that
Clayton wasn’t the most liked man in town.”
“We gathered that already. He cheated on
his wife and kept her a virtual prisoner in her own home.”
“That’s not so. I’ve seen her plenty of
times around town.”
Dixie shook her head. “Yes, but he gave his
wife an allowance and kept their finances a secret from her, a measly fifty
dollars. She doesn’t even know if he had a bank account.”
“That hardly makes her a virtual prisoner.
Fifty dollars is plenty of spending money.”
Dixie and I gasped. “Obviously, you have no
idea how much it costs for a woman to get her hair and nails done,” I said.
He gave me a once over. “Obviously, you
don’t either.”
I wanted to clock him, but instead smiled
sweetly. “My, but aren’t you a charmer.”
He smiled back, revealing dimples. “I try.”
Dixie interrupted us as she said, “Let’s
get back to Clayton. What else can you tell us about him?”
“He works at Hank’s Tool and Die.”
“Hank’s?” I asked. “Isn’t there a
restaurant in town called Hank’s Hotspot?”
“Yes, Hank opened that to appease his wife,
Mariah.”
“What’s Hank’s last name?”
“Hank Foster, but why is that important.”
I pursed my lips. “We might need to
question him about Clayton, is all. Clayton’s wife gave us the names of a few
of his friends who we’ll be questioning, too.”
“I don’t see why this is so important to
you girls.”
“I already told you why,” I said. “Is there
something else you’d like to add about Clayton that you haven’t told us yet?”
He glanced away. “What makes you think
that?”
“It’s a hunch. Plus, you looked away.”
He stared at me. “Clayton has been flashing
cash all over town, like more cash than he must be making at Hank’s Tool and
Die.”
“Was he involved in any illegal activities
that you know of?”
“Nope. Not much of that in this small
town.”
“How about growing and selling marijuana?”
“No way would Sheriff Price put up with
that. He searches the nearby woods by ATV’s and by air.”
“I had no idea that was such a big deal in
Michigan.”
“It isn’t exactly, but there are folks in
town who don’t exactly follow rules, if you get my meaning.”
“Okay, so you have no idea where he was
getting all that money from?”
He shook his head. “That’s all I know.” He
walked away, tossing his bow on the passenger side of his truck, and drove
away.
Chapter Five
I walked back inside, ignoring the stares
of the patrons who I had to wow with my Cajun cooking tomorrow. After I had
taken my bow back upstairs, I joined Margarita and Dixie in the kitchen as they
were going over the menu.
“Do you have any mystery meat in the
freezer?” I asked Margarita.
“I have some ground deer meat, if that
interests you.”
“Sounds great.”
Margarita retrieved the meat and handed it
to me. I unwrapped the white freezer paper and placed the frozen brick of meat
in a frying pan, where I slow cooked it, scrapping the meat little by little
into the pan, adding generous chunks of diced onions. I also added my special
seasoning, which I had tucked in the bag that I always carried with me. Once
the meat was browned, I added tomato sauce and cooked it on low.
Margarita set a large pot on another burner
and I added tomato sauce, kidney beans, green peppers, and the sautéed deer
meat. In another pan, I fried up part of the Andouille sausage and then added
that to the large pot. I also added the Louisiana hot sauce. Once all the
ingredients were combined in the large pot, I covered it and put it on low.
“We should be good,” I said. “If that chili
doesn’t wow them, then I don’t know what will.” Dixie and I excused ourselves
and headed up to bed. I breathed in deeply, enjoying the medley of spices that
wafted in the air, even here upstairs. Before long, I fell fast asleep to the
sound of crickets chirping from my alarm clock radio.
***
I woke up to an
Clayton wasn’t the most liked man in town.”
“We gathered that already. He cheated on
his wife and kept her a virtual prisoner in her own home.”
“That’s not so. I’ve seen her plenty of
times around town.”
Dixie shook her head. “Yes, but he gave his
wife an allowance and kept their finances a secret from her, a measly fifty
dollars. She doesn’t even know if he had a bank account.”
“That hardly makes her a virtual prisoner.
Fifty dollars is plenty of spending money.”
Dixie and I gasped. “Obviously, you have no
idea how much it costs for a woman to get her hair and nails done,” I said.
He gave me a once over. “Obviously, you
don’t either.”
I wanted to clock him, but instead smiled
sweetly. “My, but aren’t you a charmer.”
He smiled back, revealing dimples. “I try.”
Dixie interrupted us as she said, “Let’s
get back to Clayton. What else can you tell us about him?”
“He works at Hank’s Tool and Die.”
“Hank’s?” I asked. “Isn’t there a
restaurant in town called Hank’s Hotspot?”
“Yes, Hank opened that to appease his wife,
Mariah.”
“What’s Hank’s last name?”
“Hank Foster, but why is that important.”
I pursed my lips. “We might need to
question him about Clayton, is all. Clayton’s wife gave us the names of a few
of his friends who we’ll be questioning, too.”
“I don’t see why this is so important to
you girls.”
“I already told you why,” I said. “Is there
something else you’d like to add about Clayton that you haven’t told us yet?”
He glanced away. “What makes you think
that?”
“It’s a hunch. Plus, you looked away.”
He stared at me. “Clayton has been flashing
cash all over town, like more cash than he must be making at Hank’s Tool and
Die.”
“Was he involved in any illegal activities
that you know of?”
“Nope. Not much of that in this small
town.”
“How about growing and selling marijuana?”
“No way would Sheriff Price put up with
that. He searches the nearby woods by ATV’s and by air.”
“I had no idea that was such a big deal in
Michigan.”
“It isn’t exactly, but there are folks in
town who don’t exactly follow rules, if you get my meaning.”
“Okay, so you have no idea where he was
getting all that money from?”
He shook his head. “That’s all I know.” He
walked away, tossing his bow on the passenger side of his truck, and drove
away.
Chapter Five
I walked back inside, ignoring the stares
of the patrons who I had to wow with my Cajun cooking tomorrow. After I had
taken my bow back upstairs, I joined Margarita and Dixie in the kitchen as they
were going over the menu.
“Do you have any mystery meat in the
freezer?” I asked Margarita.
“I have some ground deer meat, if that
interests you.”
“Sounds great.”
Margarita retrieved the meat and handed it
to me. I unwrapped the white freezer paper and placed the frozen brick of meat
in a frying pan, where I slow cooked it, scrapping the meat little by little
into the pan, adding generous chunks of diced onions. I also added my special
seasoning, which I had tucked in the bag that I always carried with me. Once
the meat was browned, I added tomato sauce and cooked it on low.
Margarita set a large pot on another burner
and I added tomato sauce, kidney beans, green peppers, and the sautéed deer
meat. In another pan, I fried up part of the Andouille sausage and then added
that to the large pot. I also added the Louisiana hot sauce. Once all the
ingredients were combined in the large pot, I covered it and put it on low.
“We should be good,” I said. “If that chili
doesn’t wow them, then I don’t know what will.” Dixie and I excused ourselves
and headed up to bed. I breathed in deeply, enjoying the medley of spices that
wafted in the air, even here upstairs. Before long, I fell fast asleep to the
sound of crickets chirping from my alarm clock radio.
***
I woke up to an
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