by Diana Orgain | Mar 21, 2022 | A Killer Foursome Mystery, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
From 4 Sleuths & a Bachelorette Did you miss Chapter One? Did you miss Chapter Two? Chapter Three Merry I’d seen nicer places in third-world countries. The hotel’s party room looked like it was designed by an unhinged decorator who thought despair was a solid color scheme for a room that hosted happy events like wedding receptions. The biggest difference between this place and the Chechen dive I frequented back in my spy days was that the furniture was largely intact, and it wasn’t being run by goats. Although I must say that I did know one or two competent goats back in the day, including Baaaaart, who could make a pretty mean mai tai—as long as you didn’t mind that instead of the usual umbrella with a cherry, you got a spent bullet casing on a twig. I was still wandering around the dim, smelly room, repeatedly adjusting a fake fireplace that sagged against a wall and consulting my clipboard with the guest list without the faintest idea what I was supposed to be doing. Why was I handling the guest list? I should’ve been the last person to pick. Even I wouldn’t have picked me. I could organize a camping checklist and, back in the day, a spreadsheet of hidden nukes in Moldova. But a list of women I’d never met for a bachelorette party where I had a passing friendship with the bride-to-be? Okay, I did know her a bit better than that. Babette and I had worked together. My name is Merry Wrath, and I’m...
by Diana Orgain | Mar 21, 2022 | A Killer Foursome Mystery, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
From 4 Sleuths & a Bachelorette Did you miss Chapter One? Did you miss part one of Chapter Two? Chapter Two Continued… “Oh, thank you,” I said. “I think I can manage getting to my room on my own. I just need to put my feet up for a minute before Babette arrives.” He nodded but proceeded to follow me down the corridor anyway. “You flew in from Cincinnati?” he asked. “San Francisco,” I corrected. “Ah, right. That’s what I meant. Babette’s told me so much about you. You knew her from beauty school.” I frowned. “College,” I said. “We went to university together.” Babette had never gone to beauty school. What was he going on about? He laughed overly loud. “Ha! I knew that. I’m just kidding. I always tell Babette she’s such a beauty she must’ve gone to school for it.” He waved his pointer fingers in the air as if making a silent drum roll. I arrived at my hotel room door and couldn’t get the key card into the slot fast enough. Poor Charlie. He was probably just nervous to meet Babette’s friends, but I felt the distinct and very real need to end our conversation. “It was so nice meeting you.” I pushed open the door to my room. “I need to make a few calls and check in at home.” He rested his hand on the doorframe and leaned in, as if waiting to be invited into my room. What the…? He drummed his fingers on the frame. “Did uh…did Babette mention anything to you about what time she was arriving?”...
by Diana Orgain | Mar 21, 2022 | A Killer Foursome Mystery, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
From 4 Sleuths & a Bachelorette Did you miss Chapter One? Chapter Two Kate To Do: Figure out food for Babette’s bachelorette party. Call home. See Niagara Falls. Try not to miss Laurie and Jim too much. Does this hotel have a spa? “Would you mind excusing me for a second?” I asked Valentine. “My feet are killing me.” I rubbed my protruding belly. Being six months pregnant with twins is no walk in the park. “I think I have a few minutes before Babette gets here. Plus, I’m dying to call home,” I said. “Of course,” Valentine said. “Don’t give it a second thought. I’ll put the cake on the table with the rest of the food.” I nodded my thanks and wiggled my fingers at her, then turned and crossed the dank party room. Seriously, the hotel needed a little TLC. What had Babette been thinking? Maybe she didn’t know how rundown the hotel had become. My invitation had come from a Merry Wrath, whom I hadn’t met yet. Probably the party was a surprise to Babette. But she’d smile and play along. Babette was a trouper. I was excited to see her. We’d been friends since college, and I hadn’t seen her since my own bachelorette party, which my best friend Paula had arranged on a Napa Valley Wine Train tour. But my poor feet had swelled on the plane and I needed to get them propped up stat, or I’d be reduced to wearing the non-slip socks they’d given me during...
by Diana Orgain | Mar 21, 2022 | A Killer Foursome Mystery, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
From 4 Sleuths & a Bachelorette Did you miss Chapter One Part One? Chapter One Continued… Valentine I was within two feet when he started singing the company’s wiener ditty. Wait a minute! That wasn’t a guy’s voice. Even with the drilling in the background, I could tell that lustrous voice belonged to a female. Holy jumpin’! Not just any female. That was Babette’s voice. I twirled around and stared into the face of my once chubby friend, her tall, voluptuous figure hidden inside the foam costume, her eyelids sparkling with eyeshadow the color of yellow and green condiments. It wasn’t meant to look garish, but as a beautician, I would’ve toned it down a bit. “Babette?” Her eyes widened. “Valentine!” Ignoring ogles from shoppers, she dropped the tray on the table beside her and pulled me in for a warm squeeze. I gaped wordlessly past her shoulder, then back at her in her hot dog costume. “Why are you dressed as a wiener?” Oops. I really had to work on my quick tongue. She picked up the tray again, offering me a sample, and filled me in on her job situation. “It’s not all bad,” she cooed, her mouth twitching into a thin grin. “I get these complimentary baby jars of mustards that my boss, Stanley, wants to charge customers for.” She pried open my bag with her free hand and tossed some inside. “Tightwad. He’d kill me if he saw me handing these out.” She bit her luscious lips, and suddenly I was back to hot summer days, eating red Popsicles as kids, then giggling...
by Diana Orgain | Mar 21, 2022 | A Killer Foursome Mystery, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
From 4 Sleuths & a Bachelorette Chapter One Valentine “Who’s Babette Lang?” Max Martell, my wingman in the salon and occasional worrywart, flipped the invitation back and forth in his hand. “And why is this”—he read the name on the RSVP again—“Merry Wrath inviting you to Babette’s bachelorette party?” It was seven-thirty, Saturday morning, middle of June. Max had agreed to come into work before my two other employees to go over final details before I left for a weekend at Niagara Falls. Naturally, he was more interested in learning about Babette than talking details that were already fixed in his clever brain. He practically stepped on my sparkly heels as I traipsed from my office to my station, stuffing last-minute supplies into my black beauty bag. I wasn’t trying to put him off, but I had other things on my mind. Top of the list: why was I invited to Babette’s bachelorette party? She’d sworn off men three years ago after Greasy Toes Ricco had persuaded her then slimy fiancé to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge with a cement block tied to his ankle. Lucky Babette, escaping that marriage! Unfortunately, I hadn’t seen her since that bachelorette party. “Val-en-tine!” I ceased from shoving my flat iron into my bag and gave Max a tolerant look, making this as succinct as I could. “Babette is one of my best friends.” At least she was during our childhood. “Merry must be another friend who was in charge of sending out invitations to the party. It’s as simple as that.” Max puckered his lips, telling me it wasn’t that...
