Chapter 12

twelve

DYLAN

I opened the bedroom door at the end of the landing and froze. My brothers should have been getting ready for a bachelor party, not Halloween. “Why are you wearing black-and-white striped coveralls?”

Luke frowned. “I told Steve no one would know we’re prisoners. We look like we belong in a horror movie.”

I was still confused. “What do prisoners have to do with a bachelor party?”

Steve added some styling gel to his hair. “The Natural History Museum is having their annual fundraiser. This year, they’ve organized a Murder in the Museum night. I thought it’d be fun to go along.”

Luke sat on the end of the bed, looking defeated. “We have to look for clues and find a killer.”

“Oh.” I studied Luke’s face. “I take it this isn’t where you’d have chosen to have your bachelor party?”

Steve threw a pair of coveralls at me. “Luke had a list of ridiculous requirements for his party. The museum event met most of them, except the dead body part. That was a happy coincidence. ”

“There’s nothing happy about it,” Luke groaned. “No one goes to a bachelor party at the museum.”

“Think of it this way…” Steve looked like he was about to put every last ounce of his psychology degree to good use. “Apart from supporting a good cause, your friends won’t have done this before. By lunchtime tomorrow, your bachelor party will be the talk of the town.”

I pulled on the coveralls, feeling a bit ridiculous. “At least it’s better than standing in a noisy bar, drinking margaritas and French champagne.”

“I’ll take the French champagne any day.” Luke studied his reflection in the full-length mirror. “How do I look?”

I sent Steve a warning glance. Knowing my youngest brother, he’d say something funny, and Luke would take it the wrong way.

“You look perfect,” Steve said sincerely.

The front doorbell rang. Luke pulled back the curtains and peered into the front yard. “My friends are here.”

Steve handed him a gold crown. “Wear this. It’ll look cute with your costume.”

Luke gave it back immediately. “You’ve stretched my comfort zone enough for one day. I’ll see you downstairs.”

After Luke left the room, I finished pulling on my costume. “How did you convince Luke to wear the coveralls?”

Steve grinned. “He didn’t have a choice. I’d already bought the tickets and sent everyone their costumes. Our team’s called the Jail House Grooms. It’ll be an awesome night.”

“If you say so.” When I walked into my parents’ kitchen, I stared at Luke and his friends. Dressed in black-and-white striped coveralls, they were nibbling on Mom’s toasted ravioli and talking about the fundraiser .

I didn’t know what Alex was doing tonight, but it couldn’t top where I was going.

Especially if we found the murderer.