"I'm sorry that I'm staring. You just look so much like Laura. I'm Brenda Palmer. I live a few blocks away. Laura and I are in book club together." She held up a book. "I thought maybe you could take this to her in the hospital. She can read while she's recovering."

I took the book out of her hand. "I can do that, but she's not conscious right now."

Brenda's jaw dropped. "She's not? I thought she was out of surgery and doing better."

"She's holding her own, but she's not awake yet."

"Well, I really hope and pray that will happen soon."

"Me, too. How many people are in the book group?" I asked.

"About a dozen. It depends on the day."

I looked down at the book jacket, which was a beautiful fantasy image. "She likes fantasy, huh?"

"One of her favorite genres. She likes to escape into other worlds."

I smiled somewhat bitterly. "Well, that's probably the truest thing I've heard all day."

Brenda looked confused by my words. "Sorry?"

"Never mind. I'll make sure she gets the book. You said you live nearby. Were you home yesterday when my mother was shot?"

"No. I work at a hair salon a few miles from here. That's how your mom and I met. She's one of my clients."

"And she never told you about her daughters?"

Brenda shook her head. "Daughters? There's someone else besides you?"

"I have a sister, too."

"She never mentioned having children. Or maybe I just wasn't paying attention. Sometimes, I drift away when people are talking. I cut hair all day long. I hear a lot of stories."

Brenda seemed a little flaky and also somewhat defensive.

"Do you know if she was having trouble with anyone—a friend, a boyfriend, a coworker?" I asked.

"Like someone who would shoot her? I thought it was just a drive-by."

"No. The police are looking for someone who might have had something against her."

Brenda thought for a moment. "Laura mentioned that she'd had an unpleasant conversation with Tom's ex, Renee. Laura and Tom had gone out a few times, and Renee showed up at her door one day and told her they were getting back together, and Laura needed to leave him alone. Tom told her it wasn't true, but Laura didn't want to get involved in their drama, so she ended things."

"The police need to know about this woman," I said. "She sounds volatile."

"I don't think Renee is dangerous," Brenda said. "Maybe I shouldn't have even mentioned it. I don't want to get into the middle of any drama, either. You can tell the police about Renee if you want but leave me out of it. I better go."

Brenda practically ran away from the house. My gaze turned to Kade.

"Let's talk about it inside," he said.