Free Rest in Pieces by Katie Graykowski Page B

jerk.”
    “Okay.” I couldn’t help but wonder if all drug lords gave shooting lessons.
    He put his hands on my hips. “Don’t lean forward. Keep your hips over your feet unless you’re more comfortable with one leg forward. I wouldn’t advise that stance until you’ve learned the basics.”
    His hands dropped.
    “My turn.” Monica practically knocked me out of the way so she could have the drug lord lap dance gun lesson. I didn’t blame her. It had been fun.
    I stepped behind the podium.
    Haley leaned into me and whispered in my ear. “He’s into you. I’m so jealous.”

    Two hours later, I was jealous of her. My hand was killing me and my shoulder burned.
    “It’s just gun fatigue.” Haley clicked the key fob to unlock her Range Rover as Daman opened the front door. “It’ll pass. The more you shoot, the less it hurts.”
    I rubbed my right shoulder as I followed Haley out. “I didn’t realize that guns were so painful.”
    The wind ripped off of Lake Travis and I huddled into my sweater.
    “Here, let me.” Daman slid his hands over my shoulders and massaged. He had some very talented hands. I closed my eyes and melted back against him. He had an endless supply of carbs and magic massaging hands. If it weren’t for that whole drug lord thing, he’d be the perfect guy.
    I opened my eyes to find Monica glaring at me. She mouthed, “slut” and then rolled her eyes.
    Ten minutes later we drove down his long driveway.
    “I don’t get it.” Monica shook her head. “Here I am throwing myself at him and he knocks me out of the way to get to you. I called dibs and everything. Seriously, do I smell bad or something?”
    Haley looked at her through the rearview mirror. “You smell wonderful.”
    “I know, it was weird. The only guys who wanted to date me before yesterday either lived with their parents or wanted the scoop on my ex–husband.” I shrugged. “I have no idea what’s happening.”
    I wasn’t even wearing my red sweater today. My life had turned into The Dating Game meets The Twilight Zone.
    “Did he ask you out?” Haley glanced at me. Again, I’d called shotgun, leaving Monica to sit in the back. She really needed to up her game.
    “No, which is probably good, being that he’s a drug lord and all.” I reached down to the leather bag I’d brought with me this morning and left in the car. I pulled out everything I had on Molly. “Here’s the picture Lakeside PD took at the crime scene.”
    I handed that to her.
    “Let’s pick up some lunch and meet the kids at the park. Maybe we can find a quiet table and take a look at the medical records.” Haley turned into the drive–through line of a Chick–fil–A. Since her parents owned all of the Chick–fil–As in central Texas, we ate for free. Fine with me.
    She ordered our usual and we followed the car in front of us to the second window to pick up our food.
    “Her eyes are bloodshot.” Monica held her phone up to the picture of Molly. “Why are her eyes bloodshot?”
    I turned in my seat to watch Monica. “How can you tell?”
    I didn’t remember noticing that Molly’s eyes were bloodshot.
    “Magnifying app on my phone.” She turned her phone around so I could see. “It has a light too. Very handy for the elderly and the nosy alike.”
    “Cool.” I looked down at the picture through Monica’s phone and Molly’s eyes were red and a little swollen. “Maybe she’d been crying?”
    Had she been so upset about something that she’d pulled out a bunch of heroin and shot up? It just sounded so unlikely.
    “The dog being dead is weird, too? Don’t you think?” I pointed to the trail of blood. “Do you think she hurt the dog?”
    “Never.” Haley shook her head. “She loved that dog. She had this purse thing and used to carry him around. I saw her at Dillard’s with him not two weeks ago.”
    “I agree. Paolo seemed to be her life.” I looked down at the picture again. “We’re missing something.”
    “I