Free 1 Target of Death by Madison Johns

the Country music that was blaring.
    I bought pairs of dark sunglasses for Dixie
and me. When I handed the sunglasses to Dixie, she said, “Thank God. I don’t
think I could take that glare from the sun another minute. I never thought I’d
say this, but I didn’t expect the sun to bother me so far north.”
    I donned the glasses and said, “I think
it’s the magnification off the snow. My eyes have been on fire since we left
the restaurant today.”
    “Of course, it might be that you’re
basically a vampire.”
    “That’s so not the case, but I must admit
that I’m a night owl.”
    “That’s putting it mildly. You spend all
your time on Facebook, doing what I don’t even want to know.”
    “Besides playing Candy Crush, you mean?” I asked
with a sly smile.
    “I know it hasn’t been easy since you lost
your job, but things will get better soon.”
    She had to remind me why we came up here in
the beginning, besides wanting to kick me some northern rear end. I had lost my
job at the restaurant back home, mainly on account of the owner’s son, Phil
McMurphy. He had hand issues—like, he didn’t know enough to keep them to
himself. The owner fired me when I broke ol’ Phil’s big fat nose. I had tried
to avoid the jerk, but he had other ideas. When he cornered me in the cooler, I
socked him, but good. It was self defense, but his dad didn’t see it that way. That’s
why I needed this prize money from the competition to keep a roof over my head.
Luckily, Dixie had helped me out to finance the trip. I had some money, but not
nearly enough to float me for another year.
    Dixie waved a hand in front of my face.
“Earth to Sassy. Roxie is here.”
    I positioned the sunglasses on my head as I
greeted Roxie. “Thanks for meeting us,”
    I said.
    Roxie didn’t walk in more than a few steps
before backing up. “Let’s go someplace else to talk.”
    We followed Roxie out to a supply shed
located next to a gift shop. She opened the door and Dixie walked inside,
encouraging us to follow with a wave of her hand. I hesitated for a moment, but
Dixie shrugged and walked inside. I still didn’t move, though, not until Dixie
shot me a look. Oh, what the hell , I
thought as I walked inside. Roxie shut the shed door and dropped down to sit on
an overturned milk crate.
    “Is there a reason we can’t talk out
there?” I asked.
    “People like to talk in small towns. I’d
rather not let anyone know my business.”
    Yeah, right, like they won’t gossip about
her talking to us in a closed shed. “I don’t understand.”
    “You’re here to ask me about Marilyn Percy,
right?”
    I kicked the floor of the shed, before
saying, “Folks in this town are sure mysterious.”
    “The less people know about you here, the
better it is for you.”
    “What are you afraid of?”
    Roxie ignored my question and said,
“Marilyn’s husband was a brute. Not only has he beaten her, but he refuses to
give her any money.”
    “She told us he gave her fifty dollars a
week.”
    “That’s no kind of money,” Dixie gasped.
“Have you ever seen Clayton abuse his wife?”
    “She’s showed me some bruises before.”
    “And did she tell you what happened?”
    “They had an argument about his
extramarital affairs.”
    “Oh, so she did know about his wandering
ways?”
    “It would be hard not to, in this town.
It’s all folks in town talk about. Well, that and—”
    “What are you not telling us?” I asked in
exasperation.
    “Clayton began spending money like he was
printing it.”
    “Where would he have to spend money around
here? It looks like a run of the mill small town. I can’t imagine there is even
anywhere he could be dropping enough money for it to be noticed.”
    “He has a sports car parked in the garage
of Hank’s Tool and Die,” Roxie volunteered. “There is also a strip club in
town. From the way the girls there talk, he spent plenty on lap dances. He even
bought one of the strippers a diamond