Goddess of Gotham (15 page)

But all that would take time and time was not on Simon’s side. Three days were all he had before he had to think of something else. And think of something else he did. When the stakes were
this high, loyalties meant nothing. He would cut out the broker – find the girl for himself. That way, all the rewards were his and he would need every penny. Simon might be on the verge of
making billions but his lifestyle was hardly cheap.

Come to that, why not make some extra? The secret of eternal youth was just one source of funds. There was another, quicker way, to make some cash. He could literally sell the girl’s
looks. Find her, slice her up and his troubles would be over. And luckily for Simon he had the perfect customer in mind.

Punching an unlisted number into his cell phone, Simon forced his mouth into a smile. It helped to smile when making such an important call. Added that crucial air of confidence.

‘Hello? Simon Razzle here. I have an interesting proposition. All I need from you is a small deposit. Say $30,000.’

So many ageing clients. So many desperate women. And this one was more desperate than most.

She would literally buy a new face.

KUMARI’S JOURNAL

(TOP SECRET. FOR MY EYES ONLY.

EVERYONE ELSE KEEP OUT!

THIS MEANS YOU!)

The World Beyond

January 28th – 306 days to go

I’ve done it. I told them – Hannah and Charley. About the kidnappers and everything. They were really sweet and said I should have told them before and I
mustn’t ever be on my own. OK so I didn’t tell them everything – they’d freak at the goddess stuff. I still have to sort that out, but at least now my friends know about the
other thing.

I just read that back. Unbelievable! ‘My friends.’ I actually have some! I think Badmash is a bit jealous. He is sulking – a lot. It’s not like I love him any less,
but I’ve never had real friends before just like me. Well, OK, not just like me, but they’re my age and everything. We talk and we hang out and we have so much fun it’s amazing. I
never knew you could have such a good time just talking about stuff. I guess this is what it feels like to be normal.

We talk about school, Ms LaMotta’s moustache (Charley thinks she should wax it), boys and our parents. I don’t really tell them much about Mamma and Papa – they just think I
live with my foster family. Ma, CeeCee and LeeLee really are like family now – sometimes it feels like I’ve always lived with them. And they don’t care about that Manhattan
Mystery Girl stuff which kind of died down,
thank goodness. I mean, it’s not like reporters hang around or anything. They got bored with me pretty quickly. Once they realised I
couldn’t tell them anything then that was it really.

The authorities, too – they’ve kind of given up. It’s not like I’m going to suddenly remember something crucial. I’ve told them I don’t know where the
Kingdom is or how to get there. I can tell they think I’m crazy but there’s not a lot they can do. In any case it’s easier for them just to forget about me. They’ve got too
much paperwork. That’s what Ma says at any rate – I’m just another statistic.

Anyway, Charley and Hannah were cool about the kidnappers. They wanted to know why some men were after me and I said I didn’t know. Then I said OK my Papa is an important person and
then they got really excited and wanted to know who he is. I had to act all grown-up and say that it’s better they don’t know and then they started making really wild guesses like
he’s a reclusive billionaire or something. Then they guessed he might be an Indian prince. That was getting too close so I looked really bored at that idea.

They gave up after their third guess when I started to look a bit upset. I mean, the idea of Papa being a Bollywood star was slightly insulting. Papa would never embarrass himself in such a
way although, come to think of it, it would be kind of cool. But I started to think of him blown up big on screen and imagining his face. It reminded me of how I miss him and that’s why I
started to look upset and then Hannah and Charley were upset too and they
stopped their guessing. I’m glad I’ve told them, though. It’s so great to have friends. Friends. I
have friends. I am normal. Almost.

CHAPTER 13

‘M
ind if I join you?’

‘Who , me?’

‘Yes, you.’

Good start, Kumari. Like he doesn’t think you’re a klutz already.

‘So, how’s it going?’ said Chico. Kumari sneaked a peek over his shoulder. The cafeteria line stretched forever. Hannah and Charley would be ages.

‘It’s . . . better,’ she smiled.

OK, so the clock was still ticking and she was still stuck
here
while Mamma was stuck
there,
but despite that, all things considered, life
was
getting better. Even more so since Chico had sat down, come to think of it. Oh no, better not think of it. Cheeks on red alert.

‘So . . . ’

‘So . . . ’

She noticed his leg was jiggling. Could he actually be nervous too? Not Chico. No way. Then again, maybe.

‘Um . . . how’s your grandpa?’ said Kumari. ‘I heard he was in the hospital.’

Chico’s eyes darkened for a moment. She felt her heart twist.

‘He’s doing good, thanks. They just wanted to keep him in to make sure. He had this kind of dizzy spell but he’s OK now. It’s my grandma I’ve got to worry about.
She won’t leave the old guy alone. Keeps telling him to rest. Like my grandpa would ever sit still. The minute her back’s turned, he’s up and out the door.’

‘He sounds great,’ smiled Kumari. Poor Chico. Beneath his upbeat manner, he couldn’t hide his concern.

‘He is. A really good guy. How ’bout you? You got a grandpa?’

‘Um, no,’ said Kumari.
That’s it, keep a lid on it. For once don’t freak him out. Keep the weird family stuff to yourself. At least for now.

‘That’s too bad,’ said Chico. ‘My grandpa, he’s taught me such a lot.’

‘Like about the gang stuff?’

‘The gang stuff and other things. He’s a wise old guy. And generous. Him and grandma took me and my little sister in when we had no place to go. I mean, they should be sitting back
by now but instead they brought us up. Put us on the right path.’

Kumari had never seen him this serious. His grandparents obviously meant the world to him.

‘He must be a wonderful person.’

‘He is.’

Chico flashed her
that
grin and she felt her stomach go into spin cycle. Round and round and round, just like at the Laundromat. Come to think of it, she liked the Laundromat. It was kind
of fun watching the clothes go round.
Concentrate, Kumari. This guy is gorgeous.

‘So you want to grab a soda sometime?’

‘Uh, sure, that would be nice.’
Nice? For goodness’ sake. He asks you out and you say that would be ‘nice’? Does ‘grabbing a soda’ class as being
asked out? Aarrgh – this is so complicated.

‘Hey there.’ It was Hannah, behind her a smirking Charley.

‘Room for us?’ asked Charley.

‘I was just going,’ said Chico.

A parting smile for Kumari.

‘Later.’

‘Uh, later.’

Don’t,
she begged silently.
Don’t you two start. Pleeeeease.

And they didn’t. At least, not for thirty whole seconds. By which time Chico was safely across the cafeteria and out of earshot.

‘So he said he’d see you later?’ giggled Hannah.

‘Like, how much later?’ snorted Charley.

‘I have no idea,’ said Kumari loftily. ‘Whenever. You know.’

‘No, we
don’t
know,’ sniggered Charley.

‘But we sure would like to,’ added Hannah. And with that they were off again, chortling as they munched their sandwiches.

Kumari could not help but join in. Their laughter was infectious. Every time one of them started, it set the other two off. It was true what she’d said to Chico. Despite everything, life
was surprisingly good.

So good that sometimes she even forgot the clock ticking away in her head. Or the fact that she was so far from home.

KUMARI’S JOURNAL

(TOP SECRET. FOR MY EYES ONLY.

EVERYONE ELSE KEEP OUT!

THIS MEANS YOU!)

The World Beyond

April 1st – 243 days to go

It’s the first day of April today in the World Beyond and they have this really weird custom where everyone plays jokes on one another. At least, they say
they’re jokes but some of them are not exactly amusing. Whoever put plastic wrap over the
toilets was pretty lame and most people think it was Eddie. We got him back, though –
me, Hannah and Charley – we super glued some coins to the ground near where he sneaks off to have his filthy cigarettes. Then we hid and watched as he tried to pick them up. He broke his
fingernails trying – too
funny!

Hannah has come up with a really great idea and at first the teachers thought this, too, was a joke. She suggested we all wear the same Yankees beanie hat in case the kidnappers suddenly
reappear. That way, they won’t know which one is me, especially if we pull them low over our foreheads. It’s pretty hard to tell who someone is in a beanie, even harder if they wear a
scarf. Anyway at first it was just me, Charley and Hannah but suddenly it caught on. Everyone assumed it was a fashion thing until Charley told Chico. Once Chico started wearing one, the whole
school followed. Even those people who don’t support the Yankees, which is pretty cool.

I sort of wish Charley hadn’t told Chico in a way – it’s just one other reason for him to think I’m strange. But it’s a really nice thing for him to do and it
shows he cares. On the other hand, maybe it’s not such a good thing. I don’t want him to think I’m some kind of sad case. Charley says guys like girls who are perky and smile a
lot. I don’t really do perky. Anyway, it’s better he likes me for who I am. At least, that’s what I think.

LeeLee said the same thing this evening. Not that I told her about Chico specifically – we were talking about boys in general. And not because I started the conversation. It was because
we’d been watching
Dream Date
on TV and I said I thought
they were all really gross and it kind of went from there. CeeCee didn’t say much. I think it’s because she
likes this guy at her high school but he doesn’t like her. If he doesn’t like CeeCee he must be an idiot and why would you want to go out with an idiot, anyway, is what I said. Then
CeeCee went really, really quiet and LeeLee kicked me so I shut up. Still, I think it’s good advice: Always be yourself.

Anyway, all of this is what Ms Martin would call hypothetical. Good word. I like that. We have to produce a hypothesis about our science fair projects. Mine is that magic can defy the laws of
physics. I’m still working on it. Ms Martin gave me that look she does, the one where she raises one eyebrow and stares right at you. Then she kind of smiled and said, ‘I can’t
wait, Kumari.’ Me neither – I mean, my magic hit rate is not exactly high.

CHAPTER 14

T
he sidewalk was icy. Squealing, the girls clutched on to one another.

‘Heeeeeeeeeeeelp!’ shrieked Hannah.

Too late, she skidded, knocking the other two down. They landed in a heap, laughing, Kumari loudest of them all. She glimpsed the sky, blue despite the cold, and thought
I’m happy.
How weird.

Spring was late in coming. The big freeze showed no signs of letting up. Which suited Kumari perfectly as she was having the time of her life. Back home, snow sat on mountains, looking pretty.
Here you goofed around in it. And there was nothing Kumari and her posse liked more than to goof around, except perhaps hang out and talk
stuff.

Kumari sat up on the sidewalk. ‘Hey, isn’t that Daniel?’

‘Get up, get up!’ hissed Hannah, adjusting her beanie hat. She was already on her feet, cheeks pink.

Charley and Kumari looked at one another. ‘Hi, Daniel,’ they chorused.

‘Hey’ Daniel mumbled, sloping by. ‘How you doin’, Hannah?’

They waited a full ten seconds after he passed before collapsing in giggles. Hannah flapped her hands in mortification.

‘Stop it! Stop it, he’ll hear!’

‘Hey, Hannah, we’re sorry’ said Kumari. ‘We didn’t mean to upset you.’

‘She’s not upset.’ Charley grinned wickedly.
‘Daniel
said hello. To Hannah.’

‘It was “hey,” actually’ said Hannah. ‘Not that I noticed.’

‘Uh, right.’ Kumari winked at Charley. It was
fantabulizmous
having friends.

Especially today. Today was an important day. The minute the bell sounded, the girls headed for the subway. Today they were going shopping Downtown
.
It was Charley’s idea. She could
not believe Kumari had never so much as seen the big stores. And with Ma’s birthday coming up, it seemed the perfect excuse.

Kumari patted her purse one more time. In it, her earnings. Twenty dollars and fifty eight cents exactly. How impressive was that? It had taken weeks of sweeping up at the salon on Saturdays
with a few shampoos thrown in. That was until she picked up the wrong bottle by mistake and turned Lola’s hair a fetching shade of green. Lola had still tipped her, insisting she liked it,
but Ma had taken Kumari off shampoo duty that instant and given her back her broom.

She still had a couple of blisters on her hands as a souvenir. Actually, she was kind of proud of those blisters. She had worked hard for them, darn it. She paused to pick at them and a headline
at the newsstand caught her eye:

Hollywood Star Adopts Orphan,
it read.

So that was their latest victim. Kumari shook her head. The
Manhattan Mystery Girl
thing was forgotten and that was just the way she liked it. The papers moved on quickly. Being old news
made her feel safer. She pulled down her Yankees beanie hat. It was like a sea of confusion bobbing in and out of the school gates and so far it had worked. Even so, she glanced around before
descending into the subway. She had no idea if the kidnappers were still in custody. It was best to make sure.