The Name of the Game is Murder (A Clarissa Spencer Cozy Mystery Book 6) Read online

  Clarissa took a moment to admire her boyfriend. He really was good looking…

  Then she noticed there was a pair of designer sunglasses perched on top of his head.

  Clarissa’s family wasn’t wealthy. She and her sister had grown up in a cozy, comfortably middle class home in a small town. They hadn’t been rich, but they had been happy. The family home may have been in need of repair, but it was brimming with good memories.

  The point was, the Spencer family’s lifestyle was a stark contrast to Parker’s. He was privileged, with emotionally cold, detached parents. Everything had been handed to him and he had never wanted for anything – except perhaps a loving family. He’d grown up in the lap of luxury.

  Clarissa wasn’t sure how Parker’s wealth would be received. He was generous without flaunting his money – that wasn’t the problem. The problem was that he did little things like wearing designer sunglasses, which had probably cost more than most people’s paychecks.

  Would her parents think he had his priorities all wrong?

  Would they judge him for buying brand name items?

  Before Clarissa could fret about the “what-ifs” any longer, the front door of her parents’ house flew open. There stood her mother, looking vibrant and healthy in a loose, flowing kaftan-style green dress. Stylish silver hoop earrings dangled from her ears. Her plump round cheeks glowed from her expertly-applied pink blush.

  Clarissa and her mother Constance shared the same blue-green eyes and fair complexions. They shared the same waistline, too – pleasantly plump. Constance waved excitedly, causing the silver bangle bracelets on her wrist to jingle. She was smiling from ear-to-ear.

  “Clarissa!” she called out as she rushed down the front steps.

  “Hi Mom,” Clarissa said as her mother wrapped her up in a tight, rib-crushing hug.

  “It’s about time you came to visit us!” her mother said, still not releasing her from the embrace. “I can’t believe you still haven’t seen the house! I’m glad you’re finally taking a break from your job – although your father and I couldn’t be more proud of you. We miss you!”

  “I miss you guys too,” Clarissa managed to choke out. Then she added, “Mom, I can’t breathe.”

  “Sorry,” her mom laughed, reluctantly releasing her. “I’m just excited to see my girl.” She turned her attention to Parker then. “You must be Parker! Welcome,” she said warmly. “Clarissa’s father and I have been dying to meet you!”

  “Hello,” Parker said politely, extending his hand.

  “We’re a hugging family!” Clarissa’s mom announced cheerfully, waving Parker’s outstretched hand aside. Then she grabbed him and gave him a big bear hug. It appeared he hadn’t been expecting that, because he was nearly thrown off balance!

  “Where’s dad?” Clarissa asked.

  “Daddy’s fishing,” her mother replied. “He should be home soon.”

  “He fishes now?” Clarissa asked with surprise.

  “And golfs,” her mother nodded. “When he isn’t fishing, he’s golfing. When he isn’t golfing, he’s fishing. It’s surprising how much free time a person has after retirement! Almost too much free time,” she said with a little laugh. “And you have no idea how tired I am of eating fish!”

  Clarissa offered a sympathetic half-smile. Then she took a second look at her mother. Something looked different about her. “You’ve grown out your hair!” she said, noting that it was nearly down to her mother’s chin.

  “Yes!” Constance nodded.

  “And it’s a different shade of brown than before,” Clarissa added, choosing her words carefully. Her mother’s hair was usually a rich, deep shade of brown like hers. But it appeared brassy and over-processed. In fact, it was orange in some places.

  “My friend Betty is to thank for the color,” Clarissa’s mom replied, pausing to touch her tresses. “She just loves doing that sort of thing, so I’m often her guinea pig. I’m sure she’ll pop in one of these days so you can meet her. She lives right down the street.”

  “Oh, that’s nice.” It sounded like her parents were settling in and making new friends. “So you and dad like it here in Florida?” Clarissa asked, fully expecting her mother to respond in the affirmative.

  “It’s sure different,” her mother said, forcing a smile. “Our house is quite nice – come inside and I’ll show you. There’s a walk-in pantry and everything! Oh, and your father just loves the heat! He says he doesn’t miss shoveling snow off the driveway for half the year.”

  “Who would?” Clarissa replied as they made their way into the house. “Shoveling snow is awful, especially when it’s freezing cold outside! Sun, sand and heat! I’d say you and Dad have got it made.”

  Her usually chatty mother was uncharacteristically silent.

  Parker, meanwhile, was trailing along behind the two women. He had loaded up his arms with luggage – apparently Clarissa had packed a bit too much for their week-long excursion. When there was a pause in the chitchat, he called out, “Excuse me, Mrs. –”

  “Call me Constance!” Clarissa’s mother interrupted.

  “Okay. Um…where would you like me to put the bags?” Parker asked.

  “How in the world are you carrying all that?” Constance demanded in horror. “Oh you poor thing…be careful! If you’re not careful you’re going to throw your back out! Here, let me take some of that for you!”

  Before Parker could even react, Clarissa’s mother had scooped up a few bags.

  Clarissa grabbed a suitcase too, and noted the sigh of relief Parker let out. Her mother was right. Parker was going to hurt himself! As a matter of fact, the single suitcase Clarissa was lugging into the house was almost too much for her!

  “Whew!” Clarissa’s mom grunted as she dragged some luggage into the living room. She stood up and looked at Parker knowingly. “Let me guess: most of these bags are my daughter’s.”

  “All but one,” Parker replied as Clarissa shot him a dirty look.

  “She never learns,” Constance sighed.

  “I thought I was packing light,” Clarissa admitted sheepishly.

  “How did you even manage to get so much luggage on the plane?” Constance demanded. “Aren’t there limits? The airline your father and I fly with only allows one checked bag!”

  “I paid extra,” Clarissa confessed.

  “You really don’t ever learn, do you?” Constance teased. Then she flung one arm around Parker and the other around Clarissa. “Let me give you two the tour,” she said. “We’re really happy with the house. We have a great patio out back with a nice view of the park. Come see!”

  “Where should I put my bags?” Clarissa interrupted.

  “Oh. Yours can stay right here,” her mother informed her.

  “Won’t they be in the way? Shouldn’t I put them in a bedroom or something?” Clarissa asked.

  “Your father and I downsized when we moved,” her mother explained. “It’s just the two of us now that you and your sister are all grown up, after all. So we only have two bedrooms: ours and the guest bedroom. Parker can stay in the guest bedroom.”

  “Where do I stay?” Clarissa asked.

  Her mother pointed to the couch. “I did have your father get the air mattress out of storage this morning, but it wouldn’t stay inflated. It must have a leak,” she said apologetically. “I’m afraid the couch might not be the most comfortable thing in the world, but it will have to do.”

  “I’ll take the couch,” Parker offered chivalrously. “I’ll just grab Clarissa’s bags and move them to the guest room.” He bent down to pick said bags up. Then he let out a pained yelp and grabbed his lower back.

  “Oh no, you’ve hurt your back! You definitely get the guest room,” Clarissa’s mother decided.

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll take the couch,” Parker assured her with a wince.

  “I won’t hear of it!” Clarissa’s mother exclaimed. “You need to sleep in a real bed. In fact, maybe you want to stretch out now.
”

  “That actually sounds like a good idea,” Parker admitted.

  He was trying to act tough, but Clarissa could tell he was hurting.

  “I’m sorry,” she told him. “I’ll pack lighter next time, I promise!”

  Despite his discomfort, Parker smirked. “I highly doubt that.”

  As Parker followed Clarissa’s mom down the hallway, Clarissa lingered in the living room.

  Her parents’ new house wasn’t what she had imagined. It was beautiful and immaculate, yes. It was also very…white. The walls were white, the drapes were white and even the furniture was white. It was nothing like the homey, cozy, slightly cluttered home Clarissa had grown up in.

  “Hmm,” she murmured under her breath. “This will take some getting used to.”

  Then she shrugged it off and went to get some ice for Parker to put on his back.

  “Mmm, a roast,” Clarissa remarked to herself the moment she stepped into the kitchen.

  She had smelled something delicious the moment she had stepped into the house, but she had been so distracted that it hadn’t quite registered. Now, though, her mouth was watering.

  She peered into the oven and licked her lips in anticipation. Now the unfamiliar, stark white house felt more like home. Her mom’s cooking could make any place feel like home. With a smile on her face, Clarissa decided to help out by setting the table.

  She began to snoop through cupboards in search of the appropriate dinnerware.

  “It’s so good to finally have you and Parker here,” Clarissa’s mom announced, startling her as she walked into the room. Then she lowered her voice and added, “I like him a lot. You chose well, sweetheart!”

  Clarissa grinned as she pulled four sets of silverware out of a drawer. “I know.” Then her smile faded. “Do you think Dad will like him?” she asked anxiously. Her father had absolutely hated her last boyfriend to the point where get-togethers had been downright uncomfortable.

  Constance hesitated, probably because she didn’t want to admit the truth. Then she simply shrugged. “You know how your father can be.”

  Outside, a vehicle door slammed.

  It sounded close. In fact, it sounded like the vehicle was parked on the driveway.

  Constance peered out the kitchen window and frowned. “There he is now. And he’s got fish!”

  Chapter 03

  “Good news!” Clarissa’s dad called as he walked in the front door, his rubber boots squishing wetly with every step. A floppy fisherman’s hat covered his greying hair and shaded his hazel eyes. His chest was all puffed out with pride as he announced, “I caught a lot of fish today!”

  “That’s great, Ed,” Constance said in a tone that suggested she did not, in fact, think it was great. “We’re running out of space in the freezer, you know. But more importantly, look who’s here!” she beamed, gesturing to Clarissa.

  “Hi Dad,” Clarissa said. “I’d hug you, but…you’re carrying dead fish.”

  “Would you rather they were alive, flopping all over the place?” her father asked.

  “No, I suppose not,” Clarissa replied, wrinkling her nose at the thought. “It’s good to see you.”

  Her father nodded.

  He was a man of few words – which was ironic considering how much he enjoyed coffee shop gossip with his buddies! He didn’t exactly wear his heart on his sleeve, either. That was more Clarissa’s mom’s department. But there had never been any doubt in Clarissa’s mind that her father loved her deeply.

  As Clarissa continued to set the table, she noticed her father was following her around the kitchen. He probably didn’t even realize he was doing it. She had to smile to herself. Her dad wasn’t unlike the cat, really. While he wouldn’t come right out and admit he had missed her, his actions spoke volumes.

  “I thought there were supposed to be two of you,” Clarissa’s dad observed.

  “Oh, right! Parker is lying down,” Clarissa told him. “He hurt his back carrying our luggage.”

  “You mean carrying your luggage!” Clarissa’s mom teased as she tended to the freshly caught fish. “Our girl never did pack light, did she, Ed?” Then she looked around. “I thought you said you were bringing your cat along with you. Did you have a change of plans?”

  “Oh! No, the cat ran off into your garden the second I opened its carrier,” Clarissa recalled. “I’m done setting the table, so I’m going to run outside and check on it. I imagine it’s napping in the sun like usual,” she predicted.

  “I’ll come with you,” her dad offered, clearly not wanting to let her out of his sight.

  “Oh no,” Clarissa’s mom piped up. “You’re not going anywhere until you help me deal with these fish, Ed! Ugh, they’re so slimy I can’t stand it! And the smell is just overpowering!” she complained.

  “Isn’t it great?” Clarissa’s dad said, completely oblivious as usual.

  All Clarissa could do was look at her parents fondly. She didn’t know how two people who were so bad at communicating had managed to make a marriage work…but they had. Even though it could be annoying sometimes, she had kind of missed their bickering!

  But she had a cat to herd inside.

  She stepped out onto the porch and looked around.

  “Cat?” she called. “Are you out here?”

  Silence greeted her.

  She walked out into the front garden, which was immaculate and in full bloom. She paused to admire her mother’s flowers. There were varieties there that she wasn’t even familiar with. And it was quite nice to see greenery so late in the year – back home in Minnesota everything had been brown and bare since mid-autumn.

  Suddenly Clarissa spotted a fluffy black tail poking out from beneath some leafy green shrubbery. She put her hands on her hips and shook her head in annoyance. Then she reached out and gently nudged the cat’s tail with her toe.

  “What the?!” the cat bellowed in surprise, gracelessly tumbling onto the stone walking path.

  Clarissa looked around to make sure no one was around to witness her conversing with a cat. Then she squatted down and asked, “Why didn’t you answer me when I called you? I know you heard me,” she added, giving the troublemaking feline a disapproving look.

  The cat stuck its little pink nose in the air. “I’m not talking to you! I’m furious with you!”

  “Why?” Clarissa asked.

  “You crammed me in a cage and made me ride on a huge mechanical bird!” the cat sputtered, working itself up into a rage. Its ears went back as it recalled the indignation it had suffered. “I can’t believe you would do that! You know how much I despise birds!”

  Clarissa sighed. “I already explained to you, it wasn’t a mechanical bird. It was a plane. And the airline required me to put you in a pet carrier. What did you expect me to do, buy you a seat in first class?”

  “Well that would have been nice,” the cat grumbled, still looking grumpy.

  Trying not to smirk, Clarissa decided not to remind the cat that it was a cat. When the feisty feline had turned up on her doorstep and refused to leave, she had been dumbfounded. She had never had much to do with cats and its antics had left her stunned. Then again, Cat was anything but a typical feline.

  Now that they had gotten used to one another, Clarissa was growing accustomed to the egotistical critter’s diva-like behavior. She was learning it was often easiest to just humor her four-legged companion.

  “Do you want to come inside?” she asked. “I’m sure my parents would love to meet you.”

  “I’m busy!” the cat huffed.

  “Busy doing what?”

  “I’m busy sulking!” the cat sulked.

  “Are you sure you won’t come inside?” Clarissa tried again. “Parker is in there,” she added, hoping that would entice the stubborn feline.

  Since early on in the relationship, the cat had been obsessed with Clarissa’s boyfriend. It adored him, following him around and demanding to be picked up at every opportunity. Parker just had a way
with animals, it seemed.

  As if right on cue, the front door opened. Out walked Parker, moving in a slow, pained way.

  “Oh! It’s you!” Clarissa quickly stood up. “How is your back feeling?”

  “Stiff, but nothing a hot shower or two won’t help,” Parker said bravely. Then he gave Clarissa a curious look. “Were you…talking to your cat?” he asked, almost as though he couldn’t quite believe what he had witnessed.

  “Well…yeah,” Clarissa replied, wondering what the big deal was. “Of course I was talking to the cat. Everyone talks to their pets, don’t they?”

  “Yes, but…” Parker trailed off, looking confused.

  “What?”

  “I could have sworn you were having a conversation with your cat,” he said, scratching his head.

  Parker, of course, had no idea the cat spoke English. How would he? Clarissa had no clue how she would even begin to broach that topic. He’d probably think she was insane if she tried to make him believe her cat could talk.

  Clarissa swallowed hard. She hated fibbing to her boyfriend…so she chose not to. Instead, she simply said, “I’d have to be pretty crazy to be out here having a conversation with a cat, wouldn’t I? I mean, it’s a cat!”

  “That’s true,” Parker agreed. “I must be loopy. Your father offered me some painkillers.”

  Clarissa’s eyes widened. “You met my dad? How did it go?” she demanded.

  “Fine, I think,” Parker replied. “He invited me to go fishing with him.”

  “You told him you don’t fish, right?” Clarissa asked, feeling faint.

  “No. I told him I’d love to join him as soon as my back feels better,” Parker said.

  Images of her father drowning Parker flashed through Clarissa’s mind.

  Or maybe her dad would cut her boyfriend up and use him as fish bait.

  Of course, Ed wasn’t a homicidal maniac so Clarissa’s fears were completely unfounded. But she was nonetheless terrified that an entire day of Parker and her father alone in a boat together would end in disaster.

  “Oh, I nearly forgot – your mom says dinner is ready,” Parker informed Clarissa.