River of Bones by Dan Padavona (books you need to read TXT) 📕

“Wear what?” Justine asked, though she knew Paige referred to the bracelet.

The blonde woman peeled her sleeve back and revealed the beaded friendship bracelet around her wrist. Justine’s heart dropped. She hadn’t worn hers since high school. Yet she kept the bracelet on her nightstand. How many times had she determined to toss the friendship bracelet in the trash and sever the last tie holding her to Wolf Lake? Each time she tried, she pictured Skye. Tossing the bracelet away was akin to giving up on Skye, admitting her best friend was dead. Justine sobbed into her hand.

“I still have mine too,” Justine admitted.

Paige reached across the table and set a hand on Justine’s.

“The police didn’t mention a bracelet. That’s a good sign, right?”

“It’s possible Skye didn’t wear hers the night she disappeared.”

“Of course, she did. Skye never took the bracelet off. She was a loyal friend.” Loyalty. Even today, Paige pitted Skye against Justine, comparing the two friends as if this was a contest. Justine grabbed her bag. “Where are you going?”

“I told you I’m meeting my cousin.”

Paige huffed.

“At least call me before you blow out of town. Sometimes, I get the impression we were never friends.”

Justine pulled her sunglasses over her eyes.

“If we weren’t friends, I wouldn’t be here. Call me if anything changes.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Wednesday, August 11th

9:45 a.m.

Raven knelt before the cabinet and filed two investigation folders. Three cases lay stacked upon her desk, and she hadn’t completed the paperwork on the stolen money at the state park campgrounds. She blew the hair from her eyes. Chelsey was somewhere down the hall, most likely in the kitchen, pouring herself another coffee. Her boss arrived ten minutes late this morning, complaining of a splitting headache as she blew through the entryway. Glass clinked from the kitchen.

“Can you bring me a cup?” Raven called.

“A cup of what?”

Raven rolled her eyes.

“Coffee?”

“Uh, sure.”

Raven preferred tea. But the paperwork grew by the second, and Chelsey refused to lend a hand. Raven needed energy. She slammed the drawer shut, hoping her anger carried to the kitchen and reached Chelsey’s ears. Five minutes later, she was knee-deep in case files, and Chelsey hadn’t returned with the coffees. Screw it. Raven marched down the hallway to get the coffee herself when someone knocked. She turned to find LeVar propping the door open with his leg while he pushed Scout Mourning through the entryway.

“Let me get that,” Raven said, holding the door.

The firm’s handicap accessible ramp was narrow and outdated. Levar must have struggled to maneuver the wheelchair to the door.

“’Sup, Sis?” LeVar planted a kiss on Raven’s cheek.

Raven hugged her brother and set a hand on Scout’s shoulder.

“What are you two troublemakers doing here?”

“LeVar has the day off,” said Scout.

“So you visited me at work? There must be a thousand more interesting things to do on an August morning.”

“We want to discuss our ideas on the state park case.”

Raven cast a worried glance over her shoulder. She hadn’t told Chelsey. Given her boss’s mood, now wasn’t the time to suggest they combine forces with Scout and LeVar. Raven placed a finger against her lips.

“Not so loud. Chelsey has a headache this morning.”

LeVar gave Raven a knowing look.

“Again?”

“Yeah, I hear you. She needs a good talking-to. Come on in.” Giving LeVar a break, Raven wheeled Scout into the office and set the girl beside her desk. Raven gestured at the paperwork. “As you can see, every day at Wolf Lake Consulting overflows with excitement and mystery.”

Scout giggled. The spitting image of Naomi, Scout wore her brunette hair in a ponytail. She adjusted her glasses as she peered around the room.

“So this is where you catch the bad guys.”

“And the bad girls. We get a few of them too.”

“Pretty soon, we’ll have another investigator in Wolf Lake,” Scout said, glancing up at LeVar. Raven swore her brother blushed. “LeVar declared his major this morning.”

Raven raised her brow.

“Criminal justice?”

“Yeah,” LeVar said, shuffling his feet. “Do ya need to stare at me like that, all googly-eyed and—”

Raven held up a hand.

“No name calling around Scout.”

“What? This girl’s got a mouth like a sailor. She makes the Harmon Kings seem like choir boys.”

“So I came up with a great idea,” Scout said.

Raven sank into her chair.

“What’s that?”

“Since LeVar is studying criminal justice, and you’re shorthanded, why not hire LeVar as your third investigator?”

The surprise on LeVar’s face told Raven this was news to him. Raven listened for Chelsey. Her boss was still in the kitchen, doing God knows what. Probably avoiding company. Chelsey had become the ultimate introvert since things fell apart between her and Thomas Shepherd. Raven still hadn’t heard the details. What went wrong? One day, Chelsey determined to try again with Thomas. The next, she refused to speak the man’s name.

“I’m not sure what to say,” Raven said, glancing between LeVar and Scout. She held her brother’s eyes. “A private investigator job. Is this what you want?”

LeVar scratched behind his ear.

“I guess so. I hadn’t given it much thought…or any thought, to be honest.”

Raven blew out a breath.

“I’d be lying if I said we didn’t need the help. But you haven’t taken your first class yet, and Chelsey makes the hiring decisions.”

Glass shattered in the kitchen, followed by an angry curse.

“I’d better check on her,” Raven said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Let’s table this discussion for now and pick it up when Chelsey is…reasonable. Sound good?”

Scout raised her eyes to LeVar, who nodded.

“Great,” Raven said. “In the meantime, if you find anything interesting on the state park skeleton, send me the information.” Raven rubbed her hands together. She had to admit, the prospect of working with LeVar and Scout excited her. Months had passed since the last time she enjoyed investigative work. “I can’t wait to get started.”

LeVar kissed her again. That was another welcome change. Since LeVar left the Kings, he’d opened up and become a family man.

“See you at the barbecue,” he said, grabbing Scout’s chair.

“Right, I almost forgot about the