Queen of Diamonds

Chapter 33

Chapter 33

The party was definitely a success so far, easily over a hundred kids between the richies and the black diamond kids. Who knew they could all be one big happy family. Nothing too notable has been happening with the murder mystery part of the party though, which was a bummer. I wanted to solve a murder. The only thing so far was our first set of clues and instructions which basically told us who to mingle with and what to ask them. Lame. But I guess that was supposed to help us figure out who the victim could be and who the murderer was. So, I guess it was time to get into character.

Clue #1

Ask Aspen Whittaker what he thinks of the Mayor.

Well, that's simple enough. Our group was all going onto the yacht turn ice castle together to check out what was inside and to complete our clues. As we boarded the ice ship, the music was becoming increasingly louder, the temperature dropped, because well, you know, the ice, and the castle walls and peaks were transformed into the aurora borealis on the inside from all the strobes and lasers. It was an ice club and I was here for it.

The DJ was playing a mashup of Christmas songs to a beat that the bodies inside were bumping and swaying to. So much so that even I was bumping, into someone that is.

"Oh my God, Ava, is that you?" I heard a voice that I shouldered into say.

"That is her!" I heard another voice say, but it was hard to make out the faces in the darkness and blinding flashing lights. "You look amazing. I knew you would when I saw your name on the list."

Then a stream of bright white lights lit up the castle illuminating the faces. Tiff Buxx and Crystal "Tart" Dough. The icy blonde look alike's I met at the first richie party at the Carter's house. I certainly didn't expect such a warm welcome from them. Not that our first encounter was unpleasant, but I was a one name nobody. Now, they were acting like I was making a celebrity guest appearance.

"Hey girls," I greeted them, now that I knew who they were. And they were wearing Sarah's snow globe earrings. Damn, that girl moves her product fast. "Nice to see you again. What list did you see me on?"

"The character guest list," Tiff replied, I think it was Tiff anyway. I swear those two had to be separated at birth. "You didn't get one?"

"She's Mrs. Snowbanks," Crystal cut in. "She's married to the Mayor, I'm sure she didn't need a list," she snickered.

"Yeah, right," I mumbled. "So, who are your characters?" I asked to be nice, talking to them was like talking to melting plastic, pointless and brain cell obliterating.

"I am Candy Cane," Tiff grandly answered. "Daughter of the founder of the Candy Cane empire and heiress to the family fortune. So much for pretend," she sneered in all her red and white striped mini dress glory. Ew, get me out of here.

"And what about you Crystal?" I said turning to the "tart" in a much less slutty angelic gold dress.

"Mistletoe!" she sang over the booming music and pecked me right on the cheek with an actual little mistletoe holly leaf in her hand raised above our heads.

"Oh, wow. Thanks," I murmured, taken aback by the unwanted affection. "That's it? No backstory?"

"Not really," she responded uncertain. "I'm just the host of romance for the evening, so I'm sure I'm not the murderer," she innocently smiled.

"Well, I might have to murder that Winter Wonderland bitch for trying to push my family out of the town for being too "commercial"," Tiff huffed in air quotes. "Sorry if people like name brand and not boutique vintage junk."