Chapter 1
CHAPTER
Jordyn
Present, Two Weeks Before Halloween
CAN YOU FIND the killer before another murder is committed?
Jordyn Lawson fought a shiver at the wording on the glossy black cardstock in her hand. The sentence wasn’t meant to be ominous. The elegant invitation had been professionally printed, complete with the outline of a hooded grim reaper.
She leaned a hip against the wrought iron railing on the second story deck of her neighbor’s home and trailed a finger over the gold script on the card.
Grateful her hostess was too busy preparing drinks to notice how much the card had flustered her, Jordyn reminded herself to be discreet in her response to the invitation.
Today had been major sensory overload. As a certified introvert, Jordyn normally wouldn’t have made an effort to meet new neighbors.
But her relocation came with an agenda. A goal that she’d already made sacrifices for.
Attending this block party and getting the lay of the land in upstate New York’s Spa City—the alternately charming and pretentious Saratoga Springs—was an important first step.
The setting sun burnished Saratoga Lake and Kaitlin Teal’s backyard in the rich colors of autumn.
Jordyn had only moved into a nearby rental home a few weeks ago, so she was grateful for today’s block party that allowed her to mingle with the locals.
On Kaitlin’s lawn below, a few teens splashed each other with cold water from the lake while younger kids squealed inside a castle-shaped bounce house.
This scene was more relaxed and raucous than at some of Kaitlin’s block party cohosts who lived in stuffier, multimillion-dollar mansions all around her.
Jordyn had already dropped by a historic Victorian home with catered hors d’oeuvres and a chamber orchestra for the appetizer portion of the day.
Then she’d stopped by a French country-style estate where the owners had a full-on luau in progress, complete with fire jugglers for entertainment and a buffet overflowing with poke, poi, and suckling pig.
There had been arbors heavy with yellow hibiscus flowers all along the walkways between a temporary dance floor and the pool deck.
Even now, almost an hour later, the distinctive sound of a steel guitar and wooden Polynesian drums echoed in Jordyn’s head despite Kaitlin’s outdoor Sonos speakers blaring a pop tune.
All of this was a world away from her down-to-earth Texas home.
Former home. Her live-in lover of two years had given her an ultimatum when she’d told him she was leaving their place in Austin to pursue a quest almost two thousand miles away.
Six weeks later, she still didn’t regret choosing the quest over him.
“You said this invitation is for your book club?” Jordyn asked Kaitlin, shaking off her unease at the idea of finding a killer as she flipped the card to read the back side. There was an October meeting date and contact details.
Jordyn recognized the street address for the ginormous house with the owners who threw a luau as their contribution to today’s event.
“It’s probably a bit over the top for your average book club invitation, I know.
But you’ll get used to everything being a little extra around this town.
” Kaitlin dipped the rim of a champagne flute into a mixture of cinnamon and sugar as she stood at the stainless-steel countertop of her outdoor kitchen.
She had a whole tray of glasses lined up and methodically ran a slice of apple around the edge of each one before coating the rims in the sweet and spicy mixture.
While she prepared enough drinks for a crowd, she settled the last of the flutes on a serving tray before picking up a quart of apple cider and splashing a little into each glass.
Kaitlin wore a brown sundress dotted with a daisy pattern, a jean jacket and high leather boots were her nod to the cooler temperatures of an upstate autumn.
Every high-end piece of clothing she wore made Jordyn very aware of her consignment store clothes.
At least she’d been careful to keep long sleeves down so that the homemade tattoo on her forearm was hidden.
“Are you reading a crime thriller or something?” Jordyn asked, scanning the invitation once more to see if she’d missed a book title for the meeting.
She was playing it cool, but she definitely wanted to attend the book club meeting.
She and Kaitlin had hit it off as soon as Jordyn had made friends with Nala, Kaitlin’s fawn-colored American Akita, who had almost knocked Jordyn over with an enthusiastic jump.
A conversation about dogs led to one about novels, and, now, here they were.
With an opportunity that would really help move Jordyn closer to her goal.
“You would think so, right?” Kaitlin gave a wry laugh as she grabbed a bottle of Prosecco and topped off the flutes with sparkling wine, her collection of silver rings clanking against the glass as she poured.
“But the book is optional this month, so I paid no attention to the title. Some of our members gripe about reading too many books each year, so we’ve started doing a couple of theme nights to space out the reading commitments.
This month Sophie decided to do one of those murder mystery games where everyone shows up as a character and we all try to guess who committed a crime. ”
“And you’re sure it’s okay for me to just show up at the next meeting?
I mean, wouldn’t I need to be a character?
” Seeing that Kaitlin was ready to start serving the drinks, Jordyn shoved the invitation into her knock-off designer bag and reached to take the tray for her.
“Here, let me get this for you at least. I can make the rounds if you want.”
“You’re so sweet.” Shaking her head, Kaitlin kept hold of the silver commemorative platter engraved with a racehorse and the date of a decades-old Travers Stakes.
There were horsey touches everywhere in the town famous for mineral springs and a historic race course that touted itself as the oldest continuously operated sporting venue in the United States.
Heading for the steps, Kaitlin said over her shoulder, “This way I can greet all my guests while still having a built-in exit strategy for the neighbors I don’t want to get stuck talking to. ”
Perhaps Jordyn’s hostess saw her disappointment at being left alone on the deck because she paused to add, “Why don’t you walk with me, and I’ll introduce you to the people you haven’t met yet?”
“Um, yes?” Following her down the steps to the surrounding lawn below, Jordyn lowered her voice for Kaitlin’s ears alone. “Assuming I’m not one of those neighbors you need an exit strategy for?”
“Ha! Not a chance. I wouldn’t have mentioned book club if you were on my list of people to avoid.
” Kaitlin headed toward the side lawn first, where a dozen guests congregated around a seating area anchored by a firepit.
Before they reached the group, she confided, “And it’s probably best you don’t mention it to anyone else, either, in case they don’t belong.
Some people have been lobbying for an invite for years. ”
OK then.
Jordyn counted herself all the more fortunate to be one of the anointed few.
Especially since she didn’t exactly blend in with this wealthy crowd.
She was renting a carriage house a few blocks down, so it wasn’t like she had a splashy home to impress anyone.
Maybe no one else suspected her clothes were all consignment shop finds and a far cry from the tees and pajama pants she preferred to wear, but there were other tells that she didn’t belong in the same sandbox as the rest of this group.
Even Kaitlin, who was a family therapist and lived in a humbler home by Saratoga standards, rocked a Rolex watch and Prada sunglasses.
“Welcome, welcome!” Kaitlin plastered on a hostess smile as she approached the guests by the firepit. Logs shifted in the copper bowl as she drew closer, sending a shower of sparks into the cooling air. “Who’s ready for an apple cider mimosa?”
“You don’t have to ask me twice.” The first one to reach for the tray was an immaculately styled woman in a form-fitting white angora sweater over pale gray leggings.
Gold and diamond necklaces lay in the vee of her sweater, glinting in the glow of the fire.
Platinum blonde hair swooped over her forehead in an artful roll against her brown skin.
“Jordyn, this is Destiny Griffin. She owns The Ascent, the best gym in town, and lives over on Crescent Avenue.” Kaitlin gave a nod in the general direction away from the lake toward town.
“Destiny, and everyone, this is Jordyn Lawson. She just moved into the Solomons’ carriage house so be your sweetest to her so she’ll stick around, okay? ”
“Give us a little credit will you?” A soft-spoken, extremely good-looking man in a corduroy blazer reached around Destiny to help himself to a drink. “We’re always good to newcomers. I’m Brad, by the way. I just finished up renovations on the white Federalist house two doors down from you.”
“Nice to meet you.” Jordyn smiled a greeting but didn’t have a chance to say more than that when someone spoke over her.
“We’re good to the newcomers,” echoed a big, athletic-looking guy in chinos who sprawled on a patio lounger with a longneck in his hand. He raised the beer to point it at Kaitlin. “It’s the locals we treat like crap.”
“That’s not true, Nikolai,” Destiny crooned, moving closer to him to put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s just you we treat like crap.”
There were a few chuckles from people around the fire, and then Kaitlin was already spinning on her heel.
“There are lots more drinks on the patio when you need to top up,” Kaitlin called as she walked away. “Come on, Jordyn, you’ve got about a zillion more introductions heading your way.”