Rest in Pieces by Katie Graykowski Read Free Book Online Page A

searched my brain for a low carb beverage. “Want some water?”
    “Beer’s fine.” Ben walked to the kitchen and started unloading the bag. “I didn’t know what you like, so I got a little of everything.”
    I grabbed a bottle of Shiner from the fridge and handed it to him. “I’ll do that. Relax. You brought dinner, the least I can do is unpack it.”
    “That’s the best offer I’ve had all day.” He shrugged out of his jacket, hung it on the back of the chair, and then walked over to the front door and picked up a leather messenger bag. “I brought you a present.”
    “Cool. I need another messenger bag.” I laughed. Again with appreciating my own jokes. At least I’d said that one out loud.
    “Ha. Ha.” He pulled out a manila file folder, brought it over, and handed it to me. “Here.”
    He glanced at Max off in Minecraft land. “You need to keep it to yourself.”
    I unloaded the last large paper–wrapped bundle, wiped my hands on a dishtowel, and took the folder. Inside was a single photograph.
    “That’s the entire Molly Miars file.” He was standing so close that I could see the gold flecks in his eyes.
    Another serious smolder alert. I managed to pull my gaze away from his long enough to glance at the picture. It was a picture of Molly Miars’s body and her little dog, too. My mind said the last part of that sentence in the voice of Dorothy’s Wicked Witch of a neighbor.
    “Thanks.” I have to say that I expected a chalk outline. It was kind of disappointing that there wasn’t one.
    I glanced at Max to make sure he was still in Minecraft land and looked down at the photo. It was in color; I don’t know why I’d thought crime scene photos were black and white.
    I studied the photo. Molly’s body was on her left side at an odd angle, but her head was facing up with her eyes open. Her dog seemed to have been stabbed or something else that would cause an open wound because there was a trail of blood coming from somewhere out of the frame all the way to Molly. It was like he’d pulled himself over to her. Paolo, his name had been Paolo. Molly had called him her Pomeranian boyfriend.
    “Can I keep this?” I needed to go over with a magnifying glass and the girls needed to see it. Maybe between all three of us, we could find a clue.
    Ben shrugged. “I guess. It’s a copy, the original’s in evidence.”
    “You’re the bestest.” I gave him a quick hug. At least it started out as a quick hug, but Ben pulled me in tight against him. Sculpted abs and pecs crushed against me.
    “Mommmm.” Max sounded honestly scandalized.
    Ben dropped his arms and stepped back.
    Max’s eyes were the size of cupcakes.
    “What?” I put my hands on my hips. “Grownups hug and kiss and sometimes more than that.”
    “But you said you weren’t going to have sex with him.” Max cocked his head to the left.
    I could feel my face light up like a red neon sign. Some women blush prettily, I turn lobster red. I avoided Ben’s gaze.
    “If you think that was sex, clearly I need to be more specific. We’ll discuss it later.” I slipped the picture back in the folder and finally turned to Ben. “I’ll be right back. I need to put this away.”
    I needed to hide it somewhere that Max would never find it. When David was around and I wanted to hide something from him, my old standby was to put whatever it was in my tampon box. But this was larger than the tampon box. I walked into my bedroom and looked around. Under the mattress, just like they did it in the movies. After pulling up the corner and slipping it under, I walked back into the kitchen.
    Ben had unwrapped most of the food and set it on the kitchen table.
    “Max, please set the table. This is the second time I’ve asked.” I was using my mommy voice. I don’t know where it came from, but it showed up sometime after I’d given birth.
    “Okay.” He typed some more and then pushed away from the computer. He stood on his tip–toes to reach the