BooksBarbecue
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

Murray took out a digital camera, and Jake leaned in to look as he pulled up photos on the grainy screen. The first one showed a kitchen, or what was left of it. The doors were torn off the cabinets, the fixtures were gone, and the walls had been punched through and tagged with looping swirls of spray paint. The next picture showed a wooden deck with a charred hole in the center. Murray scrolled through pictures of broken windows, pools of water, and cigarette burns in the floor. The last picture showed a toilet, broken in half and lying on its side on the deck.

“It looks like they have plumbing issues,” Jake said, taking the camera to look closer. “Among other things.”

Murray winced. “We completely fucking missed it. By the time the contractor got there, the whole place was flooded from the faucets running all weekend. We counted a dozen broken glass doors, walls all punched in, and piss everywhere. I’ve seen squats down in the city that looked better. The chief is pleased as hell, of course.”

Jake was still scrolling through the photos. “They really did a number on this place. And you’re sure it was kids? Where are the owners?”

“They haven’t moved in yet. The contractor is calling them. I’m sure I’ll be hearing from them shortly.”

“You really think kids did this?” Jake asked again. “It’s pretty extreme.”

“I’m not ruling anything out, but the whole place stunk like beer. They tore a mirror off the wall; looked like cocaine residue all over it. We’ll send it to the lab. If adults around here are throwing this kind of party, we’ve got bigger problems than just this house. But it was most likely high school students. They must have gotten all jacked up and lost their fucking minds. Anyway, I’m on the hook for missing it on Friday night. Chief said I had to bring it down to you, make sure we do it all by the book, since we’re dealing with teenagers here. Everyone I sent home on Friday night was eighteen or under. And these aren’t punks. These are rich kids, or most of them are, anyway. When the parents realize that there are going to be charges, they’ll lawyer up.”

Jake glanced down at the picture of the wrecked kitchen. “What kind of kid would do this?”

Murray laughed. “I’m sure you got into your share of trouble when you were that age.”