Chilled in Chattanooga (A Trixie Montgomery Cozy Mystery Book 4) by Deborah Malone Read Free Book Online Page A

be sure and let you know when the article’s published, and I’ll give you credit for your help.”
    She raised her hand. “It wasn’t anything. I’m glad I could help.” Tilly gathered the material spread out on her coffee table and returned it to a box. “Here, Trixie, you can take this with you and go through it at your leisure.”
    I took a few pictures of Tilly and we said our good-byes. We were going out the door when Nana’s foot slipped on a patch of ice. She straightened her arms to cushion her fall. I heard a sickening crack when she hit the ground. A shrill scream pierced the evening air.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

    “M ama, don’t worry, she’s all right.”
    Nana yelled from the hospital bed. “I’m okay, Betty Jo. You should see my hot pink cast.”
    “Oh, dear! Tell me what happened. Do I need to come to Chattanooga?”
    “No, Mama, you don’t need to come. Nana just slipped on a patch of ice. Dee Dee and I have this under control. They’re getting Nana’s discharge papers ready and we’ll be able to leave. We’re going back to the hotel as soon as we leave here. Mama, I’ve got more bad news.” There followed a big sigh on the other end of the phone.
    “Go ahead. I can handle anything but another dead body.”
    An involuntary gasp escaped my lips.
    “You found another one didn’t you? Trixie, what am I going to do with you? Every time you go on an assignment a dead body turns up.”
    She was right. My greatest nightmare of becoming Jessica Fletcher was coming true. I always said I wouldn’t want to be her friend because bodies turned up everywhere she went. Now the same thing was happening to me.
    “Annie, our teacher, turned up in the deep freeze. We’ve already been questioned so I don’t see any problems arising from the incident. Of course, we won’t have any classes and the detective wants me to stick around a few days, but I have an article I can work on while I’m here. It’ll be okay, Mama.”
    “Please keep me up to date on what’s happening and ask Nana to call me when she feels like it. By the way, Jill called and said you didn’t answer your phone. She was concerned about you.”
    Jill, my daughter, attends the University of Georgia. “I had my phone turned off during the interview with Tilly. If she calls back please don’t tell her about my discovery. I don’t want her to worry while she’s at school.”
    “How’s Nana doing?”
    I scooted back into the screened-in area where Nana was flirting with a handsome young doctor. “She’s doing fine, Mama.”
    We talked a few more minutes before saying goodbye. Dee Dee arrived from a trip to the gift shop. I didn’t see the snacks she left to buy, but I figured she’d stashed them in her behemoth purse. She had a habit of carrying a bag the size of a small overnight case. Today was no different. She patted the colorful bag by her side.
    “Let me know when you need a little pick-me-up. I couldn’t decide what to buy, so I got one of everything.” She laughed and I couldn’t help but smile. Just being around Dee Dee lifted my spirits.
    “How’s the patient?” Dee Dee pulled out a bear with its arm in a sling. “I found this for Nana.”
    “Oh how cute. Nana will love it. She’s doing fine – look for yourself.” We entered the enclosed area. Nana held out her arm while a male nurse signed her cast. She flashed him a big smile.
    “Oh, there you are Dee Dee. Come look at my cast. Isn’t it the coolest color?” Nana stuck out her arm so Dee Dee could get a good look. The hospital smell suddenly triggered memories of my knee replacement surgery. I was devastated when I realized I couldn’t put the procedure off any longer. My years of participating in sports and my fall precipitated the surgery at such a young age. All recipients of knee replacements have to attend a class to learn about the operation – I was the youngest in attendance.
    “Trixie!” Nana’s voice brought me back to reality. “Want to