As soon as the limo reaches to the expensive light gray mansion, cars and extremely wealthy people flooded the parking lot.
Cole gazed at the piercing lights sitting on top of the red carpet. To her, it was like Hollywood. The bottom of women's colorful skirts and men's shoes draped across the red line while photographers snapped pictures of the ambassadors, senators, and other celebrities.
"Looks like a full party here," Ben mumbled. Christmas music breezed out of the doors and windows of the mansion.
"The Randalls should be expecting fifty thousand guests to the party." the driver said.
Wow, Cole thinks. More people would mean more suspects.
As soon as the chauffeur parked the limo, the friends thanked him and gets out of the car. Patting down her curls, Cole catch glimpses of the majestic lawn, the smiles on people's faces, and a group of children singing carols.
Taking her hand, Ben lead Cole to the mansion and follows the line of sophisticated men, smoking their cigars.
"Rich people and their cigars," Cole heard Ben mutter.
She couldn't help but agree with him; some of the wealthy gets away with almost anything: crime, greed, and corruption.
To Cole, they are just as worse as thugs and drug dealers.
They politely walked past the solemn bodyguard and entered through the mansion. The minute the friends arrived, Cole's brown eyes glimmered at the halls.
The entire room is in an enchanted silver gray color: the stairs glistened on the left hand side of the area, the gray tiles formed a ballroom floor where couples mingle and dance.
Next to the dancing couples is a long white table of delicacies, and a golden fountain filled with melting hot chocolate.
Suddenly, the purse strap grew sweaty and sore against Cole's shoulder.
Ben searched until he sees Colonel Jones, having champagne with the mayor of San Francisco.
"Found him," he whispers. "Let's go spread our magic."
Cole nodded and follows him to the Colonel.
She watches as Ben fills a plastic cup with melted chocolate and "accidentally" spills it on the mayor's white suit.
The mayor's green eyes widened at the massive brown stain on his white shirt then stares at Ben's face.
Shocked at what he had done, Ben apologizes and grabs the red sheets of napkins off of the table.
"Sir, I am so sorry." Ben began nervously. "I don't know what I was thinking."
The mayor tries to get him to calm down, but he soon gave up.
"It's fine," he reassures.
"Can I at least take you to the bathroom?" Ben insisted.
"I have another pair of clothes."
Amused, the mayor nodded and follows Ben through the crowd, leaving Cole with the Colonel.
Just then, she accidentally bumped into a young woman's arm.
She had short black hair, porcelain skin, and wore a white dress. Her red heels clicked against the floor.
"Sorry," Cole apologized. The woman blinked her blue eyes at her then smiled.
"You're fine." she said politely.
Nodding, the women part two ways as Cole searches for the Colonel.
YOU ARE READING
Submerged
Mystery / ThrillerThe aftermath of Beloved: now that Cole and Ben have graduated college, they resume living in San Francisco, rekindle their friendship, and solves more mysteries. All of a sudden, a retired Army veteran has just been killed. Meanwhile his son, Harr...
