Trouble In Spades by Heather Webber Read Free Book Online Page A

thanking Kevin for anything these days. I copped a spot on the floor. For weeks now, I'd managed to keep my feelings for him at bay. Denial worked miracles, but soon I'd have to deal with things. But not here. And not now. Too many witnesses.
    "You two should never have broken up."
    I jumped. "Jeez! Why is everyone sneaking around tonight?"
    Maria had put on a hot pink silk tank and a clingy black skirt. She'd redone her makeup and pulled her hair back into a fancy twist. Pink-tipped toes peeped out from a pair of expensive looking slides.
    She leaned against the door, holding a large black tote bag in her hands. A huge rolling suitcase rested near her feet.
    Fanning herself with one hand, she said, "The way he looks at you . . ."
    I got up. "Let's not talk about this," I said.
    "Nina—"
    "I have one word for you. Ginger."
    That quieted Maria—for two seconds. "Ginger is a phase."
    I shot her a look that said "shut up" loud and clear.
    She snapped her mouth closed and looked out the window. "Is that Ana?"
    On tiptoes, I peered over her shoulder. The front lights clearly illuminated Ana and Officer Hottie invading each other's personal spaces. "Yep."
    "Oh. She's really desperate, huh?"
    "Yep. You ready?" I said.
    Delicate lines creased her eyes and lips as she frowned. "Nina, what if Nate doesn't come home?"
    I paused for a second, thinking about it. What if? I shrugged, looked at my baby sister. "We'll just have to hunt him down and kill him."
    A smile lit her face and she clapped happily. "Deal."

Five

    The alarm beeped as I unlocked and pushed open the front door. With a few button punches, it silenced. I slipped off my Keds, padded into the kitchen.
    Out of habit, I checked the locks on the windows and the dead bolt on the back door in the laundry room. I groaned loudly when I found it unlocked.
    Riley. I didn't know how many times I had to remind him to keep the back door locked—and leave it locked. I flipped the bolt, headed back into the kitchen. My stomach cried for attention. Unfortunately the fridge was nearly empty.
    Leftover mashed potatoes? Raspberry yogurt? Pudding cup?
    After a half a second of deliberation, I bypassed the potatoes and yogurt, grabbed the pudding.
    Snatching a spoon from the drawer next to the sink, I popped the top off the pudding. I licked the aluminum cover clean and then tossed it into the trash.
    My pudding and I headed upstairs to check on Riley. I tapped lightly on his door with the end of my spoon. "Ry?"
    Silence. I slowly opened his door. A wave of teenage boy
    smell nearly knocked me over, a musky mix of sweat and dirty socks. Holding my breath, I whispered, "Ry?" The motionless lump cocooned under the covers didn't move. To the right of his headboard stood a glass fish tank. I didn't look in it. Xena lived in there. Xena was Riley's snake. Xena and I had come to a live-and-let-live agreement, but I still got the heebies whenever I saw her. Quietly, I backtracked from the room.
    As I headed downstairs, I thought about Maria and Nate and couldn't help worrying. Was Nate really cheating with his boss?
    Who had broken into Maria's house, and why? Could the two be connected somehow?
    I was giving myself a headache, so I let it go for now.
    Switching on the news, I turned up the volume for the weather forecast. The weatherman was predicting passing showers, and I couldn't help but groan.
    Rain was the last thing I needed. It would muck up my work schedule beyond repair.
    As the sportscaster teased about the latest Reds game, I tossed the empty pudding cup, set the spoon in the dishwasher, and sat down to lose myself in the tail end of a Seinfeld repeat.
    The phone rang, and I jumped up to answer it before it woke up Riley. Maria's cell number glowed on my caller ID screen.
    "I hear noises outside," she said when I answered. "Someone's out there. I'm sure of it."
    "How do you know?"
    "Something squeaked."
    "It's pretty windy out. Could be the soffets. Or one of the neighbors. You know