That Summer by Joan Wolf Read Free Book Online Page B

have me or she can have you, but she can't have us both.”
    The two of them had forgotten that I was there and I stood very still and quiet so they wouldn't notice me.
    Kevin's blue eyes glittered. He said, “We were all drunk.”
    “I know.”
    Kevin shrugged. “Have you tried the food?”
    “Not yet. First I'm going to try the Scotch.”
    “Okay. See you later.”
    I put some food on a plate and let Liam walk away.
    I had taken a few bites of ham when someone said my name. I turned and saw one of the boys from school. He was a senior but we had worked together on the school newspaper. “Hi, Michael,” I said. “What are you doing here?”
    “I came with Kim Malone.”
    I nodded. Kim was a senior also, but she was not part of Leslie's crowd. She was a horse person, like me.
    “You look very pretty,” he said.
    “Thank you.” Pretty was better than nice.
    We stood talking for a few minutes and then Michael asked if I wanted to dance. I was anxious to get back to the salon so I could find out what Liam was doing, so I agreed.
    The next few hours passed uneventfully. I danced with Michael, with my father, with Kevin and with Liam. I spent some time with Justin Summers, who had come as someone's date. I tried to keep an eye on Leslie, but she disappeared for a while. At least she didn't disappear with Liam, because I was watching him too. I also drank two more glasses of champagne.
    It was after midnight when I went out to the back patio to cool off. I was flushed from all of the champagne, and it wasn't until the door had closed behind me that I realized I wasn't alone. Liam and Leslie were standing in front of the fountain that was the centerpiece for the backyard garden. They were too far away for me to hear what they were saying, but they appeared to be having a fight.
    I should have left. I had no business spying on Liam's private moments, but I couldn't tear myself away. All summer I had been miserable watching Liam and Leslie together. If they were going to break up, I wanted to know about it.
    Suddenly, Leslie reached up and pulled Liam's head down to her. For a long moment, while my heart silently cracked, they kissed. Then Liam pushed her away. He said something and her face blazed with anger. She shouted at him. I could hear her voice although I couldn't make out what she was saying. Liam said something back. He looked furious.
    /
don't want to be caught here if one of them comes back to the house.
Slowly and carefully I opened he back door and let myself back inside. I waited by the door, pretending I was just coming out when they came back.
    Liam came first. His eyes were blazing with anger as he almost bumped into me. “Get out of the way, Annie, “ he said grimly and went on by.
    Instead of pursuing him, I waited for Leslie. Her color was higher than usual as she came in the door, but she looked more composed than Liam had. She went into the dining room and I saw her begin to talk to Justin Summers.
    Shortly after that, my parents left to go home and I had to leave with them.
    The next day we found out that Leslie had never come home. Her father had driven her to the party and stayed for a while, but had left when Leslie promised that either Kevin or Liam would drive her home. Kevin said he looked for her but, when he didn't find her, he assumed Liam had driven her home. Liam said he had a headache and had gone upstairs to bed. He said he hadn't spoken to Leslie during the party.
    The police talked to me as well. I said I had spoken to Leslie at the start of the party, but that was all. I said I had no idea where she could have gone. I never said a word about the argument I had witnessed between Leslie and Liam. If Liam wanted it to be known, he could volunteer the information. I would die before I would give him away.
    The pot of flowers I had been looking at began to blur, and I blinked and came back to the present.
    There was going to be another murder investigation. Leslie hadn't buried herself.