struggled with her like a crazy person and broke away from her.
"No!" she shouted. "Stop! Gabe! Come back!"
An instant later the fire reached the gas tank. With a deafening roar the car exploded.
Chapter 12
Jill stood in the crowd, holding Gabe's guitar, behind a wooden barrier the fire fighters had set up. The ruined hulk of the car continued to smolder, and the air was filled with the stench of burned rubber and gasoline.
In front of the barricade, Gabe, his clothes and face still covered with dust and soot from being blown to the sidewalk when the car exploded, was talking to the fire chief and two police officers. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but Gabe was gesturing angrily, pacing and shaking his head. She had never seen him so upset.
Why did this have to happen? she asked herself. Everything had been so perfect.
Finally the officials finished with Gabe and he came back to Jill. "I don't believe it!" he said. "They wanted to know if I set the car on fire!"
"They probably have to ask questions like that," said Jill.
"Why would I do it?" he went on. "And it's not even my car! It's my father's!"
"I'm so sorry," Jill said. "I'm sure he'll understand it wasn't your fault."
"He's only had the car a few months," Gabe went on. "I can't believe it!"
He began to pace up and down the sidewalk. "Do you know what the fire chief said? He said they won't know for sure till the car cools down, but it looks like arson."
"Arson!" Jill tried to sound shocked, but she wasn't really. "Who would do such a thing? And why?"
"Why is easy," said Gabe. "Jealousy. As for who--well, I have some ideas about that."
An hour later Jill sat staring at her telephone, feeling cold and sick inside.
"The fire game has to stop," she said out loud.
Ever since Gabe had told her that the fire chief suspected arson, Jill had known who set the fire.
It was Nick.
It had to be.
It was his "turn," after all. Gabe hadn't let him forget it for a minute.
Even worse, Gabe suspected Nick too. Diane must have told him how Nick felt about Jill. But could he really have done such a terrible thing out of jealousy?
Maybe Gabe had really pushed Nick too far the other night.
In any case, Jill meant to find out.
She picked up the phone and punched in Nick's number.
"Hello?" Nick's voice sounded groggy.
"Nick, it's Jill," she said.
"Oh, yeah? How you doing? What time is it?"
"It's a little past midnight," she said. Then she took a deep breath and plunged right in. "Nick, how can you possibly sleep after what you did?"
"Huh?"
"I know what you did tonight," she went on. "Don't bother to deny it."
"Why should I deny it?" said Nick, sounding slightly more awake. "I was home alone all night. I watched The Fly--the old one and the new one."
"You did more than that."
"What are you talking about?" Nick sounded genuinely puzzled.
"Nick, I know that you set the fire. It had to be you."
"What fire?"
"Are you denying that you set Gabe's car on fire?"
"Someone set Gabe's car on fire?" said Nick. Then suddenly his voice turned angry. "Of course I deny it! How can you accuse me?"
"Well," said Jill, "it was your turn next. Everyone knows that."
"Well, you're not supposed to be everyone! You're supposed to be my friend."
"Nick, it's okay," Jill pleaded. "You can tell me. I just called because I think the fires have to stop."
"I didn't set the fire," said Nick, "and if you don't believe me, that's your problem!"
Jill was about to protest again, but before she could, Nick hung up on her.
Suddenly Jill was worried about more than just the fire game. She was worried about Nick too. This whole thing had gone much too far.
She glanced nervously at her bedside clock, then decided to call Andrea.
She was never going to be able to sleep anyway, and Andrea usually stayed up late watching TV.
"Hello?" With relief, Jill heard Andrea's wide-awake voice.
"Hi, it's Jill," she said.
"What are you doing home so soon?" said Andrea. "I thought you had a date
"No!" she shouted. "Stop! Gabe! Come back!"
An instant later the fire reached the gas tank. With a deafening roar the car exploded.
Chapter 12
Jill stood in the crowd, holding Gabe's guitar, behind a wooden barrier the fire fighters had set up. The ruined hulk of the car continued to smolder, and the air was filled with the stench of burned rubber and gasoline.
In front of the barricade, Gabe, his clothes and face still covered with dust and soot from being blown to the sidewalk when the car exploded, was talking to the fire chief and two police officers. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but Gabe was gesturing angrily, pacing and shaking his head. She had never seen him so upset.
Why did this have to happen? she asked herself. Everything had been so perfect.
Finally the officials finished with Gabe and he came back to Jill. "I don't believe it!" he said. "They wanted to know if I set the car on fire!"
"They probably have to ask questions like that," said Jill.
"Why would I do it?" he went on. "And it's not even my car! It's my father's!"
"I'm so sorry," Jill said. "I'm sure he'll understand it wasn't your fault."
"He's only had the car a few months," Gabe went on. "I can't believe it!"
He began to pace up and down the sidewalk. "Do you know what the fire chief said? He said they won't know for sure till the car cools down, but it looks like arson."
"Arson!" Jill tried to sound shocked, but she wasn't really. "Who would do such a thing? And why?"
"Why is easy," said Gabe. "Jealousy. As for who--well, I have some ideas about that."
An hour later Jill sat staring at her telephone, feeling cold and sick inside.
"The fire game has to stop," she said out loud.
Ever since Gabe had told her that the fire chief suspected arson, Jill had known who set the fire.
It was Nick.
It had to be.
It was his "turn," after all. Gabe hadn't let him forget it for a minute.
Even worse, Gabe suspected Nick too. Diane must have told him how Nick felt about Jill. But could he really have done such a terrible thing out of jealousy?
Maybe Gabe had really pushed Nick too far the other night.
In any case, Jill meant to find out.
She picked up the phone and punched in Nick's number.
"Hello?" Nick's voice sounded groggy.
"Nick, it's Jill," she said.
"Oh, yeah? How you doing? What time is it?"
"It's a little past midnight," she said. Then she took a deep breath and plunged right in. "Nick, how can you possibly sleep after what you did?"
"Huh?"
"I know what you did tonight," she went on. "Don't bother to deny it."
"Why should I deny it?" said Nick, sounding slightly more awake. "I was home alone all night. I watched The Fly--the old one and the new one."
"You did more than that."
"What are you talking about?" Nick sounded genuinely puzzled.
"Nick, I know that you set the fire. It had to be you."
"What fire?"
"Are you denying that you set Gabe's car on fire?"
"Someone set Gabe's car on fire?" said Nick. Then suddenly his voice turned angry. "Of course I deny it! How can you accuse me?"
"Well," said Jill, "it was your turn next. Everyone knows that."
"Well, you're not supposed to be everyone! You're supposed to be my friend."
"Nick, it's okay," Jill pleaded. "You can tell me. I just called because I think the fires have to stop."
"I didn't set the fire," said Nick, "and if you don't believe me, that's your problem!"
Jill was about to protest again, but before she could, Nick hung up on her.
Suddenly Jill was worried about more than just the fire game. She was worried about Nick too. This whole thing had gone much too far.
She glanced nervously at her bedside clock, then decided to call Andrea.
She was never going to be able to sleep anyway, and Andrea usually stayed up late watching TV.
"Hello?" With relief, Jill heard Andrea's wide-awake voice.
"Hi, it's Jill," she said.
"What are you doing home so soon?" said Andrea. "I thought you had a date
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