Almost Dead (Lizzy Gardner #5)(60)

She didn’t want to stay, but what she wanted was for the Ambassador Club story to get out to the public, let them stir up some trouble and get Detective Chase off his ass. She wanted the public to know what was going on, so she stayed where she was and said, “Want to know what the public would really love?”

He nodded.

He reminded her of one of those annoying bobbleheads. “The public would love to find out that you were stalking me after all I had been through, and then learn that I proceeded to kick your ass.”

This time he flinched. It was about time.

“Listen, rookie. I don’t have the name of the killer. If I did, do you think I would be wasting my time talking to you?”

He actually remained silent.

“I’m giving you a story, a real-life mystery. I’m handing it to you on a f*cking silver platter and you’re waffling. I’m not asking you to name names of those who have perished. But if you stop talking for one minute and really listen, you might see the whole picture.”

He started to talk. Lizzy stopped him and said, “Pull out your notebook and pen. When I start talking, you better start taking notes or I’m out of here.”

He did as she said.

“OK,” she said, “Melony Reed, the leader of the Ambassador Club at Parkview High School in 2002, hired me because she was scared out of her mind. Four people in her club, a club filled with bullies who verbally and physically abused as many people as possible, were dead. All within a very short period of time.”

Lizzy waited for him to catch up. “Two days later, Melony Reed was dead, too. Turned out she slipped and fell on a bunch of knives that happened to be sticking straight up in an open dishwasher. How many people leave their dishwasher open and then go to bed?”

“I have no idea,” he said while he wrote.

“Well, go back to your cubicle on Monday and ask a few of your buddies what they think about that.”

He looked at her. “So, Melony was number five. Who was the next to go?”

Lizzy got comfortable and went on to give him the details of who was missing and who was confirmed dead. She told him everything she knew.

When she was done, he turned the page of his notebook—a fresh, blank page. “How many members in the club?” he asked.

“Thirteen,” Lizzy said with a smile. By George, the kid is catching on.





CHAPTER 41

Kitally cupped her hands around her eyes and pressed her face against the windowpane. “I have a bad feeling about this,” she told Hayley.

Hayley felt the same way. They had been at the Perdue house for a few minutes already. The old house sat in the middle of about three acres of grass and trees. The next-door neighbors were well hidden behind all the greenery. There was a truck parked in front of the attached garage, but nobody was answering the door. There was also a barn in the back, but it was locked up tight.

“I’m going to go around to the back again,” Hayley said.

“I’m coming with you.”

Hayley tried the door leading to the garage. She knocked, waited, then turned the knob. Locked.

Kitally knocked on the sliding glass door leading into the back of the house. It was also secure. “Everything seems to be locked up tight. Didn’t you say this guy was married?”

“According to the records I found, he’s been married for five years.” No sooner were the words out of her mouth than they heard a crash.

“That came from inside, didn’t it?” Kitally asked.

“Sounded like someone dropped a glass.”

“All the blinds are shut tight. It’s impossible to see anything.” Hayley pulled a pick from her bag, went back to the garage door, and used it to wriggle the lock.

When that didn’t work, she pulled out a tension wrench. After she used a delicate touch and a lot of experience, a click sounded and the door opened.

She took a look inside. It was dark. A weird, musty smell wafted out to greet them. She stepped into the garage and felt around until she found a switch. Flipped it up. The place looked like most garages. There were boxes, old bikes, an extra tire, tools, and a Buick Encore.

“Anything in there?” Kitally asked.

“All the usual stuff people keep in a garage, including another car.”

“Maybe we should call the police.”

“You sound like Jessica.”

“Is that a bad thing? I like Jessica.”

Hayley came to an abrupt stop. She turned to face Kitally, who had just stepped inside the garage behind her. “Listen. If we call the police and something inside this house is not right, we’ll be suspects.” Hayley pointed a finger at her own chest. “I don’t want to be a suspect.”

Kitally nodded. “I get it. What about the crash we heard inside the house?”

“Let’s check out the garage first. One step at a time.”

“Look at this.”

There were four large aquariums on the far wall, large enough to keep a cat in. They were lined with newspaper, and two of them had real tree branches inside.

“I wonder what those are used for?”

“Snakes,” Hayley said, pointing to shed skin nearby.

An enormous shed skin.

“Gross,” Kitally said.

Hayley started working on the lock to the door leading into the house. She didn’t like the idea of finding that skin outside the aquarium any more than Kitally did.