Free Death Indoors: Target Practice Mysteries 4 by Nikki Haverstock Page B

still tender. My neck was sweaty where the ice pack, now a lukewarm pack, was stuck to my skin. It parted from my skin with a low sucking sound. It felt like the world's biggest Band-Aid. I got up and looked for Moo before I remembered that he wasn't here. I shuffled to the fridge to pour myself a cup of iced coffee. It helped kick-start my body. I wanted to at least be up and awake when Mary left as a sign of moral support.
    I staggered through my morning routine without really seeing myself. I'd done it so many times before that I could do it with my eyes closed. I slipped on a clean jersey and grabbed my shooting shoes and bag.
    The second I padded out of my room in my fluffy socks, a male voice startled me.
    "Morning. Do you want me to wait in the hall?" Orion leaped off our couch and was halfway to the door by the time I got my bearings.
    "No, no, sit down. I assume Mary asked you to be here?" He nodded while he edged toward the door. "Today is an important day for her, and if she wants you here, then you better sit back down. Don't mind me. I'm just grabbing some coffee."
    He edged back to the couch but gave me a funny look. His eyebrows were raised, and he sucked air in through his teeth. "Liam said that Moo caused an accident, but I had no idea how bad it was."
    My hand flew to my face, tenderly pressing on the skin. "Can you see the bump?"
    "Uh..." He pursed his lips.
    Mary's door burst open. "Is Di up? I heard--Leaping lizards, you've got a black eye!"
    "Oh, no." I raced back into my bathroom to look in the mirror. My left eye was slightly swollen on the outside, and underneath was a growing purple ring. It was going to get significantly worse before it got better.
    I went back to get the coffee that I had neglected to grab earlier. I went straight to the fridge, poured a mug of iced coffee and added a glorious slug of heavy whipping cream. We ate all our meals in the cafeteria but kept some snacks in our room for emergencies. I grabbed an emergency mini chocolate bar and tore into it.
    Mary and Orion were chatting quietly on the couch. I took a long sip of coffee then licked my lips. I adored the creaminess of the heavy whipping cream with the roasted flavor of the coffee. I wasn't necessarily a fan of coffee so much as the ritual of cupping the mug in my hand and silently sipping as my mind woke up.
    I took another sip. "You guys are heading over soon?"
    "Let me grab my stuff and I'm ready to go." Mary ducked back into her room.
    I put my mug in the sink and brushed my teeth then followed Mary and Orion out the door.
    The morning air had a bite to it and cut into my thin athletic pants. I moved as quickly as possible while keeping my balance.
    I entered through the glass doors then through the second set of doors that helped keep the cold outside the building and warmth inside. The range had some tournament staff milling about, putting clipboards with bright scorecards along the shooting line.
    "I'll catch up," I said to Mary and Orion as I stopped at my office door.
    I dropped my bag in my office, hung my jacket up and put on my shooting shoes. Digging into my desk, I pulled out a notebook and a few pens. If Mary was going to be busy shooting, then I was going to need to organize the suspect list on my own this time. I hummed my best impression of a song I'd heard on the radio, though I'm sure that no one else could figure out the tune. Even in my own ears, I could hear how my humming was flat.
    I shut my office door, slid the keys into my pocket, and carried my pens and notebook down the hall. I smiled and nodded at everyone who passed, though most just stared in reply. My humming turned to whistling as I got to the entrance to the dining room. I'd drop off the notebook first then grab food, but first, I leaned up against the wall to observe Mary and Orion sitting across from Liam. I recognized him and Moo from behind.
    I sent up a quick prayer of thanks to God for giving me a life that I didn't even know I