Read Online The Soul Summoner (The Soul Summoner Saga Book 1) by Elicia Hyder - Free Book Online Page B

drinks. She was waiting at the bar and flirting with the bartender when I arrived. Like me, it seemed Adrianne would be eternally single, but it wasn't for lack of suitors. Adrianne became more and more exotic with age. I felt sloppy in my work blouse, black pants, and heels next to her mile-long legs and eyelet lace party dress. 
    I slid onto the barstool next to her. "I hate you." 
    She laughed and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "What did I do?"
    "Look at you." I motioned to her evening outfit. "I look like I just came from a meeting with the school board."
    She nudged me with her elbow. " Did you just come from a meeting with the school board?"
    "No. That was on Monday."
    We both laughed.
    The bartender walked toward us. "What are you drinking tonight, Sloan?"
    "Beer," I answered. "Rebel IPA if you've got it on tap this week. Thanks, Gary."
    He nodded and turned away. 
    "Drinking the hard stuff tonight?" She traced her finger around the rim of her martini and waited expectantly for a reason.
    I groaned. "It's been a week from hell."
    "I figured as much. I haven't heard from you in days," she said. 
    I sighed as the bartender placed the frothy amber liquid in front of me. "I know. I'm sorry. I've been so swamped and so stressed out."
    She lifted the skewered olive from her glass and popped it between her cherry lips. "Why? What's going on?"
    I took a long swig of ice cold beer. "So, obviously, I helped the detective find that little kid. Then, the very next day, he showed up at my house with this huge folder full of a bunch of missing girls. He wants me to help him with the case. He thinks it might be a serial killer."
    She blinked in disbelief. "He wants you to investigate a serial killer?"
    I gripped the frosty glass. "Pretty much."
    "What did you tell him?"
    I laughed and took another long drink. "Oh, I kicked him out of my house."
    She nodded. "Good girl. You don't need to get involved in that stuff."
    I dropped my face into my hands and whined. "But he makes it so hard! I'm so freaking attracted to this man it's infuriating. And"—I gripped her arm—"one of the victims is his sister. His sister , Adrianne!"
    She raised an eyebrow and turned toward me on her seat. "You didn't tell me you had a thing for him." 
    I dropped my face into my hands again. "I don't want to have a thing for him, but I sooooo do."
    "What's his name?" she asked.
    I straightened and looked at her. "Detective Nathan McNamara," I said. "Even his stupid name is sexy."
    She laughed and her eyes widened. "Oh yeah. He's the blonde guy who was standing next to you on the news."
    I sighed. "Yes."
    "He is hot. Super hot." She sipped her drink. "Are you sleeping with him?"
    "No!" 
    She shrugged her shoulders and laughed. "I would be." 
    "This has been the worst week ever." I groaned as I raked my fingers through my hair.
    "So, the hot cop wants you to hunt down a serial killer," she said. "How would you even do that?" 
    I shook my head. "I can't do that."
    "Are you sure? You didn't think you could find that little girl either, but you did. Maybe you can find a serial killer too and you just don't know it," she said.
    I pointed at her. "Just two seconds ago, you told me to stay away from it."
    She shrugged. "That was before I knew all the facts."
    "There is another fact." I tilted my glass toward her. "Remember that girl from our school who went missing a few years ago?"
    Her eyebrows lifted. "She's one of them?"
    I nodded. 
    "Is she dead?"
    I leaned my elbows on the bar top and cradled my face in my hands. "Adrianne, they're all dead."
    She shifted uncomfortably on her barstool. "That's big."
    "I know," I said.
    "What are you going to do?"
    I shook my head. "Nothing. I'm not going to do anything. I'm going to drink my beer and enjoy my peaceful, quiet little life."
    She laughed and drained the last of her martini. "Finish your beer. We're getting out of here."
    "Where are we going?" I looked at my watch. It wasn't even eight o'clock.
    She