brought his left hand up to steady his right, and took a two-handed stance, as if he was at the gun range, aiming his weapon squarely on Regan. He yelled something, then, which sounded a lot like,“If I can’t have you, no one can!” but Odelia couldn’t be sure.

“No!” she screamed, but knew it was too late. The man would fire and kill Regan.