Nick rubbed his chest and slowly climbed back to his feet. “What mood?”
“The stubborn, head-up-your-own-ass, no-one-can-tell-you-anything-because-you’re-gonna-do-what-you-want mood,” his cousin said.
Oh. That mood.
“My condolences,” Josie said to Riley as she and Brian headed for the door.
4
10:42 a.m., Friday, October 25
“Idon’t have time for a field trip,” Mrs. Penny groused in the passenger seat of Riley’s Jeep. “I’ve got a Dog Doody Bandit to catch.”
“This won’t take long,” Riley promised, changing lanes as a white limo rode up on her bumper.
“Bet I could bag some walleye today,”the spirit of Riley’s Uncle Jimmy announced in her head as she took the Harvey Taylor Bridge over the Susquehanna River toward the West Shore. The Jeep had belonged to him until his untimely death by hoagie in his fishing boat. Riley had inherited the vehicle along with the spirit of her fish-loving uncle.
The limo pulled even with her and stayed there. Its tinted windows prevented her from seeing the driver.
“That is an elongated vehicle,” Gabe observed from the back seat. Burt the dog shoved his head between the front seats to get a look.
“You’ve never seen a limousine before?” Riley asked Gabe.
“I have not. Who could require such a long car? Very tall people?”
“Rich people or rich people’s kids,” Mrs. Penny said. “Probably a couple of punk-ass teenagers joyriding through Taco Bell’s drive-through before the homecoming dance. Hey, who wants tacos?”
The limo backed off and slid in behind the Jeep, this time keeping a safer distance.
“We can get lunch later. I need your help first.”
“Help with what? I’m pretty gassy today, so manual labor isn’t in the cards.”
Riley scrambled for a reason and then picked the first one that popped into her head. “I need your help picking out a costume for Nick’s surprise birthday party. His birthday is on Halloween.” She’d already suggested to Nick they throw a housewarming-birthday party for friends and family.
Nick had said he’d rather throw himself into a tank of sharks.
“Well, you came to the right person. I’m great at Halloween,” Mrs. Penny announced. “What are we thinking? Slutty? Sexy? Borderline pornographic?”
“You could dress up as a fisherman for the party,”Uncle Jimmy suggested.
“I am very enthusiastic about this surprise social gathering,” Gabe piped up. “I have always wanted to be invited to a surprise party.”
Riley glanced at him in the mirror. “You’ve never been to one before?”
“Never. We do not celebrate birthdays where I am from,” he said wistfully.
“Whereareyou from?” Riley asked. Gabe’s history was shrouded in mystery, and no one had managed to dig very deep beneath his cuddly surface.
“I am from many places,” he said with a peaceful smile.
“Care to narrow it down? Manhattan? Miami? Montreal?”
“How many strippers are you thinking?” Mrs. Penny cut in.
“What is a stripper, and how many are usually required for a surprise party?” Gabe asked.
Riley tightened her grip on the steering wheel and fought the beginnings of a headache as Mrs. Penny explained exotic dancing to Gabe. This whole “babysitting Nick’s business partner” thing was getting old fast.
