Under the Boardwalk |
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Page 1 of 6 Book Details
Warner Books
Warner Books
Warner Books Chapter OneIf walls could talk, the stories they'd tell. Especially these walls, Ariana Costas thought as she glanced at the rows and rows of pictures leading down the stairs of her family home. A true documentary of insanity if there ever was one, the infamous wall of shame, as Ariana liked to call it, portrayed her relatives at their conniving best. Judging by the commotion she heard from the kitchen, her family was up to their usual tricks. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized that sadly, nothing had changed in the five years she'd been gone. Apparently not even a missing daughter could deter them from routine. Pulling her black suit jacket around her like armor, Ariana stepped inside the kitchen and into the fray. Her mother's sister who technically lived next door though you'd never know it with the amount of time she spent here, sat with the phone book, calling people at random. "Hello? Do you need your chimneys cleaned?" Aunt D asked in her high pitched voice. "Winter's around the corner and you can't be too careful. You wouldn't want to light a fire and discover there was an animal stuck inside, would you?" After a short conversation she set up an appointment and marked it in her calendar. Ariana was always amazed anyone fell for the scheme. "What are you and Uncle John going to milk these unsuspecting people for once you're inside?" She asked as she walked over to the coffee machine. Aunt D merely winked at her before moving on to the next number in the book. In the meantime, her handsome father sat at the rectangular table drawing posters. A smile quirked her lips as she took in his clean-shaven head. Prostate cancer seven years ago hadn't sidelined him. Instead it had started the family's biggest money-maker, The Addams Family Act, derived from the old television show of the same name. Her father had taken on the personna of Uncle Fester, her beautiful mother with her raven hair was Morticia, while the rest of her relatives rallied around. Over the years they'd become the pride of Ocean Isle, her small coastal hometown, fifteen minutes outside of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Ariana was so grateful her father was healthy and still in remission, she kissed his bald head. Over his shoulder, she studied his poster. "Earn while you Eat! Join a weight study," Ariana read aloud. "And how much will this study cost each participant?" she asked her father. "Only what they want to give. You know that," Nicholas said without glancing up from his work. She rolled her eyes. Ariana had seen this scam and ones like it before. Every Costas relative conned their way through life with a wink, a smile and legendary Greek charm. The only shocking thing was that her family members managed to avoid doing hard time, something Ariana chalked up to luck. With a sigh, she took a cup from the pantry. She'd arrived at her parents' home late last night after being informed of her sister's disappearance and she could barely keep her eyes open. The coffee was too dark and thick to look appealing, but then no one in her family claimed to be related to Martha Stewart or Chef Boyardee. Thank God. She lifted the mug to her lips, breathed in deep and choked on the fumes. She dropped the cup into the sink, her eyes watering. She tried to speak and coughed again. "What is this stuff?" She asked, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Her mother breezed in, her long black hair flowing to her waist behind her, and kissed Ariana on the cheek. "It's break fluid." Ariana sighed. Yet another perfect example of why she'd avoided bringing friends home when she was teenager. Her mother patted her shoulder. "It wasn't meant to be tasted." |