Death Over the Dam (A Hunter Jones Mystery Book 2) by Charlotte Moore Page A

hair that defied braids or barrettes, and glasses that magnified her big blue eyes. Although she looked vulnerable, Hunter had discovered early that Bethie was doing just fine. She made good grades, had plenty of friends and didn’t need for Hunter to be a mommy to substitute for the one who had left her behind. She had her dad and two grandmothers who adored her, and when she talked about Rhonda, it was mainly casual, like “This was my mom’s chest of drawers when she was growing up.” or “My mom sent me that for Christmas last year.”
    As for Sam’s ex-wife, Rhonda Ransom Bailey, now just Rhonda Ransom, Hunter knew more about her than she wanted to know.
    She had been homecoming queen, Miss Magnolia County and first runner-up in the Miss Georgia Pageant. She could sing and she wanted to be a country music star, which is why she left Sam. He wouldn’t move to Nashville, and she wouldn’t stay in Merchantsville, or that’s the way the local story went.
    You could find her on line and she had some CDs out that Hunter thought she had probably paid to produce, including one with hymns. As far as Hunter could tell, Rhonda wasn’t a big name in Nashville. In her media photos she looked 18 and beautiful.
    Hunter hadn’t learned anything about Rhonda from Sam, who generally clammed up on the subject except to say that it was done and over. Hunter knew that he had legal custody of Bethie, and there was a contingent of Rhonda supporters who claimed that Sam wasn’t letting Bethie visit because he wanted Rhonda to have to come back to see her own child.
    The most generally accepted story in Merchantsville had been that “Rhonda broke Sam’s heart,” which had led to any number of people telling Hunter, “It’s so nice to see Sam finally going out with somebody, after well, you know..”
    She had been at Bethie’s ninth birthday party at Sam’s mother’s house, a few months after she and Sam had had their first few dates, and it was a nice event with Rhonda’s mother there too. Elizabeth Ransom was a sweet woman who clearly loved her grandchild, and was fond of Sam, too. She had brought a beautifully wrapped present and told Bethie was from her mother.
    “It’s for your first day of school,” she had said, but to Hunter it looked more like a dress for the Little Miss Magnolia County Pageant, all pink and frilly, nothing like Bethie picked for herself.
    Bethie had not worn the dress on the first day of school, which Hunter knew because she had gone to the school to take pictures, and seen Bethie dressed much like the other girls in her class, in a simple denim skirt and a pullover top. Bethie wore what Bethie wanted to wear.
    And that reminded Hunter of a phone call she needed to make.
    “Dee Dee,” Grady Bennett was saying to his wife as she started out the back door with Binky. “I don’t want you walking out back. It’s all muddy and slippery out there, and you could fall. “
    “I’m tired of staying inside all the time,” she said. “Binky is too. Stop frowning so much and being so bossy.”
    Grady’s cell phone beeped. He put one arm around Dee Dee as he answered. She tensed up and struggled to be free. He let go of her with his arm, but grabbed her hand and held it tightly.
    “That’s great,” he said over the phone after listening for a moment.” That sounds like it for sure. Yeah, I know where Buckhead is. Let me write down the phone number”
    After the call was over, he beamed at Dee Dee.
    “That was the lady from the newspaper,” he said. “The one I told you was going to come out to see us on Sunday afternoon, the one who likes your paintings so much. She found out where Meredith’s is, so we can go there and you can get the clothes you like.”
    Dee Dee ‘s sullen look disappeared.
    “When can we go?” she asked.
    Grady looked at the clock. “Let’s get ready and go now,” he said. “I don’t have any jobs for a couple of days. We can take the camper and stay overnight at