Crack Of Death (A Rainy Day Mystery Book 3)

by Jeff Shelby

  Especially when it involved me.

  Declan coughed. “And how is Gunnar?”

  And there it was, just what I had suspected.

  “Gunnar is fine,” I said, trying to keep my tone as neutral as possible.

  He ran a hand through his hair before shoving it back into his pants pocket. “I…are you…?” His voice trailed off.

  I knew what he wanted to ask. Were we seeing each other?

  I just didn’t know what I wanted to respond.

  Gunnar and I had spent time together, but I wasn’t sure we were a couple. After our kiss at the Dorothy contest, we’d settled into a tentative sort of dance. We spent time together—the occasional dinner, the sporadic movie night—but we hadn’t moved much beyond holding hands and goodnight kisses. I felt a lot like a sixth grader going steady with the cute boy from homeroom. Nervous, bumbling, uncertain, awkward.

  And I had no idea how Gunnar felt.

  I looked at Declan. His cheeks were redder than his hair, and he was looking around as if he’d rather be standing anywhere than there. I felt the same exact way. I didn’t know what to tell Declan, and, if I was being truthful, I didn’t know that I wanted to tell him anything.

  I liked Declan. As a friend, of course, but there had been times where I was sure that I’d felt something…more. And now, being in a sort-of relationship with Gunnar, I didn’t know what to do about that.

  A ringing from inside the living room saved me from having to answer.

  My phone.

  “Hang on,” I told Declan as I made a mad dash for the phone.

  I recognized the number on the screen.

  “Rainy?” Vivian Sumner’s voice sounded worried.

  My thoughts immediately turned to Leslie, Vivian’s stepsister and the subject of one of my earlier “investigations.”

  “Hi, Vivian.”

  “Oh, thank goodness you picked up,” she breathed.

  I immediately tensed. “What’s wrong?”

  She hesitated.

  “Vivian? Is Leslie okay?”

  “Who?” she asked absently. “Oh, Leslie. Yes, yes, she’s fine, I think. I wasn’t calling about her, though.”

  “No? What are you calling about, then?”

  “I don’t think we should discuss this over the phone.”

  I had learned one thing during my time in Latney. If someone didn’t think it was a good idea to talk about things over the phone, it probably wasn’t something I wanted to hear.

  “Rainy? Are you still there?”

  I blinked, and stole a glance at Declan. He was watching me, curiosity etched into his features.

  “I’m here,” I said faintly.

  “Can you come over?” Vivian asked. “I really need to talk to you. I…I have some questions about a few things that I think you might be able to answer.”

  I peeked at Declan again.

  Two people had questions for me. One had questions that I was having a hard time answering. And the other had questions that I probably didn’t want to answer. Which was the lesser of two evils?

  I glanced at Declan again. He was still standing there in the doorway, his hands in his pockets, his face a little less red. The breeze blowing across the porch and into the house ruffled his hair, and he looked boyishly handsome, so much so that my heart did a little flip-flop.

  “Please, Rainy,” Vivian said. “It’s important.”

  I took a deep breath and made my decision.

  “I’ll be right over.”

  PLANTING EVIDENCE will be available in January of 2017!