Riley Thorn and the Corpse in the Closet by Lucy Score
34
10:49 a.m., Tuesday, August 18
“Nick!”
The panic in Riley’s tone had him shoving Canon out of his way and rushing to her side. Her nose was twitching like she was mid-allergy attack.
“What is it? What did you see?”
“I think Larry Rupley got a glitter bomb.”
“Fuck! The mail on the table,” he said, catching up quickly.
“The return addresses on the packages are all different. You wouldn’t have known.”
“What’s all this fuss?” Elanora demanded.
“Nick’s been working on a missing person case. I think it’s linked to the homicides Detective Weber is investigating. Which means his missing person isn’t missing. He’s dead.”
“There’s only one way to find out,” her grandmother announced stiffly.
Riley blinked. “Are you saying—”
“I will consult my spirit guides,” Elanora announced. “Gather the candles. The rest of you will shut up. Now.”
Nick watched as the Thorn women gathered candles and crystals from around the room, organizing them around the matriarch. When Elanora was satisfied, she ordered the lights dimmed.
The room went silent, and all eyes focused on her as she arranged her skirts. She closed her eyes, and her lips began to move silently. Like a witch casting an ancient spell.
Riley slid her hand through Nick’s as they both watched in fascination. This wasn’t the show she’d put on at the mansion. This was something different. More raw. And for one aching second, he thought about asking her about Beth.
The tension in the room built as the sky seemed to darken outside.
The first streak of lightning that flickered across the window made him jump.
“Did she do that?” Nick whispered.
Riley shook her head.
Blossom leaned in. “Coincidence. Mom can’t control the weather.”
“How about Gabe?” he asked.
The man in question was seated just behind Elanora to the right. His eyes were also closed, and he, too, was muttering something under his breath. “I mean, are we sure he’s human?”
“We’re mostly sure. I mean. I think,” Riley whispered back.
Blossom leaned in again. “I think he’s an extraterrestrial being.”
“Who? Gabe?” Mrs. Penny asked. “No way. He’s some secret billionaire who roams the earth trying to give away his fortune.”
“Do any of you actually know anything about the man?” Nick asked.
Everyone shrugged.
“So you just let him move in with no references or anything?”
Again, they all shrugged.
“To be fair, if he is an extraterrestrial, we wouldn’t be able to contact his references anyway,” Blossom explained.
“Good point,” Fred whispered from his cross-legged position on the floor.
There was another jolt of lightning, this one accompanied by an ominous roll of thunder.
“Poor Daisy. She ain’t a fan of thunderstorms,” Roger complained.
“She’ll be fine, dear,” Blossom assured him, patting his arm. “She has my nice gardening shed that you ripped apart to turn into a barn.”
Elanora’s eyes snapped open like cartoon window shades. “Larry Rupley is deceased,” she announced.
Heads snapped back to look at her.
“How long? Where is he? How was he killed?” Nick asked.
She held up a wrinkled hand. “The newly dead do not communicate as well as the more experienced dead. He showed me the river. He was running.”
“That’s what I saw too,” Riley agreed.
“Then he showed me a strange pattern. White and brown in thick lines and squares.” Elanora held out her palm. Obediently, Gabe handed over a pen and paper that he’d produced from who the hell knew where.
“He was taken somewhere with this pattern, and his life was ended. Now his soul is free to roam, but his body is still there alone.”
She held out the paper between two bejeweled fingers to Nick. He took it and stared at it. “It looks like a game board?”
“I assure you, Mr. Rupley was not having any fun when he was murdered,” Elanora said sternly.
Nick started to pace the studio.
“What are you thinking?” Riley asked, catching up with him in the corner. Her nose twitched twice.
“I think you already know.”
She winced. “Sorry. I’m still plugged in to the other side or whatever. You want to check Larry’s place to confirm the glitter bomb is there, and you want to call Weber.”
He nodded and stopped in front of her. “I also want you to go home with your parents.”
“But I can help,” she said.
“I know you can. Which is why I need you to work with your grandmother on this.”
She pouted. “But why can’t I go find a dead body with you?”
“Because you and I both know, if you two put your heads together, you would figure out who our killer is. And if you know who he is, we can stop him from coming anywhere near you before your two weeks are up.”
“Ugh. Fine. But just know that you’re way less sexy when you make sense,” she grumbled.
He grabbed her by the front of her tank and kissed her hard.
“Wow,” she said, dazed when he released her. “What was that for?”
“For being my girlfriend. For being a sexy psychic. For wearing those freaking shorts. Take your pick.”
“Wow.”
“I am weary,” Elanora announced. “I would like to go to my daughter’s house and enjoy a steak, medium rare, and wine.”
“Well, Mom, you’re going to have to get a ride and cook your own steak. Roger and I have a couples massage scheduled,” Blossom said.
“Riley will take you,” Nick told her. “Take the Jeep,” he said to Riley, staring down at the piece of paper in his hand. Something niggled in the back of his mind.
Riley paused. “You have a tracker on it, don’t you?”
“We can fight about this later. I’ll put one on my car too. Then we’ll be even.”
“You can’t pre-settle a fight,” she complained. “Besides, I got glitter bombed today. That means I have two weeks before Glitter Guy comes after me.”
“If he sticks to his pattern. Baby, this is for your safety and my peace of mind. Now be a good girl, and don’t make me make Weber throw you in a holding cell downtown.”
“Fine. But for the record, I’m annoyed with you.”
“I can deal with that. Gabe, you’re with Riley and Scary Granny.”
