Read Online The Fame Equation by Lisa Wysocky - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lisa Wysocky
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Giles saw my lack of prowess in the kitchen as a major flaw, and often mentioned it to her boys.
Why was I even thinking of Mama Giles when my best friend was dead? Horses sometimes distracted themselves from things they didn’t want to acknowledge. Maybe that’s what I was doing, but thinking about Melody would not bring her back. When it looked as if everyone else was finishing up with the pizza, I turned to Martin, then remembered Bubba.
“I know what y’all are thinking,” Bubba said. He was the only one still eating. Bubba was chubby, but a recent growth spurt kept him from being fat. His dark hair fell over his blue eyes as he looked around the room. “Y’all are gonna talk ’bout Melody gettin’ herself kilt and I’m a kid and shouldn’t be hearin’ bad stuff.” He popped a pepperoni into his mouth and swallowed it without chewing. “But remember that I’ve already seen and heard a bunch of bad stuff. I was kidnapped and I know all ’bout what happened to Glenda. Ever’body does.”
Glenda Dupree had been the movie star neighbor who lived in Fairbanks, next door to my farm. Bubba and Hill lived on the other side of her, and Bubba probably did know all of the grizzly details of her murder.
“B’sides, if you shuttle me off to another room, I’ll just listen anyways,” he said. “And if I can’t hear it now, then I’ll be learnin’ ’bout it soon e-nuff.”
I looked at Brent and Martin. Both shrugged in acceptance, but I hoped Martin would be tactful with his words.
“Here’s what I can say,” Martin finally said. “A call came in from a cell phone at one forty-six this afternoon. The caller, an unidentified male, said there was a body in the Harpeth River. The approximate location was three hundred yards before the river flows under the Hwy. 70 bridge, just before it makes a bend. We dispatched emergency services and near the location the caller mentioned, we found the body of a young, blond woman. From the series of red and blue stars tattooed across her right shoulder, we tentatively identified her as Melody Cross.”
My heart sank. Up to now I had been holding out hope that the body that had been found was someone other than Melody. But those stars had been photographed hundreds of times. Almost everyone on the planet would recognize them. I turned to Brent as the tears I had been holding back finally ran down my cheeks.
“Beyond that we don’t know much for certain,” Martin continued. “I can speculate that the cause of death was drowning, but can’t confirm that yet. How she got into the river, or where, we don’t know. The sheriff has assigned the case to me and I guarantee we’ll find the person who did this.”
I snuffled and turned to see the misery on everyone’s faces. Even Bubba looked sad. Darcy looked so miserable that I disentangled myself from Brent and went to hug her.
“There is one more detail.” We all stared at Martin as he said, “Melody didn’t have any clothes on.”
Half an hour later Darcy, Brent, and Bubba went to the living room to play Go Fish. I knew the game would be a distraction for Bubba, but it upset me that they would play something so shallow at a time like this. Jon had left a while ago to check on the horses. Even though I was upset, I was glad Bubba had left the room, as I had questions to ask Martin that I didn’t want Bubba to hear.
“Your best guess, Martin, and don’t pull any punches for me. Was Melody murdered?”
His gaze across my kitchen was wise beyond his years. He was twenty-seven, although his doughy cheeks made him look younger. “Don’t know, Miz Cat. Don’t know. The medical examiner in Nashville will look at her soon. Tonight maybe.”
“But why was she in the river without any clothes? Actually, why was she in the river at all? It’s November. It’s not like she was going for a swim.”
Martin reached over to clasp my hand. “I don’t know the answers right now, but I imagine we’ll find out in
Why was I even thinking of Mama Giles when my best friend was dead? Horses sometimes distracted themselves from things they didn’t want to acknowledge. Maybe that’s what I was doing, but thinking about Melody would not bring her back. When it looked as if everyone else was finishing up with the pizza, I turned to Martin, then remembered Bubba.
“I know what y’all are thinking,” Bubba said. He was the only one still eating. Bubba was chubby, but a recent growth spurt kept him from being fat. His dark hair fell over his blue eyes as he looked around the room. “Y’all are gonna talk ’bout Melody gettin’ herself kilt and I’m a kid and shouldn’t be hearin’ bad stuff.” He popped a pepperoni into his mouth and swallowed it without chewing. “But remember that I’ve already seen and heard a bunch of bad stuff. I was kidnapped and I know all ’bout what happened to Glenda. Ever’body does.”
Glenda Dupree had been the movie star neighbor who lived in Fairbanks, next door to my farm. Bubba and Hill lived on the other side of her, and Bubba probably did know all of the grizzly details of her murder.
“B’sides, if you shuttle me off to another room, I’ll just listen anyways,” he said. “And if I can’t hear it now, then I’ll be learnin’ ’bout it soon e-nuff.”
I looked at Brent and Martin. Both shrugged in acceptance, but I hoped Martin would be tactful with his words.
“Here’s what I can say,” Martin finally said. “A call came in from a cell phone at one forty-six this afternoon. The caller, an unidentified male, said there was a body in the Harpeth River. The approximate location was three hundred yards before the river flows under the Hwy. 70 bridge, just before it makes a bend. We dispatched emergency services and near the location the caller mentioned, we found the body of a young, blond woman. From the series of red and blue stars tattooed across her right shoulder, we tentatively identified her as Melody Cross.”
My heart sank. Up to now I had been holding out hope that the body that had been found was someone other than Melody. But those stars had been photographed hundreds of times. Almost everyone on the planet would recognize them. I turned to Brent as the tears I had been holding back finally ran down my cheeks.
“Beyond that we don’t know much for certain,” Martin continued. “I can speculate that the cause of death was drowning, but can’t confirm that yet. How she got into the river, or where, we don’t know. The sheriff has assigned the case to me and I guarantee we’ll find the person who did this.”
I snuffled and turned to see the misery on everyone’s faces. Even Bubba looked sad. Darcy looked so miserable that I disentangled myself from Brent and went to hug her.
“There is one more detail.” We all stared at Martin as he said, “Melody didn’t have any clothes on.”
Half an hour later Darcy, Brent, and Bubba went to the living room to play Go Fish. I knew the game would be a distraction for Bubba, but it upset me that they would play something so shallow at a time like this. Jon had left a while ago to check on the horses. Even though I was upset, I was glad Bubba had left the room, as I had questions to ask Martin that I didn’t want Bubba to hear.
“Your best guess, Martin, and don’t pull any punches for me. Was Melody murdered?”
His gaze across my kitchen was wise beyond his years. He was twenty-seven, although his doughy cheeks made him look younger. “Don’t know, Miz Cat. Don’t know. The medical examiner in Nashville will look at her soon. Tonight maybe.”
“But why was she in the river without any clothes? Actually, why was she in the river at all? It’s November. It’s not like she was going for a swim.”
Martin reached over to clasp my hand. “I don’t know the answers right now, but I imagine we’ll find out in
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