Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door by Lucy Score

Author:Lucy Score [Score, Lucy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781945631672
Publisher: That's What She Said Publishing
Published: 2020-08-26T16:00:00+00:00

32

11:45 p.m., Wednesday, July 1

The front parlor of the mansion was quiet as Riley worked her way through the yoga studio’s social media tasks on the computer. She’d worked at SHART for nine excruciating hours, then squeezed in a meditation with Gabe, during which she accidentally tuned into both Gabe’s unconditional worship of her and Lily’s obsession with men’s butts.

She gave a shudder at the memory and tried to focus on the task at hand. She scheduled two more posts, then updated the spreadsheet on followers and interaction.

Her sister’s social media audience was growing by leaps and bounds. Every week, her free live class drew a bigger audience, garnering more followers and shares. Her Instagram account was a carefully curated collection of beautiful pictures and uplifting yogic sentiments.

Wander’s star was rising. And Riley’s was, well, dim and hard to see.

She was proud of her sister. Not that she understood the desire to step into the spotlight. During their high school careers, Wander had starred in Annie Get Your Gun. Riley had been satisfied to make her contributions to the stage crew, hiding out in the wings, rearranging sets only after the spotlights went dark.

Wander had been head cheerleader and Homecoming Queen. Riley had been second string on the volleyball team and went to Denny’s with her flannel-wearing anti-hero friends instead of the prom.

The pattern continued into adulthood. Now, while Wander experienced steady growth and marched her way toward her goals, the other Thorn sister sometimes felt as stagnant as pond water.

But Riley was proud of Wander’s celebrity. Even if it made her life seem a little quiet by comparison. Okay, she thought, eyeing the empty room. Maybe not quiet. More like tomblike.

A squeaky floorboard and a quiet fart in the hallway ruined her tomb.

“Mrs. Penny?”

Her neighbor poked her head guiltily around the corner. “Oh, hello, dear,” she said. It was the same phony grandmother tone she used when she was pretending to be harmless. She was dressed in head-to-toe black. She had a knit cap covering her hair. Even her cane was wrapped in black tape.

“Going somewhere?” Riley asked. She didn’t have to be psychic to be immediately suspicious.

“I just have a teensy errand to run,” the woman announced.

“Uh-huh. You’re not driving, are you?” Mrs. Penny’s license had been suspended two years ago after an unfortunate and literal run-in with a city bus.

Mrs. Penny hid her car keys behind her back. “Who, me? Nope. As a matter of fact, I was coming down to ask you if you’d mind giving me a ride.”

Lies!

Riley glanced at the horrendous gilt clock on the mantel that ticked noisily. “Are you sure this errand can’t wait until tomorrow?”

“Positive. It’s just a quickie,” her neighbor promised.

Scarred from her accidental reading of Lily, Riley hoped to God it wasn’t an actual quickie.

“Can I go like this?” she asked, gesturing at her pink flamingo pajama shorts—a birthday gift from her nieces—and an ancient Hines Ward Pittsburgh Steelers jersey.

“You won’t even have to get out of the car,” Mrs.

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