Dinner With the Devils

By Chris Bedell

17-year-old Eve moves in with her Aunt Tricia and Uncle Steven when her mom runs off to Atlantic City with a man. However, her mom’s corpse turns up the morning after Eve’s arrival to town.

Eve realizes there’s something off about her extended family that she can’t figure out—and it’s more than their quirky habits. The discoveries of her aunt’s obsession with a mystery man, three bags of baby hair, and an alleged dead older child puzzle Eve. Having her mom’s purse and car turn up doesn’t help her impression of Aunt Tricia and Uncle Steven either.

But Eve isn’t alone. She starts dating her next-door neighbor, Liam, who helps her with her family drama despite having his own agenda. She also meets Detective Sean Richards and isn’t above manipulating him to solve her mom’s murder.

What Eve does with Aunt Tricia and Uncle Steven’s secret once discovering it is a different story, though. Some truths are just too awful to fabricate.

Warning: Suicide

• Language: English
• Publisher: eXtasy Books Inc
• Release date: Jul 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9781487434779

Chris Bedell

Chris Bedell's previous publishing credits include Thought Catalog, Entropy Magazine, Chicago Literati, and Foliate Oak Literary Magazine, among others. His debut YA Fantasy novel IN THE NAME OF MAGIC was published by NineStar Press in 2018. Chris’s 2019 novels include his NA Thriller BURNING BRIDGES (BLKDOG Publishing), YA Paranormal Romance DEATHLY DESIRES (DEEP HEARTS YA), and YA Thriller COUSIN DEAREST (BLKDOG Publishing). His other 2020 novels include his YA Thriller I KNOW WHERE THE BODIES ARE BURIED (BLKDOG Publishing), YA Thriller BETWEEN THE LOVE AND MURDER (Between The Lines Publishing), and YA Sci-fi DYING BEFORE LIVING (Deep Hearts YA). Chris also graduated with a BA in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2016.

Book preview

Chapter One

A burning sensation jabbed my stomach, making me more anxious.

One minute Mom told me I had to stay with a neighbor—her best friend, Jane—while she went out of town to meet a guy. And then I received an email from her telling me she was staying a little longer in Atlantic City. That was followed by Aunt Tricia arriving in Florida and telling me that Mom said I had to live with her in Maine.

There was no reason to get upset, though. There had to be a good explanation for Mom bolting out of town and Aunt Tricia delivering that news. But I didn’t know what it was, and that was fine. I chose to be optimistic, because dwelling on trading Mom for an extended family I didn’t know would only upset me more.

My head remained pressed against the window while Aunt Tricia continued driving her minivan down the highway.

I hope you aren’t too unhappy about everything. Aunt Tricia shifted her attention toward me for a beat.

A billboard reading WELCOME TO PINEWOOD appeared after she made a left turn, signaling our arrival in town. However, a superficial sign didn’t mean everything would be perfect since it gave no indication of what my life would be like once I settled into a routine.

I huffed, glancing at my aunt from the corner of my eye. No, of course not. I don’t know what would give you that idea.

Her lips quivered. You don’t have to pretend with me, dear. It must be difficult for you that your mother ran off to Atlantic City with a man. Believe me, it hasn’t been easy to have her as a sister.

I rolled my eyes, choosing not to speak. Some thoughts couldn’t be articulated easily. Saying my mother abandoned me for a man didn’t quite roll off the tongue.

Aunt Tricia made another turn, passing by a family, which consisted of a mother, father, son, and daughter. I watched longingly as they stood together for a photo, obviously happy and on their way to the beach, from the way they were dressed.

Whether I admitted the truth or not, my life would never be okay. It couldn’t... not after having this unexpected adventure forced on me.

Mom leaving me with Aunt Tricia and Uncle Steven for no good reason was despicable. Not only would she not be winning mother of the year, but she also wouldn’t be getting a birthday card, present, or phone call next week for her fortieth birthday.

Being petty didn’t make me a bad person, though. It made me practical—I wasn’t some doll to be disposed of on a whim. I was a real person and would be damned if anyone treated me less than that.

It’s not that your mom doesn’t love you. She paused for a second. She just has messed up priorities.

I’m sure everything will be fine, I said.

That’s the spirit! I’m proud of you for having a great attitude.

Being optimistic was one thing, but Aunt Tricia bordered on clueless if she couldn’t see how my life was currently fucked up.

The clunky sound of the engine halted a few minutes later when she pulled into her driveway.

The mansion dwarfed the meager size of the front yard in comparison. I couldn’t criticize one thing, since every inch of the house’s exterior seemed perfect. The paint wasn’t peeling, and the shudders didn’t show any erosion. Almost as if they were bought yesterday.

Having a nice house wasn’t enough to impress me, despite how most people would have loved the Gatsby-sized nature of the mansion. I wasn’t concerned with the superficial keeping up appearances mantra that preoccupied most suburban people—whether I lived in Florida or Maine.

I opened the door and made my way to the back of the car. Something beeped, so I lifted the trunk and took out my suitcase.

Footsteps echoed behind me, then someone coughed. Good to see you, Eve.

My heart thumped at hearing my uncle’s voice, getting louder with each passing second. The idea of embracing change suddenly seemed nauseating. You too, Uncle Steven.

Aunt Tricia tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. I was just telling Eve that I’m proud of her attitude.

Uncle Steven flashed a smile. That’s nice. Anyway, did you tell her that your study upstairs is off-limits?

Aunt Tricia grunted. No. Not yet. There’s no need to be so dramatic.

Uncle Steven returned his gaze to me. Fair enough. Anyway, I don’t mean to sound strict, Eve. It’s just Tricia’s space to think.

I nodded. Sure. Wouldn’t wanna offend anyone.

His smirk widened, revealing his well-aligned teeth. It really is great to see you, Eve. I mean, what has it been? Ten or twelve years? That’s too long to go without seeing family.

Apparently, having beachfront property wasn’t enough for him. It seemed every inch of his appearance had to be perfect. That included the almost plastic expression on his face, which had yet to disappear, almost as if he were trying to prove something.

I let the lump linger in my throat. Sounds about right. I don’t think I’ve seen you all since Grandpa’s funeral.

Anyway, Tricia, you should call Irene. She seemed stressed the last time I talked to her, he said.

Who’s Irene? I asked.

Aunt Tricia rubbed her wedding ring. She’s our neighbor. You’ll like her.

The wind whistled, pushing a leaf toward me. The once-green leaves floated around in shades of red, orange, and brown. As I thought about the change of seasons, it sank in that I wouldn’t only have to deal with colder temperatures. Starbucks would be rolling out their Pumpkin Spice Latte in a matter of days. And I wasn’t a fan. Eating Pumpkin Pie at Thanksgiving was one thing, but it was another to think it should be added to every food and beverage in the fall.

Uncle Steven walked away, leaving Aunt Tricia and me to ourselves.

Where’s Grandma, Justin, and Tara? I asked.

They’re out running errands, but they’ll be back later in the day. I thought it’d be good for you to have time to settle in, she said.

Nervousness kicked in, causing sweat to slither down my face despite the cold air. I wiped it away with my free hand.

Guess that makes sense, I said.

We should stop talking so you can go unpack. Or you could take a nap if you want. You must be exhausted after your flight. Come on. Follow me. I’ll show you to your bedroom.

She headed toward the front door, and I trekked after her, wheeling my suitcase across the ground.

Another gust of cold air slapped me in the face, making my hair bounce.

Yeah. Being in Maine wouldn’t help my life. The winters were colder than what I was used to in Florida. Having a few more weeks of summer would be nice, since it was only the third week of August, but fall hadn’t waited to be invited in. It crashed into town with a blistering vengeance.

Aunt Tricia opened the door to a bedroom a moment later, gesticulating at me to walk in.

One thing was clear. Aunt Tricia and Uncle Steven might be weird, but living with them had some perks. My bedroom was double the size of my old one.

But just because there was a desk, a made bed, a full bookshelf, and a nightstand didn’t mean I felt welcomed.

I’ll leave you to get settled. Steven and I have to go run errands ourselves. But we’ll bring a couple of pizzas home for dinner. How does that sound? Aunt Tricia asked.

I forced a grin. Yeah. That’d be nice.

I lay down on my bed after Aunt Tricia left. Unpacking could wait till later, because my suitcase wasn’t going anywhere. It would still be there in the morning.

A buzzing noise echoed through my room when I tried closing my eyes. It got even louder when it repeated a second later. So I jumped out of bed and left my bedroom.

I stopped at a room between the stairwell and my bedroom after spotting a snake on a table. Judging by the queen size bed, the room obviously belonged to Aunt Tricia and Uncle Steven. After looking around the room, I noticed there were no family photos. I glanced back at the brown spotted pattern of the rattlesnake and then down at the rattle, coming to the conclusion it was only the taxidermy of a snake, not a real one.

If Aunt Tricia and Uncle Steven would rather have a dead stuffed snake as opposed to family photographs, that was their business. I would be pissed if they told me how to live my life. So I wouldn’t tell them how to live theirs.

I continued looking around the room and knelt down when I spotted a pendant lying on the floor. I picked it up and shook my head, recognizing the etching of the dolphin in the center of a circle.

Mom has a pendant just like it. Grandma had given the same one to both Aunt Tricia and my mother.

Whatever. Aunt Tricia must’ve dropped it by accident.

I put the pendant on the bed when the sound of the unidentified noise returned. I left Aunt Tricia and Uncle Steven’s bedroom, descending the staircase and following the noise all the way out the front door. I looked around, discovering it was only a neighbor taking down a tree.

My spine tingled. Overreacting just couldn’t be helped. My current dread probably went back to my fear of horror movies. Something about the loud noise was disconcerting, despite knowing there wasn’t a serial killer running around with a chainsaw.

Chapter Two

Half an hour later, I went downstairs for dinner after Aunt Tricia called out from the stairwell that it was time to eat.

The aroma of cheese and tomatoes and other herbs wafted through the air, hitting my nostrils on my way to the dining room. My stomach also grumbled, which happens when a person doesn’t eat anything all day. I hadn’t had time to eat between getting to the airport and flying, in addition to settling in. But I loved food, since Mom always made a point of eating breakfast and dinner with me.

I sat between my cousins Tara and Justin. Aunt Tricia and Uncle Steven were across from me, and Grandma sat next to Aunt Tricia.

Sorry we’re late, Aunt Tricia said. We stopped off to have a drink or two at the bar across the street from the pizzeria while we waited for the order.

An apologetic look formed on Uncle Steven’s face as he made eye contact with everyone except Grandma before letting out a faint laugh. It was my fault. The drinks were my idea.

Don’t worry about it. I reached for one of the pizza boxes and put two slices on my plate.

Uncle Steven opened two bottles of wine, one red and one white. He poured a glass for himself and Aunt Tricia first, then Grandma, Justin, and Tara. Then he turned to me. Would you like some wine?

I sighed. I’m not twenty-one yet.

Aunt Tricia waved her hand. That doesn’t matter. Justin and Tara are drinking. Besides, it’s one of the last days of summer. You might as well enjoy it. Also, you’re on private property with family, so you wouldn’t be breaking the law.

I didn’t have to think about my answer. Sure.

Uncle Steven poured my glass half full, then put the wine bottle back on the table before going back to his seat. Silly me! He grabbed his leather briefcase from the table, set it on the carpet next to his chair, then sat down.

I reached for my wine glass and downed half of it without paying any attention to how I should be sipping rather than chugging. What do you do for a living, Uncle Steven?

He finished the bit of pizza that was in his mouth before speaking. I’m a lawyer. I primarily handle litigation.

Is the job fun? I asked.

Uncle Steven shrugged. I guess so.

Justin took a napkin and wiped his mouth. That’s not what you said the other day. You were complaining about the long hours.

I frowned, looking toward my uncle. What long hours? You were home pretty early today.

Uncle Steven grabbed another slice of pizza. I took a personal day, since today was your move-in day.

I’m sure Steven meant that he enjoys the paycheck, since he has a lot of wealthy clients on retainer. Aunt Tricia gulped the rest of her wine, then reached for the bottle and poured another glass.

Uncle Steven chuckled. Yeah. That’s it, because one thing is for sure. Knowing a lot of incriminating information in a wealthy town like Pinewood could come in handy at some point.

Now I was confused. Don’t you like your neighbors, Uncle Steven? You mentioned something about one of them earlier.

That’s true. But that doesn’t change how it can sometimes be beneficial to use people as a means to an end. Uncle Steven opened one of the pizza boxes, grabbing a slice of pepperoni pizza.

Aunt Tricia nodded. Agreed.

After a brief pause in the conversation, Aunt Tricia grunted. "Tara, do you have to read Entertainment Weekly at the table? Wouldn’t you rather engage in conversation?"

Tara lifted her gaze off the magazine for a second. No. Not really.

I leaned close to Tara’s ear. You okay?

Yeah. I’m great. Tara flipped to the next page of her magazine.

If something is wrong, we can talk about it later. I maintained eye contact with her for a few more seconds before continuing to eat my current slice of pizza.

Sounds great. Tara sipped her beverage.

Grandma’s cheeks turned bright red. Did someone say something about a circus?

Uncle Steven bit his lip, obviously attempting to contain a laugh. Yeah, we did. We decided we’re taking you tomorrow.

Aunt Tricia scrunched her eyebrows. Don’t play jokes on my mom, Steven.

Uncle Steven burped. Sorry. Anyway, it’s all in good fun.

Grandma put the bit of crust she was about to eat back down on her plate. I’ve been telling you all I need to get my hearing aids fixed.

And I want to win the lottery. Uncle Steven shoved some salad into his mouth.

Justin tilted his head at me. What do you like to do, Eve?

I chugged the rest of my second glass of wine and reached for the bottle to pour more. I like to paint. What about you?

Tricia could take you to the art supplies store in town tomorrow if you want, Uncle Steven interjected.

Sure. That’d be fun, I looked back at Justin. Anyway, what about you?

I’m on the football team at the high school. I’m also in drama club and usually get one of the main roles in all the school plays. Justin reached for another napkin and blew his nose.

How prestigious, I continued, ignoring how I was slurring my words.

Are you sure you don’t want some water? Justin asked.

Nah, I said, struggling to try to form a coherent thought. I’m good.

Aunt Tricia looked at her son. Lighten up, Justin. It’s not like she’s driving anywhere. That’s the beauty of drinking at home.

Uncle Steven locked gazes with Aunt Tricia. And how much have you had to drink?

Aunt Tricia clenched her jaw. None of your fucking business.

It was a joke, Uncle Steven touted.

I put my head on the table, wanting to rest for a moment. After all, I had a long day. Although the wine didn’t help matters either.

Chapter Three

Rays of sunlight poked through my bedroom curtains the following day, signaling it was time for my morning walk.

I grabbed my iPhone off the charger and checked the time. It was almost noon. My head wouldn’t stop throbbing. Shit. Must be the universe’s way of telling me I should have rotated water with each glass of wine last night.

Aunt Tricia and Uncle Steven’s corrupting behavior of giving me wine with dinner seemed unthinkable now. Then again, they had been tipsy themselves when they returned with the pizzas, begging the question of how much they drank before arriving home.

The idea that I had slept so late was unfathomable, though. I always got up between six and seven o’clock, and deviating from that routine was unacceptable.

I jumped out of bed and zipped open my suitcase, pulling out a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. I changed into them and slipped on my sneakers in a matter of seconds before leaving my bedroom.

Nobody was downstairs when I got there.

Figures. Everybody else must be enjoying a nice day at the beach, and I would, too, after my exercise.

And no. I’m not some sort of diet and exercise maniac. Working out a lot decreases my stress.

I ran across a guy while out walking and stared at him longer than necessary. I found something intoxicating about his blond hair, even if I wouldn’t date someone for superficial reasons. I consider my behavior as harmless window shopping.

He licked his lips. Gonna introduce yourself, or what? It’d only be polite. Don’t you think?

I flipped my hair over my shoulders. I’m Eve—Steven and Tricia’s niece. And you are?

I’m Liam.

He walked up to me and shook my hand. The scent of the earthy sweet mixture of his cologne wafted through the air, hitting my nostrils.

Sorry. Shouldn’t have stared—it was rude. I’ve just been a little distracted, I said.

Liam smirked. I know. I live right next door to your house. I saw you talking to your aunt and uncle yesterday.

You were spying on me?

I didn’t mean it like it sounds. I was mowing the lawn at the time.

Relax. That was my lame attempt at making a joke.

He sighed. Oh. Okay. I guess I don’t have a sense of humor.

My eyes widened. Do you know Justin and Tara?

Liam shook his head. No. But I know how to be superficially polite.

I rolled my eyes. And what’s that supposed to mean?

Never mind. It doesn’t matter, he said. Anyway, would you want to exchange cellphone numbers so we could hang sometime? Maybe we could go to Starbucks or something?

That’d be nice.

We swapped phones, put our cellphone numbers into the contacts, then handed them back to each other.

It was nice to meet you, Eve. Liam put his phone in his pocket.

Nice meeting you too, Liam.

A siren sounded down the street before Liam or I could say anything else. I whipped around to see what was happening.

An ambulance headed in the direction of the swamp at the end of a street adjacent to my neighborhood, which I only knew about because Aunt Tricia had taken that detour back to the mansion yesterday.

Curiosity prevailed, so I followed the vehicle all the way to the swamp, arriving several minutes later.

A crowd that must have consisted of at least half of the neighborhood already stood around something.

I pushed my way through the group of people since that was the only way to navigate through the crowd. Aunt Tricia, Uncle Steven, Tara, Justin, and Grandma were huddled together near the swamp.

What’s going on? I asked as I approached them.

Tara threw a glance in my direction. We were curious like everyone else. We were on our beach when we heard the siren. But you shouldn’t be here, Eve.

I crossed my arms. What are you talking about?

The two paramedics scurried by and knelt on the grass in front of the swamp. That was when I saw the body.

Everyone needs to back up, one of the paramedics yelled.

I attempted to inch closer, but Justin restrained me.

Even with Justin holding me back, the body remained visible from where I stood. I would have recognized that fuchsia nail polish anywhere. It was my mother’s.

She’s dead, the second paramedic pronounced.

Tears trickled down my face as I sobbed.

I just couldn’t believe it, a woman stammered. I saw someone in the swamp and thought she was drowning and pulled her out. I’ll tell you one thing. I’m never going swimming again.

I kicked my feet against the ground while Justin held me back. Appearing emotional was irrelevant. How could Mom end up dead in Aunt Tricia and Uncle Steven’s town? She was supposed to be in Atlantic City with some man. The whole situation was an enigma despite the reality before me.

Aunt Tricia and Uncle Steven exchanged looks with each other for a split second but looked away when they realized I saw them.

Their stolen glance was something to consider. Even the smallest actions revealed character. But wondering about Aunt Tricia and Uncle Steven’s behavior wouldn’t bring back Mom. Nothing would. She was dead, and that was a fact I had to face.

Chapter Four

Three detectives arrived at the swamp a few minutes later. One of them was younger than the other two, I guessed probably in his early twenties. Perhaps it was his boyish spiked-up hair or how he didn’t have that cynical I’ve been doing this job too long expression on his face. The three walked around, questioning several people in the crowd.

Justin finally let me go after the paramedics had taken Mom away. The two older detectives started talking with Grandma, Justin, Tara, Uncle Steven, and Aunt Tricia. The younger detective took the statement from the woman who had found