Deadly Reunion (6 page)

Gra
ce quickly reassured her friend that she would be happy to help her.

Melodie
smiled in relief before turning shiny blue eyes towards Kyle. “You’ll be able to stay too, won’t you?”

Before Kyle could answer, Grace said soothingly,
“Don't worry, Melodie, I won't go, but Mr. Drake, unfortunately, has to leave.”

“Oh no!
” Melodie turned to Kyle. Smiling shyly, she said, “Everyone is so interested in you. Please, can’t you stay a little while longer?”

Grace glare
d at Kyle over the top of Melodie’s head.

“Of course
, I can stay. In fact, I can stay all night,” Kyle promised, taking Melodie’s elbow and escorting her back to the gym. “You know, I once investigated a murder at a high school reunion.”

*  *  *  *

Once back inside, Grace headed straight for the buffet tables. “Chocolate, where is the chocolate?” she muttered to herself, as she scanned the tables set up in the corner of the gym. Spotting the dessert table at the far end, she quickly navigated her way through the various stragglers congregated around the food: the hopelessly lost, the still undecided, and the clueless. It was the last group that usually provides the most trouble.

There were f
ive of them. They were grouped together in front of the desserts, carrying on a full conversation and effectively blocking access to the table directly behind them. They were a formidable group, seemingly unable to sense that they were in the way, despite the fact there was one woman attempting to contort her body around one member of the group, in a vain attempt to reach a piece of pie. These unfortunate people seemed oblivious to the fact they could just as easily talk to one another three feet away from the table. Well, Grace was here to help.

“Excuse me! Do you mind?” she asked
as sweetly as she was capable of at the moment. They appeared confused by her request. One of the more self-aware of the group glanced behind his shoulder, obviously just noticing the table of dessert a couple of inches behind him. Realizing what she wanted, he helpfully turned to the side, giving her three inches of space in which to reach a part of the table.

Luckily
, reinforcement came in the form of another, larger group who also felt the need to feed their sweet tooth.

Outnumbered
, the clueless moved to another part of the gym where they were sure to converse without interruption: the drink station. Grace was confident she would see them again later in the night, more than likely in front of the door leading to the parking lot.

Once
the table was clear of stragglers, Grace looked in satisfaction at the spread laid out before her. Melodie certainly out did herself on the dessert cart. There were yellow and red iced cupcakes, cherry-covered cheesecake, chocolate torte, brownies, and her favorite, chocolate-covered strawberries. Grace filled up her plate and walked back to her table.

The band was playing and most everyone was
in the center of the gym, line dancing. Everyone, except for Hope, who sat at the table, alone, her eyes fixated on Crystal and Tom who were standing close together near the stage.

Grace placed her plate on the table and sat down. “Hope, let's go home.”

Hope tore her eyes away from Tom and Crystal. “No.”

“
I really don’t think you’re going to win tonight. It will be close, but not close enough.”

Hope merely smiled.
“Just watch, sister dear. I told you, I have no intention of losing to that backstabbing, bleach-blonde, bimbo. Why would anyone vote for her over me?”

“She’s become rather popular since school, Hope. I’ve heard that she’s involved in several charities.
She helps out at the hospital. Here at the school. She organized—”

“You know why she does all of that
, don’t you? It’s not out of the goodness of her heart. She’s wants to be a Senator’s wife someday. She’s doing all of that for attention. For the connections. Not because she cares,” she said matter-of-factly.

“You don’t know that.”

Hope looked down at her sister's plate. “What are you eating?” Hope picked up Grace's plate to examine it and dropped it back on the table in disgust. “Do you have any idea how many calories are on that plate?”

“Yes I do
, and I don't care,” Grace said, moving her plate out of harm's way. “I'm not having a very good time, and admit it, you aren't either.”

“Not yet
, but I will be very soon. Look at them, standing there,” Hope jerked her head toward Tom and Crystal. “They've been standing there arguing for quite some time.”

Grace looked over at the couple.
Crystal had her hand on Tom's arm, smiling as her husband whispered into her ear. She looked happy and serene. “They don’t look like they're arguing.”

Hope
's voice was sharp. “They are. Tom's playing with his championship ring. He always does that when he's angry.” Picking up her silk wrap and purse, Hope stood up. “I'm going to take a walk. I'll be back in a few minutes.”

G
race pushed her plate away. The soap opera that was her sister's life stopped being entertaining years ago.

She
glanced over to the stage. Crystal was still standing there, but Tom was gone. In his place stood Adam, looking none too happy.

“What are you staring at?” a familiar voice whisper
ed in her ear, making her jump. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you,” Kyle said, placing a warm hand on her shoulder to steady her.

“I was just wishing I could read minds.”

“Anyone's in particular?”

Grace nodded and pointed in Adam's direction.

Kyle sat down next to Grace, took a chocolate-covered strawberry off her plate, and popped it in his mouth. Swallowing, he asked, “Is that Adam Phelps the director? I thought he looked familiar. I absolutely loved his last movie. What’s he doing here?”

“
Hogan High is renowned for three things in this community: the Rabid Rabbits, the best high school football team in the state, and having produced two celebrities, my sister and Adam Phelps.

“Why don't you introduce me?”
Kyle stood up, holding out his hand.

Grace sat for a second
, considering, but in the end decided against it. “How would you like a tour of my old high school instead?” Grace asked, taking his hand.

Kyle smiled, recognizing the diversion. “Ok
ay, sounds like a plan.”

*  *  *  *

Kyle stood staring at the life-size wall mural of a grizzled, old cowboy shooting down another grizzled, old cowboy. “This is nice.”

“Yeah
, it is. It wasn’t here when I went to school.” She bent down to read the artist’s name. “David Hart, July 2002,” she read. “This was painted a few months after I graduated. David Hart? Why does that name sound so familiar?”

Kyle shrugged. “W
hy is your school named Hogan High?”

“It's nam
ed after Marshal Benton Hogan. He cleaned up this little gold-mining town in the late 1880s.” Grace pointed to the mural. “I’m going to hazard a guess that the man standing in the center street looking heroic and menacing is supposed to be Marshal Hogan and the red-headed man, hiding and shooting from behind the rather dour looking woman pictured here, is more than likely my ancestor, Jeptha Holliday.”

At Kyle’s surprised look
, she smiled and said, “Huge travesty of justice. Jeptha was a law-abiding citizen struck down in his prime. Our family swears to this day he was just an innocent bystander in that bank robbery in 1886.”

“I’m sure,” Kyle said.

“And in the train robbery of ‘87.”

“Of course.”

“And ‘88. I’ll let you in on a town secret. Marshal Hogan wasn’t as good and noble as everyone here likes to pretend. He had a second wife. He married my great aunt, Elizabeth Holliday. Jeptha’s younger sister.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“His first wife, Maddie, was still alive and still married to him at the time. She went crazy when she found out. So, one night she killed him and his new bride with an axe. Cut their heads clean off, but you won’t find that in the town history books. They tried to place the blame on Jeptha’s kin. Claimed it was revenge for killing Jeptha, but my family knows the truth. No one in the family would have hurt one of our own. It was Maddie. The town didn’t want to accuse her, on account of her family owning the mine and most of the town. Scandal, you know. So, they ended up hanging two of my great uncles, instead.”

“What a charming little town,” he said
, following her down a flight of stairs. “Are your family and the Hogan’s still feuding? Sort of like the Hatfields and McCoys.”

Grace smiled, “No
. Melodie is a Hogan, and we’ve been friends since kindergarten.” She stopped. “Actually, that’s not really true. Hope and Crystal have been feuding for years. I guess they’re trying to keep the animosity alive and well between our two families.”

Turning the corner, they came across a row of trophy cases.

“And last on our tour,” Grace said, pointing out a large trophy case set inside the wall.

“Ah, very beautiful.”
Kyle noticed Grace was rhythmically tapping on one portion of the glass, trying and failing to look innocent. To the right of the case was a rather large first place trophy with Grace’s name etched at the bottom. “You were a runner?”

“Yep,”
Grace watched as Kyle examined the lock on the trophy case with far too much interest. “Oh no you don’t,” she said, pulling at his arm.

“Oh come on
. I want to see it. It’ll only take a few minutes to pick the lock. I won’t break anything,” he promised, sticking a hand in his pocket and pulling out a small black case.

Grace laughed as she took the case out of
his hand. “No, leave it alone. That trophy is going to stay in there forever, you know. Fastest in the county. So far, no one has beaten my record.”

“I doubt anyone ever will.”

Grace and Kyle turned around to see Tom Lake strolling up to them. “Hello
, Tom.”

“Hello
, Tom? That's it. No hug for your old friend,” he said, clumsily spilling the drink in his hand.

“Do you expect me to greet you with open arms? After what you did to my sister?”

“Speaking of your sister, why is she back here?”

“It's our reunion.
This is our home. We haven't seen our friends in ten years.” Grace felt there were plenty of explanations for her and her sister to come to their high school reunion.

Tom shook his head
, as though none of the reasons Grace were giving were good enough. “Why don't you do her a favor and take her home?”

Kyle straightened his back.
“Listen, I don't know what's going on, but Ms. Holliday and her sister has just as much right to be here as you do, so why don't you go back to the party?” He smiled at the other man. “Have a few more drinks.”

“Are you implying that I'm drunk? I'm far from drunk. I haven't
—” Tom stopped himself and looked up towards the staircase. They all heard the sound of high heels click-clacking across the ceiling.

“T
homas? Thomas Anthony Lake, where are you?” Crystal called from upstairs.

“I'm down here
Crystal. Next to the trophy case.” Tom downed the rest of his drink.

“Her name’s Crystal Lake? Really?” Kyle whispered
in Grace’s ear.

“I think that’s one of the reasons she married him,” she whispered back.

“Would you get up here? They’re going to start counting the votes soon, and I want you—” Crystal immediately stopped speaking when she reached the bottom of the stairs and saw that Tom wasn't alone. She stood staring at Kyle for several seconds, before rushing forward and pulling Grace into an awkward hug.

“I’m so glad you’re still here. I was afraid you had left. I hope you know
, I was only kidding upstairs. I never doubted that you were a detective. Not one minute. Steve is such an idiot.”

Crystal released
Grace when she accidentally dropped the binder she was carrying.

“H
ow clumsy,” Crystal said, somehow making it sound like it was Grace’s fault Crystal dropped the binder. Stooping to pick it up, she said, “I am so sorry, I didn't get a chance to properly apologize to you sooner. You know what happens when your sister and I get in the same room. She just causes me to lose all my manners. I hope that this unpleasantness between Hope and me hasn't spoiled our friendship. It hasn’t, has it?” she asked, turning to gaze up at Kyle.

“Hello
, Crystal.” Grace said, redirecting the other woman’s attention.

Crystal spared a glance at Grace before turning back to Kyle.
“So, you and our Grace are detectives? That's so exciting. You seem a bit young to be a detective.”

“Lo
oks can be deceiving, Crystal.” Grace said before Kyle could answer. Realizing she was approaching dangerous waters, Grace quickly changed the subject. “Did I hear correctly? You're thinking of having children?”