Free Upstate Uproar by Joan Rylen Page B

past
few months had been really tough, and they’d thought about
canceling the trip, so this made her feel better about their choice
to come. “I’ll call Antonio first thing in the morning.”
    Tracy pushed the door open with her foot and
came out carrying three martini glasses filled to the brim with a
reddish amber drink, a cherry resting at the bottom.
    Wendy held up her drink to toast. “To that
poor person up on the mountain. May they not only find out who it
is, but bring to justice whoever is responsible.”
    The three women clinked glasses.
    Tracy sat down and took a sip. “Mmmm, not
bad.”
    Wendy took a sip, then another. “Wow. I’ve
given up bourbon and the like, but this is delicious.”
    “I’m not one for whiskey at all, but this is
yummy,” Vivian said, fishing the cherry out. “What is it?”
    “Let me guess,” Wendy said, and took another
sip. “It tastes a lot like a manhattan, but sweetened up.” Wendy
had tended bar through college at Morton’s Steakhouse and made her
fair share of manhattans and martinis. She’d even won a martini
making contest, twice. “What’d you use?”
    Tracy sat her drink on the porch railing.
“This is made with Crown Royal Maple, extra cherry juice. My secret
ingredient from my bartending days. Shhh. I call it the Upstate
Uproar.”
    Kate pushed open the screen door and walked
out in her jammies and pink, fuzzy house shoes. “Who’s causing an
uproar?”
    They all laughed.
    “I’m going to make another round. Kate, what
can I get for you?”
    “Just some water, thanks. Lucy’ll be down in
a second. She’d probably like something.”
    “I’ll check with her,” Tracy said and went
inside.
    Wendy and Vivian chatted with Kate for a few
minutes, telling her about reaching out to Antonio for help with
the Jake situation. Lucy, smelling freshly showered, walked outside
and sat down in the rocker Tracy had vacated. “Did I hear the name
Antonio?”
    Vivian smiled. “That’s affirmative.”
    “Why am I not surprised?”
    Wendy finished her drink. “I think it’s a
great idea. She’s going to ask him about Jake’s passport. Or
actually, Paul Vaughn’s passport.”
    “Yeah, it’s a good idea,” Lucy agreed.
    Tracy arrived with a cocktail tray of
decadent drinks. Even Kate’s water was gussied up with a lemon
wheel. “I feel like I’m back at The Rumor Mill.”
    “What’s The Rumor Mill?” Lucy took a cautious
drink, then a bigger one. “Yum-ola.”
    “The place in town where I bartended for
years,” Tracy said.
    Vivian took a long sip of her cocktail. After today and finding that jaw, I could use a few more of
these.
    “Where’s Brandon?” Wendy asked.
    “At work. He’s had a job at the hardware
store for years. The money helps when it’s slow around here, and
besides, we can get things at cost. He’ll be home soon.”
    “Totally worth it,” Kate said, rocking back
and forth in a white wicker rocking chair. “It’s not cheap to keep
up a house like this.”
    Tracy gulped half her drink and changed the
subject. “So I can’t believe what happened to you today. Who all
was out there?”
    “We met a couple of sheriff deputies, then
the coroner and the crime scene photographer,” Kate replied.
    “What trail were you hiking?”
    “Haystack Mountain.”
    Tracy looked out across the lake and nodded.
“That’s a good one.” She finished off her drink. “Sorry it didn’t
end up so well.”
    Vivian set her glass next to Wendy’s empty on
the rail. “On the contrary, we met a sexy blond fireman.”
    “Larson Doolan?” Tracy asked.
    Vivian looked at Tracy, amazed.
    “I’m married, not blind.” She smiled. “He’s
very involved with the fire department. It figures he would be
there.”
    Vivian raised an eyebrow. “Does he have a way
with the ladies?”
    Tracy laughed. “You could say that, though as
far as I know, he’s never had a longtime girlfriend and he’s never
been married.”
    “Lone wolf,” Vivian said.