Bonfire Masquerade Read Online Free Page A

took one look at herself in the mirror and sighed. “This outfit basically guarantees I’m going to spill food on myself at some point tonight.”
    â€œOnly eat green things,” Bess advised.
    Dad showed up at our door in a tuxedo, with a whiterose corsage for each of us. “Ladies, if I may escort you to the proceedings?”
    Bess and George took his arms, and I walked on one side of them.
    Downstairs, the entire first floor of the building had been turned into a scene straight out of a movie. There was a jazz combo playing in the corner, and dozens of well-dressed men and women glided in and out of the various rooms.
    Daniel stood at the bottom of the steps, clad in a white tuxedo and top hat. On one side of him was a beautiful woman who looked like she belonged in a classic movie. She was dressed like a flapper, with short, very straight black hair, a bejeweled band around her head, and a long, fringed dress. On the other side of Daniel was one of the cutest guys I’ve ever seen, besides Ned Nickerson, my boyfriend. Tall, with wolflike golden eyes, he was wearing a simple gray suit that fit him perfectly. As we watched, the woman wandered away into one of the side rooms.
    â€œEveryone,” Daniel yelled to the crowd. The musicians grew quiet. “May I present our other esteemed guests for the evening, Mr. Carson Drew and his entourage of lovely ladies, Nancy Drew, Bess Marvin, and George Fayne.”
    The crowd clapped politely. Daniel gestured for all of us to join him. As the crowd returned to party mode,he introduced us to the man with the wolf eyes.
    â€œThis is Aaron Pexa, one of the city’s finest up-and-coming architects and real estate developers.”
    He shook Dad’s hand, but somehow managed to have his eyes on Bess the entire time. It figured. Bess flipped her hair back behind her ear—a sure sign she thought Aaron was cute. This was going to be interesting.
    â€œWho was that woman you were talking to before?” I asked. Something about her look intrigued me—she really knew how to stand out.
    â€œHer name is Nicole Leveaux,” Daniel said, as he craned his neck to try and find her. “I’ll introduce you later. She may look silly, but don’t let her fool you. She is one of the sharpest, hardest-working businesspeople in this city. She’s this town’s main purveyor of Mardi Gras beads, voodoo charms, and just about every other cheap souvenir you could ever not want.
    â€œThese two are both jockeying to buy my warehouse. Or at least what’s left of it. Nicole wants to turn it into another of her tourist stores. And Aaron wants … what is it you said you wanted to do again?”
    â€œTo design the future,” Aaron said, his blue eyes twinkling. “That space could become an anchor in the New Orleans skyline.”
    â€œRight, whatever that means.” Daniel laughed. “But tonight is no night for business. Tonight is a night for fun. So please, girls, make yourselves at home. Thecrème de la crème of New Orleans is here, waiting to meet you.”
    At that moment, a waitress bearing a tray with three delicate champagne flutes came over.
    â€œSparkling cider?” She held the tray out before George, Bess, and me. We each took one.
    â€œA toast to New Orleans,” I said. We clinked glasses. And somehow, within ten seconds, we’d each been spun off to different ends of the room. Guest after guest came up and introduced themselves to me. Some asked to dance. Others told me they’d heard so much about me, the famous “girl detective” from River Heights. It was what I imagined being a celebrity must feel like.
    All in all, the party was a great success, right up until the end, which came abruptly. A shriek cut over the music. The guests stopped dancing. I turned just in time to see Yvette stagger into the room.
    â€œDaniel’s been murdered!” she screamed.

CHAPTER 4
    JOE