Death on the Range: Target Practice Mysteries 1

Death on the Range: Target Practice Mysteries 1 by Nikki Haverstock

Book: Death on the Range: Target Practice Mysteries 1 by Nikki Haverstock Read Free Book Online
Authors: Nikki Haverstock
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unfocused. He set down his beer with the slow but jerky manner of a man losing control of his limbs. His tongue stuck out between his teeth as he carefully scooted out of the booth. It took an eternity. How drunk was he?
    He looked around the room then grabbed the booth’s back to steady himself. “Honey. Honey was… Honey was an awful person who deserved to die. Cheers, everyone.” He reached for the drink he had set down but hit it with the back of his hand, knocking it over and spilling a small puddle of beer on the table. Owley giggled and wiped up the mess. Her giggles took on a life of their own, and she couldn’t stop. Tiger started laughing too, and shortly they were howling with laughter, clutching their stomachs.
    Everyone, not just me, was staring at them. “What’s wrong with you?”
    Minx got up and grabbed a bottle of water. Handing it to Tiger, she said, “Drink,” then she turned to me. “Remember when he said he couldn’t be bothered with drama from the women’s side of the field? Well, the drama crossed the field.”
    Tiger downed the entire bottle, then his eyes got huge. He covered his mouth and stumbled from the room. Owley chased him out the door, asking if he was okay.
    Minx shook her head and sat down. “He got an email from Honey’s agent after you guys left. Not a very good agent, since he didn’t know Honey was gone. I don’t think Tiger was supposed to be included, but it spelled out that Honey had said she was looking for a guy to replace Tiger if he wasn’t a big enough deal. She was trying to find a real athlete to replace him.” She put heavy emphasis on the word real.
    Mary cringed. “Ouch.”
    The faint sound of vomiting carried into the room from the hallway. Jess got up. “I guess I better check that he managed to hit a trashcan or something.”
    The vodka was making my skin tingle. It was already making me feel lighter and clearer. I finished off my glass, and it was not nearly as sharp as my first taste. I grabbed the second glass, which appeared to have lost a few sips to a smiling Mary, who was sitting next to a smirking Minx.
    “Minx, do you want to say anything?”
    She got up and raised her glass. “To Honey. May she find all the things in the thereafter that she couldn’t find here.” She raised her glass, and those remaining in the room drank with her.
    The vodka was making me feel loose and easy. Mary and I sat across from Minx and drank our respective drinks for a few minutes. The room was quiet but not tense. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts.
    Minx eventually spoke up. “Mary, I meant to ask earlier. How’s your mom doing these days?”
    Before I even thought, my mouth was moving. “Why does everyone keep asking you that?” A thought flittered through my mind that I was slightly beyond tipsy.
    “Oh, she had breast cancer, but she’s fine now.” She patted my hand.
    Minx gasped at me. “Shut the front door, you didn’t know that her mom had cancer? Aren’t you guys roommates and, like, best buddies?”
    I glared at her. She had been taking jabs at me since we met, and anger rose up in my chest like a snake.
    Mary waved her hands. “Hey, no, it’s no big deal. I never mentioned it and Di is private so—”
    Minx glared right back and cut Mary off. “No, it is a big deal. Princess has been poking around all day into worse things in our lives but is too good to share anything about her life.”
    “Don’t call me Princess.”
    “If the shoe fits, then you gotta lace it up and wear it, Princess. You think you’re better than the rest of us.” She tore her eyes off me to look at Mary. “Do you know anything about Princess? Does she have siblings? Why did she get divorced? Do you know anything about her?”
    Mary stuttered but gave no answer.
    Jess had returned with Tiger and cautiously came over. “Is everything okay over here?”
    Minx turned around. “You guys are friends from way back. Do you know why Di got divorced and ran away

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