Read Whiskey Rebellion (Romantic Mystery/Comedy) Book 1 (Addison Holmes Mysteries) for Free Online Page A

knuckles, not used to sitting in silence with Kate.
    “So if the first rule is to blend in,” I said, “what’s the second rule?”
    “The second rule is that we do not confront or apprehend,” she said. “Not ever. And the third and most important rule is that we never break the law. Your only job is to watch, photograph and take notes for the file. That’s ninety percent of what we do. We rely on the facts and our instincts to get us out of trouble if the need arises. Then it’s case solved and we file it in the drawer.”
    “Cool. I’ve got great instincts.”
    To give Kate credit, she did keep her face perfectly blank after I made this statement. I had terrible instincts, and no one knew that better than Kate.
    Kate had always been the serious one, bordering on anal, and then she evened it out by having a sense of humor so dry it was almost too late to laugh by the time you thought about what she was saying. Kate never got into tr ouble. Unless she was with me.
    W hile my body was finishing my homework and doing chores, my mind was thinking of different ways Kate and I could have the best adventure possible. Whether that be taking apart her parents’ television to build a robot to do our chores or stalking a teacher home so we could see if he was really a superhero in disguise. About the time we reached our senior year, Kate was finally able to tell me no and think of creative ways to keep me from doing anything too over the top or just plain stupid.
    I owe d Kate a lot.
    I was startled back into reality as the Taurus sputtered to life and Kate drove out of the neighborhood.
    “Where are we going?” I asked, confused. “We just got here.”
    “Addison, we’ve been here for half an hour. I’ve taken pictures and given you a full rundown of what you can expect when you’re on your own. You, however, have been humming the theme song to Growing Pains and checking the mirror to see if your roots are showing.”
    She was right. I was hopeless. Sitting still was not one of my strengths.
    “You’re a good friend,” I said, patting her on the arm.

CHAPTER FOUR

    Monday

    “You look like you’ve had a rough day.”
    I winced at the chirpy voice that was, in my opinion, the equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard.
    Rose Marie Valentine teaches choir in the room next to mine, and unfortunately her singing voice is even worse than her speaking voice. The walls are thin at James Madison High School, and sometimes I wish I could teach kids about the Battle of Little Bighorn in a padded cell. If only life were that easy.
    Rose Marie was the last person I wanted to talk to today. In fact, I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I wanted to be the invisible woman today, and I figured if I wished it hard enough, kept my eyes closed and didn’t say anything to acknowledge her presence, she’d just go away and leave me floating in an invisible cloud of depression.
    “Are you all right, Addison?”
    So much for luck. I slowly brought my head up off my desk and peeled away the term paper that was stuck to my cheek. I could tell by the smears on the page that I’d have a big fat F marked in red on the side of my face. A merry band of hammering men were pounding away in my left temple, and I was pretty sure I’d hit rock bottom around my third period class. Technically, things could only get better.
    Once his family had been notified, t he news of Mr. Butler’s death had spread through our small community like wildfire. I’d been fortunate that my involvement in finding his body hadn’t gotten out yet, but I wasn’t holding onto too much hope my luck would continue.
    Teachers had been roaming the hall s all day with red-rimmed eyes and the school counselor had been available for all students and faculty who were having a difficult time coping with the situation. I personally wouldn’t take advice or comfort from James Madison’s counselor if I had an ingrown toenail. My mother went to school with him, and she said