Free Bad Medicine by Aimée & David Thurlo

active in your father’s church, but the senator himself usually keeps his distance to avoid prejudicing traditionalvoters. It seems this time he’s trying to cover himself with the traditionalists by saying that it’s a memorial service, not a funeral, and the burial has already taken place. Of course he’s not going to appease anyone. Traditionalists believe in the four-day mourning period where the name of the deceased isn’t even mentioned so a memorial service within that time is, at best, ill-planned.”
    “Thanks for letting me know.” Ella hung up, then hurried out to join Justine.
    The ride to the church took almost half an hour. Ella stared at the structure, hating its presence because of the cost it had exacted from her family. “There are times when I wish this building would disappear off the face of the earth,” Ella muttered. “Whenever I look at it I feel as if someone had dropped bricks onmy chest.”
    “It’s understandable,” Justine said. “Why don’t you let me go in alone? I can handle this.”
    “No. It’s part of my job. I won’t back away for personal reasons.”
    Justine nodded slowly. “I can understand. I wouldn’t either if the situation was reversed.”
    “Let’s get busy then.”
    As they stepped out of Ella’s Jeep, Justine noticed the senator and his wife standing by the door, greetingthe handful of people who’d showed up. “I’d like to talk to the family, if you don’t mind.”
    “Go ahead. I’m going to focus on the others who’ve come. Later, we can compare notes.”
    As the mourners gathered and went inside, Ella chose a pew near the back. Five young women had shown up. Ella recognized Mary Tapahonso. Rose was a friend of Mary’s mom, and Ella had heard about the wild crowd thatMary ran around with. Present, too, was Evelyn Todacheene. The girl had recently been brought in to the station after having been caught shoplifting.
    Three other young women she didn’t recognize were also there. Ella suspected they were Angelina’s classmates. One in particular didn’t seem to fit with the rest. She wore her hair short, dyed a carrot-like red, and was clad in black clothes withwhat looked like underwear on the outside. The diamond-stud nose ring she wore was the focus of attention. Ella glanced over at Justine, then allowed her gaze to drift over the women, a question in her eyes. Justine nodded, understanding.
    As the memorial service progressed, each of the girls stood up and tearfully shared memories of their friend. But it was the last young woman, Diamond Nose,who took them all by surprise. Her stance warned Ella even before she spoke a word.
    “My name is Ruby Atso, and I’ve got to tell you all that Angelina would have hated this tear fest. She was a free spirit who refused to bow down to rules and ceremonies. Angelina was my friend and I loved her, but I think that we should cut this short and go remember her in the way she would have liked. If youask me, she would have much preferred for us to get together with a six pack of long necks and talk about the good times. I’m sorry if what I’m saying offends you, but I know that somewhere Angelina is laughing right now.”
    Senator Yellowhair rose quickly to usher the girl away, but Ruby was already heading for the door along with a short, pudgy yet scholarly looking girl. Ella watched, strugglingnot to smile. Ruby’s behavior had been undeniably rude, but it was an honest response and, as a cop, she’d learned to value honesty as the rare commodity it was.
    The service ended shortly afterward and Ella met Justine by the Jeep. “Do you know who the girls were?”
    Justine nodded. “Ruby, you just met. Chances are it’ll be a long, long time before the senator forgets her, too.”
    Ella smiled.“Kinda strange, wasn’t she?”
    “That group of Angelina’s is like that. They’re all freshmen at the college. The short one who left with Ruby is Norma Frank. She’s smart as a whip and, in my