Diner Impossible (A Rose Strickland Mystery) by Terri L. Austin Page A

feels...phone calls during dinner…” He shoved his hands in his pockets and loped off after her.
    Jacks pressed her lips together. “This is how it always ends. Mom storming off with dad following behind.”
    She’d just now figured that out? And she wondered why I stayed clear of these lovely family gatherings.
    “We’d better join your parents.” Allen offered his arms to Jacks and me. “May I have the pleasure of escorting you two ladies to the ballroom?”

    The only thing worse than a middle school mixer was a country club dance. Well, not worse. More boring. And less crying in the locker room. Still, not the way I wanted to spend a Saturday night.
    When I felt a tap on my shoulder, I twisted around to find Dane Harker standing behind me. Dimpled and adorable, Dane, my grade school classmate, had reentered my life a few months ago. We’d shared a couple of dates and a handful of kisses. I suspected he wanted more, but while he was charming and handsome and everything my parents could wish for in a son-in-law, he was firmly stuck in my friend zone.
    “Would you care to dance?” he asked.
    “Love to.”
    The band played a jazzy instrumental. He led me to the dance floor and with his hand on the small of my back, Dane guided me in a wide circle.
    Leaning down, he whispered in my ear, “What in the world are you doing here?”
    I jerked my head back, frowning up at him. “What is that supposed to mean?” It sounded a lot more defensive than I meant for it to. I was feeling a little discombobulated tonight, being here with my family, rubbing elbows with the city’s elite. Tonight, in this dress, with these people, I was Bizarro Rose, playing a part. A part I used to live.
    “Sorry, Dane. Didn’t mean to snap at you.”
    He grinned and twirled me away from him, before pulling me back. “Don’t be a goof, Rose. I just meant that you hate things like this. So, either your mother has threatened you with bodily harm or you came voluntarily. Which begs the question, why?”
    I tucked my head down a notch and slid my eyes over the crowd. “What do you know about Delia Cummings?” I asked softly.
    Dane worked for a prestigious law firm as a criminal defense attorney. Right now, he was stuck dealing with rich kids who committed minor offenses, but he aimed higher. And he knew a lot of people in law enforcement. In fact, Dane had introduced me to Officer Andre ‘Hard Ass’ Thomas.
    His smile disappeared along with his good mood. “Shit,” he muttered, “not again.” His baby blues scanned my face and he pulled me closer. “Please tell me you are not getting involved in this?”
    I met his gaze. “I’m not getting involved in this.”
    He heaved a sigh. “Of course you are. Why do I even bother to ask?”
    “Did you know her?”
    The tune ended and the band played a slower song, a ballad. Dane adjusted his steps to the change in rhythm. “I saw her in passing. I’m not sure I ever said one word to her.”
    He danced us to the side of the room where French doors opened onto the patio. With a flick of the handle, he gracefully maneuvered me outside and shut the door behind us. “This is some serious shit, Rose.”
    He grabbed my hand and flew down the steps. I matched his pace, but my tired feet resented me for it. Embedded lights lit the path to the pool house. He pulled to a stop at the edge of the brick. I looked back, could see just inside the ballroom. The music and noise were muted and the night seemed unnaturally quiet out here.
    “There are rumors,” he said. “I’m not saying they’re true—”
    “About Martin Mathers?” I asked.
    He ran a hand over his short, dark hair. “You know how to pick them, don’t you? Why? Just tell me that much.”
    I thought about bringing Andre’s name into it, but he’d asked for discretion. I didn’t want to get Hard Ass into trouble and I didn’t want to piss him off, thus drying up my well of inside information.
    “I’m doing it as a favor for