Drop Dead Gorgeous Read Online Free PDF Page A

still terrible. I don’t care how fast she was living—no one deserves to be murdered,” Lori murmured. Suddenly, she remembered Eleanor clearly. She’d come to the rock pit with Mandy, that last day when they’d all been together. She could remember how she’d looked in her bikini, laughing, running off with Mandy toward the water. Then, later, with the rest of them …
    When Mandy had been dragged up and Sean had been bent over her, desperately trying CPR, except that the cops had been convinced that …
    “You’re right,” Jan said with a long sigh. “It’s sad and terrible, and I sure hope they get the guy. I didn’t mean that Eleanor deserved it or anything like that. It’s just that a fast lifestyle can get you into trouble with guys you don’t know, and these days it's kind of like anyone can be a homicidal maniac. Though, I admit, I used to like that club, but I guarantee you, I won’t be there for a while!”
    “You’re going to stay home and be an angel?”
    “For a while. Well, I’m going to stay home— or away from clubs and nights out on the town. Maybe I’ll give Brad a call and see what he’s up to for the next few weekends.”
    Despite the circumstances, Lori grinned. “Ah! Knowing what kind of monsters are out there makes the old husband look good, eh?” Lori arched a brow at Jan.
    “Well, he’s an ex-husband, remember. But a woman does have her needs, so maybe I will be nice to him for a while now,” she murmured. “Scary stuff.”
    A shriek from downstairs caused them both to freeze and stare at one another. Lori pelted to the door and down the stairs, Jan at her heels. Her heart was hammering as she wondered what could have happened.
    She jammed to a stop at the bottom of the stairs; Jan crashed into her.
    Tina was sitting on the sofa while Brendan was going through a box of CDs, Tina shrieking with laughter. She looked at Lori and her mother with surprise, then apologized quickly.
    “Oh, I’m sorry, he was just telling me that he loves the Monkees! The Monkees, can you imagine?”
    Lori sagged against the stairs.
    Brendan looked up at his mother. She was relieved to see that he was happy, enjoying Tina. What wasn’t to enjoy? The girl was as pretty as could be and nice as well.
    “She’s got no taste, Mom. Sorry, Mrs. Jackson.”
    “The Monkees?” Jan said, sniffing and staring at Lori in defense of her daughter. “And I go by my maiden name, Hunt, Brendan, except you can just call me Jan.”
    “Yes, ma’am,” Brendan said politely. “Mom, I’m really starved,” he added. “Are we possibly going to get something to eat sometime soon?”
    “Of course,” Lori said, looking at Jan. It seemed a little absurd now that Tina’s shrieks of laughter had sent them into such a wild panic. They looked at one another somewhat sheepishly, in silent agreement that in front of the kids they would put the murder of an old acquaintance behind them. Even if it made both of them feel uneasy as hell.
    “Yeah, dinner, my treat,” Jan said, looking from Lori to Brendan, and back to Lori again. She forced a grin as she cheerfully added, “I did make a nice commission on this place!”
    “Hey, fine, you can treat. Where are we going?” Lori asked.
    “Coconut Grove. A great little Italian place, new since you’ve been here.” Lori noticed that Tina elbowed Brendan—she had obviously known where they were going, and she wasn’t displeased.
    “Hey,” Jan continued, “I’m treating, but I think we should take both cars. You and Brendan might want to hang around awhile, and I have to pick up a contract if the old geezer gets around to signing it. Things have changed, though, in the past fifteen years. Wait till you see how much!”
    “All right. Let me just go up and grab my purse,” Lori said absently.
    Jan followed her upstairs. “Lori?”
    “Yeah?”
    “You’re acting weird. Are you all right with this?”
    Lori took her purse off the bed and headed back to the