Toad in the Hole by Paisley Ray Read Free Book Online

then at me. The cryptic conversation between my grandmother and Edmond unsettled my nerves. Speeding past shadowed tree lines, on the wrong side of the road, my stomach knotted. “What happened at The Red Lion?”
    “We don’t know,” GG said.
    “Someone was looking for something in our rooms,” Edmond said.
    Travis nudged me. “Was anything stolen?”
    I didn’t have anything valuable unless designer jeans and Izod shirts counted. The most expensive thing I owned I fastened on the shirt I wore.
    “That’s the strange part. Our wallets, travelers’ checks, and cash, GG’s rings—none of that was taken.”
    “Maybe they got spooked by housekeeping,” GG said.
    A squeeze pinched the topside of my elbow.
    “What?” I mouthed.
    Travis cupped his hands in prayer position then slowly opened them.
    GG stubbed her cigarette out in the door handle ashtray and gave us a strained smile.
    I knew he was waiting for me to mention the inscription, but I hesitated. Life had a way of presenting options. Some people call them pathways, whereas others refer to certain moments as crossroads. Sitting on the leather seat, buckled in between two of my favorite people, my mind congealed like a lava lamp, bubbling up thoughts that floated in the confines of my head. Sometimes the goop merged with other goop transforming my focus and sparking ideas. Despite being disappointed with Travis for not realizing how much he wanted to be with me as more than a friend, he still ranked on my best-liked, most-interesting human being list.
    In a different category, the one that fell under assigned family members, GG was at the top. If she knew about the etching, then there was a lot more to this oyster brooch than my grandmother told me, and chances were I’d be miffed big time. On the other hand, maybe she didn’t know. Maybe no one besides Stone, Travis, and I knew about it. And if that was the case, then it was best to keep my trap shut until I figured out the engravings significance.
    “Gee,” Travis said. “That oyster brooch sure attracts attention. Do you think there’s more to it?”
    GG tilted her head.
    Callahan exited the M4 and a road sign read Windsor . I couldn’t put my finger on it, but the way he had driven and all the time he’d spent inspecting the mirrors gave me a sense that it would’ve been hard for anyone to follow us here.
    Travis was persistent and I resorted to using the old diversionary tactic. “Windsor? As in the castle? We’re not staying with…?” I asked.
    “Not this visit,” GG chuckled.
    Veering off an artery of a roundabout, Callahan sped down a narrow lane. “It’s just ahead.”
    A crescent moon shone on a country lane that twisted around a park-like setting. A flash of gold streaked across the road and Callahan slammed on the brakes.
    Stretching his hands to the dashboard, Edmond looked to Callahan who sputtered, “Blimey.”
    We all stared as a man in glitzy swim trunks and a bleach blond wig accompanied a girl in red pigtails. The two tottered across the lawn, sloshing beer from their pint glasses.
    “Are you sure you made the right turn?” I asked.
    Edmond let out a snort and quickly hid it behind a cough.
    GG patted Callahan’s shoulders. “Oakley Court is just ahead. Mind the blind corners. The pre-partiers are getting started before the midnight showing.”
    Switching on the high beams, Callahan crept along until the driveway dead-ended in front of a Victorian Gothic country house. Moonbeams glistened on ivy that rose to leering stone gargoyles on their lookout stoops. Callahan cut the engine under the portico entrance where a group of loosely-clothed guests, wearing an assortment of lace thigh-highs, garter belts, and bustiers dawdled past the stately castle entrance before turning a corner pathway lined with boxwood topiaries.
    Travis rolled his window down all the way. “What kind of hotel is this?”
    I wasn’t sure I wanted to leave the safety of the car.
    Callahan hopped