boss?” Adam supplied helpfully.
“Yeah, my boss. He's going to miss his flight if he doesn't leave . I’d better get him on his way. See you later,” she said, trying to weave through the crowd.
Everything's going to b e all right, she thought, trying to console herself. There's nothing to worry about. In a few minutes, Kyle will be out the door, and far far away from her friends. Grace vowed to make sure he would be far far away, even if she had to buy a plane ticket, and personally escort him back to New York tonight. Hopefully, he's just been talking about the school, or the weather, or New York.
“T hat's when I discovered the murderer was actually the police detective investigating the case,” she overheard Kyle telling the crowd that had gathered around the table. Feeling nauseous, Grace pushed her way past the group to reach Kyle’s side.
“W hat did you do? How were you able to prove the astronaut was the one who killed the old man?” a man Grace recognized from her eleventh grade science class asked animatedly.
Kyle , noticing Grace was now standing next to him, smiled up at her. “Well luckily my able assistant, Ms. Holliday, was there. She found the proof and—”
“And that was it. I'm sorry to interrupt , but could I speak to you? Please, sir?” Grace grabbed one of Kyle's arms. Wrapping her other arm around his waist, she pulled him out of his chair, and back toward the gym doors behind them. She had always heard that fear can cause people to exhibit almost superhuman strength, such as mothers lifting cars off their children. She didn't believe it, but now she felt that if she had to she could have picked Kyle up in her arms and carried him back to New York.
As soon as they were back outside and away f rom others, she wheeled around. “Have you lost your mind? What are you doing?”
“You should have been t here. They were eating it up. They loved it.” Kyle leaned back against a lamppost. “You know, your friends are really nice.”
“Go home, Kyle.”
“I can't. My plane doesn't leave for another week. Don't worry,” Kyle added, as Grace paced in front of him, massaging her temples, and talking to herself. “I have this all under control.”
Grace stopped her pacing. “I’m going to kill you. I have to live here, you know. I’ll be seeing some of these people every day. Hopefully, I’ll find a job soon. What am I going to tell them if they ask me about some of these stories you are telling? I don’t know anything about being a detective.”
“ Shh. Someone's coming,” Kyle hissed.
The y both watched as Melodie opened the door. “Hey, you guys aren't leaving, are you? Please don't go.” Melodie reached out to grab Grace's hand and drag her back inside.
Grace watched in surprise as Melodie’s eyes began filling up with tears. “I need your help. We have to keep Hope and Crystal away from each other. I have such a bad feeling about tonight. I worked so hard to make our reunion wonderful, and now it’s being destroyed.”
Gra ce quickly reassured her friend that she would be happy to help her.
Melodie smiled in relief before turning shiny blue eyes towards Kyle. “You’ll be able to stay too, won’t you?”
Before Kyle could answer, Grace said soothingly, “Don't worry, Melodie, I won't go, but Mr. Drake, unfortunately, has to leave.”
“Oh no! ” Melodie turned to Kyle. Smiling shyly, she said, “Everyone is so interested in you. Please, can’t you stay a little while longer?”
Grace glare d at Kyle over the top of Melodie’s head.
“Of course , I can stay. In fact, I can stay all night,” Kyle promised, taking Melodie’s elbow and escorting her back to the gym. “You know, I once investigated a murder at a high school reunion.”
* * * *
Once back inside, Grace headed straight for the buffet tables. “Chocolate, where is the chocolate?” she muttered to herself, as she scanned the tables set up in the corner of the gym.
“Yeah, my boss. He's going to miss his flight if he doesn't leave . I’d better get him on his way. See you later,” she said, trying to weave through the crowd.
Everything's going to b e all right, she thought, trying to console herself. There's nothing to worry about. In a few minutes, Kyle will be out the door, and far far away from her friends. Grace vowed to make sure he would be far far away, even if she had to buy a plane ticket, and personally escort him back to New York tonight. Hopefully, he's just been talking about the school, or the weather, or New York.
“T hat's when I discovered the murderer was actually the police detective investigating the case,” she overheard Kyle telling the crowd that had gathered around the table. Feeling nauseous, Grace pushed her way past the group to reach Kyle’s side.
“W hat did you do? How were you able to prove the astronaut was the one who killed the old man?” a man Grace recognized from her eleventh grade science class asked animatedly.
Kyle , noticing Grace was now standing next to him, smiled up at her. “Well luckily my able assistant, Ms. Holliday, was there. She found the proof and—”
“And that was it. I'm sorry to interrupt , but could I speak to you? Please, sir?” Grace grabbed one of Kyle's arms. Wrapping her other arm around his waist, she pulled him out of his chair, and back toward the gym doors behind them. She had always heard that fear can cause people to exhibit almost superhuman strength, such as mothers lifting cars off their children. She didn't believe it, but now she felt that if she had to she could have picked Kyle up in her arms and carried him back to New York.
As soon as they were back outside and away f rom others, she wheeled around. “Have you lost your mind? What are you doing?”
“You should have been t here. They were eating it up. They loved it.” Kyle leaned back against a lamppost. “You know, your friends are really nice.”
“Go home, Kyle.”
“I can't. My plane doesn't leave for another week. Don't worry,” Kyle added, as Grace paced in front of him, massaging her temples, and talking to herself. “I have this all under control.”
Grace stopped her pacing. “I’m going to kill you. I have to live here, you know. I’ll be seeing some of these people every day. Hopefully, I’ll find a job soon. What am I going to tell them if they ask me about some of these stories you are telling? I don’t know anything about being a detective.”
“ Shh. Someone's coming,” Kyle hissed.
The y both watched as Melodie opened the door. “Hey, you guys aren't leaving, are you? Please don't go.” Melodie reached out to grab Grace's hand and drag her back inside.
Grace watched in surprise as Melodie’s eyes began filling up with tears. “I need your help. We have to keep Hope and Crystal away from each other. I have such a bad feeling about tonight. I worked so hard to make our reunion wonderful, and now it’s being destroyed.”
Gra ce quickly reassured her friend that she would be happy to help her.
Melodie smiled in relief before turning shiny blue eyes towards Kyle. “You’ll be able to stay too, won’t you?”
Before Kyle could answer, Grace said soothingly, “Don't worry, Melodie, I won't go, but Mr. Drake, unfortunately, has to leave.”
“Oh no! ” Melodie turned to Kyle. Smiling shyly, she said, “Everyone is so interested in you. Please, can’t you stay a little while longer?”
Grace glare d at Kyle over the top of Melodie’s head.
“Of course , I can stay. In fact, I can stay all night,” Kyle promised, taking Melodie’s elbow and escorting her back to the gym. “You know, I once investigated a murder at a high school reunion.”
* * * *
Once back inside, Grace headed straight for the buffet tables. “Chocolate, where is the chocolate?” she muttered to herself, as she scanned the tables set up in the corner of the gym.
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