Hit and Run by Sandra Balzo Read Free Book Online Page B

always will be, just Daisy – a one-hundred-percent original. But we should get back. It looks like the curtain is about to be raised on Act One.’
    AnnaLise followed her gaze toward the stretch limousine that was slowly making its way up the long drive. The valets and servers were lining up to greet the new arrivals like something out of an episode of
Downton Abbey
. ‘Do you know who they are?’
    â€˜Your “tootsies”? Nope.’ Joy started toward the front door, then stopped and swiveled, her still significant volume of wine wildly sloshing enough to make AnnaLise feel seasick. ‘Do you?’
    â€˜Of course. My dear father,’ she felt her lip curl at the word, ‘had me come up with the list of former lovers that Boozer then vetted as to whether they had children who might be his and thus be invited. Dickens approved the final list.’
    Joy actually sighed. ‘I wish I could say that surprises me, but it doesn’t. So dish, girl. Or do you want me to guess?’
    AnnaLise handed her glass to Joy and dug through her purse, coming up with the list she’d jotted down when Bacchus had called her with the results of his efforts.
    â€˜Is that a unicorn?’ Joy asked, blinking at the brightly colored artwork at the top of the paper.
    â€˜And a rainbow,’ AnnaLise said, shaking out the list. ‘Daisy kept all of my old Lisa Frank pencils and notebooks and such. Bottom drawer, right next to the Beany Babies and Hello Kitty backpack purse.’
    â€˜The nineties have a lot to answer for,’ Joy said.
    â€˜I can’t argue with you there.’ AnnaLise reclaimed her glass. ‘Now, can I assume you just care about the ones who are actually attending?’
    â€˜Versus the ones he simply shtupped? Yes, please. Life is too short for a recitation of the entire
dis
honor roll.’
    â€˜It’s not as many as you might expect, particularly given the carrot he dangled.’
    â€˜So to speak.’
    AnnaLise felt herself blush, but continued. ‘The only ones coming are Rose Boccaccio and her son Eddie, Lucinda Puckett and
her
son Tyler, and Sugar Capri and
her
daughter—
    â€˜Sugar?’
    â€˜Yup, and her daughter is called Lacey.’ AnnaLise shook her head. ‘Lacey Capri. Honestly, who would do that to a kid? Though I suppose if your own parents had named you something like Su—’
    But Joy seemed more concerned about the mother than the daughter. ‘But Sugar herself is coming? Why?’
    AnnaLise canted her head. ‘Presumably because she and Hart did the dirty, with Lacey the product. Remember? It’s the theme of the party.’
    â€˜But that’s impossible. Not them doing the dirty part, of course. That’s a given. But Hart met Sugar a full decade after he had his vasectomy.’
    â€˜Huh?’ AnnaLise, looking again at her list, frowned. ‘If so, I shouldn’t have put her on here as a “possible.”’ She re-scanned the names. ‘I hope I didn’t make a mistake.’
    But Joy Tamarack was already striding away from her across the green lawn: the long white limo was gliding to a stop at the mansion’s main entrance.

SIX
    A nnaLise Griggs followed her friend, trying not to lose any of the fabulous wine still nearly filling her glass. When she reached the front of the house, though, Joy Tamarack had disappeared.
    AnnaLise didn’t quite know what to do or where to go. If Dickens Hart hadn’t yet appeared to greet his guests, his acknowledged bastard-daughter certainly wasn’t interested in playing hostess.
    â€˜Psst.’
    Joy and Boozer Bacchus were perched above her on the rail of the upper-floor veranda. Dodging the conga line of valets and drink-bearers, AnnaLise slipped in through the front door. Other than Hart’s office, to the right of the vaulted-ceilinged and marble-floored foyer, she had seen very little of the house.
    Safe to assume,