Page 147 of The Body in the Backyard

His smug grin delivered both dimples. “Oh, but I did. Come in and see for yourself,” he said, gesturing them inside.

“What’s Thin Manning?” Josie asked as they headed toward the back of the house, where a disgruntled ruckus was in full swing.

“I’m scared to guess because if it’s what I think it is…” They turned the corner and entered Griffin and Bella’s library. “Oh, hell.”

It was what Riley thought it was going to be.

All their top suspects and a few of their unlikely ones were seated in neat rows on the folding chairs Nick had insisted on buying.

Josie whirled around to face Nick, who was grinning. “Did you seriously put every suspect we have in the same room and then have us deliver the guy at least one of them is trying to murder?”

“Pretty much. Yeah.”

Josie nodded. “Cool. I like it.” She waved to Brian, who was across the room next to the patio doors with his laptop plugged into Griffin’s TV.

Griffin strutted into the room. “Surprise for me! Thank you, everyone, for throwing me this special party.”

The crowd went silent, and then someone started booing. In less than five seconds, the entire room was booing Griffin.

“Um, Nick?” Riley said.

Nick stopped booing. “Yeah?”

“I’m not sure this was a good idea.”

“It’s a great idea. Trust me.” He glanced around the room. “But, uh, just in case things go slightly south, I want you to stick close to me. And if things go really far south, hit the floor and crawl out the front.”

“I never should have gotten you those movies,” she said.

Nick cupped his hands. “Everybody shut up,” he shouted over the booing.

“Are they sayingwooorboo?” Griffin asked with a frown.

The booing continued until Nick climbed up on the coffee table. “Listen, people! The sooner you shut up, the sooner we can all get out of here.”

Josie and Riley exchanged looks and took a step in front of Griffin.

“You might start with why you gathered us all here,” Griffin’s next-door neighbor Belinda said. She had a margarita in hand.

Claudia Mendoza, Channel 50’s ex–news anchor, leaned in. “Where did you get the booze?”

“I brought it from home.”

“Smart,” Claudia said.

“You’re all here because someone is trying to kill Griffin Gentry,” Nick announced.

The room finally went quiet as the suspects started giving one another sidelong glances.

“Kiki Knappenberger,” Nick said, pointing at the GGS founder, who was casually going through Griffin’s desk drawers.

Everyone gasped.

“What?” Kiki asked. Dressed in tight jeans and a designer top, she didn’t look the least bit concerned about being named a suspect.

“Five years ago, Gentry cheated on you. And you never got over it,” Nick said.

“I wouldn’t saythat.”