Read Death at the Trade Show: Target Practice Mysteries 3 for Free Online Page A

work to do.”
    Mary had told me on the plane ride over that she didn’t have any homework this trip since the university semester had just started. What was she up to? She started typing and clicking away at her computer, dismissing me completely.
    I turned back to Liam, who was already watching me. Moo shoved his snout into my eye as I stared at Liam, startling me and making Liam laugh.
    “Was the afternoon at the center table better?” Liam pulled on Moo’s collar to get him out of my face and scratched behind his ears.
    I ran a finger under my eye, hoping to remove any smeared makeup. “Not really. The only people that talked to us were people that were looking for someone in the Westmound booth.”
    Liam’s mouth formed a grim line. “That’s not good. Connie and Mom are always saying that there is never enough time at the OIT Show to see everything. Want me to see if there is anything else that you and Mary can do?”
    “That would be great. We can sit at the table all week, but I’m not sure that we are doing much to contribute.”
    A knock on the door brought Liam to his feet to open it. John stepped into the room. A few seconds later, Elizabeth exited her bedroom. John’s face lit up when he saw her. His delight in seeing her was far beyond a professional interest only.
    Orion exited the bedroom, and they gathered their stuff to head out.
    Liam checked over the dinner order I had given him. “I’ll give this to Jack, and he’ll bring the food back here. I imagine it will take him at least an hour. Do you want him to bring the food to the room?”
    “Nah. He doesn’t need to come all the way up here. We’ll go hang out in the lobby with Moo.”
    “If you need anything, give me a call.”
    After the door shut behind them, I tried to get Mary’s attention. “Why do you think we’re sharing a car with John?”
    She dragged her eyes off the computer screen to stare at me. “Huh?”
    “Why are Beckmans and Westmound sharing a car this week? Beckmans has like a million stores, and we flew here in a private jet. I’m sure both companies could afford their own car. So why are we sharing one car?”
    Mary waved a hand at me. “If you want to be Veronica Mars, then you need to focus on the real mystery.”
    I patted the couch next to me, and Moo hopped up and set to cleaning a paw. “Which is?”
    Mary rolled her eyes. “You know that I want to investigate the guy we found last night.”
    I laughed. She was right. I knew we were going to investigate eventually, but I could tease Mary a bit more. “Oh, him. I totally forgot about him. I’m not sure if I even want to investigate.”
    Mary’s face fell. “Oh…”
    “No, I’m kidding, Mary. Nothing would make me happier than to investigate with you.”
    She squinted at me. “You sure?”
    I kicked my feet up on the coffee table in front of the couch and slid down with my hands behind my head. “Totally, but have you given any thought to how we’ll solve the murder? If it even is a murder.”
    Mary grabbed the newspaper off the table and shook it at me. “It was a murder. The newspaper said that there is an ongoing investigation. And I have a plan. Logic.”
    “Logic?”
    “Yes, logic. If we learn everything there is to know about him, then we can figure out who would want to kill him. Once we eliminate everyone with an alibi, then we have the killer. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.”
    “So once you eliminate the impossible, then whatever is left, no matter how improbable, gives us the killer?” I quipped.
    “Yeah, that’s great. Did you make that up just now?”
    “No.” I laughed. “I paraphrased Conan Doyle, the author of Sherlock Holmes.”
    “That’s perfect. We’ll be Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Watson.” She gestured at me when she said Watson.
    “If I’m the sidekick, then you better pull together the plan, Sherlock.”
    Mary leaned back in her chair and tapped a pen to her lip with one hand while flipping through