Someone dropped a plate on the floor in the kitchen and Ryan strained. Alex said something to Mick and the waiter stopped at the wine rack.
"Do you need anything?" he asked.
"No," said Ryan nervously, walking away. Mick and Alex talked tensely and neither man looked up.
A plate with a baked potato, sour cream, asparagus and steak waited for him at the table. Shantel sliced a piece of steak on her plate with a fork and knife.
"Is everything alright?" she asked, chewing.
"Yeah," said Ryan and he grabbed a bottle of steak sauce worriedly.
---
Sigourney hugged Dillion and Skyler waited for her in the parking lot. Shantel and Ryan walked to the car and he told her what happened.
"It's sad Alex can't talk to you himself. I can't believe Roxy Nicks sent you a mimlock," she said. "She must've got a baby picture of you from Adam."
"I guess," said Ryan.
"So, Alex can see lucifedors on proprietaries."
"Yeah," said Ryan. "He must be clairvoyant."
"Maybe he's a messenger, marble angelkin," she said.
"Maybe. Ray wanted to control me, but Sloan sang to me in person. Devon wanted to lie to me, but my sister helped me. They must've got pictures of me from Adam too."
"Yeah. I don't like Ray," said Shantel.
"I know. Adam must be an angelkin, but I don't think he'll sing to me," said Ryan.
"But your dad helped you."
"Yeah. Counselor Elmund accepted his waiver form. He said he'll see if I'm an angelkin from Ergbear when I audition."
"That's good," she said.
"I can't believe my parents lied to me about Alex. It sucks."
"They had to," said Shantel.
Sigourney and Skyler approached the car.
"We have just enough time to get Ryan home before ten," said Sigourney.
---
Ryan hurried out of Shantel's house to Mr. Ross' car and opened the door.
"Hmm, you smell like beef. Sylvia cooked up a storm?"
"No, Sigourney took me and her sisters to Redfire Steakhouse."
"All the way in the Chicago? I'm really disappointed in you, Ryan."
"They just brought me along, Dad."
"They didn't bring me along. Who paid?"
"Fortune Five."
"Hmm . . . and you didn't bring me a doggy bag? You owe me, Rye. You owe me."
---
Ryan sat at his tablet. He typed "Adam Dar Tenian and Roxy Nicks" in the search engine.
Pictures of Roxy Nicks dressed in black, sultry swimwear and evening gowns appeared in a row. She stared back at him in every one with big, dark-brown, doll eyes and a baby's face. Her long, wavy, black hair shined softly and Ryan could tell why Adam dated her. He scrolled down.
Several articles appeared and Ryan read the first one:
After five years of dating, rocker Adam Dar Tenian of the Hard Rock band, Dar Tenian called it off with main flame, Roxanne Bates or better known as music, video model, Roxy Nicks.
YOU ARE READING
Sing Today Die Tomorrow
Mystery / ThrillerSomething wants him to die. Something else wants him to misbehave and another something wants him to hear lies. And he just turned thirteen. Ryan Ross doesn't understand what on earth is haunting him until a mysterious stranger leads him to a secret...
