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

“Look,” Trip said, spreading his hands in a gesture of concession. “I don’t know anything about a party in a house. What I do know is that there were a couple of kids drinking beer in the woods on Friday. Down by the river, same as when I was that age. And, yeah, Will was down there. But you already gave him a ticket, and he’s in the doghouse here. He was humping crates all weekend for my dad. I only know because I picked him up along the road later that night. I told him he could call me anytime for a ride—I didn’t want him getting into the same sort of trouble I did. He’s a good kid. And that’s when you showed up.” Trip grinned. “That’s the whole story. I was watching out for my little brother. Nothing else to it.”

Murray nodded. “So you’re saying that you weren’t at the party. That you were just there to pick up your brother.”

“Yup.” Trip nodded. “From the woods. I don’t know anything about a house.”

“If that’s your story . . .” Murray flipped his notebook shut. He could smell horseshit, and it wasn’t coming from the orchard.

He was about to say as much to Trip when the screen door banged open and a woman Murray recognized as Mrs. O’Connor walked outside and joined them. Her brown hair was tied up in a bun, and she was wearing jeans, work boots, and a sleeveless top that showed the strength of her shoulders. He could see that she’d been pretty, but now she looked tired, her face freckled and lined from the sun.

“Officer,” she said, her voice wary. “Is there a problem?”

“No, ma’am,” Murray replied. No point in putting her on her guard. “Just asking around about a house party on Friday night. Seems like a few kids got a little out of hand. You hear anything about that?”

Mrs. O’Connor glanced at Trip, but she was already shaking her head. “No, I’m sorry. I don’t know anything about it.”

Murray fished around for a card and handed it to Mrs. O’Connor. “Well, if you do hear anything, feel free to give me a call. My direct number is on there. We’re just looking for the responsible parties. We’d hate to see any good kids take the fall on this.”