1 Target of Death

by Madison Johns

  Margarita raised her hand. “There was something else I’d like to share with you, Sheriff. It’s about Clayton’s friends; neither of them much cared for Marilyn. They might even be people of interest in her death.”

  “In the same manner as Clayton? Are you also insinuating that they killed Clayton?”

  “No, but—”

  Sheriff Price fingered his chin in thought. “Whoever killed Clayton killed Marilyn and I don’t see either of those lushes being capable of that. From my knowledge, Marty only uses arrows with blue fletches, not pink and white. He’s a real man’s man. Not only masculine, but too chauvinistic to ever use anything pink in color.”

  “How right you are, Sheriff. I guess you could teach me a thing or two about investigations,” I said.

  “Don’t sell yourself short. You girls are doing a fine job of finding your way onto the top of the suspect list.”

  My brow shot up. “You have to be kidding me? There is no way we had anything to do with Marilyn’s death. We simply came here to question her and found her dead. From the looks of it, she’s been dead quite a while. I’m sure one of the workers can tell you what time we left the restaurant this morning, too.”

  “I see, but please explain to me how you got inside, then?”

  Margarita opened her mouth, and I said in a rush, “The door was open. We did a room-to-room search, and when we couldn’t find Marilyn, I caught sight of her outside on the ground. Whoever did this was obviously looking for something.”

  Margarita nodded. “You might not know this, but Marilyn is my cousin. I haven’t seen her in years, though. That was, until the other day after you informed Marilyn of Clayton’s passing.”

  His face tightened. “And you’re telling me this why?”

  Margarita shook her head at the sheriff. “I was getting to that, if you would quit interrupting me. Anyway, she found a bag filled with cash. She told us she had planned to hide it.”

  “She seemed surprised about finding the money,” I added. “Also that day, we found an insurance policy that Clayton had taken out on his wife. A stripper at Hank’s Hotspot said that Clayton told her he had come into a large sum of money and had planned to leave his wife.”

  The sheriff took out a notebook and asked, “Do you have a name?”

  “Cindy. It also appears that Troy, the bartender, was Cindy’s boyfriend. He insisted that Clayton had slept with his girl. From what I gathered, Cindy and Troy broke up over the situation. While I thought Troy might be a person of interest, I really didn’t have much to go on.”

  “So you never grilled him, then?”

  “No, I was more concerned about what Cindy had to say.”

  “And what did she have to say?”

  I wasn’t about to spill my guts about Deputy Jackson. He was in enough trouble with the sheriff. “Nothing much, she just denied sleeping with Clayton.”

  “So, she never mentioned that he had a meth lab at his house?”

  “Wh-What?” Dixie sputtered. “Is that why the shed blew to smithereens, then?

  “It appears to be, which means that Marilyn had to have known all about it. I bet she never just happened to find that money, either. My bet is that she knew all along. What I need to figure out is who else was involved, and if they were responsible for Clayton’s death.”

  “So, Marilyn might have put someone up to murdering her husband, but who?” I mused aloud.

  “Well, whoever it was sure turned against her quick,” Margarita said. “You just can’t trust people these days. I bet she took out that life insurance policy herself to make Clayton look like he was up to no good.”

  “I agree with you there, but I don’t know how we’ll figure it out now. Whoever her co-conspirator was seemed to have turned against her. And from the way the house was torn apart, I’d say that they didn’t know where the money was. I’m betting they knew about it, though,” I insisted.

  “Thanks for the tips, ladies, but we’ll take it from here. It’s safe to say we now have a viable suspect.”

  “Oh?”

  “Sure, the stripper and the boyfriend look good for it. Cindy and Troy, right? It shouldn’t take long to wrap this one up.”

  “So you think Cindy and Marilyn knew each other?”

  “This is how I see it went down,” the sheriff began. “Troy knew Marilyn; damn, he might have even involved himself with Marilyn after he broke up with Cindy, but somehow I believe that he had Cindy lure Clayton into the woods. Clayton was found with his pants down, so it fits.”

  “Oh, my,” Margarita said. “I had no idea.”

  Sheriff Price rocked back on his heels. “No need to protect my deputy any longer. I’m perfectly aware of the information he leaked.”

  “Are you planning to fire him?”

  “Lord, no, Margarita, but I’ll censure him. I think a week off without pay ought to straighten him up. It’s hard to keep deputies in Bear Paw, for some reason.”

  ***

  Instead of going back to the restaurant, I headed to Hank’s Tool and Die. We never had a chance to ask Hank any questions about Clayton. Once I had pulled in, Dixie asked, “Why are we here?”

  “To chat with the boss man. I need to tie up loose ends, if only in my own mind.”

  “Great idea, Sassy. It can’t hurt. Who knows—we might find out some more useful information.”

  The SUV screeched to a stop and we clamored out, making way for the front door where the letters spelled ‘office’ above the door. I led the way inside and I tapped my fingers on the counter until a secretary looked up. She sauntered over and my brow arched at the short skirt she wore. She flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder. “How can I help you, ladies?”

  We’re here to talk to Hank, the owner,” I said.

  “Nobody talks to Hank,” she said. “You can talk to me, though. I’m his wife, Mariah.”

  That made sense. Of course she was Hank’s wife. “Thanks, doll, but we need to talk to Hank. It’s about Clayton Percy’s murder,” I informed her.

  She bit her lip as she reached for the phone, and told whoever was on the other end that Hank was needed in the front office ASAP.

  I glanced around the small room. It had only two desks with a few file cabinets, nothing too fancy. A rather short man hobbled into the office through another door. He swept a hand over his nearly bald head.

  “What’s so important?” he asked his wife.

  She motioned in our direction. “These ladies are here to talk to you about Clayton Percy.”

  His face tightened. “What about?”

  I leaned across the counter slightly. “Isn’t there someplace a little more private where we could talk?”

  He nodded. “Sure.” He lifted a latch and the counter folded back enough for us to enter. When we walked through another door, the fragrance of shaved metal was all I could smell. Margarita froze and I about ran smack into her.

  “Margarita, really? Get a move on,” I said.

  We gathered in another office, this one with an oval conference table. We sat and declined the offer of coffee. “I hate to bother you, Hank. I can only imagine how busy you are.”

  “Thanks, I’m sure the rumor mill going around already informed you how Hank’s Hotspot was shut down by the cops.”

  “Yes,” Margarita said. “Some people should just mind their own business.”

  I about bit my tongue off at that. “Yes, they should,” I agreed. “Perhaps you’ll be back open before long.”

  “When pigs fly,” he said. “But I own a space of land out of town. It will probably be better suited for that type of business. I never meant to steal all of your business away, Margarita. I promise when I reopen I won’t open until nighttime, so it shouldn’t hurt your business.”

  “Thanks, but there’s nothing like a little friendly competition. Of course, I don’t have strippers, so we’re really not exactly in the same business.”

  “True. I’m sure you didn’t come here to talk about busi
ness plans. What would you ladies like to know about Clayton Percy?”

  “What kind of man was he, or what kind of worker?” I asked.

  “He always came to work, but didn’t always perform the best. He seemed distracted the last year, but I never knew why.”

  “What, if anything, do you know about his personal life?”

  “I knew the talk around town was that he cheated on Marilyn, but I never knew if it was true or not. He just didn’t seem to be the type of man women went for. I had to have a chat with him a few times about harassing the women who work here.”

  This sure was a switch. “I see. And did he correct his behavior?”

  “Yes, and about the same time he showed up at Hank’s Hotspot. He fancied himself in love with one of the strippers. Cindy, I believe it was, but she never gave him the time of day, really. You can’t blame a man for that, though.”

  “So, from your knowledge, you don’t know of anyone who he might have had an affair with?”

  “Nope. I wish I had more information to share, but that’s all I know.”

  “How about his wife? Did you know her personally or just know of her?”

  “Marilyn seemed nice enough. I’ve seen her out and about, but I never spoke a word to her, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “How well did Clayton get along with his co-workers?”

  “Great. He even went out to smoke with a few. For the most part, I think he was well liked.”

  “Do you do routine drug testing here?”

  “If I did, I’d lose half of my help. Plenty of pot smokers here in town, but I’ve never suspected anyone of coming to work high. I have a great group of guys and gals working here.”

  I stretched for a moment. “Did you know Clayton was flashing cash around town?”

  “Sure, but I figured he must have come into some money, like an inheritance.”

  “So you never had a clue that he had a meth lab at his house?”

  His face paled just enough that I realized even before he answered that he had known all about it. “I might have caught wind of that, but it’s none of my business what my workers do on their time off.”

  I leaned back in my chair. “That’s rather naïve of you. You had to have known that he was selling meth here, most likely smoking it outside in his truck, possibly on a smoke break.”

  He shook his head. “No, I don’t believe it. There’s no way my workers are addicted to drugs. I’m sure of it.”

  “How about you?” I asked. “Were you helping him move it, like at Hank’s Hotspot?”

  He choked at that. “I would never do something like that. I have too much to lose. Do you know how many tool and die places there are? Not many up north. I’d be a complete fool to engage in that sort of thing.”

  “How about your wife? If he sold it at the Hotspot and she owned it, she has to know something.”

  He picked up the phone with a shaky hand and calmly asked Mariah to come into the conference room. Ten minutes later, she came in and sat down opposite me.

  “Were you allowing Clayton Percy to sell meth at the Hotspot?” He looked at his wife.

  “I caught wind of it, but I never saw him doing it firsthand, so I can’t say for certain.”

  “And you kept your suspicions from me, because…?”

  “I didn’t want to worry you. Besides, Clayton spent plenty of money at the Hotspot.”

  “You might look good, honey, but you’re as dumb as a rock. You jeopardized both of us. If Sheriff Price found out, we’d both be in prison for the long haul.”

  I stood. “I really appreciate your time. Was there anyone here who might have threatened Clayton?”

  Hank frowned. “Nope. It’s just awful about Clayton’s death. Whatever will Marilyn do now?”

  “She’s dead,” I informed Hank. “She was murdered, just like her husband.”

  Hank’s shoulders slumped and Mariah sniveled. “Oh, my.”

  We left then, since there really wasn’t much else to say. I suppose I should have kept Marilyn’s death to myself, but I was testing their reactions. They made believers out of me as they were both seemed equally shocked.

  Chapter Eleven

  We had talked about Clayton and Marilyn’s murders until we were blue in the face. There was just no reason for us to believe anyone other than Cindy and Troy were responsible for their deaths. It was now in the hands of the sheriff, and hopefully he’d conclude his investigation with the arrests of both Cindy and Troy. As for me, I still had plenty of questions that I just didn’t have any answers for yet.

  I pulled on my jeans over the long johns Margarita insisted I wear. Next, I donned a long-sleeved camouflage shirt with a short sleeve one over it that sported a ‘Bear Archery’ logo on it. As I slid my feet into my hiking boots, I hoped the extra socks I wore wouldn’t cause me even more discomfort in the ice-cold temperatures. Dixie came in just as I was pulling my long hair into a ponytail.

  “Looking good, Sassy. Margarita has a beanie hat for you to wear. She’s been crocheting it ever since we got here.”

  I sighed and grabbed my coat, which was a bit bulkier than I wanted, but if I couldn’t draw back properly, I’d take it off. At this point I wasn’t as concerned about the cold. I needed to win, not just for me and the money now, but for everyone. I had a reputation to uphold.

  I descended the stairs and Margarita was waiting in the dining room. She made a production of placing the beige beanie cap on my head herself.

  “Thanks,” I said. “You’re a good person, Margarita.”

  She positively beamed. “I hope you beat Daniel Adams. He’s won for far too long.”

  “Speaking about winning, who won the chili cook-off?”

  “Milton Pabis. Somehow I think he cheated, but there was a man here earlier asking for our recipe.”

  “Really. What did you tell him?”

  “To get lost. They don’t call it a secret recipe for nothing. I’ve had so many people in here asking about the chili, but I guess it will have to wait until after the competition. Besides, we’d need more deer meat.”

  “You could spread the word. Perhaps someone would be willing to donate some.”

  “I love how you think. Daniel stopped by a few minutes ago and challenged you to a polar bear dip.”

  “A what?”

  Dixie laughed. “They cut a hole in the ice and you jump in.”

  “That is just nuts,” I spat.

  “Sure, but it was a challenge. I haven’t seen you walk away from a challenge yet.”

  “It would have to be after you kick his butt in the archery competition, though,” Margarita added.

  I shook my head and we headed out. Margarita was at the helm and drove toward Lake Summers, at least if the sign we had just passed was any indication. “Lake Summers, eh? Stupid name for a lake in frozen land, don’t ya think?”

  “Don’t be such a sissy. You’ll have to buck up on the course and deal with the cold. Just think about the prize when you win.”

  I hoped. “Oh, shit, I forgot my archery equipment,” I said, irritated that I could be that scatterbrained.”

  “Calm down, Sassy,” Dixie said. “I put everything in the back you’ll need.”

  “Whatever would I do without you?”

  “Hopefully, you won’t have to find out,” Margarita said. “But you girls sure talk more and more like a couple all the time.”

  “We hear that all the time,” Dixie said. “I sure hope Sassy has it in her to beat Daniel.”

  “I’ll beat him all right, like with a stick.”

  Dixie gave me the eye. “Don’t even try to act like you don’t find him the tiniest bit attractive, because I’ve seen how you look at him when you think nobody notices.”

  I flipped down the visor and gave Dixie the eye in the mirror. “So what if I admire Daniel’s muscular body and killer eyes? I’m a woman dead-set on taking that man down.”

  “Well,” Margarita said. “Looks like we’re here
.” She pulled into the parking lot and we were directed toward the front of the lot where the competitors parked. I hopped out and made my way to the back of the SUV to retrieve my gear. Then I attached my quiver to my bow, as it would be much easier to get my arrows that way since my jacket was so bulky.

  “You might as well keep it in there for now,” Margarita said. “We’ll mingle for a bit since the competition doesn’t start for another hour.”

  I nodded and slammed the door down. There was a platform erected with a podium, which I figured was where trophies would be handed out after the competition, and next to it was a table.

  “I think you need to check in,” Margarita said.

  On the far side of the clearing were Porta-A-Potties. There was also a pathway leading into the woods. I just didn’t know what to expect here. I felt so out of my element in the frozen tundra, and wondered who would be in my group.

  I stood in line until it was my turn, and when I gave them my name, I was informed that my group was waiting for me near the concession stand. I almost dreaded meeting up with them but I was trying to keep my game face on. I always had to psyche myself up for every competition. It didn’t come as naturally to me as some people would think. Of course, I had gotten the nickname Louisiana Sassy because I used to like to give my fellow competitors plenty of trash talk before their turns. But it was all in good fun and I never meant any harm. Anyway, I had quit doing that a while ago, but the name still stuck.

  As we walked toward the concession stand, Daniel met me halfway. “It’s great to see you here. I thought you might turn tail and run back to Louisiana after the way I licked you the other day.”

  Oh’s and ah’s were heard and I wanted to give Daniel a good smack.

  “He means at darts. Jeez. Why do you want me on your team?” I asked him.

  “Because it will be more fun that way. Are you afraid of a little healthy competition, or wager?”

  “You mean, like a bet?”

  “Exactly. You win, I’ll leave you alone, but if you lose, you have dinner with me.”

  I sighed. “I thought you hated me.”

  “Never said that. You’re a real challenge, Sassy. I have yet to meet a woman anything like you.”