Summer Reading is Killing Me

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER FIVE

“ The two of you scare me sometimes, and this is coming from a guy who’s been to war.” Wade shook his head as he watched Juliet and I try on our masks. I had to admit that I liked my hot pink mask much better than my boring black one I made last year. “I don’t have enough in savings to bail you both out of jail if you get caught doing something crazy. Do I rescue my girlfriend or the lady who signs my paycheck? Decisions. Decisions.”

Juliet leaned over and gave Wade a quick peck on the lips. “No worries. Now that I’m in the game, there is no way we can get in trouble. Besides, the masks are for fun. I doubt we’ll ever be lucky enough to wear them.”

“ Listen up, Super Yogi, our first task is to identify the victim. She wasn’t a local, so we should go to the rental cabins by the lake and snoop there first,” I suggested. I felt safe nosing around a stranger’s death. No ties to me meant no danger.

“ You want to go down there this evening?” Juliet asked.

“ Sorry, I can’t. I forgot to tell you. I ran into Grant at the coffee shop. We’re going to a movie tonight.”

“ Have you lost your ever lovin’ mind?” Juliet parroted. “Oh, wait. I don’t even need to ask because I know you have. There is no way you’d catch me hanging out with him again!”

“ It’s hard to explain,” I hesitated while I formed the words to explain my decision to still be friends with Grant. “It’s not Grant’s fault his mom is crazy. He’s been my friend for so long I need to at least make an effort to keep the friendship going. Grant’s a good guy. To be honest, I looked at him today, and it was like seeing a kicked puppy.”

“ You’re a better person than I am. I’d leave that kicked puppy at the pound. I need to go adjust my chakras and try harder to forgive,” Juliet said. “What’s Clint’s opinion of this movie date?”

“ It’s not a date. It’s two friends figuring things out after a shared trauma,” I protested. “And Clint doesn’t know because he’s in class all day today. I’ll call him tonight before I go.”

“ Whoa. Good luck with that one.” Wade gave a low whistle. “If it was me, I’d be pissed if Juliet went to the movies with a man whose mom tried to kill her. Clint must be more evolved than I am. Me, Tarzan. You, Jane.” Wade beat his chest. He grabbed Juliet around her waist and pretended to swing on a vine. She giggled and kissed Wade. They were good for each other. Wade brought Juliet down from the clouds, and she made Wade take life a little less seriously.

“ Clint doesn’t have a jealous bone in his body. He knows how much I pine for him every day and long for his sweet kisses at night,” I simpered in my best bodice-ripping heroine voice. I batted my eyelashes at Wade and clasped my hands to my heart. “I just can’t live without my big, strong lawman.”

“ I just threw up a little in my mouth,” Juliet gagged. “Be serious. Once we know who she is, we can find out who hated her enough to kill her. I’ll mosey down to the park and see what I can overhear.” Juliet grabbed her bag off the desk and started towards the door. She paused and looked over her shoulder. “I’ll talk to you later, my big hunka chunka burning love.” She blew Wade a kiss and sashayed out the door.

“ Hunka chunka burning love? Hmmm…I need to change the name on your personnel file.” His face turned bright pink, and he busied himself by straightening the newspaper to put back on the rack.

“ She just said that to tease you. Behind closed doors, I’m her Sugar Booger,” Wade deadpanned as he headed over to the reading area to shelve new books.

“ I think I’m the one that just threw up a little. We’d better get busy unloading all the boxes of books still in my van. We’ll have to see if they reschedule the Founder’s Day Celebration or cancel it altogether. In the meantime, I need to supervise Juliet’s detective work before she gets herself into a pickle.” I snapped my fingers at a sudden thought. I reached over and picked up the phone to ferret out my first clue. “I know the perfect person to help me figure out who that girl was.”