Free Death Indoors: Target Practice Mysteries 4 by Nikki Haverstock

ran off. But why didn't they say they were attacked? Maybe they did tell someone, and that person kept their mouth shut. This was far more complicated than a straightforward murder.
    The first step was to figure out the suspect list. "Hey, Mouse." I waved a hand to gain her attention over the din of the room. "The people they pulled aside to talk to, those are only people that came over to the apartments during the break?"
    She nodded. "There were a few people that weren't named by the police. Maybe they're questioning the rest of them later."
    Mary shook her head. "Duh, you guys all had a motive. You fought with Coach Ron today."
    Minx looked around, confused. "No way, that was a lot of people. He couldn't have fought with all of them."
    A round of laughter went up around the room. I scooted onto my knees. "You missed so much today. Coach Ron got into it with everyone."
    I leaned back against Liam's leg while stories flew around about Coach Ron's antics. Mouse and Tiger did a dramatic reenactment of her telling Coach Ron to be quiet. The room was full of laughter and talking all around me. I watched Mouse carefully. She had been jumpy and timid during the last murder at the center. This time she was the life of the party. Did I really know much about her?
    Another knock got me up to open the door.
    Jess swooped in. "Seriously, you are all stuffed into this one room? I was looking for Mouse, but it seems like she's not as traumatized as I feared. And you guys have a tournament tomorrow, or did we forget? Come on, go back to your room, read a book, and go to bed. No dillydallying."
    Orion leaned over to say something to Liam, who shook his head then remained seated. Everyone else got up and slowly exited with calls of "see you tomorrow."
    Jess grabbed Mouse. "I'll walk back with you." She closed the door behind them.
    Mary stood up. "I'm going to bed, too. Don't stay up too late."
    I moved up onto the couch next to Liam. Moo was snoozing on Liam's other side.
    Suddenly alone for the first time today, I felt a bit shy and awkward. "Um, thanks for coming today."
    "Sure." He grabbed his jacket, which was wedged into the couch under Moo's hindquarters. "I'll let you go to bed here in a minute--an athlete needs their sleep--but first you have to open something." He pulled out a small box.
    "But we said no gifts?"
    He handed it to me. "It's not from me, it's from Moo. Have you tried to tell Moo no? Totally doesn't work."
    I held the small, hinged box. Carefully I cracked it open and caught my breath. It was a delicate gold necklace with a charm hanging from it. I tipped my head slightly before gasping in recognition. "It's a finger tab. It's my finger tab."
    I held it up to my eyes. It was a perfect gold replica of the finger tab I stubbornly refused to replace. Even the gentle curves of the spacer I had modified to fit between my index and middle finger were there. "This is exactly like mine."
    I looked up and met his eyes.
    He smiled and lifted the necklace out of the box. "Jess took pictures of it, and I gave them to the artist. Here, let me put it on you. I know that you don't want to replace your original tab, so I thought this way it'd always be with you."
    "Aww, that's..." I was at a loss for words.
    Liam undid the clasp on the necklace. I lifted my hair and craned my neck to the side so he could see to latch it.
    One of his hands rested behind my neck after he put on the necklace. "I hope you like it."
    "I love it." I stared into his eyes, butterflies dancing in my stomach and my neck tingling where his hand rested. I lifted my chin slightly in an invitation.
    As he leaned in closer, I closed my eyes, my whole body eagerly waiting. Suddenly a burst of light broke behind my left eye, and a crash rocked my head.
    "Argh!"
    Dazed, I opened my right eye while I clutched my left. "What happened?"
    "Moo. Dang it. He hit me when..." Liam grunted and pushed the heel of his hand into the area between his eyebrows. "Are you okay? I'm so