Page 146 of The Body in the Backyard

“Mine is FamousTallnRich,” he said proudly.

“Griffin, Mimi Mappenberger—the woman you were going to give your credit card information to—is Kiki Knappenberger. You cheated on her five years ago.”

He pursed his lips and tried to furrow his brow. “Hmm. Doesn’t ring any bells. You’ll have to be more specific.”

“You cheated on her, and she started the Griffin Gentry Sucks Support Group, which meets once a month to discuss all the ways you’ve screwed people over.”

He gasped. “Griffin Gentry Sucks? Why would anyone say something so mean?”

“Why would a grown man go through life selfishly taking what he wants from people and then discarding them?”

“Are you saying I’m not getting a trophy for my teeth?”

“No, Griffin. You’re not getting a trophy for your teeth.”

Riley’s phone vibrated, and she yanked it out of her pocket. It was a call from Nick.

She pointed at Griffin. “Do not answer any calls, texts, or messages until I say it’s okay.”

He grinned and tried to slide an arm around her waist. “You just want me all to yourself, don’t you?”

She knocked the wind out of him with a swift elbow to the gut, then answered her phone.

“Please tell me you caught the bad guy and I can leave these people to destroy your parents’ home,” Riley said by way of a greeting.

“Almost, babe. I need you to do something for me.”

“Anything.”

“It’s probably dangerous,” he cautioned.

“As long as it’s dangerous outside this house, count me in.”

“Yay! My house,”Griffin said, bouncing in the back seat when Riley parked Nick’s SUV in front of his place. “I love my house. I can take a shower with my expensive shower gel and style my hair with my expensive sculpting mousse. Then I’m going to put on an expensive fresh suit and eat something yummy for lunch that someone else makes for me.”

“Why are there so many cars here?” Josie frowned. The driveway and most of the cul-de-sac were lined with vehicles.

“Maybe they’re throwing a surprise party for me,” Griffin suggested hopefully.

“Who’sthey?” Riley asked as they got out of the vehicle.

“I don’t know. The worker people who do stuff for me? Maybe they were worried about me after I almost heroically died yesterday.”

“I doubt that,” Josie muttered not far enough under her breath.

The front door opened, and Nick sauntered outside.

“What’s going on, Nick?” Riley asked.

“You’ll see,” he said with the patented Nick Santiago charm.

“No. You’ll tell us before we walk in there, because we’ve spent the last thirteen hours suffering mental and emotional torture,” Josie said, stepping up until her nose nearly brushed Nick’s sternum.

“Okay. Geez. I’m Thin Manning the case.”

Josie looked at Riley.

Riley looked at Nick. “You didn’t…”