Girls' Night Out Murder (Ryli Sinclair 2) (6 page)

“You made good time.” Paige hugged Megan hello while I took
her suitcases.

“I know. I can’t believe how clear the roads are.”

“We have supper on the stove,” Bea said from the doorway.

“And jello shots for dessert,” my aunt piped up from behind Bea.

We made our way toward the house as headlights veered off
toward the Cleary house. It was too dark to see, but I figured with as high up
as the headlights were, it must be Jim in his work truck.

“I’ll be right back,” I told the girls and made my way
across the yard. I’m not sure why I suddenly wanted to see him—maybe it was all
the times his name was mentioned today—but I felt a need to just touch base.

“Well, well…twice in two days. To what do I owe this
surprise?”

Laughing, I leaned against the truck bed and watched him
unload some tools and take them inside his workshop. I’d never seen so many
saws, compressors, nail guns, and cordless drills in my life.

“What the hell is that?” I exclaimed as he pulled out a cordless
drill with a two-foot spike.

“This here’s an auger bit. Comes in handy when I’m drilling
holes in a floor joist. Or when I just need to make some long-ass holes,” he
chuckled.

I laughed with him. I was hoping it would squelch the
queasiness that rushed through my body. “That might hurt a little,” I said. Being
proned to finding dead bodies and dead body parts will do that to a person. It
took me a long time just to use a knife without breaking out into a cold sweat
after Sharon chased me around and tried to kill me with one.

Jim carried the drill and auger bit into his shop. “Hey, why
don’t you come out of the cold and come in here?”

“No, I really can’t stay. Paige’s cousin just got in and
we’re gonna test out Aunt Shirley’s jello shooters tonight to see which ones we
want for the bachelorette party.”

Jim leaned against the doorjamb. “That’s awesome,” he
smiled. “I’ll be finishing some cabinets tonight. I might have to open a window
in the shop to get the dust out of the air. I promise not to listen in if I
happen to hear you girls.”

I laughed. “I appreciate that. The acoustics here make it
impossible to keep a secret.”

“Sure does,” he said, wiping his hands on a rag. “Well, stay
warm. I hear we might get another inch tonight.”

“My favorite is the cranberry,” Aunt Shirley said. She ran
her tongue against the inside of the plastic container, unpopping the jello from
the side.

Slurp!

The red jello practically leapt down Aunt Shirley’s throat.
“Yum!” she said, smacking her lips together.

I shuddered. It was just too creepy watching her suck up a
jello shot like a Hoover sucks up dirt.

Paige sidled up to me and bumped my hip. “I’m kinda liking
the peppermint,” she giggled.

“How many have you had?” I asked her.

Before she could answer, Megan stumbled into us. “About as
many as I’ve had.”

“Well, it doesn’t help your mom made these cute little
matching martini drinks to go along with the shots,” Mindy said as she joined
our group. She was holding a cranberry jello shot in one hand…and in the other
a cranberry martini—or “crantini” as Mom called it. She’d even taken the time
to dip cranberries in sugar and string them though toothpicks to add to the
cranberry martinis.

They were really good. I’d had three already. Which was why
the room was practically spinning…or at least I assumed that was why.

Plop! Plop!

I reached into my jeans and took out my phone. It was a text
message from Julie.
Talked with Debbie. Her husband is
good with watching the kids Friday night. She’ll be at the bachelorette party!
Can’t wait! Here’s her number just in case.

I added Debbie’s number to my contacts lists. “Good news,” I
said to the group. “Julie just texted me that Debbie’s going to be able to come
Friday night.”

Paige let out a yelp. “I’m so glad. It’ll be just like old
times!”

“I came over to tell you the peppermint martinis were
ready.” Mindy sucked down a cranberry jello shot and washed it down with a long
drink of her cranberry martini. “This was an amazing idea. Aunt Shirley, you
outdid yourself.”

“I know,” she said, slurping down another red shot. “Wow,
those Fireball ones are strong!”

Great, now she’s
mixing
. I didn’t see this ending well for Aunt Shirley.

“Maybe you should stick with one type for awhile,” I
suggested.

“Maybe you should stick with minding your own business,” she
countered back. She reached over and picked up another shot from the tray. She
stared me down as she sucked up the shot.

Hiding a smile, I looped arms with Paige and Megan. “Let’s
go try out these peppermint martinis.”

Paige squealed and the three of us sauntered over to where
Mom and Bea were making martinis. I picked up the peppermint martini and almost
didn’t want to drink it...it looked so breathtaking. They had crushed real
peppermints into tiny, tiny pieces and rimmed the martini glass with the
pieces.

I took a tentative sip. The drink burned my nose and all the
way down my throat…but in a good way.

“Mom, Bea, these are amazing,” I said as I took another sip.
This time I scraped a little of the pieces off in my mouth and chewed on them.
Yep…perfect.

“Thank you,” Bea said. “We concocted the idea watching Aunt
Shirley pour the shots. Did the toppers while you girls were sampling wedding
cakes today.”

“Speaking of the cake,” Paige said, “I’m really glad Susie
is able to work her magic for us. How perfect is that?”

I turned to Mom. “I was afraid it would be awkward, what
with us never speaking to her again after her terrible tragedy…but she really
seems to be doing fine. Her bakery is beautiful. You
have
to see it before we leave.”

“It really is amazing,” Paige agreed. “The way she makes the
outside look like a delicious cupcake with her choice of colors…brilliant.”

Bea took a drink of her peppermint martini. “I’m just so
glad it’s working out for you guys. And the fact the girls are going to be
coming on Friday night to the bachelorette party is really just the icing on
the cake…pun intended!”

We all laughed. I decided a person was declared officially
drunk when she laughs at a pun.

“I think I’m going to go sit out on the deck for a few
minutes,” I announced. “I’m starting to feel a little too woozy.”

Mom wrinkled her brow and looked out a window. “Do you think
that’s such a good idea? It looks like there might still be some flurries.”

“I’m going to bundle up real good,” I assured her. “Put on
my jacket, hat, gloves, scarf, boots…the works. Don’t worry.”

“Want me to join you?” Paige asked.

I could tell by the pained look on her face she didn’t want
me to say yes. “No, you stay in here where it’s nice and warm.”

“Okay,” she chirped. “I’ll make sure this next batch of drinks
are just as delicious.”

It only took me a few minutes to don my winter attire.
Opening the French doors that led to the back deck, I quickly pulled the door
shut behind me. I didn’t want to hear the girls inside griping about letting
the cold in.

The frigid air hit me like a ton of bricks. I breathed in
the cold air and my expanding lungs all but froze. Even bundled up like I was,
I knew I wouldn’t last more than twenty minutes outside.

I walked over to one of the Adirondack chairs that
overlooked the lake. This late at night you couldn’t see the lake, but I didn’t
care. I mostly wanted to sober up a little. I slowly lowered my body into the
chair, careful not to spill my drink. Obviously I didn’t want to sober up
enough that I was willing to let go of my drink.

I could hear Jim’s Shop-Vac in the distance. Guess he was
finishing up with the cabinets and cleaning up.

Taking out my phone I sent a text to Garrett.
Girls’ night. Trying out Aunt Shirley’s jello
shots. Fatal.

His reply was instant.
Fatal…just like she is!

I laughed.
Yep. Can’t wait to see you. Miss
you.

Back at ya, Sin.

I stuffed my phone back inside my pocket and leaned back in
the chair. I’d just begun to relax when a noise jolted me out of my daydream of
Garrett. Looking behind me, I thought maybe Aunt Shirley or one of the others
had joined me outside. There was no one there.

I got up from the chair and walked over to the side of the
deck that faced Jim’s workshop and house. There was still a light on in his
workshop. Figuring that was the noise I heard, I turned back around to go
inside the house.

Crash!

“I said…I meant…now!”

I could only make out about every three words. Was Jim
arguing with someone again on the phone? This late at night? I wasn’t sure what
to do.

Crash!

What the heck was he doing over there? Wrapping my scarf
tighter around my throat, I tiptoed through our yard and started toward the
back of his workshop. Maybe tiptoed was a slight exaggeration, since I had on
winter boots. But I tried to be as quiet as possible.

Turning on the flashlight app on my cell phone, I made my
way through the freshly fallen snow. I was about twenty yards from the workshop
and could hear a little better through the open window. Not wanting to be seen,
I crouched down. Dumb I know, since I was out in the open, but it seemed like
the thing to do so I wouldn’t get caught.

“I can’t…done this.” I could still only make out a few
words. Obviously he’d toned down his yelling.

I couldn’t hear the response, but I could tell it was
female. I didn’t remember seeing headlights come down the driveway tonight, but
we’d been pretty busy drinking.

I started to creep forward closer to the window.

“I want you to leave right now and don’t come back.”

I heard a female’s startled cry.

Crap! Was he breaking
up with Julie? He seemed gaga over her just earlier. What had happened?

“If I have to physically remove you from here,” Jim said, “I
will.”

Not wanting to get caught, I quickly made my way back to my
own yard. I picked up my drink I’d left on the deck and tried to slow my
breathing back to normal. Taking a small sip, I waited to see headlights. I
knew it was too dark to make out a specific car—not that I knew what Julie
drove—but I could at least tell when she left.

Whirl!

The sound of a power tool coming from Jim’s workshop jolted
me.
Had Julie left and I not seen it?
No. That was impossible.
Had they made up and Julie stayed there to
watch him work some more?
That had to
be it.

Shrugging, I opened the French doors and went inside. The
heat was an instant relief.

“There you are,” Paige exclaimed. “We were about to go look
for you.”

I hesitated to say anything about what I’d seen and heard. I
didn’t want to embarrass Julie by telling everyone, but I also wanted to find
out if anyone noticed a car drive down the driveway at any time tonight.

“Mom, Aunt Shirley, everyone, can you guys come here for a
minute,” I called out.

“What’s the matter?” Paige asked.

“I just want to ask something.”

Mindy, Mom, Bea, Megan, and Aunt Shirley walked over to
where Paige and I were standing. I knew I had to be careful how I worded this…Mom
was always worrying about me getting tangled up in things ever since Sharon.

“I was sitting outside on the deck when I heard a noise
coming from Jim’s workshop. I crept over there to see—”

“Ryli Sinclair,” my mother cried out, “didn’t I tell you not
to get yourself caught up in something that didn’t concern you while you were
here?”

I know it’s rude, but I ignored her question. “Anyway,” I
continued, “I couldn’t see who he was talking to, but there was definitely a
woman in there. He was yelling at her to leave, and he didn’t want to ever see
her again. All kinds of crazy things.”

Paige put her hand over her mouth. “Poor Julie!” she mumbled
through her hand.

“And?” Aunt Shirley prompted.

“And what?” I asked.

Aunt Shirley rolled her eyes. “And did you see who it was
when they drove away?”

“That’s just it. I ran back over to our deck, and I waited
for the person to leave. Only they never did. The next thing I hear is one of
Jim’s tools starting up. The only thing I can figure is they made up or
something and she stayed there.”

Paige blinked back tears. “Do you really think so? I’d hate
to think they were breaking up already. Do you think we should call her and see
if she’s okay?”

“I wondered the same thing…but then I’d have to admit I was
eavesdropping over at Jim’s, and I don’t want to do that.”

“Did anyone see a car drive into Jim’s place tonight?” Aunt
Shirley demanded.

“No, no, no!” my mom said, turning to Aunt Shirley. “You
guys are
not
going to go butting into
things that do not concern you…especially this week. This week is all about
Paige…not figuring out some mystery!” She ended her tirade by downing the last
of her drink.

I was just about to open my big mouth and get myself into a
lot of hot water when I looked out the window into the pitch black and saw a
car turning on their headlights. The weird thing was they had already pulled
out of our shared driveway and gone about twenty yards down the blacktop before
they turned on their lights.

I caught Aunt Shirley’s eye. She’d noticed it, too. With a
small shake of her head, she let me know I was to keep my mouth shut and not
say anything.

I almost groaned aloud. I also knew this meant I was
probably going to get myself into some hot water pretty soon.