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Authors: Madison Johns
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don’t see how
she couldn’t have known.”
“I see. Do you know anyone who is friends
with Marilyn?”
“Roxie Roxx. She’s a teacher. You might be
able to find her selling hot chocolate near the ice sculpting.”
I thanked Nancy, then Dixie and I left just
as the last of the parade made a turn into a cleared lot. I didn’t make it
twenty feet before I spotted Milton hiding behind a tree behind the chili cook
off.
“What on earth is the fool doing?” I asked.
“He really wants to win that chili cook off
bad.”
“I’ll be damned if I let that man win by
default.”
I pursued Milton and found him chatting
with Nancy. It took a few minutes before their voices could be heard. “Now,
Milton, I told you already I can’t help you win again this year. It’s going to
be fair and square.”
“You say that now, but what if I were to
tell the sheriff you were supplying information to those girls about Clayton’s
death? What then?”
“I didn’t tell them anything of much use,
so don’t worry.”
“What should I have to worry about?” he
spat, as he walked away.
“What was that about?” Dixie asked in a
whisper.
I led the way back down the street. “I’m
not sure, but it almost sounded like Nancy was hiding something.”
“I have the feeling like this whole town
might be hiding something. Remember how Daniel seemed to be holding back?”
“He told us Clayton was flashing cash
around town. It has to mean something. Hopefully, we’ll find someone else who can
tell us the same thing.”
“Like the cash hidden in his closet didn’t
speak volumes to you?”
“Perhaps, but I think we should check out
Marilyn’s friend Roxie. I’d sure like to know more about Marilyn than what we
know already, like has she ever gone hunting?
“So, you don’t believe what Nancy said
about Marilyn not knowing how to shoot a bow?”
“I’m not ready to be so willingly led to
form any opinion just yet.”
I made my way to the ice sculptures, where
men and women on ladders chipped away with ice picks and hammers, creating a
spray of ice shards and dust into the air like snow. I smiled when I noticed a
child of about five hitting an ice block with a plastic shovel. Obviously, this
was a family activity.
I breathed deeply, catching the fragrance
of hot cocoa and coffee with a hint of cinnamon. I stood in the line at the
wooden stand where they were selling hot cocoa.
“How are we going to find Roxie?” Dixie
asked. “If she’s manning the counter, we won’t be able to speak with her much.”
“Leave it to me.”
When it was our turn, I placed our order
with the girl at the counter, who swept back a strand of her black hair and
went to make our drinks. As she mixed the water into the chocolate power, I
asked, “Do you know where we can find Roxie Roxx?”
She stopped stirring and glanced up. “What
do you want with Roxie?”
“I need to ask her a few questions. I heard
she was a friend of Marilyn Percy.”
She finished stirring, then added a liberal
amount of whipped cream. “I can’t talk here, but if you give me a half hour,
I’ll meet you in the warming tent.”
I exchanged the money for the hot cocoa and
left after handing Dixie her cup. As we headed over toward the warming tent, I
said, “Roxie hardly looked old enough to be a teacher.”
“Did you see all the makeup she wore?”
“Yes, I noticed. Her name sounds like a
stripper.”
“I agree, but I doubt she’d moonlight as one
in a small town such as this.”
Chapter Six
We wandered into the warming tent and
positioned ourselves near the doorway so we would see when Roxie came in. There
were tables along the walls of the rectangle tent, with vendors hocking goods, including
outdoor winter supplies such as gloves and hats. They even had furry hats that
resembled bears and wolves with long scarves; these were meant to appeal to the
children, I guessed, but teenagers were wearing them, too. My ears were
practically ringing from
she couldn’t have known.”
“I see. Do you know anyone who is friends
with Marilyn?”
“Roxie Roxx. She’s a teacher. You might be
able to find her selling hot chocolate near the ice sculpting.”
I thanked Nancy, then Dixie and I left just
as the last of the parade made a turn into a cleared lot. I didn’t make it
twenty feet before I spotted Milton hiding behind a tree behind the chili cook
off.
“What on earth is the fool doing?” I asked.
“He really wants to win that chili cook off
bad.”
“I’ll be damned if I let that man win by
default.”
I pursued Milton and found him chatting
with Nancy. It took a few minutes before their voices could be heard. “Now,
Milton, I told you already I can’t help you win again this year. It’s going to
be fair and square.”
“You say that now, but what if I were to
tell the sheriff you were supplying information to those girls about Clayton’s
death? What then?”
“I didn’t tell them anything of much use,
so don’t worry.”
“What should I have to worry about?” he
spat, as he walked away.
“What was that about?” Dixie asked in a
whisper.
I led the way back down the street. “I’m
not sure, but it almost sounded like Nancy was hiding something.”
“I have the feeling like this whole town
might be hiding something. Remember how Daniel seemed to be holding back?”
“He told us Clayton was flashing cash
around town. It has to mean something. Hopefully, we’ll find someone else who can
tell us the same thing.”
“Like the cash hidden in his closet didn’t
speak volumes to you?”
“Perhaps, but I think we should check out
Marilyn’s friend Roxie. I’d sure like to know more about Marilyn than what we
know already, like has she ever gone hunting?
“So, you don’t believe what Nancy said
about Marilyn not knowing how to shoot a bow?”
“I’m not ready to be so willingly led to
form any opinion just yet.”
I made my way to the ice sculptures, where
men and women on ladders chipped away with ice picks and hammers, creating a
spray of ice shards and dust into the air like snow. I smiled when I noticed a
child of about five hitting an ice block with a plastic shovel. Obviously, this
was a family activity.
I breathed deeply, catching the fragrance
of hot cocoa and coffee with a hint of cinnamon. I stood in the line at the
wooden stand where they were selling hot cocoa.
“How are we going to find Roxie?” Dixie
asked. “If she’s manning the counter, we won’t be able to speak with her much.”
“Leave it to me.”
When it was our turn, I placed our order
with the girl at the counter, who swept back a strand of her black hair and
went to make our drinks. As she mixed the water into the chocolate power, I
asked, “Do you know where we can find Roxie Roxx?”
She stopped stirring and glanced up. “What
do you want with Roxie?”
“I need to ask her a few questions. I heard
she was a friend of Marilyn Percy.”
She finished stirring, then added a liberal
amount of whipped cream. “I can’t talk here, but if you give me a half hour,
I’ll meet you in the warming tent.”
I exchanged the money for the hot cocoa and
left after handing Dixie her cup. As we headed over toward the warming tent, I
said, “Roxie hardly looked old enough to be a teacher.”
“Did you see all the makeup she wore?”
“Yes, I noticed. Her name sounds like a
stripper.”
“I agree, but I doubt she’d moonlight as one
in a small town such as this.”
Chapter Six
We wandered into the warming tent and
positioned ourselves near the doorway so we would see when Roxie came in. There
were tables along the walls of the rectangle tent, with vendors hocking goods, including
outdoor winter supplies such as gloves and hats. They even had furry hats that
resembled bears and wolves with long scarves; these were meant to appeal to the
children, I guessed, but teenagers were wearing them, too. My ears were
practically ringing from
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