Free Portrait of a Dead Guy by Larissa Reinhart

mistaken about that?” asked Luke. I looked up from my bowl and caught Todd’s wide-eyed open face greet Luke’s shuttered countenance. They reminded me of Lassie meeting Cujo.
    “You’d have to know Todd better,” Cody replied.
    Todd nodded in acquiescence.
    “He’s a great guy though,” Cody added, sidling a look toward Luke.
    “I’m a drummer,” Todd said.
    “A drummer,” Luke drawled.
    “My band is called Sticks. You know, because I’m a drummer.”
    “Good one.”
    “Okay, enough with the get-to-know-you.” I tossed my fork on the table. The cold grits had congealed, and Todd had eaten all my sausage. “I’ve got to get home and stretch another canvas.”
    “What are you doing here?” Cody turned toward Luke, ignoring me.
    “Sheriff Thompson told me you were going to the Waffle House. My family got the call about the breaking and entering at the funeral home.” Luke stopped me with a look when I started to protest. “I went down to the Sheriff’s Office as a representative of the family to decide if we’d press charges. I didn’t get a look at Dustin, but it didn’t sound like much harm was done other than the coffin tipping. And the teeth weren’t successfully stolen.”
    “I didn’t try to steal those teeth. Somebody else tried to rob Dustin. I’ve got a gigantic headache to prove it.”
    “So tell me what happened,” said Luke.
    I stumbled through my explanation of painting and seeing the flashlight.
    “Where were you guys when this happened?” He looked at Cody.
    “The County Line Tap. Heard on Red’s scanner there was a breakin at Cooper’s, then got the call Uncle Will hauled Cherry off in the paddy wagon.”
    “I didn’t get hauled off in the paddy wagon.” I slammed my cup on the table, sprinkling my hand with lukewarm coffee. “You better not tell Grandpa that. Uncle Will drove me to the hospital in the Crown Vic.
    “Who was at Red’s?” Luke said, ignoring me.
    “The regulars,” Todd muttered and blushed.
    “Wait a minute, it’s Wednesday night. The County Line isn’t open this late on a weekday.” I shook my finger. “You guys playing cards at Red’s? You’re going to get Red in a lot of trouble if his place gets busted.”
    The blush flared. “Now, baby. I’m not really playing. We wouldn’t do that to Red. It was for fun. Pennies. Nothing big.”
    “Are you talking about poker?” Luke asked.
    Todd shrugged. “Yeah. I like to play.”
    “He’s like the idiot savant of poker,” Cody added.
    “Cody,” my voice hummed with warning. Todd wore the dumb blonde look well, but I sometimes wondered if the act was real or a game that amused him. He really did play poker like a pro. And I sort of found myself married to him for a minute.
    “Thanks, Cody.” Todd beamed. “Yeah, I’m pretty good. I did so good in an online league that I won a contest to play in Vegas.” His hands slapped the table in a happy rhythm. “Cherry went with me.”
    “Lucky you.” Luke said to me.
    “Lucky Todd,” Cody snorted.
    “Hush up, Cody. That reminds me. Grandpa told me Sam McGill’s got a traveling poker group that met in Mather’s tire shop. You know anything about that?” I winced at my insensitivity. “Sorry Luke. You probably don’t want to be reminded of Mather’s.”
    “No, actually I’d like to know what happened. Go on, Todd.” Luke leaned back in the booth. “Is it high stakes?”
    “McGill’s boys? Nothing higher than a twenty in that group. It’s for fun. And the guys are old.” Todd’s fingers tapped the underside of the table. “You looking for a high stakes game?”
    “Can I find that around here?” Luke asked.
    Cody glanced at me and I shrugged.
    Todd folded his arms on the table and leaned toward Luke. “If you were looking, I could probably get you in.”
    “Todd,” I said. “You told me you don’t do that. It’s illegal.”
    He swept a hand toward me with a roll of eyes toward the guys. “I didn’t say I did it. I