Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 73042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
I saunter into the kitchen, yawning. “Vinnie?”
But he’s not here.
Maybe he had an early meeting with that grandfather of his. Certainly he’d have left me a note, though, right?
I’ll check my phone. Maybe he left me a text.
I turn on the screen. No texts at all since last night.
Including from Brick. I check to make sure the text I sent him canceling our date went through. It did.
He was probably pissed at me for flaking at the last minute. I can’t blame him. I sigh. I guess I’ll have to find another lawyer to help me out with the nonprofit.
But Vinnie didn’t text me, which is weird.
I put the phone down. I’m about to start a pot of coffee when it rings.
It’s my mom. Damn it. I didn’t text her last night to let her know I’d be spending the night at my place. She’ll be beside herself with worry.
“Hello?”
“Raven, thank God.”
Mom’s voice is high-pitched and energetic. I can hear a lot of hustle and bustle in the background. The house seems very active for early in the morning.
“Yeah, I’m sorry I forgot to call you last night.”
“Are you at your place?”
“I am.”
“Thank God.” Mom’s voice is still pretty frantic.
My heart begins to race, but I’m not sure why. All I know is something isn’t right here.
“Is anything the matter?” I gasp. “Is something wrong with Dad?”
“No, sweetheart. Your father and I are fine. But we…” She lets out a choking sob.
“Mom, what’s wrong?”
But she can’t seem to get herself together. Something is very wrong here.
“Can you put Dad on?”
Mom blubbers out some words I can’t make out, but then I hear my dad’s voice on the receiver.
“Raven. Didn’t you have a date with that lawyer last night?”
“I did.” The guilt hits me again. “But I… I wasn’t feeling too great, so I canceled it.”
Dad’s tone is artificially even. “Did you cancel it at the very last minute?”
“I did.”
“I see.” Dad pauses. “Your mother and I went to a movie last night. We got back late and went straight to bed. This morning, she got up to check on you, and…”
“What, Dad? I wasn’t there? I’m sorry, I should have called to—”
“No, it’s not that.” Dad clears his throat. “She found…someone else in your bed.”
My blood runs cold. “What?”
“Yes.” Dad pauses. “It was…a body.”
My heart is pounding out of my chest. “A body? Like…a dead body?”
“Yes.” Dad’s voice is shaking through the phone. “The lawyer. Mr. Latham. His throat slit wide open.”
Oh my God, oh my God…
“There was a note on your nightstand next to him. Handwriting I don’t recognize.”
A note? Oh God, did he kill himself? He seemed pretty level-headed. Surely a broken date wouldn’t be something that would drive him to…
There’s no way.
I draw in a shaky breath. “What did it say?” I whisper.
I can hear Dad shudder from the other end of the line before he finally speaks again.
“Your move, Cobra.”