Drawing Blood by Mary Lou George Read Free Book Online Page A

warming it on the opposite calf.
    “We can’t just sit around and wait to find out if it was Irene or not. Oh God.” Her eyes widened and she looked at Avery in horror. “What if it isn’t Irene, but someone else killed in her place? I’m responsible.”
    Avery looked at Holly sternly and used her firmest voice, the one that always made the kids stop dead in their tracks. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re not to blame any more than I am. We didn’t murder anyone. What else could we have done?”
    “I could have taken the sketch to the police.”
    Avery reacted with spirit. “We talked about that. They would have dismissed you immediately, especially the cops around here. I doubt there’s ever been a murder up here. They might have blamed you for it. As it is, the gossips are going to dine out on this for weeks.”
    Holly had to admit her friend was right. What else could she have done? Still, that didn’t alleviate her feelings of guilt. “They’ll release the victim’s name in good time, but how do we find out now who it was? I don’t think we should wait.”
    “I’ve got an idea,” Avery’s eyes gleamed.
    Holly shook her head and grinned for the first time that day. “You’ve always got an idea. Call me Ethel Mertz to your Lucy Ricardo. So start s’plaining, Lucy.”
    “Janice Owen. Her husband is a cop.”
    “Who is Janice Owen?”
    Avery waved a hand. “You know, Jeffrey’s mother? Connor’s friend Jeffrey?”
    Holly nodded. She could picture Jeffrey’s mother’s face. “Does her husband work in this county?”
    “Who cares? He’s a cop. If there’s been a murder, he’ll have more information than we do. I’m going to call Janice and see what she can do for us.” Avery moved to the phone.
    While her friend tried to remember the phone number, Holly poured a glass of orange juice. She lifted the jug in Avery’s direction. Avery shook her head and showed her straight white teeth. Holly smiled at her iconic gesture for having just-brushed-teeth. Orange juice after toothpaste was most unpleasant.
    With nothing to do while she waited for her friend to finish, Holly recalled a little of her dream the previous night. She could feel her blush start at her chest and move upward, warming as it went. Holly wondered if   something as natural as a blush could set her hair on fire. It sure felt like it.
    Avery hung up the phone and looked at her askance. “What’s wrong, Hol?”
    She only flushed deeper still. It got hotter.
    “Oh, well, now you have to tell me. That’s your, this-has-something-to-do-with-sex blush.” She took Holly’s shoulders and guided her to a chair by the kitchen table. Poking her head in the pantry, she reappeared with the homemade cinnamon buns Alison had dropped off.
    “This calls for fat and sugar.” She dished out a bun for Holly and one for herself and dug in with gusto. Her mouth full, she said, “Spill, kiddo.”
    Holly coated an index finger with icing and licked it off. She took a deep breath, whining. “I think I want mine heated.”
    Avery narrowed her eyes, picked up Holly’s cold bun and put it in the microwave for a few seconds. They waited in silence. At the ding, Avery took the bun out of the microwave and placed it in front of Holly.
    She said, “This had better be good.”
    There wasn’t a thing in Holly’s life that Avery didn’t know, so if she could tell anyone about her dream it was Avery. Still, the details were very personal and she glossed over a few of the more embarrassing bits. Her friend would understand. She was very good at drawing her own conclusions.
    When Holly was finished, Avery looked at her with excitement. Delighted, she threw her head back and laughed. “This is great! You have to see him again!”
    Holly scoffed, “Yeah, in my dreams…literally.”
    Avery wasn’t deterred. “If he can do that to you in your dreams, imagine what he can do in real life.”
    “Don’t you think it’s a little scary? I mean, we’re