Read Online Picture Perfect Murder (Ryli Sinclair 1) by Jenna St. James - Free Book Online
Authors: Jenna St. James
Ads: Link
couldn’t go any further without Aunt Shirley’s help.
Turning onto Cherry Street, I made my way slowly to Oak
Grove Manor, practicing what I’d say to get Aunt Shirley hooked into helping
us. I didn’t figure it’d be too tough, it’s not like she had a lot to do.
I drove into the circle drive of Oak Grove Manor and parked
in the designated area for visitors. Getting out, we made our way to the front
entrance.
Oak Grove Manor was an old, three-story brick building with
patches of ivy clinging to the exterior. The outside looked pretty neglected
and run down, a metaphor I’m sure for the old people housed inside the
building. A few of the apartments had tiny balconies that looked like one
person could squeeze onto them.
It looked lonely and depressing. I’d hate to live here.
“God, I’d hate to live here,” Paige said.
“Ditto.”
We walked into the foyer and bypassed the information desk. I
knew what floor and room number my great aunt was in. We went through the first
set of doors to the right of the foyer. The sign above the door read, “Welcome
to Tropical Paradise Wing.” The dimly lit corridor was decorated with fake
plants and palm trees. On the walls were faded pictures of tropical islands and
beaches.
Paige and I nodded and waved at the people who were hanging
out in the spacious hallway and open doors of their apartments. We reached the
elevators and hit the up button to the third floor.
It didn’t take us long to reach room 366. As I was knocking
on the door, I wondered how hard it would be to turn the three into a six. I
always wondered that same thing every time I stopped by.
“Quit pounding and come in!” Aunt Shirley’s voice boomed
from inside.
I turned the doorknob and went in, leaving Paige to shut the
door behind her. It was a tiny area with the main living room/kitchen/breakfast
nook all in one room, and a bedroom and bathroom down a narrow hallway off to
the left. The one bonus about the tiny living space was that it did have a
sliding glass door in between the breakfast nook and kitchen area that led to
one of the barely-there balconies.
The walls were white and bare. When she first moved in, Aunt
Shirley refused to decorate the place, claiming she wasn’t going to be there
for more than a few months, so why waste the energy. A little over a year later
she still believed that ridiculous fairy tale. But after her last escapade, I
was fairly certain Garrett and Mom were never going to let her out.
Garrett had only been in town and on the job for a few weeks
when he first met Aunt Shirley. I’d been at the office for fifteen minutes when
he called me in a fit of rage. He had Aunt Shirley locked up in a holding cell
and wanted me to come get her before he did everyone a favor and tossed the
key. I could hear my aunt in the background yelling and cursing. I hauled ass
down there to see what was going on.
When I entered the station, three officers were hanging
around smirking but refusing to make eye contact. I knew most of them…if they
weren’t saying anything, I knew it must be bad.
Rounding the corner into the holding cell area I stopped
short. There was my Aunt Shirley, her white hair covered in leaves, black soot
smeared on her face. Her clothes looked like they’d gone a round with Miss
Molly’s claws and lost. Or I should say her shirt…she didn’t seem to be wearing
any pants.
I turned to glare at Garrett.
He looked even worse than Aunt Shirley. In fact, I had to
bite my tongue to keep from laughing. His shirt was untucked in some places,
torn in others, his hair and pants were wet, and two deep scratches ran across
his cheek.
“What the hell happened?” I asked.
“Your crazy aunt went and –”
“Don’t listen to him, girl. He doesn’t know what he’s
saying,” my aunt interrupted.
Garrett turned and glared at her. “I have the right to lock
you up for a long, long time lady! Don’t push your luck!”
Aunt Shirley flipped him the bird.
I bit
Turning onto Cherry Street, I made my way slowly to Oak
Grove Manor, practicing what I’d say to get Aunt Shirley hooked into helping
us. I didn’t figure it’d be too tough, it’s not like she had a lot to do.
I drove into the circle drive of Oak Grove Manor and parked
in the designated area for visitors. Getting out, we made our way to the front
entrance.
Oak Grove Manor was an old, three-story brick building with
patches of ivy clinging to the exterior. The outside looked pretty neglected
and run down, a metaphor I’m sure for the old people housed inside the
building. A few of the apartments had tiny balconies that looked like one
person could squeeze onto them.
It looked lonely and depressing. I’d hate to live here.
“God, I’d hate to live here,” Paige said.
“Ditto.”
We walked into the foyer and bypassed the information desk. I
knew what floor and room number my great aunt was in. We went through the first
set of doors to the right of the foyer. The sign above the door read, “Welcome
to Tropical Paradise Wing.” The dimly lit corridor was decorated with fake
plants and palm trees. On the walls were faded pictures of tropical islands and
beaches.
Paige and I nodded and waved at the people who were hanging
out in the spacious hallway and open doors of their apartments. We reached the
elevators and hit the up button to the third floor.
It didn’t take us long to reach room 366. As I was knocking
on the door, I wondered how hard it would be to turn the three into a six. I
always wondered that same thing every time I stopped by.
“Quit pounding and come in!” Aunt Shirley’s voice boomed
from inside.
I turned the doorknob and went in, leaving Paige to shut the
door behind her. It was a tiny area with the main living room/kitchen/breakfast
nook all in one room, and a bedroom and bathroom down a narrow hallway off to
the left. The one bonus about the tiny living space was that it did have a
sliding glass door in between the breakfast nook and kitchen area that led to
one of the barely-there balconies.
The walls were white and bare. When she first moved in, Aunt
Shirley refused to decorate the place, claiming she wasn’t going to be there
for more than a few months, so why waste the energy. A little over a year later
she still believed that ridiculous fairy tale. But after her last escapade, I
was fairly certain Garrett and Mom were never going to let her out.
Garrett had only been in town and on the job for a few weeks
when he first met Aunt Shirley. I’d been at the office for fifteen minutes when
he called me in a fit of rage. He had Aunt Shirley locked up in a holding cell
and wanted me to come get her before he did everyone a favor and tossed the
key. I could hear my aunt in the background yelling and cursing. I hauled ass
down there to see what was going on.
When I entered the station, three officers were hanging
around smirking but refusing to make eye contact. I knew most of them…if they
weren’t saying anything, I knew it must be bad.
Rounding the corner into the holding cell area I stopped
short. There was my Aunt Shirley, her white hair covered in leaves, black soot
smeared on her face. Her clothes looked like they’d gone a round with Miss
Molly’s claws and lost. Or I should say her shirt…she didn’t seem to be wearing
any pants.
I turned to glare at Garrett.
He looked even worse than Aunt Shirley. In fact, I had to
bite my tongue to keep from laughing. His shirt was untucked in some places,
torn in others, his hair and pants were wet, and two deep scratches ran across
his cheek.
“What the hell happened?” I asked.
“Your crazy aunt went and –”
“Don’t listen to him, girl. He doesn’t know what he’s
saying,” my aunt interrupted.
Garrett turned and glared at her. “I have the right to lock
you up for a long, long time lady! Don’t push your luck!”
Aunt Shirley flipped him the bird.
I bit
Similar Books
