Girls' Night Out Murder (Ryli Sinclair 2) (8 page)

“No, absolutely not! Not only will Mom and Paige kill me,
but so will Garrett.”

“Oh, so you just wanna roll over and go to jail, is that
it?”

I glared at my aunt. I knew what she said made sense, but I
didn’t want to admit it. I didn’t want to spend the next few days solving a
murder I didn’t commit just so I wouldn’t go to jail. I wanted to drink and
celebrate Paige’s wedding to my brother.

“You need to think long and hard, Ryli. We have no time to
waste. Do you really want Deputy Dumbass and Officer Newbie solving this?
Because they looked ready to haul you away right now.”

I sighed. I knew she was right. I just didn’t want to admit
it.

“I think he said his name is Chief Taggart, not Deputy
Dumbass,” I resigned.

Aunt Shirley snorted. “From where I’m standing and what I
was hearing…it’s one in the same.”

I sighed again. “Fine. We do it your way.”

I’m so going to regret
this!

An hour later we were huddled around the kitchen table
drinking hot tea. Mine had a shot of whiskey in it, but I felt it was
warranted. I still hadn’t called Garrett to tell him about discovering Jim, nor
had I said anything to Mom about Chief Taggart’s covert threat.

“I just can’t believe someone would do this to Jim,” Mom
said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “He was such a nice young man. Always
keeping an eye on the house for us…who would do something like this?”

I looked at Aunt Shirley and Paige. I knew they were both
thinking what I was thinking. That it could very well be a person we grew up
with.

“I told Hank I’d call him today to touch base and say
hello,” Mindy said, retrieving her cell phone from her purse.

I groaned. I knew Hank. He could smell a story a mile away.
There’s no way Mindy was going to be able to keep this a secret. I was
definitely gonna have to call Garrett soon. It would be worse if he found out
about the body from Hank rather than me.

A few minutes later, Mindy walked back into the kitchen and
handed me the phone. “He wants to talk with you,” she said.

Taking a deep breath, I put the phone to my ear. “Yeah?” I
said defensively.

Hank chuckled. “I should’ve known you’d discover a body on
your little “
girls only
”
weekend.
It’s like trouble follows you everywhere.”

I could picture him working the unlit cigar back and forth
as he talked. “What do you want, Hank? I’m tired and shook up.”

“A story,” he barked. “I’m assuming you and your wacky aunt
are already under suspicion and in need of clearing your name.”

How does he do that?

“Maybe, maybe not.” I tried to be vague, but obviously
failed.

“Just as I thought. I want a story for next week’s paper.
Get it for me, Sinclair.”

“Why in the world would anyone in Granville care if a murder
happened here or not?”

“Don’t be an idiot. You and I both know these people will
eat it up. Local girl discover a body, then becomes a suspect in the murder…the
papers will fly off the shelf. Especially since it’s you, and everyone knows
your track record with murders.”

I chewed my bottom lip. I knew he had me over a barrel. He’s
my boss after all…and I am a reporter. “Fine, on one condition. I haven’t told
Garrett about what happened. If you run into him before I get a chance to say
something to him…keep your mouth closed. He needs to hear this from me.”

“What I wouldn’t give to see his face when you tell him.
He’s going to go ape shit.”

“Just promise me you won’t tell.”

“You got it. Oh, and Sinclair, just know if you get my wife
involved in any way, I’m going to kick your ass!”

I rolled my eyes and handed the phone back to Mindy without
saying anything. But inside I was shaking.

Knowing I couldn’t put it off any longer, I grabbed my cell
phone and headed downstairs to my bedroom to call Garrett. Since I had yet to
reach him, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

“Hey, Sin. What’s up?” he asked.

I was totally surprised to hear his voice.

“Not much,” I said hesitantly. “You at work?”

I heard him curse. “What’s going on? What’ve you gotten
yourself mixed up in?”

“Dammit,” I said, choking back tears, “it’s not my fault!”

Garrett sighed. “I’m sorry. What’s happened?”

I told him everything I could remember…from the argument on
the phone the first day I saw Jim, to the guy pounding on the door, to even my
suspicion about Julie. I tried skimming over how Aunt Shirley and I found him
with the auger sticking out of his heart, but he grilled me on every little
detail. I finished the tirade with my run-in with the local Chief, emphasizing
he was
nothing
like him…hoping for
some brownie points.

“I’m sorry about Jim,” Garrett said.
     

“Thanks,” I whispered, wiping the tears from my eyes.

“So, let me guess…Aunt Shirley has you guys trying to solve
this case?” he said.

“Did you not hear the part about the Chief of Police telling
me not to leave town because I’m his lead suspect?” I cried.

Another big sigh. “That’s just standard police talk. I
highly doubt you’re his lead suspect.” I could hear him mulling things over.
“Why don’t I give him a call and see what’s going on…one Chief to another.”

I instantly felt better. “Thank you.”

“How about you thank me by staying out of trouble. I can’t
go down there right now and bail you out of jail.”

My radar went on instant alert. “Why? What’s going on back
home?”

Garrett chuckled. “Nothing exciting. Still helping Brywood
police out with that ring of vandals. Looks like they may be coming our way
soon if we don’t stop them.”

Over the last few weeks a number of houses in the
surrounding countryside had been broken into. Brywood was the second town
around us to be hit by these thugs. So far they’d stayed away from Granville,
but it sounded like it may become a Granville problem soon.

“How’s Miss Molly? I miss her something fierce.”

“She’s hanging in there. She misses you, too. Mostly she
just wonders around my house meowing and squinting at me. I think she hates
me.”

I laughed at the description. “She doesn’t hate you. She
just misses me.”

“She’s not the only one that misses you.”

The low timbre in his voice had me shivering. What I
wouldn’t give to have him here so he could hold me.

“I miss you, too,” I whispered.

I heard some shouting in the background. “I better let you
go,” I said softly. “Stay safe, and I can’t wait to see you on Sunday.”

“Me, too. I’ll call the Chief for you when I get a chance.”

“Thanks, Garrett. That does make me feel better. And I
promise not to get into trouble.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, right. You’re with your aunt. Don’t make
promises you can’t keep.”

I knew he was right. “I miss you and can’t wait to see you
on Sunday.”

“Back at ya, Sin.”

“Do you think we should still go ahead with the bachelorette
party after all that’s happened?” Paige asked.

Mom placed a bowl of steaming hot stew in front of me while Bea
carried over a loaf of crusty French bread.

“I don’t want to sound harsh,” Aunt Shirley said, “but
canceling our plans will not bring Jim back.”

Paige sighed. “I know. I just feel yucky thinking about
having fun at a time like this.”

Mom placed the last bowl of stew on the table then sat down
across from me. “Can I weigh in?” she asked.

“Please do.” Paige said.

Mom looked at everyone around the table before speaking.
“When my husband died, it took me a long time to recover. When the grief
finally subsided, I actually struggled with the guilt of wanting to move on. What
would people think? Was it too soon to move on? I fretted over other people’s
reaction instead of doing what was best for my family and myself. I don’t want
to see that happen here.”

I reached over and patted Mom’s hand. I had no idea she’d
ever struggled with the difficulty of moving on. I turned to look at Paige. “When
I told Jim about the wedding, he was so excited for you. He said it was about
time.”

Megan handed Paige a tissue. “I’m with Ryli and her mom.
Don’t let this ruin your purpose for being here.”

“I know,” Paige agreed. “When I told Matt what happened, he
pretty much said the same thing. And he and Jim have known each other for
years. So if tender-hearted Matt tells me to keep celebrating, I know it’s what
I should do.”

“Being an EMT and fireman, Matt sees tragedy all the time. And
soon, when he becomes a police officer, he’ll probably see it even more.
Believe me,” Mindy said, “he knows what he’s talking about.”

Aunt Shirley clapped her hands together. “That’s the spirit.
I’m with everyone else on this. Tragedy happens every day…don’t let it take
your joy.”

Paige let out a shaky laugh. “Okay, I guess it’s settled.
Looks like we’re still having a bachelorette party and wedding!”

“That’s the spirit, honey,” Bea said. “Now, let’s try and
relax and enjoy our meal.”

I’d just taken a bite of the steaming stew when I felt
someone kick my leg. I looked up and met Aunt Shirley’s eyes. I knew that look.
She was planning something. Hoping it wouldn’t get us killed, maimed, or
otherwise incapacitated before the wedding, I lowered my eyes and dug in.
Obviously I was going to need my strength.

When the table had been cleared, and everyone dispersed for
the evening, I snuck into Aunt Shirley’s room. “What’re you thinking?” I said.

“I like the way you get right to the point.”

I sighed. “I figured it’s like tearing off a Band-Aid. Let’s
just get this over with.”

Aunt Shirley chuckled. “I think we should sneak over to
Jim’s and see if we can’t find any clues. We’ll wait a bit, but if someone does
catch us, we can just say we’re going for a quick walk to discuss some
last-minute party ideas. It’s the perfect cover.”

“I’m fairly certain there’s police tape over the front door
of the Morton building.”

“There is. But trust me, I can get you in.”

“I need a drink,” I mumbled.

“Right here,” Aunt Shirley said, pulling a near-empty bottle
of tequila out of her nightstand drawer.

“Of course it is.” I walked over and sat next to her on the
bed. “Let’s have it. I need something to get me through this night.”

Four shots later, an empty bottle on the nightstand, and I
was zipping up my jacket and praying Mom wouldn’t catch us. I peeked around the
corner, into the great room, but it was empty. Motioning for Aunt Shirley, I
quietly opened the front door.

“See,” Aunt Shirley whispered, “no one will be the wiser.”

I knew better. Before the night was over, something
catastrophic would happen…I just knew it.

Shutting the front door behind me, I followed Aunt Shirley
to Jim’s Morton building. There was still enough moonlight in the night sky
that we didn’t need a flashlight. And since the police had already seen my
footprints earlier in the snow, I wasn’t too worried about it.

“While you were on the phone to Garrett, I made a quick run
over here. The police locked the door, but they didn’t shut the window that was
open. That right there should tell you they’re idiots.”

“So you’re suggesting we go inside through the window?” I
asked. “How the hell are we going to do that?”

Aunt Shirley didn’t say anything until we were under the
window. “I’m suggesting
you
go
through the window. I can boost you up and you can push it the rest of the way
open and climb in,” she said. “Lucky for you, I’ve taught you how to pop out
screens.”

I looked up. It was about a six-foot drop from the window to
where we were standing. I weighed my chances of survival if I fell and decided
to just get it over with.

“Then what do you want me to do?”

Aunt Shirley gave me a disgusted look. “Well, duh, I want
you to look for clues.”

I sighed. I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant. “Okay, give
me your hands.”

Aunt Shirley locked her hands together. I put my right foot
in her hands and on the count of three propelled myself up. Grabbing onto the
ledge, I felt around for the soft spot like Aunt Shirley had taught me and
yanked hard. The screen popped out. I dropped it down and pushed the window all
the way up. Luckily, it was wide enough for me to crawl through without ripping
the skin off my sides. I looked down at Aunt Shirley to let her know I was
ready to hoist myself up the rest of the way.

Aunt Shirley’s face was red and she was starting to shake.
“Can you push me up a little more?” I asked.

“Can you lose a little weight?” she countered.

My nostrils flared.
How
dare she criticize my weight!
This was all her corny idea, not mine. I was
about to tell her to piss off when she suddenly pushed her hands up. I shot straight
up into the air and fell head first through the window, landing on my back. The
air left my body.

“You okay in there?”

I tried to ignore her. At this point I wanted nothing to do
with her, and I cursed myself for letting her talk me into something so stupid.

“Hey, you hear me in there?” she demanded.

Sighing, I pushed myself up and looked around the room. If I
survived this night…I was going to kill her. I turned on my flashlight app and
illuminated the room.

“I’m fine.”

There were two interior doors in the building. I was betting
one led to a bathroom and one to an office. I headed to the door on the right. I
skirted around the tarp on the floor and stopped in front of the door. I was suddenly
afraid to open it. Twenty-eight years worth of scary movies were behind that
door.

Taking a deep breath, I yanked open the door. Heart pounding
nearly out of my chest, I flashed my phone around real quick to make sure the
Boogeyman wasn’t waiting for me. When nothing grabbed for me, I slowly entered
the room.

“What’s going on?” Aunt Shirley yelled.

I took in my surroundings. “Looks like his office,” I yelled
back. Moving forward I went to Jim’s desk. There were so many papers scattered
about…I didn’t know where to start looking.

Picking up a couple invoices, I noticed there were a lot
that Jim had stamped “late notice” on. I recognized Larry Blackwell’s name on
two of the late notices. Seems ole Larry didn’t want to pay his bills. Maybe
that’s why Jim had stopped doing work for him. But would that be reason enough
for Larry to kill Jim? It seemed kind of weak to me.

I’d just flipped through my fourth invoice when I heard Aunt
Shirley yelling. “You gotta split, now!” she cried.

Panicked, I dropped the invoices.

“What’s going on?” I yelled, rushing out of the office and toward
the window.

“Not sure,” Aunt Shirley cried, “but headlights are coming this
way. Get out of there!”

Keeping my phone low to the ground so the light wouldn’t give
me away, I ran the rest of the way to the window. Luckily the window was
waist-high from the inside…it was the drop outside that was the killer. I flung
one leg over the ledge of the window and looked down at Aunt Shirley’s panicked
face. Flinging my other leg over, I teetered on the edge of the windowsill. I
suddenly wished my coat was filled with down to help cushion the long fall.

“I’ll be damned,” a male voice growled, “if I’m gonna wait
to get what I want.”

I sucked in my breath. I knew that voice. Willing myself to
remain calm, I motioned for Aunt Shirley to move out of my way so I could drop
safely to the ground.

“There’s tape across the door,” a teenaged voice said.

“I don’t give a shit. Tear it down.”

Pushing myself off the ledge, I landed with a jar.

“Damn, I bit my tongue,” I hissed, letting my tongue hang
down as tears filled my eyes. Hunching over, I motioned for Aunt Shirley to
follow me home.

She shook her head.

Oh, crap…what now?

The light in the Morton came on. Panic like I hadn’t felt in
a long time engulfed me. I shot out across the side yard, praying I’d make it
home safely without being seen. I’d made it almost to my yard when I realized
Aunt Shirley wasn’t beside me. Stopping, I looked around wildly.

There was just enough light out that I could see her near
the tire of Blackwell’s truck. I knew it was Blackwell the minute he opened his
loud mouth. I put my hands on my knees and breathed deeply. I seriously needed
to get into better shape if Aunt Shirley and I were gonna keep doing this kind
of crazy stuff.

I stood up and waved Aunt Shirley over. She took off like a
rocket across the side yard. For an elderly lady, she could move. I’d venture
to say she outran me.

I turned and ran the rest of the way up the deck. Plopping
down on an Adirondack, I waited until she slid into the chair next to me.

“Whew! That was a close one,” she said.

“What were you doing over there,” I demanded.

Aunt Shirley smiled. “Just making life difficult for them.”

“You know who it was, right?”

“Hell yes. I’d recognize that belligerent voice anywhere.”

Me, too.
“Why
would they risk coming here?”

“Don’t know. Let’s go inside and have a drink. I think we
earned it.”

I rolled my eyes. “You do realize we accomplished nothing
tonight. I didn’t find anything valuable in the building except past due
notices to Jim’s customers.”

Aunt Shirley smiled at me. “We learned Blackwell isn’t
afraid to cross police tape to get inside Jim’s building.”

I nodded. “But I’m not sure that really tells us anything.”

Aunt Shirley frowned. “Me, either,” she admitted. “I wish I
knew what he was looking for.”

A sudden noise had us looking over at Jim’s. By this time it
was too dark to see, but we could tell Blackwell and the young boy were
struggling with a large object.

“Lift your end higher, we still need to get it into the back
of the truck,” Blackwell snapped. “Now, go make sure that tape is back across that
door.”

Neither one of us had spoken during this exchange. “Are we
just going to let them take stuff from Jim’s?” I whispered.

“Don’t see how we can stop them,” Aunt Shirley replied.

I sighed. I didn’t like this one bit.

“Of course, he may not like the consequences,” Aunt Shirley
chuckled.

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s just say pretty soon Blackwell may need to start
looking for a new tire.”

I gasped. “What did you do?” I whispered gleefully.

“There might have been an incident involving me and the
valve stem core.”

We had just turned to go inside when Blackwell suddenly
stopped his truck and jumped out. We could hear a lot of cursing and I’m
betting a few tire kicks. Looks like it could be a long night for Blackwell and
the boy.

Giving Aunt Shirley a high five, I quietly made my way
downstairs and snuck back into bed. It took a while for my adrenaline-rushed
body to calm down enough to sleep. I hoped this was the last of our late-night
excursions, but I had a feeling it was just the beginning.