Read Online A Mammoth Murder by Bill Crider - Free Book Online Page A

shoved through them to the creek bank. Jennifer was right behind him, followed by Vance and then by Rhodes.
    The ground along the creek was rough, and the weeds didn’t make the walking any easier. Bugs swarmed in their faces. Rhodes wasn’t sure if he wanted to look for mammoth bones, but he did want to see the location where Turley had found the tooth, so he pushed on.
    When they came to the spot they were looking for, Turley stopped and pointed to a chinaberry tree on the other side of the creek. “We’ll have to cross over here,” he said.

    Rhodes wondered why they hadn’t crossed on the bridge and walked along the other side. He didn’t ask, however. He just tried to keep his balance as he followed the others down to the trickle of water at the bottom of the creek bed. When they reached it, Turley, Jennifer, and Vance stepped across with no trouble, not seeming to mind that their feet sank into the mud on the other side.
    Rhodes minded, but he didn’t say so. He stepped over the water and into the mud on the other side. There was a sucking sound when he pulled his foot free. He looked down at the mud on his shoes and thought about the way Turley’s shoes had looked when he brought the tooth into the jail.
    About halfway up the bank, Turley stopped and peered closely at the ground. He took a couple of steps to his right and said, “This is it. I found that tooth right here.”
    â€œIf you don’t mind,” Vance said, “I’ll have a look around.”
    Rhodes understood that what he meant was If you three amateurs will keep out of my way, I’ll see what a professional can find.
    â€œWhy don’t we go up in the shade,” Rhodes said, and he walked up the bank to stand under the chinaberry tree.
    Turley and Jennifer came up and stood beside him while Vance probed in the earth of the bank with his hands.
    â€œDo you think he’ll find anything?” Jennifer said.
    Her face was red, and a rivulet of sweat ran out of her hair and down her temple.
    â€œIf it’s on top of the ground, he’ll find it,” Rhodes told her.
    â€œThere’s stuff there,” Turley said. “If there was a tooth, there’s bound to be more.”
    He was right, and it didn’t take long for Vance to prove it. He came up to join them under the tree with a satisfied look on his
face, and in his hand he held another tooth, just as well preserved as the one Turley had found.
    â€œFrom just my quick look around,” Vance said, “I’d guess the bones are here in a layer of sediment and gravel. Maybe this was the edge of a lake, or a slowdown in some ancient creek like the one that’s here now. The rainwater rushing down the creek has washed away a lot of the topsoil, so the bones might not be too hard to find.”
    Vance handed the tooth to Rhodes and told him to let the others see it. While Rhodes was examining the fossil, Vance looked at both sides of the bank and said, “I think I could rig up a canopy to shade a dig here, and I can get some of my students to help. And, as I said, maybe there’s someone at the high school who’d be interested, too.”
    â€œHow soon would you want to get started?” Rhodes asked, handing the tooth to Jennifer.
    â€œAs soon as I can. This weekend would be best. Once the fall semester starts, I won’t have much time other than on Saturdays. When did you say you were going to talk to Mr. Bolton?”
    â€œI’ll do it this afternoon,” Rhodes said.
    â€œGood. Give me a call when you find out something.”
    Vance reached into a back pocket and brought out his billfold. He took out a business card and handed it to Rhodes, who put it in his shirt pocket.
    â€œI need to get back to town and write this up for the paper,” Jennifer said, wiping away the sweat on the side of her face.
    â€œI’d like to stay for a while and check things out, if you don’t