A Good Killing by Allison Leotta Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Allison Leotta
Jody said.
“You should’ve seen it five years ago.”
Jody was holding her wrist.
“Does it still hurt?” Anna asked. Jody nodded. “Let’s go to a doctor and get it looked at.”
“No, it’s fine. Just needs a little ice.”
Cooper led them to a kitchen, which looked like it hadn’t been updated since the days of Ozzie and Harriet. He loaded ice into a Ziploc bag and handed it to Jody, who put it on her wrist.
“Let me look at it,” Cooper said.
Jody held out her arm, and Cooper examined it gently. “You’ve got a sprain,” he said. “What happened?”
“No,” Anna said. “I don’t want Jody saying anything that you could be forced to repeat in court, Cooper.”
“You’re such a lawyer.” Jody rolled her eyes. “I slipped in the shower.”
“Uh-huh,” Cooper and Anna said at the same time.
Cooper got out a first-aid kit and wrapped Jody’s wrist in an Ace bandage. His calloused hands moved with gentle expertise. Anna guessed he’d learned some first aid in the army.
“Try to keep it still.” He finished wrapping Jody’s wrist. “You’ll be fine.”
He went to the fridge and pulled out three beers, then led the women to the living room. It was a cavernous, wood-trimmed space that dwarfed the mismatched furniture. A marble fireplace, taller than Anna, dominated the far wall. A stack of apple crates against the side wall served as bookshelves, filled with hundreds of novels and agricultural textbooks. Anna went over and looked at the books. She knew Cooper had majored in agriculture at Michigan State, which had one of the best programs in the country. Looking at the textbooks—about biotech, veterinary medicine, ecology, and the environment—Anna appreciated that modern farming was about much more than sticking seeds in dirt.
Cooper handed each sister a bottle of beer. Anna twisted off the top and looked at the label: Detroit Doppelbock . She took a sip of the brown ale, which was malty and smooth. “This is good,” she said.
“Remind me to take you to the Detroit Brewing Company,” Cooper said. “They rehabbed this great old building downtown and have a restaurant and microbrewery there now.”
Jody twisted open her beer and drained the whole thing. She set the bottle on the coffee table, which was a giant tree stump that had been sanded and polished so the growth rings shone. Her bandaged hand covered her mouth as she belched. “Excuse me.”
“Impressive,” Cooper said, handing Jody the third beer. “I’m gonna make dinner. Stay here, relax. You’ve both had long days.”
After he left, Anna and her sister sat looking at each other, sizing each other up. Anna spoke first.
“I think you need to hire a lawyer.”
Jody shook her head. “Hire a lawyer and everyone automatically thinks you’re guilty.”
“The police are searching your house. They already think you committed a crime.”
“Well, they’re not going to find anything there. The only criminal activity in my house last night was a criminal lack of foreplay—but I wasn’t planning on pressing charges.”
Her sister grinned, waiting for the laugh. Anna was too upset to give it. Jody’s affect was all wrong. “Coach Fowler is dead, Jo. Aren’t you upset?”
“Of course I’m upset. Don’t get me wrong. You know I’ve always laughed when I’m nervous. It’s terrible. I was just with him, and now he’s gone.”
Anna looked at her sister, trying to figure out what was going on in Jody’s head. Anna decided to stick around until this was sorted out. If Jody wouldn’t hire a lawyer, she would need someone who could give her legal advice.
For dinner, Cooper made pasta tossed with fluffy white chunks of mozzarella and fresh tomatoes and arugula from his garden. Afterward, they played euchre, betting their spare change on the card game. Jody soon amassed a pile of coins. She also drank three more beers, which Anna noticed but didn’t comment on. Their father had been an alcoholic. Jody had
“You should’ve seen it five years ago.”
Jody was holding her wrist.
“Does it still hurt?” Anna asked. Jody nodded. “Let’s go to a doctor and get it looked at.”
“No, it’s fine. Just needs a little ice.”
Cooper led them to a kitchen, which looked like it hadn’t been updated since the days of Ozzie and Harriet. He loaded ice into a Ziploc bag and handed it to Jody, who put it on her wrist.
“Let me look at it,” Cooper said.
Jody held out her arm, and Cooper examined it gently. “You’ve got a sprain,” he said. “What happened?”
“No,” Anna said. “I don’t want Jody saying anything that you could be forced to repeat in court, Cooper.”
“You’re such a lawyer.” Jody rolled her eyes. “I slipped in the shower.”
“Uh-huh,” Cooper and Anna said at the same time.
Cooper got out a first-aid kit and wrapped Jody’s wrist in an Ace bandage. His calloused hands moved with gentle expertise. Anna guessed he’d learned some first aid in the army.
“Try to keep it still.” He finished wrapping Jody’s wrist. “You’ll be fine.”
He went to the fridge and pulled out three beers, then led the women to the living room. It was a cavernous, wood-trimmed space that dwarfed the mismatched furniture. A marble fireplace, taller than Anna, dominated the far wall. A stack of apple crates against the side wall served as bookshelves, filled with hundreds of novels and agricultural textbooks. Anna went over and looked at the books. She knew Cooper had majored in agriculture at Michigan State, which had one of the best programs in the country. Looking at the textbooks—about biotech, veterinary medicine, ecology, and the environment—Anna appreciated that modern farming was about much more than sticking seeds in dirt.
Cooper handed each sister a bottle of beer. Anna twisted off the top and looked at the label: Detroit Doppelbock . She took a sip of the brown ale, which was malty and smooth. “This is good,” she said.
“Remind me to take you to the Detroit Brewing Company,” Cooper said. “They rehabbed this great old building downtown and have a restaurant and microbrewery there now.”
Jody twisted open her beer and drained the whole thing. She set the bottle on the coffee table, which was a giant tree stump that had been sanded and polished so the growth rings shone. Her bandaged hand covered her mouth as she belched. “Excuse me.”
“Impressive,” Cooper said, handing Jody the third beer. “I’m gonna make dinner. Stay here, relax. You’ve both had long days.”
After he left, Anna and her sister sat looking at each other, sizing each other up. Anna spoke first.
“I think you need to hire a lawyer.”
Jody shook her head. “Hire a lawyer and everyone automatically thinks you’re guilty.”
“The police are searching your house. They already think you committed a crime.”
“Well, they’re not going to find anything there. The only criminal activity in my house last night was a criminal lack of foreplay—but I wasn’t planning on pressing charges.”
Her sister grinned, waiting for the laugh. Anna was too upset to give it. Jody’s affect was all wrong. “Coach Fowler is dead, Jo. Aren’t you upset?”
“Of course I’m upset. Don’t get me wrong. You know I’ve always laughed when I’m nervous. It’s terrible. I was just with him, and now he’s gone.”
Anna looked at her sister, trying to figure out what was going on in Jody’s head. Anna decided to stick around until this was sorted out. If Jody wouldn’t hire a lawyer, she would need someone who could give her legal advice.
For dinner, Cooper made pasta tossed with fluffy white chunks of mozzarella and fresh tomatoes and arugula from his garden. Afterward, they played euchre, betting their spare change on the card game. Jody soon amassed a pile of coins. She also drank three more beers, which Anna noticed but didn’t comment on. Their father had been an alcoholic. Jody had