Pumpkin Spice Lies: A Pumpkin Hollow Mystery, book 16 by Kathleen Suzette (new books to read .txt) 📗

“She did end up with the house, didn’t she?” she said. “I wonder if this is going to go on all night?”

“It’s summer, and they’re all off on summer break. Probably so.”

She shook her head. “I’m not going to listen to that all night long. What kind of music is that, anyway? It’s horrible.”

I chuckled. “I have no idea, but I can’t imagine how you’re going to get any sleep. Do you want to come to my house and spend the night?”

She shook her head. “No. Why should I leave my apartment when I happen to know someone in law enforcement that can break that party up?”

“Say no more.” I chuckled again, and pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed Ethan.

“Hey, Mia,” he said answering the phone. “What are you up to?”

“I’m hanging out at Christy’s apartment, and there’s a wild party going on over here in the apartment across the way. Can you come and bust it up?”

He chuckled. “Is it creating a disturbance?”

“Oh, you better believe it’s creating a disturbance. The music is horrible, and it’s loud. Really loud.”

“The only thing worse than horrible music, is loud horrible music. I’ll be right over.”

I put my phone back in my pocket and turned to Christy. “Your problems are about to be solved.”

She nodded. “Good. I hate this apartment complex. I was so excited to move here because the apartments were so cute, but somebody’s always throwing a wild party. The manager doesn’t do anything about it, either.”

“That stinks,” I said, crossing my arms in front of myself and looking out the window again. “I wouldn’t want to live here with all this going on.”

“Hey,” she said. “When you and Ethan get married, you’re moving out of your house, right? Maybe I can rent it?”

I looked at her. “Ethan’s moving into my house. Maybe you can rent Ethan’s?”

She brightened. “It would be a lot of fun living across the street from you. You can make me dinner every night.”

I laughed and shook my head. “No way. You’re making us dinner.”

“We’ll see about that,” she said and peered out the window as a young woman in a halter top arrived for the party.

***

Ten minutes later, Ethan arrived and stopped by Christy’s apartment before going over to take care of business. “I’m so glad you reported a wild party, Christy,” he said, standing in her open doorway. “I didn’t have anything else to do this evening.” He glanced over his shoulder at the offending parties.

“No problem. They started up over an hour ago, and it’s only gotten louder. You know who that is over there, don’t you?”

He turned back to her and shook his head. “No, who?”

“Frank Gillespie. It seems he’s in the habit of hosting parties for college students.”

“Is he?” Ethan asked, looking at the party apartment again. “Well, I’m about to break this one up. You two stay here.”

We watched as Ethan headed over to Frank’s apartment.

“Maybe we should shut the door and hide?” I asked her.

“Why?” She looked at me, eyebrows raised.

I shrugged. “You called the cops and ruined his party. He might retaliate.”

She shrugged. “I’m not afraid of him. I’m just annoyed because of all the noise. If he does retaliate, he’s going to be sorry.”

I grinned. “You know what? Why don’t you give your notice to the apartment manager and come camp out in my living room until Ethan and I get married? We can put your stuff in storage and when we get Ethan’s stuff moved out of his house, you can move in there. We’ll put in a good word for you with the owner.”

“I like the way you think,” she said. “I might do just that. I can’t tell you how much I’d appreciate getting out of here.”

I nodded and watched as a young college girl answered Frank’s door with a bottle of wine in her hand. Ethan flashed his badge at her and her eyes went big.

“Oh,” Christy said as we watched. “Somebody’s about to become very sad.”

I laughed. “The cops are busting up the party.”

“I wonder if that girl is old enough to drink alcohol?”

“That’s a good question. She sure doesn’t look like she is.”

We watched as Frank made his way to the front door and Ethan talked with him for a few minutes. I could see Frank shaking his head. If I wasn’t mistaken, his face was turning red. It was his own fault, thinking he could have a party that loud in this apartment complex and thinking no one was going to complain.

“He doesn’t look very happy,” Christy said as we stood at her open door and watched. Frank shot us a look and then looked back at Ethan.

“And now he knows who the perpetrators are,” I said, leaning against the doorframe.

She snorted. “I’m not going to give him any more candy.”

“Maybe you should pack a bag and come and stay with me tonight.”

“I told you I wasn’t afraid of him,” she said, looking at me. “Are you?”

I shook my head. “No, but who needs the hassle?”

“Can’t argue with you there.”

The college students began filing out of Frank’s apartment. “I wonder what the attraction is there? It’s not like Frank is good looking.”

“Well, I think the attraction is probably a passing grade,” I said.

She looked at me and laughed. “Okay, maybe I do see the attraction now. Sort of. But summer classes are over, aren’t they?”

“I don’t know for sure. If they aren’t out, I think they might be getting ready to take their finals just about now.”

“Then I can see why they would come to a party at their teacher’s house. Plus, free booze.”

Ethan finished talking to Frank and