Organized to Death by Jan Christensen Read Free Book Online Page B

mother’s love of order, but apparently the gene had bypassed Rachel completely. Oddly enough, Tina had never felt totally comfortable when she’d come to play with Crystal, or later to do homework with her and just talk in her bedroom. Too afraid she’d mess something up. And yet, she’d been attracted to the idea of having such a perfect home.
    She perched herself on a Queen Anne chair. A dish of potpourri sat on the drum table next to her, the scent fake and cloying.
    “How are you, dear?” Mrs. Morris asked. “And your mother, your Uncle Bob?
    “We’re all fine, thanks. Mother is her usual self, and Uncle Bob never changes.”
    They both laughed a bit.
    An awkward silence ensued, and Tina finally ventured to ask, “Have the police found out anything?”
    “No. No, they haven’t. Or if they have, they haven’t told me. It must have been very hard for you to find Crystal like that. Rachel is having nightmares, you know.”
    “I’m okay. Still in shock, a bit, I think. I’m sorry Rachel is having nightmares. I’m working right now, which helps take my mind off it.”
    “But the police won’t let Rachel in the house … “
    “No, not with Rachel. I got a job with Dr. Hockmann. Seems Dr. Stevenson didn’t clear everything out, and Ted, I mean Dr. Hockmann, asked me to help them out.”
    “Oh. I see.”
    What did she see? Tina couldn’t tell. Tina told herself not to be silly—it was just a phrase. But Mrs. Morris’s expression told Tina there was something unsaid. About Dr. Hockmann?
    “You’ve met him?” she asked.
    “Yes. Yes, after Crystal… After Crystal… died, he came to see me, gave me a sedative. One for Rachel, as well. There was something… off, about him. Oh, I shouldn’t be saying this. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, spouting off like that. I’m sure he’s a perfectly fine doctor.”
    “Of course,” Tina said, remembering her own uneasiness.
    Rachel came downstairs then, saving them from their discomfort.
    “Nicky’s asleep,” she said as she collapsed onto one of the two couches. “I wonder if the same person shot Crystal.”
    Mrs. Morris looked startled. “Probably. But why? What on earth could be the reason?”
    “I’d guess they both know something,” Tina said. “Maybe they don’t even know that it’s a problem for the, um, shooter.”
    “But that means Nicky is still in danger,” Rachel wailed.
    And so are you, Tina thought. Maybe Nicky wasn’t the target. Maybe you were.

CHAPTER 9
    When she entered her house, she didn’t know how much more could she take. She’d missed her target. A twenty-two wasn’t good at such a distance, but it was all she had.
    Nicky, that nice young man, had clutched his chest, or maybe it was only his arm, but hadn’t fallen. All her other shots had gone wild. As she sped away, she hadn’t see anyone else around, so she hoped no one could identify her.
    She didn’t know whether to be happy or sad she hadn’t killed Rachel today. How many of them would she have to kill, anyway? She hadn’t counted, only knew that Rachel was a threat. She and Crystal were close, had been since they were young girls. It made sense that Crystal would tell her sister what she knew.
    Shaking all over, she poured herself some brandy and collapsed onto a kitchen chair. The hell with putting the brandy in her tea today.
    But while finishing her second glass, she realized she’d have to kill them all. Even Nicky. If Crystal told Rachel, and Rachel told Nicky, and Crystal also told her husband, Charles, and …
    She poured herself a third brandy.

CHAPTER 10
    After both Rachel’s mother and Tina tried to reassure her, Tina left. As she drove the few blocks home, Tina realized it was only midafternoon. She hadn’t had lunch and thought she should probably go back to the doctor’s office, but just didn’t feel up to it.
    When she pulled into her driveway, she saw Brandon standing under the maple tree, obviously waiting for her. He tensed his