Here’s the fourth installment of “Let’s Write a Mystery Together Online”. If you haven’t played yet, please jump in and add your inspiration to our collaborative mystery. The more people who play, the more fun it is to write the story. You can find parts 1, 2, and 3 here, so you can catch up on what’s happened in our story. I’ll take up after the last comment on last week’s post.

Julia beamed triumphantly. “It helps because I think I can get Hudson to admit he was there and you weren’t, Aiden.”

“How?” I said.

“Because Hudson and I have sort of been dating.”

Aiden’s jaw flopped loose like mine did.

“And you haven’t told us?” Aiden yelled.

I flung out my arms. “There are way, way too many secrets in this family.”

“We haven’t told anyone,” said Julia. “Even though our family looks respectable, that’s not good enough for a Whittaker. Hudson’s parents wouldn’t want him entangled with someone who might keep him from going on to great things–whatever those are.”

“Hudson was at the beach,” I said. “Text him and see if he’s still there.”

As Julia typed, Aiden said, “If he beat it before the cops came that night, Hudson won’t jeopardize his future to help us.”

Julia stared at her phone. “He’s not all that crazy about the future his parents have planned for him. He’s there.” She slid her phone into her pocket. “Let’s mount up.”

Aiden pulled away first, and Julia and I followed.

We’d just turned onto the main road to the beach when bright blue lights appeared in the rearview mirror.

Julia turned saucer-sized eyes to me. “Do you think they want us or Aiden?”

“Maybe all of us,” I said.