Starchela in LA

Chapter Ten: THE DOLL

THE DOLL

I can get used to riding around in a car like this. Gliding through the city in a cube of luxury all my own. My leather seats, my stereo, my air, my cool. None of this is mine, of course. It all belongs to Miss Evangeline Lilly - so Starchela, pull yourself together. Stop spacing out and focus. Concentrate. Think.

Strangely, my first thought is of a friend. I forgot about Natalie, carried away in the swirl of new discoveries about my mom and her twin sister. Natalie's still in danger. Her situation's a lot more dramatic than mine right now.

I look around for a way to contact the driver. I search for a button or screen, some sort of intercom. And then I realize there's actually no glass partition between me and him. I just had the impression there was, because of the enormity of the car and the whole appearance of a limo. I've never been in a limo before, but I know from movies that they have glass partitions behind the driver. Not this one.

"Can you help me with something?" I ask Torquevald Nordon.

He doesn't turn or flinch. "What is it?"

I look out the window. I think we're still in Westwood. Snaking out through the residential part. The Village is behind us. He just picked up the parking ticket, put it in his pocket, and off we went in direction of adventure.

"It's this doll," I say. "My landlord has it. I think he's kind of weird. I don't know how to explain it."

"What about him?" Torquevald Nordon's voice sounds like part of the Maybach's sound system.

"It's my doll. It's special. He took it."

"You want me to beat him up and take your doll back?"

Well, now that he put it that way... "Yeah, sure. Can you do that?"

"I'm not your bodyguard, or your personal thug."

Then he falls silent. Well, it was worth a try. I tried to help Natalie. Maybe I should call her, see if she's OK. See if her arm's OK. Instead, I open my big mouth. I guess I don't give up that easily.

"Then I'm not going," I say.

"Not going where?"

"Not going with you. Stop the car! Let me off!"

He stops the car. We pull to the curb. Is this how it ends? I shouldn't try and bluff against a 7-foot-tall Scandinavian driver who works for a Hollywood movie mogul.

This time he turns towards me. I feel tiny. He's as big as the interior of the car.

"Your landlord will be very angry with you for this."

We stop in front of Natalie's apartment complex. I give the driver instructions – where Rashad's place is, what the doll looks like. He gets out of the car. Climbs the stairs and enters the patio.

I should call Natalie, see if she's at home. Maybe she can pick up the doll from Torquevald Nordon after he steals it from Rashad. Before I call her, I opt for Tweeting. "I just pitted two monsters against each other. Hope I don't end up crushed in between."

I post the Tweet and someone knocks on my window. It's Shane. I don't know how to roll down the window, so I open the door.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"I'm following you. What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean, you're following me? You left. You were going home to wait for my call that will never come."

"You wouldn't have called me?"

"Why would I? You were being a total tool."

"I was pretending. I was playing for the guy."

"Oh."

"Of course I wouldn't leave you alone in this."

"Oh."

"What are you doing here?"

"This is my place."

"This is Natalie's place."

"How do you know this is Natalie's place?"

"I can't believe this! What are you, jealous, now?"

"I could care less how you know Natalie's place."

"I told you we have history together."

"Whatever."

"You're so funny. I'm just teasing you. I gave Natalie a ride home a couple of times. Not that it's any of your business."

"You gave Natalie a ride a couple of times?"

"Whatever. What are you doing here? What's Lurch got to do with Natalie?"

"I asked him to help out with something."

"With what? Is this about her problems you wanted to tell me about?"

"I think I've got it under control. Don't worry about her now."

"What's going on in there?"

"Nothing. Relax."

"I'm going in!"

"Shane, chill. It's okay, I promise. You don't need to go in, or worry about it. You should keep following me. I'm in more trouble than Natalie is. I need someone to watch over me. She's cool."

"You sure?"

"Call her if you want."

Crude. I'm bluffing again, I'm speaking too quick again. What if he does call her, and she's watching Torquevald Nordon and Rashad fighting it out under her window and she needs someone to rush over and snatch her doll for her?

"He's coming back!"

The giant driver appears at the top of the stairs.

"Drive after us," I tell Shane, and shut the door in his face.

I can see him duck and sneak back to his car, as Torquevald Nordon descends the stairs with the doll in his hand.

I sit back, and try to breathe normally. The driver's door opens, and he comes in. Takes his seat. Doesn't turn around to give me the doll.

"Well?" I say.

"What?"

"How did it go?"

He puts his belt on. I can't see the doll up there. He starts the car.

"It went well," he says as we pull away.

"Can I have the doll?"

"I'll give it to Miss Lilly."

"It's mine."

"It's not. Your friend may follow us to the house, but he won't be able to get in."