Back The House Party
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. April 2008
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. Author’s Note
  55. Acknowledgments
  56. About the Author
  57. About the Publisher

“They were just fishing for information,” June said, “but they didn’t get anything out of me. I don’t know how they got my name, but I heard that Olivia was sobbing her eyes out in Dr. Johnson’s office, so I’m guessing she must have said something. I knew I shouldn’t have told her about the party. She’s a hysterical drama queen. I just felt bad for her.”

“Did you ask her what she said?” Hunter asked.

“Are you kidding? I’m not saying another word to her. She can’t keep her mouth shut.”

“She was upset about Maddie,” Rosie said quietly.

“That’s no excuse,” June snapped. “It’s none of her business. Anyway, I told my dad, and he was seriously pissed, but he told the police to back off.”

“You told your dad?” Will asked June, incredulous. “I thought we agreed not to tell anyone what happened.”

“I didn’t tell him everything, obviously. I said that we were hanging out at the rope swing, that there was a rumor that there was a party nearby, and we just stopped in for a minute. I told him that the cops were asking people about it at school. He didn’t like that—the cops talking to students without parents present. He gave me a lecture about drinking and swimming in the river and all that, and then he spoke with the police chief.”

Hunter looked worried. “Rosie, no one talked to you, right?”

“Nope. But I recognized one of the men who came to school. He eats at my dad’s restaurant a few times a week. I thought that he was a cop, but he said he’s a district attorney.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Will said.

Hunter frowned. “If the DA is involved, that means they’re getting ready to press charges. What did he say, Rosie?”

“He said the police thought there may have been other crimes committed at the house.”

“What does that mean?”

“I have no idea,” Rosie said.

“Shit,” Hunter breathed. “Look, Rosie, you said he comes into your dad’s restaurant a lot, right? Do you think you could try to talk to him about it? Ask him how the case is going?”

Rosie was shaking her head. “I don’t know,” she said. “Wouldn’t that be weird?”

“Just see what you can find out,” Hunter said. “My dad always says that information is power.”

“Okay,” Rosie said uncertainly. “Maybe I’ll overhear something.”

“That’s my girl,” Hunter said, smiling and squeezing her knee. Rosie turned pink and brushed his hand off of her leg.