Girls' Night Out Murder (Ryli Sinclair 2) Read online

  Tom ambled over to the bar side of the restaurant.

  It was funny the way the locals called out to each other when someone they knew walked through the door. You definitely felt like an outsider when the locals greet each other.

  “He’s a damn idiot. No one can finish as fast as he wants,” an angry voice boomed in the booth behind us. “I’m sorry the homeowners are coming down on him, but he can kiss my ass if he thinks I’m working the holiday weekend to get this house finished for a bunch of rich out-of-towners.”

  “Yeah, I think this time Jim bit off more than he can chew. I heard they showed up yesterday and it almost got physical.”

  “Damn out-of-towners come here, throwing around money, and they think we’re supposed to jump when they say. And damn Jim for jumping through all their hoops…it just makes it harder for us.”

  A shadow fell over our table. “Here ya go, ladies. Three soups and sandwiches,” Darla said as she set our platters down in front of us. “Need anything else?”

  “One more beer.”

  I rolled my eyes at Paige.

  “Coming right up. Enjoy ladies.”

  We ate in silence, except for the occasional gasp and ooh aahh resulting from the meal. It was traditional comfort food…and it was amazing.

  I tried to listen to see if the guys behind us would dish out any more gossip, but they must have gotten their food because it was silent. I got the feeling Jim was being pulled in a thousand directions with his business.

  We paid our tab and piled into the Falcon. We would be a couple minutes early to our appointment, but I didn’t think Susie would mind. I wasn’t exactly sure where the shop was, just that it was downtown.

  “Be on the lookout.” I slowly drove the Falcon down a side street that led to the downtown portion of Cavern Beach. While the main drag through town boasted boat shops, real estate offices, and countless restaurants, the downtown was more flower shop, bakery, antiques, and knickknack stores. The police station was also located in the downtown area.

  “There it is,” Paige said, pointing to a building on her right. I slowed the Falcon down and turned on my blinker. Luckily for us there was a parking spot nearby.

  “Wow, it sure is something,” Paige said as we all stood outside looking at the bakery. It looked yummy enough to eat. The building had been painted a pale, creamy yellow…almost like buttercream frosting. The awning had alternating wide stripes of dark pink and light pink all the way around the front. The large storefront window boasted Shoeman Bakery and Treats at the top, with the store’s phone number and hours at the bottom.

  A little bell tinkled as I pushed open the door. I was immediately assaulted with whiffs of sugar, chocolate, gingerbread, vanilla, coffee, and myriad other wonderful scents. It was settled…I never wanted to leave here.

  I was just about to call out a greeting when I heard voices behind a curtain that led to the back of the bakery.

  “Because, Jolene, I have a reputation in this town I’d like to protect, that’s why.”

  “Look, are you gonna give me the money or not?”

  “Will you come work for me?”

  “Ha. Never. You don’t give me the money, that’s no skin off my back, Susie. I’ll just do what I’m good at and lay on my back and get money. No big deal. Unlike you, I don’t give a shit about my reputation in this one-horse town.”

  “I’m sure I know what you’ll do with the money.”

  “I’m outta here. Gimme my purse!”

  There was a long pause and I wondered if we should leave and pretend to enter again or what.

  “Omigod, is that a syringe? You’re using again, aren’t you?”

  “You ain’t my mom, Susie. Remember, she died years ago.”

  Slap!

  “Don’t ever talk about Mom like that again, Jolene!”

  Oh, boy! This isn’t gonna be good.

  Looking over at the wide-eyed stares of both Paige and Aunt Shirley, I decided we’d eavesdropped enough. I coughed loudly and said, “Hello, is anyone here?”

  Chapter 8

  The curtain was yanked back quickly and out walked a stunning blonde with big boobs and a tiny waist. My first impression was to hate her—but I knew this had to be Susie, so I did what any girlfriend would do—I joined in the squealing and hugging with Paige.

  “You girls look wonderful!”

  “Oh, my gosh, you haven’t changed at all.”

  “I love your hair.”

  We did all the usual exchanges of people who hadn’t seen each other in ten years, then broke apart smiling. Okay, when I did take her in, I have to admit it was petty of me to want to hate her because she was beautiful. She’d always been cute when I knew her, but she definitely outgrew cute.

  Her blonde hair was perfectly coiffed in an elegant French twist. No messy bun or ponytail for her. She had icy blue eyes encased in long lashes, and her mouth was full and pouty. Her clothes were just as elegant…and obviously designer. I’d never be able to pull that off while baking. I’m too messy a baker.

  “How long have you been standing here,” Susie asked as she glanced over her shoulder at the curtain. She gnawed on her bottom lip. Even that looked sexy as hell on her.

  I looked over at Paige. “Not long,” I assured her.

  “Yeah, we just walked in,” Paige added.

  “Ahem…maybe an introduction my way would be nice,” Aunt Shirley demanded.

  I introduced my aunt to Susie and tried to surreptitiously peek into the back of the bakery. Was Jolene still there listening to us?

  “Let me take care of something in the back real quick,” Susie said. “Then we can get down to your cake samples and catching up.”

  We watched as she hurried through the curtain. More whispers, but this time we couldn’t hear the conversation. A few seconds later two people came out behind the curtain.

  When you hear that drugs can do bad things to your body, believe it. The woman standing before me should have only been a couple years older than me. Instead, she looked to be nearly fifty. Her face was both leathery and wrinkled. Her eyes were sunken in her head, her cheeks were drawn tight, and her face had little pit marks all over it. She was trying to hide behind her stringy, mousy, long brown hair, but was unsuccessful.

  “Girls, you remember my sister, Jolene?”

  Jolene looked up at the sound of her name and raised her hand out of her extra-extra-large sweatshirt as though to say hi. Unfortunately that little gesture put her off balance and she stumbled. I’m not sure how her skinny, twig-like legs didn’t snap in two. I could probably fit my hands around her upper thigh with space left over. The term “crack legs” was never more relevant.

  I could only look at her with pity. As a teenager, Jolene was always wild and the life of the party…now she was just a sad, pathetic shell of a woman.

  “Hi, Jolene, it’s nice to see you again,” Paige said.

  “Yeah,” Jolene mumbled, scratching her nose and staring out the window.

  I could see Susie was about to lose it, so I decided a diversion was necessary.

  “I love your shop,” I said honestly. “I never want to leave this smell.”

  Susie laughed. “Thanks. It’s one of the things I love most, too.”

  I was going to ask more questions about the bakery when the tinkling of the bell above the door signaled another customer.

  “I swear, that cop even thinks of writing me a ticket for my parking job, I’ll shove it straight up his –”

  “Whitney!” Susie exclaimed. “I have company.”

  Whitney stopped brushing the light dusting of snow off her raspberry cashmere scarf. It must have started snowing since we entered the bakery. Whitney squinted her eyes and looked us over from head to toe. I did the same to her.

  Her professionally straightened, inverted bob had three different colors of blonde, making it impossible to determine her real hair color. She had a thin, narrow nose and even thinner lips which she’d colored blood red. He
r calf-length, double-breasted button down black wool coat reeked of money. So did the Louis Vuitton purse she was carrying.

  “Well, as I live and breathe…Ryli Sinclair and Paige Hanson. I heard you two were in town this week. Julie came barging into my office this morning all giddy, like a childish schoolgirl going on and on about you two and a bachelorette party this Friday night.” She paused to examine her fake manicure. “I’m fairly certain I’ll be busy. I am most Friday nights. But I may be able to stop by if I can find the time.”

  Don’t do us any favors.

  “Don’t go puttin’ yourself out on our account,” Aunt Shirley said as she scowled at Whitney. “I’m sure we’ll be just fine if you can’t make it.”

  Aunt Shirley…not afraid to tell it how it is!

  Whitney let out a loud huff. “I said I’d try to make it. And just who are you, again?”

  “This is my Aunt Shirley,” I interjected quickly, not trusting what would come out of Aunt Shirley’s mouth. “And we’ll be there all night starting at seven, so if you can make it, great. If not, we totally understand.” I was hoping she’d take my hint and not even bother showing up.

  “I gotta split,” Jolene said, giving Whitney the evil eye.

  I’d totally forgotten Jolene was still in the room. She was that easy to overlook. I suddenly had a fit of conscience. Since she heard us talking about the bachelorette party, did that mean we had to invite her? Or was she so strung out she wouldn’t remember what we’d been talking about anyway?

  “Jolene, I didn’t notice you standing there,” Whitney said. “You just blend right in, don’t you?”

  Jolene narrowed her eyes at Whitney.

  “You look at little peaked. Maybe you should eat a hamburger on your way home,” Whitney continued.

  There were some serious undercurrents in the room between Jolene and Whitney. They both looked like they could break into a catfight at any moment.

  “Please remember what I said,” Susie pleaded to Jolene. “I really could use the help.”

  “Why don’t you ask that do-gooder Julie to help you,” Jolene mumbled as she headed toward the door.

  “That do-gooder took me in and helped me when I needed it. Without her, I don’t know what I’d have done.”

  Jolene snorted as she zipped up her threadbare hoodie and shuffled out the front door. We all silently watched until she disappeared from our sight.

  “I just don’t know what to do with her,” Susie said, shaking her head and wringing her hands.

  “Nothing you can do,” Whitney said. “Obviously her stint in the loony bin didn’t help her. Even they couldn’t fix her. That girl was lost a long time ago…even before the fire killed your parents.”

  My mouth dropped. I couldn’t believe someone could be that crass. I suddenly wanted to ease the pain of Whitney’s words. “I was sorry to hear about your parents dying in the fire,” I said, hoping to talk about the elephant in the room. I didn’t want to start out on the wrong foot and have Susie think we didn’t care about what happened to her.

  “Yes,” Paige agreed, “We were so upset when we heard the news.”

  A look I couldn’t read passed over Susie’s face. “Thank you. It was such a shock. Then to be displaced like Jolene and I were…well, thankfully Julie’s parents took me in for the last few months of our senior year and I could finish up here.” Sadness crept into her voice and I felt like kicking myself.

  “Well, I just came in to tell you about the bachelorette party on Friday. But I see you already know.”

  “I was getting ready to formally invite you,” I hurriedly explained to Susie.

  Whitney ran her eyes over me. “So you say.”

  I curled my lip and looked at Paige. I so wanted to tear this bitch’s hair out. Obviously my best friend knew that, because she gave me “the look” which meant I couldn’t.

  “I’m surprised that silly girl didn’t run right over here the minute she found out about the party,” Whitney said.

  “Silly girl? You mean Julie?” Paige said. “I don’t think she’s silly at all.”

  “Please, that girl is beyond ridiculous. Between her pretend career and current love life…she’s so last minute.”

  I could actually feel my head explode. Who the hell does this woman think she is?

  “She seemed like a lovely girl to me.” Aunt Shirley stared Whitney down.

  Whitney looked down her nose at my aunt. “I suppose.”

  “And goodness knows her current beau, Jim, is a catch,” Paige chimed in.

  “I don’t know what he sees in her,” Whitney said. “He’s handsome, successful, rich…he could have anyone he wants. Yet he chooses to date her. She’s so plain and fat.”

  I lifted my clenched fists in the air. Whitney and I were about to have a come-to-Jesus meeting.

  “Whitney,” Susie admonished, “you know I don’t like it when you say those things about Julie. She took me in when no one else did, and she’s been one of my biggest supporters since I came back to town. Her and Jim, both. I think it’s fabulous they’ve gotten together. ”

  Whitney’s face turned red. That little chastisement shut her up fast. Clutching her Louis Vuitton purse tight to her chest, she tried to unpinch her lips. It took her a few tries, but eventually she managed to get her face under control.

  “Although,” Susie continued, “I kinda thought he and his secretary had something going on for a while, but I guess not.”

  “Oh, she wanted to,” Whitney assured us. “Everyone knows the only reason she applied for that job was to get close to Jim.”

  I ignored the gossip and went for fact. “He has an office here in town?” I asked, knowing he did.

  “Yes,” Susie nodded. “Over off Sycamore. There’s a new section that recently went up. It’s sandwiched between Luigi’s Pizza and Cavern Beach Drycleaners.”

  “We’ll have to take a drive out there soon,” I said. “Usually when we come to the lake house we keep to ourselves, rarely come into town. Paige and I were just saying how much everything how grown. It’s almost unrecognizable from when we were all kids.”

  “Indeed,” Whitney said. “And on that note, I have a house to show in about thirty minutes.” She paused to put her scarf on and button her coat. “It’s a lovely three bedroom, two bath over in a new subdivision that Jim is building. It’s quite a steal at two hundred fifty thousand, I must say. My buyers have had me running ragged trying to find the perfect home…but the commission I make will be worth all my hard work.”

  Was she trying to convince herself or us?

  I barely refrained from rolling my eyes at her obvious lack of manners. Guess it’s true what they say…money can’t buy everything. It obviously can’t buy you manners or social skills.

  “And I better get these lovely ladies their samples,” Susie said, easing the tension in the room. “I hope to see you at the bachelorette party, Whitney.”

  Whitney shrugged. “We’ll see.”

  Jerking open the door she strolled out of the bakery toward her silver Lexus—which she had parked illegally. She didn’t yank anything off her windshield, so I guess the cop hadn’t given her a ticket after all.

  Too bad!

  Chapter 9

  Susie threw her hands up in the air. “I know, I know. She’s a piece of work. I guess I figured since we were all friends in school, we should still be friends now. But I guess some people change so much, it’s hard to remember their good qualities.”

  “Yep,” Aunt Shirley agreed. “Be careful who you trust…the devil was once an angel.”

  Susie smiled. “Very true,” she said.

  “I’m just so happy to see you and see how well you’re doing for yourself,” Paige said. “I still can’t believe you own this and that you’re going to be making my wedding cake. How did you even make this possible?”

  Susie motioned us over to a long counter that had ten barstools. We pulled out the chairs and proceeded to watch her pull out samples fr
om a tiny refrigerator.

  “After I graduated, I really didn’t know what to do. The insurance money hadn’t come in, the police were hounding Jolene something fierce…” she trailed off, wiping at her eyes. “I don’t know if you know this or not, but a lot of people—the police included—thought Jolene had something to do with the fire, but they couldn’t prove it. The constant harassment and whispers finally drove her over the edge. About the time she was being checked in for the mental hospital, I was finally receiving a check from the insurance company. I’d just turned eighteen and needed a clean break. I spent some time down in New Orleans, which is where I started taking cooking classes. I liked it enough, but I still wasn’t happy. So I started taking pastry classes, and found I loved baking. I earned a degree and worked for a bakery for many years, honing my skills. Then I decided to come home to try and start over with my own bakery.”

  She’d set four different samples in front of each of us while she talked. There were two white cakes with filling, a red velvet cake, and a chocolate cake with filling. My mouth watered.

  “Did you guys eat a light meal before you came? I suggested it to Paige the last time we spoke.”

  “Sure did,” Aunt Shirley said. “Ate a lovely meal over at Cavern Beach Bar and Grill.”

  Susie’s eyes lit up. “I do love their soup and sandwich combos. They always have a unique blend of flavors you wouldn’t normally think about.”

  Susie gave us each a small glass of water.

  “So, I’m going to suggest you start with the lightest cake first,” Susie said, pointing to the cake on our far left, “then work your way to the dark cake. I know most vendors will set out everything separate, but I just went ahead and made the tiny cakes up. We can mix and match anything.”

  Picking up our forks, we each grabbed the first cake.

  “We’ll start with the white cake and raspberry filling. It has a buttercream frosting,” Susie said.

  I bit into the cake and about had an orgasm. I was afraid it would be like this for the others, too. Nothing I loved more than sweets.