you that we had just arrived in town.”
“That’s what you said, but I haven’t
decided just yet if I’m ready to believe it.”
“Sorry, I can’t help you with that. Was
this Clayton the type of man who someone might want dead?”
“Not sure about that one just yet. We’re
still investigating. You might be well-served not to be blabbing all over town
about a body being found. You really got the town’s gossip mill up and
running.”
“I’m not sure what you mean by that,” I
said.
“Mary Clink came to the sheriff’s
department not long ago asking questions. She also mentioned that someone with
red hair who accompanied Margarita told her about a body being discovered. I
figured out it was you since I told you to come here. Seems like that was a
mistake on my part.”
“Now, that’s not fair. It’s not like you’d
be able to keep a secret like that for long.”
“Perhaps not, but you might have just
compromised the investigation at a time when I already have enough to worry
about.”
“That’s quite an accusation. How does
telling someone a body was found compromise anything?”
“Because I’d have liked to investigate
further without every busybody in town bugging the bejesus out of me.”
“I never meant to cause any problems. Maybe
we could help.”
“You sure can, by staying out of our way
and allowing us to do our job, Miss.” With that, he turned on his heels and
left.
Once he was back in his car, I was able to
exhale. “He’s bluffing. There is just no way the sheriff could possibly think
we had anything to do with Clayton Percy’s death.”
“We’re perfect suspects since we’re new in
town. All we have to do is—”
“Is what?” Daniel interjected. When we both
stared at him, wide eyed, he added, “I hope you don’t think a local committed
such a crime.”
“Oh, and why is that?” I asked.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I know
just about everyone in town and I can’t imagine any of them capable of murder.
Besides, it’s a bit of a coincidence that the fletches on the arrow that killed
Clayton were the same color as the ones you have.”
“I hardly think having pink and white
fletches is all that odd.”
“We’ll see.”
“Why are you so quick to pin the murder on
us?”
“Well, you were near the scene of the
crime.”
I cocked a brow. “Oh, and exactly where was
that?”
“Yes,” Dixie said. “You seem to know more
than we do about where the man was murdered, and by the way, you were dressed
in a ski mask, which makes me think you were trying to conceal your identity.”
“It’s cold up north, don’t ya know? Most everyone
I know wears a ski mask when they’re outside in the elements.”
I squared my shoulders. “What were you doing
out there?”
He stared into my eyes, and said, “If I was
the man who murdered Clayton, I’d never have stopped to help you ladies out.
I’d have been long gone.”
I softened my features. “What can you tell
us about Clayton?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Because it would seem we need to clear our
names.”
“I’m sure the sheriff will do a proper
investigation, and he’ll find out what really happened.”
“So, you won’t even answer a simple
question? What do you have to hide? I’m sure it won’t matter what you have to
say , since the man is long gone.”
“I don’t have anything to hide. I just
don’t feel comfortable talking to complete strangers about the town’s
business.”
I was beginning to get it. “All I asked was
about Clayton. What does he have to do with the entire town?”
“Bear Paw just doesn’t need any bad press
right now. Unless you haven’t noticed, there’s a winter festival ready to start
tomorrow.”
“Of course I know. Why else would I be
here?”
Dixie rubbed Daniel’s sleeve. “Please help
us out and tell us what you know about Clayton. It’s not like we’ll tell anyone
you told us.”
He took a glance around. “It’s just
“That’s what you said, but I haven’t
decided just yet if I’m ready to believe it.”
“Sorry, I can’t help you with that. Was
this Clayton the type of man who someone might want dead?”
“Not sure about that one just yet. We’re
still investigating. You might be well-served not to be blabbing all over town
about a body being found. You really got the town’s gossip mill up and
running.”
“I’m not sure what you mean by that,” I
said.
“Mary Clink came to the sheriff’s
department not long ago asking questions. She also mentioned that someone with
red hair who accompanied Margarita told her about a body being discovered. I
figured out it was you since I told you to come here. Seems like that was a
mistake on my part.”
“Now, that’s not fair. It’s not like you’d
be able to keep a secret like that for long.”
“Perhaps not, but you might have just
compromised the investigation at a time when I already have enough to worry
about.”
“That’s quite an accusation. How does
telling someone a body was found compromise anything?”
“Because I’d have liked to investigate
further without every busybody in town bugging the bejesus out of me.”
“I never meant to cause any problems. Maybe
we could help.”
“You sure can, by staying out of our way
and allowing us to do our job, Miss.” With that, he turned on his heels and
left.
Once he was back in his car, I was able to
exhale. “He’s bluffing. There is just no way the sheriff could possibly think
we had anything to do with Clayton Percy’s death.”
“We’re perfect suspects since we’re new in
town. All we have to do is—”
“Is what?” Daniel interjected. When we both
stared at him, wide eyed, he added, “I hope you don’t think a local committed
such a crime.”
“Oh, and why is that?” I asked.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I know
just about everyone in town and I can’t imagine any of them capable of murder.
Besides, it’s a bit of a coincidence that the fletches on the arrow that killed
Clayton were the same color as the ones you have.”
“I hardly think having pink and white
fletches is all that odd.”
“We’ll see.”
“Why are you so quick to pin the murder on
us?”
“Well, you were near the scene of the
crime.”
I cocked a brow. “Oh, and exactly where was
that?”
“Yes,” Dixie said. “You seem to know more
than we do about where the man was murdered, and by the way, you were dressed
in a ski mask, which makes me think you were trying to conceal your identity.”
“It’s cold up north, don’t ya know? Most everyone
I know wears a ski mask when they’re outside in the elements.”
I squared my shoulders. “What were you doing
out there?”
He stared into my eyes, and said, “If I was
the man who murdered Clayton, I’d never have stopped to help you ladies out.
I’d have been long gone.”
I softened my features. “What can you tell
us about Clayton?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Because it would seem we need to clear our
names.”
“I’m sure the sheriff will do a proper
investigation, and he’ll find out what really happened.”
“So, you won’t even answer a simple
question? What do you have to hide? I’m sure it won’t matter what you have to
say , since the man is long gone.”
“I don’t have anything to hide. I just
don’t feel comfortable talking to complete strangers about the town’s
business.”
I was beginning to get it. “All I asked was
about Clayton. What does he have to do with the entire town?”
“Bear Paw just doesn’t need any bad press
right now. Unless you haven’t noticed, there’s a winter festival ready to start
tomorrow.”
“Of course I know. Why else would I be
here?”
Dixie rubbed Daniel’s sleeve. “Please help
us out and tell us what you know about Clayton. It’s not like we’ll tell anyone
you told us.”
He took a glance around. “It’s just
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