Read Online Ever Present Danger by Kathy Herman - Free Book Online Page B

gets the preliminary autopsy report.”

    Ivy breathed in slowly and let it out, wondering if Pete Barton had heard the news.

    Brandon Jones pushed open the front door of his home and was hit with the delicious aroma of something spicy.

    “Good timing.” Kelsey Jones met him at the door and put her arms around his neck and kissed him. “I hope you’re hungry. Imade enough Cajun meatloaf to feed a family of six.”

    Brandon grinned. “Sounds about right.”

    “So what’d you think of Buzz’s white-water operation?”

    Brandon followed her out to the kitchen and sat at the table. “It’s so slick. If I could actually make a living at it, I’d be tempted to work for him. I can’t imagine shooting the rapids every day and getting paid to boot.”

    “That’s what you said about working at the camp.”

    “I know, honey. I love what I’m doing. But it’s fun thinking about the adventure aspect of that kind of operation. I can see why Buzz is excited about it.”

    “Too bad he’s not as nuts about Maggie.”

    “Oh, they’re okay. Not everyone is as in love as we are. So how’d your afternoon go?”

    Kelsey opened the oven door and removed a loaf-size Pyrex pan of meatloaf. “Suzanne Compton stopped by for tea. She told me that the bones they found yesterday at Elam’s building site for sure belong to a boy that went missing ten years ago—a classmate of Ivy’s.”

    “Really? I didn’t hear that. Do they know how he died?”

    “No, but the bones had been buried. That’s not a good sign.”

    Brandon ran his finger along the rim of his dinner plate. “This is really not Elam’s week. He had breakfast this morning with Jake and me and told us that the lady friend Ivy brought home with her has acute leukemia and is dying—like anytime. They’re going to get hospice involved and see if she can stay there at the house.”

    Kelsey put a lid on the pan of rice and turned around. “Ivy didn’t tell her parents before she came?”

    “No. She’s just full of surprises.”

8

    IVY GRIFFITH WENT OUT to the garage and put Wednesday’s edition of the Tri-County Courier on the stack of newspapers to be recycled, painfully aware of Joe Hadley’s high school yearbook picture on the front page.

    She heard the phone ring and rushed back inside, hoping hospice was calling back. “Hello.”

    “Ivy, it’s Pete.”

    “I guess you heard the bones were Joe’s.”

    “Yeah, I did. So…we’re all on the same page with this, right? I called Reg and Denny, and they agreed we need to stick with the pact.”

    “I already told you I would.” Ivy glanced in the living room and didn’t see anyone within earshot.

    “I have another reason for calling. Did you get the reminder in the mail about our ten-year class reunion?”

    “No, the school lost track of me a long time ago. When is it?”

    “The twenty-second of this month. In the Aspen Room at the Phantom Hollow Lodge.”

    “Well, have fun. I’m not going.”

    “Not so fast. This isn’t just about you. The four of us are in this together, and I think it’s important we all show up and give the impression that everything’s normal with us. You know the sheriff’s going to shift his focus now and look at everyone whoknew Joe as a potential suspect. If you aren’t at the reunion, he may ask himself why. I don’t think you want that.”

    “But I’ve never been to any of the class reunions. Why would anyone give it a second thought if I miss another one?”

    “Because you’re back in town. Look, everyone in our class is under a microscope. If we show up at the reunion and act completely natural, we won’t end up on the suspect list. That’s my point.”

    “And just how am I supposed to act natural when everyone starts asking me what I’ve been doing since graduation? It’s not like I’m proud of it.”

    There was a long moment of dead air and she could hear Pete breathing.

    Finally he said, “You can hang out with me, just