I wanted to gag.
Instead, I folded the note in my hand and stuffed it inside my book.
The bell rang and Clint walked out with his buddies. Ruth tossed me a gloating smile as she followed.
I rolled my eyes, then hurried to meet Hetty in the hall and tell her what I did. She giggled and we decided to go to the DQ and watch Ruth’s reaction when Clint didn’t show.
We got there first and I ordered a hot fudge sundae and Hetty got her usual Dilly Bar. We settled in a booth and stared at the door. Several kids from school piled in, laughing and talking and placing orders.
Ruth pranced in with her cheerleader friends, scanning the room for Clint. The cheerleaders ordered ice cream conesand Ruth a milkshake. They gathered at a table and Ruth kept her eyes glued on the door.
Ten minutes passed. Then fifteen.
Then Clint loped in with the flyer on the cheerleading squad, Mindy Winterbottom, and the two of them ordered chocolate cones. Ruth gaped at him, eyes darkening with fury.
When they settled into a booth, Ruth walked over to them. “What the hell are you doing, Clint? I thought you were meeting me.”
Her sharp tone brought the chatter in the room to a halt as everyone turned to watch the drama.
Clint wrinkled his nose in confusion. “Huh? Why did you think that?”
Ruth folded her arms below her boobs. “Because of the note I sent.”
“What note?” Clint asked, obviously dumbfounded.
“The one I passed to you in class,” Ruth said shrilly.
“I didn’t get a note,” he stammered.
Ruth went so still you could hear a pin drop in the room. Then she slowly turned around and stared at me.
I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to rub it in that I’d outsmarted her, so I gave her the same kind of snarky smile she’d given me in class. Rage flared in her eyes, and she suddenly charged toward me and Hetty.
“You did this. You took the note,” she snarled. “You and your cousin are just stupid, white trash, Ida.”
Some of the other kids laughed.
Shame ate at me. I couldn’t help myself. Even if it was true, I didn’t like her saying it in front of everyone. Steaming mad, I picked up my sundae and threw it at her. She shrieked, then opened her milkshake and dumped it on my head.
Some of the kids stood and circled us, egging us on. I grabbed her hair and pulled it and Hetty smashed her Dilly Bar in Ruth’s face.
Suddenly a food fight erupted and ice cream and whipped cream and cones were flying all over the place.
Kat sat back and couldn’t help but smile. Her mama had been feisty back then. And Ruth deserved ice cream in her face.
But she went missing not long after.
Did her mama have something to do with Ruth’s disappearance?
THIRTY-SIX
Crooked Creek Police Station
Ellie closed her laptop and rubbed her blurry eyes. If Bonnie was killed on the Wiley property, why not leave her body in the pond? Why take her to the woods by the graveyard?
A knock brought her attention to the door. Special Agent Fox poked his head in. Surprise caught her off guard. The last time she’d seen him he’d been injured and in the hospital, but tonight he looked rested and as handsome as ever. The dark blue shirt accentuated his bronze skin, and he wore jeans, which made him look more relaxed and less like a federal agent.
His deep brown eyes raked over her, a tentative smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “I thought you might still be here,” he said gruffly.
