Adventures of Ivy Fleur: The Election of Liquidation

Chapter Nine: The Luck of Green Pasta

Ivy was sitting around the dining table with her parents and the addition of Ryan. The green noddles were delicious, which shocked Ryan because he had never seen green pasta before. Ivy was used to it, although she thought the chicken was a bit dry.

Her mother cleared her throat and gave Ryan a bright smile. "Were you two able to finish the project," she asked, desperately wanting to fill the awkward silence.

"Yes, we just finished," Ivy answered for him.

Her mother gave Ivy a pouted look but Mrs. Fleur instead stuffed green pasta in her mouth.

After the announcement of Richard's death, her mother instantly shut off the television and the two trudged back upstairs. The two sat in silence for a while before Ivy offered that they finish the project and Ryan agreed. Ivy was bothered by seeing a dead body but not as much as Ryan. His face was a ghastly pale the whole enter time they worked while Ivy stayed unnervingly quiet. Even after they finished there were no words spoken between the two.

Ivy's father came back from work early due to the devastating news and Mrs. Fleur asked Ryan if he wanted to eat dinner with them. She didn't want to return a frightened Ryan back to his family. It would be disrespectful as a hostess.

So here they were, two bothered teenagers and two worried adults sitting together, eating green pasta. The awkward silence was in-blanketed around them as utensils scraped against their plates. Ivy could never read atmospheres but her mind was reeling with thoughts to not be bothered by the rising tension. She wanted to know who had done it and why.

If Ivy could go off of guesses she would say that Richard had died because he was a well-known person. He was popular in the town, and many people adored him. With his candidacy of becoming mayor, he would have won it on the spot. That could be the motive. Since Richard was most likely the one to win, someone else who desperately wanted to be mayor had to take him out. But the question is who?

Who would be rash enough to kill a man to win? And what was in it for them if they became mayor?

Ivy needed help with this. She didn't have any friends to rely on and her cousins usually strayed away from her at parties. Her eyes landed on the tanned boy in front of her and she felt her lips wanting to tug into a grin. Ivy did know one person who could help.

She stared at her plate, her fork pushing around the shaped pasta. "Who would you think killed Mr. Hamiliton, Ryan?" She asked.

Ryan taking a sip of his lemonade, spit it back into the cup before wiping his lips furiously. He gave Ivy a look mixed between a glare and shock.

Mrs. Fleur slammed her palms against the table and gave a hard glare to Ivy. "Ivy, I will not have you discussing murder at the table," she growled then leaned back against her chair. "I never thought I would have to say that in my life." She sighed heavily and her husband comforted her.

Ryan pushed the green pasta around with his fork; his appetite vanishing. "I don't know," he confessed, furrowing his eyebrows.

That's not what Ivy wanted to hear.

"A man whose desperate. One with a deep personal want of being mayor, if I were to guess," Ryan said, daring to look at Ivy's eyes.

Ryan saw an excited gleam in her large brown eyes that signaled he made the right choice of answers. She leaned forward and placed her chin on her palm. "I'm glad you're on track with this," she admitted which caused Ryan to blush.

"But -" His smile faltered " - I would have to say that a more plausible suspect would be a combative man. A man of ambition."

Ryan thought about it. "That sounds an awful lot like --", he started.