“Yeah, but I’m not naive. Maybe he came to Sunrise Bay because the LAPD is closing in on him.”
“Closing in on him?” I don’t know why I bother leading Chevelle down this road.
Her eyes go wide. “They discovered where he hid the bodies.”
“Bodies?” Mandi’s forehead is wrinkled in confusion.
“Of the ones he lured in with those good looks and actor charisma, only to bury them alive.”
We both stare at her in awe.
“Do I need to take you to the hospital?” Mandi asks.
Chevelle waves us off. “I’m just saying. Did I tell you about this creepy guy I keep seeing at the docks?”
“Do we want to know?” Mandi asks.
“He’s going out late at night. The other day I had an early morning gig with these salespeople from Seattle and he was just returning,” Chevelle says.
“So?” Mandi asks.
“Night fishing? Come on. He’s totally dropping bodies in the water. I told Cam.”
“And what did he say?” I ask.
Cam is Cameron Baker, heir to Baker Enterprises, which owns all of the fishing docks. He’s also my stepbrother, Fisher’s best friend.
“He said we should scope him out and follow him one night.” She gives a full-body shiver.
“Are you going to?” Mandi asks.
“No!” she screeches. “Me on a boat with Cam and no witnesses in the dead of night? One of us wouldn’t be coming back.”
Mandi and I laugh. Chevelle and Cam have a sibling-like relationship, except there’s an undercurrent of something else that the rest of us are trying to figure out.
“Hello!” we hear from downstairs.
We all look at one another.
Mom.
“Shit, my room.” Chevelle flies out of the bathroom, accidentally knocking Mandi with her shoulder. Her bedroom door slams a second later.
“We’re up here,” I yell.
Mandi’s not concerned because she’s a neat freak. Mom is a bit of a pill when it comes to us having a clean house. Now that it’s only Fisher and Allie living with their twins in the old Greene family home and the former bachelor pad is no longer, she’s been harping on us.
I walk out of the bathroom and into my room to get changed for tonight.
“Where are you going?” my mom asks as she comes in. She’s wearing jeans and a cardigan, and I see my stepbrother Xavier right behind her.
“I’m going on a date.”
Chevelle’s door opens. “With Gavin Price!” She slams it shut.
“I thought he ran you off the road?” Xavier asks.
“That was a year ago. You should know as well as anyone that a lot changes in a year.” I eye him because ever since he signed the biggest deal for a professional football player in league history, he’s done a one-eighty. Dating models and dressing up. Acting as though he’s too good for this town. “I’m actually surprised to see you in town.”
Xavier has returned every year for off-season. He used to spend the majority of that time with his best friend, Clara. But the two of them are on the outs and every Greene family member wants to know what the hell happened. She used to be his biggest supporter and now they don’t even talk.
“I’m only here for the weekend. Head back in two days.”
“And you’re staying at your house?” I ask.
Chevelle’s door opens. “Clara dyed her hair!” The door slams again and all we can hear is drawers shutting and movement behind the door.
“Marla, can we get on with this?” Xavier disregards Chevelle’s comment about Clara dying her hair completely blonde.
“So as you know, I’m campaigning for mayor,” Marla says to us.
“Campaigning?” Mandi asks.
“Yes, someone else has put their name in, so looks like I’ll have an opponent.” She sighs and I narrow my eyes.
“Who?” I ask. My poor mom has been through the wringer with this mayor stuff.
Mom shrugs.
Xavier pulls a Vote Greene pin from the box he’s holding and passes it to Mandi.
A couple years ago, she lost the campaign to our incumbent mayor, Sam Klein. Then she took over when he fled with his mistress last year, and now, she has to run to win the spot officially. I know it’s something she really wants.
“They aren’t telling me. Said everyone has until a certain date to put in their nomination, then they’ll make a big announcement.”
“But—” Mandi starts.
Mom is quick to cut her off. “That’s all I know. Believe me, Nikki is trying to find out who else wants to be mayor, but no one has owned up to it at this point.”
Her disappointment is evident in her eyes. I think about her loss the first time and my chest feels tight. I am not going to let my mom lose again.
“What do you need me to do?” There’s steel in my voice.
“You’re busy, Posey. I’ve got it.”
Chevelle’s door opens. “You got this, Marla!” She slams it again.
“Honestly, Mom, things are calm at Fringe. I could use a distraction. I’ll totally be your campaign manager.”
Mom shakes her head. “I can’t ask that of you.”
“You’re not asking. I’m volunteering.” I snap my fingers and hold out my palm. “Give me a pin, Xavier.”
He groans. “How do I go from never waiting in a line at a club or restaurant to passing out fucking pins?”
Mandi smacks him in the back of the head. “Language.”
He rubs where she hit him.
“So?” I ask Mom.
She pretends to think it over.
Chevelle’s door opens. “You know she’s going to do it anyway, so just agree.” She slams it again.
A smile creeps across my mom’s lips. “Are you sure?”
“Definitely,” I say with a smile.
“Okay. You’re my campaign manager.”
Xavier crosses the small hallway we’re all huddled in and shoves the box in my arms. “Then these are for you. I’m out.”
He walks down the stairs without another word. For a moment, we all share a concerned look, having no idea what’s going on with him.
“Yay!” I say to break the tension, and I give my mom a huge hug.
Mandi joins in and we’re all jumping and screaming in excitement.
“Aw…” Chevelle whines from the other side of the door.
“Chevelle, I know your room is messy, just come out here,” my mom says, and her door springs open.
Chevelle flies down the hallway and joins our hug. “Marla Greene for mayor!”
We’re interrupted by the doorbell ringing and I look down at myself to see that I’m still wearing jogging pants and a T-shirt. “Crap. I gotta get dressed.”
“I’ll distract him,” Chevelle says and beelines down the stairs.
“Don’t drill him!” I yell after her, but we both know she will.
“I’ll go keep an eye on her.” Mandi follows her down the stairs.
“I’ll help you,” Mom says to me.
My mom and I go back into my room, where we disagree on what I should wear. She wants me in the dress I wore on Easter, but I opt to ditch the flowers and go with a black flowy skirt that has a slit up the side, paired with a burgundy blouse that plummets between my breasts. It’s not too revealing, but enough to entice. Or at least, I hope it is.