Dinner And A Murder: The 3rd Nikki Hunter Mystery (Nikki Hunter Mysteries) Read Online Free
Author: Nancy Skopin
I’ll rearrange my schedule if I need to.” I gave him a quick hug, which he returned before bolting from the room.
“What the hell was that about?” Bill asked.
“No idea,” I said, leaning back into his arms, now worried about both of my old friends.
When the music stopped, Bella appeared on the dance floor with one of those cordless microphones and said it was time to announce the silent auction winners. She made it sound like a contest, and I guess in a way it was. Cher won both items she had bid on and smiled contentedly as she wrote out the check. Heather won Steve’s painting for fifteen hundred dollars. There was a toxic gleam in her eyes when she gave Bella her check and received the prized work of art.
After all the auction items had been awarded Bella made a huge production of thanking the individuals who had donated them. She asked each contributor to come out on the dance floor one at a time, and the crowd applauded politely for each of them. When Steve Saxon stepped up the applause was deafening and there were a few decidedly feminine catcalls and whistles. There may not have been a bar in our banquet room, but there were several in the hotel, and some of my classmates had apparently paid them more than one visit.
The whole reunion experience was surreal for me. Apart from meeting up with Cher and Paul again, I think I could have done without it. I knew I wouldn’t rest well until I found out what was troubling Paul, but seeing the two of them made the whole thing worthwhile.
At the end of the evening Cher and I exchanged numbers and made a lunch date for the following weekend, promising to touch base before then to discuss where and when. She was living in Burlingame now, only twenty minutes away from the marina. I’d probably invite her to The Diving Pelican so I could give her a tour of my office and my boat.
As Bill and I were walking through the lobby on our way out I spotted Steve and Heather sitting next to a huge potted palm, talking intently. Heather had one hand on Steven’s leg and a cocktail in the other. They both looked up as we passed by. I waved and kept Bill moving toward the exit.
Once we were on the freeway headed home I said, “That was weird.”
“What?” Bill asked, dutifully.
“Being around all those people I haven’t seen in nineteen years.”
“You seemed to have a good time,” he offered.
“I did, I guess. It’s great to be back in touch with Cher. We had some wild times when we were teenagers. And Paul is so sweet. I’m glad I went. But I don’t think I ever want to do it again.”
“Sweet, huh?”
He was grinning, and normally isn’t the jealous type. Nevertheless, I felt the need to defend myself. “Yes, sweet. There hasn’t been anything romantic between us since high school, and there certainly isn’t now. He’s just a good person. You know, true blue, salt of the earth. Stop me before I cliché again.”
“Okay. I get the idea.”
Chapter 3
B ill and I had arrived back at the Marina and were walking down the companionway to the dock when I had an impulse to stop and knock on the door of Elizabeth’s trawler. I needed a reality check, but it was late and her lights were off. I decided I could wait until morning to bend her ear about my reunion experience.
Elizabeth is my sounding board when I can’t figure out what’s right in front of me. She’s a strawberry blonde pixie about five feet tall with a genius level IQ, and my closest female friend. I wanted to share everything that had happened tonight with her. I needed to decompress by telling her about the people I hadn’t seen for so long, but wished I’d stayed in touch with, and the people who had been assholes in high school and apparently still were. I wanted to hear what she would say about my lusting after Steve, even though I was in a ‘relationship’ with Bill. I knew Elizabeth would be able to put everything in perspective. I’d have to invite myself over tomorrow for
“What the hell was that about?” Bill asked.
“No idea,” I said, leaning back into his arms, now worried about both of my old friends.
When the music stopped, Bella appeared on the dance floor with one of those cordless microphones and said it was time to announce the silent auction winners. She made it sound like a contest, and I guess in a way it was. Cher won both items she had bid on and smiled contentedly as she wrote out the check. Heather won Steve’s painting for fifteen hundred dollars. There was a toxic gleam in her eyes when she gave Bella her check and received the prized work of art.
After all the auction items had been awarded Bella made a huge production of thanking the individuals who had donated them. She asked each contributor to come out on the dance floor one at a time, and the crowd applauded politely for each of them. When Steve Saxon stepped up the applause was deafening and there were a few decidedly feminine catcalls and whistles. There may not have been a bar in our banquet room, but there were several in the hotel, and some of my classmates had apparently paid them more than one visit.
The whole reunion experience was surreal for me. Apart from meeting up with Cher and Paul again, I think I could have done without it. I knew I wouldn’t rest well until I found out what was troubling Paul, but seeing the two of them made the whole thing worthwhile.
At the end of the evening Cher and I exchanged numbers and made a lunch date for the following weekend, promising to touch base before then to discuss where and when. She was living in Burlingame now, only twenty minutes away from the marina. I’d probably invite her to The Diving Pelican so I could give her a tour of my office and my boat.
As Bill and I were walking through the lobby on our way out I spotted Steve and Heather sitting next to a huge potted palm, talking intently. Heather had one hand on Steven’s leg and a cocktail in the other. They both looked up as we passed by. I waved and kept Bill moving toward the exit.
Once we were on the freeway headed home I said, “That was weird.”
“What?” Bill asked, dutifully.
“Being around all those people I haven’t seen in nineteen years.”
“You seemed to have a good time,” he offered.
“I did, I guess. It’s great to be back in touch with Cher. We had some wild times when we were teenagers. And Paul is so sweet. I’m glad I went. But I don’t think I ever want to do it again.”
“Sweet, huh?”
He was grinning, and normally isn’t the jealous type. Nevertheless, I felt the need to defend myself. “Yes, sweet. There hasn’t been anything romantic between us since high school, and there certainly isn’t now. He’s just a good person. You know, true blue, salt of the earth. Stop me before I cliché again.”
“Okay. I get the idea.”
Chapter 3
B ill and I had arrived back at the Marina and were walking down the companionway to the dock when I had an impulse to stop and knock on the door of Elizabeth’s trawler. I needed a reality check, but it was late and her lights were off. I decided I could wait until morning to bend her ear about my reunion experience.
Elizabeth is my sounding board when I can’t figure out what’s right in front of me. She’s a strawberry blonde pixie about five feet tall with a genius level IQ, and my closest female friend. I wanted to share everything that had happened tonight with her. I needed to decompress by telling her about the people I hadn’t seen for so long, but wished I’d stayed in touch with, and the people who had been assholes in high school and apparently still were. I wanted to hear what she would say about my lusting after Steve, even though I was in a ‘relationship’ with Bill. I knew Elizabeth would be able to put everything in perspective. I’d have to invite myself over tomorrow for
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