Death in Dahlonega (A Trixie Montgomery Cozy Mystery Book 1) Read Free

in the asset.
    “I’ve called 911. They’re sending a deputy and an ambulance. They should arrive any minute. Why don’t you go sit down? There are some chairs in the front area.”
    “I can’t leave Dee Dee. But, I don’t think I can stand up much longer.” My lungs felt as heavy as that old safe in the lobby, and my legs wobbled like Jell-O.
    Tony brought two chairs. I assumed one was for me and the other for Dee Dee. She wasn’t going to need it. Dee Dee slid to the floor in a dead faint, dropping the axe.
    As she hit the floor, two paramedics, dressed in blue uniforms and hauling red tackle boxes, rushed in.
    One yelled, “I’ll get the pass-out.”
    The other one replied, “I’ve got the trauma.”
    The minutes ticked by slower than the last drop of ketchup escaping from a bottle before Dee Dee opened her eyes and tried to sit up. The most inappropriate thought popped into my mind— That’s the quietest I’ve ever seen her.
    “Whoa there, take it easy.” The young, blond paramedic gently steadied Dee Dee. Once she regained consciousness, he hurried over to where his partner worked on the lifeless body of John Tatum.
    “Where is he?” barked a voice from behind. Two uniformed deputies barreled down the hallway.
    “Jack, what’ve we got here?” The older of the two deputies addressed the paramedic.
    “Well, sir, I suggest you call in the coroner. There are no vital signs.”
    The deputy walked over to where the paramedics attended the body and turned to his partner. “Secure the area, Ray, and don’t let anyone in without my permission.” He knelt down, and glanced at the lead ranger. “Teresa, don’t leave them alone. I’ll be there shortly to get everyone’s statements.”
    I looked around to see who “everyone” was, and the only people I saw without the benefit of a uniform were me and Dee Dee.
    Teresa helped Dee Dee up, and I took her other arm. “We’ll go into my office. She can rest there until the sheriff gets through.” She led us down the hall and into a sparsely furnished, wood paneled workspace. “Are you ladies okay?”
    “Uh, yeah, we’ll be fine.” I didn’t feel fine. And Dee Dee sure didn’t look fine.
    “Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, no!” Dee Dee rocked back and forth in her chair as her vacant eyes stared straight ahead.
    “Dee Dee, look at me! What’s going on?” I placed my hands on her shoulders and leaned in towards her face. “What happened?”
    A faint light of recognition appeared in her eyes. “Oh, Trixie, what are we going to do?” The rocking motion started again, and the light in her eyes dimmed.
    “Dee Dee! Focus! And tell me what happened.” My firm voice reverberated off the office walls. Her eyes filled with tears and spilled down her cheeks. I felt like a heel, and tried again. “It’s all right. I’ll stick by you no matter what happens.” I reached over, grabbed a wad of Kleenex and handed them to her. I took deep breaths as I desperately tried to remain calm. My insides churned, and bile rose in my throat.
    I was acutely aware that Teresa was in the room and could hear everything we said. I didn’t care. Dee Dee might have been angry with him, and had called him a lummox and a brute, but murder him? Absolutely not.
    “After I went to the bathroom I decided to check out the different rooms.” Dee Dee’s voice quavered. “I was going from room to room looking inside.” Her chin quivered. “When I came to the mining room, I entered to get a closer look at the assortment of strange tools on the wall. I was half-way in the room when I saw that atrocious man lying in the corner with the pickaxe in his chest.” She wiped a fresh stream of tears, then blew her drippy nose. “Oh, Trixie, it was horrible. What was I supposed to do? Let him lay there with an axe sticking out of him?”
    I wanted to say, Maybe call 911 and let them take it out ? But I bit my tongue instead, and shrugged.
    “How did I know he was dead? I thought I was