The Hero Next Time: A Novel of the Terribly Acronymed Detective Club (Book 4)

Chapter Forty-One: Sunny, Saturday

Sunny's phone buzzed while he was in the middle of politely disagreeing with Paige Barnston, one of the candidates from Wednesday's debate, who was apparently also invited tonight, along with a few others. The silent auction was more of a meet and greet where the candidates were introduced at the start of the evening, but not invited to give a speech laying out their platform; tonight was about the art, and the students looking forward to those scholarships, and they took priority over politics. Sunny didn't know if some wires had gotten crossed or if they'd just misinterpreted their role in the evening, but now he was competing for attention with other candidates instead of commanding the room. 

In one way he was irritated, because Tori worked so hard to get his face in front of crowds, and he didn't want to see her work go to waste; in another, he was relieved, because now he had time to bid on some art himself, and Tej didn't have to carry the load of all the attention like she had at the campaign opener. He wished Regan was here, though. He didn't see her. Maybe she couldn't make it.

After he and Paige expressed their regret that the debate had been hijacked by a woman with an axe to grind, they said their goodbyes and Paige went to mingle with others. Sunny pulled out his phone and looked at the screen.

What the hell did you do?

Naira. It was a new number, but he knew it was her. How had she gotten the message, though, if she was responding to him? Unless she wasn't, and she'd found out some other way.

He looked around for the others, but discovered they were all occupied. Al and Lauren were hugging, and that didn't bode well for Lauren's attempt to recommit to her marriage; Joe would not hear about this from him. Tej and Harpreet were talking with Beverley O'Connor, one of the other candidates from the debate, and looking like they were enjoying the conversation. Tosh and Ajit were perusing the entire inventory of items on auction, almost gleeful at the prospect of bankrupting their parents.

He sighed and figured he would have to deal with this himself. He typed: What do you mean? Did you get my earlier message?

What message? I got rid of my phone, remember? This is a new one.

He hesitated for a moment, then typed: I have news about Jordan.

Did you find out where he is?

Sunny closed his eyes and groaned inwardly. He typed: I'm sorry to have to inform you in this way, but Jordan was discovered dead in Glenbrook Ravine.

Those three dots blinked for a long, long time. While he waited, he noticed that something had grabbed the attention of the crowd in the banquet hall, and they all seemed to be walking to the windows.

Finally, her response came: Where are you?

That wasn't what he'd expected her to say. He typed: Are you all right? Did you get that last message?

Yes, I got it. There's nothing I can do about that now. But you've done something, and now you're the one in danger.

He blinked in surprise and typed: How do you know what we've done?

We? Have you involved your Mystery Gang again?

He didn't answer her question, which he knew was meant to irritate him, typing instead: You didn't answer my question. Did Jordan have a device too?

Fuck. You found it, didn't you.

It was at the crime scene. The cops didn't take it.

No. It wasn't there when the cops were; they wouldn't have been so amateur that they'd miss it. Someone else brought it after they left, and I was meant to find it, but you got there first.