Liz Marvin - Betty Crawford 03 - Too Long at the Fair by Liz Marvin Read Free Book Online

known her all my life.  She’s a selfish old biddy who is just intent on going through life doing more harm than good.”
     
    “What’s your name?”
     
    “Gladys. Nurse Gladys McRorie.”
     
    Betty finished her tea, stood up and faced Gladys. “Well Gladys McRorie thank you for saving my foolish life and for being so darn nice about it.”
     
    The two women laughed and hugged and exchanged kisses on the cheek which was just how Clarise and Addie found them.
     
    ~
     
    The four women were seated in the first aid tent laughing.  Addie was eating kettle corn and finally relaxed.  Clarise was just finishing her story about her run in with the Civil War re-enactors and both Betty and Gladys were trying to catch their breath from laughing so hard.
     
    Then it was Betty’s turn to regale the crowd with the story of her pie eating contest victory.
     
    Both the story and the laughter were interrupted by the arrival of the Lofton chief of police.  Bill was ashen until he saw Betty sitting up, laughing and all right with friends.  The relief on his face, the look in his eyes made Betty turn to jelly.  She leapt up and hugged him.
     
    “I’m sorry Bill.”
     
    He hugged her back, then looked her over. “I hear you won a pie eating contest fought off a mugger and passed out or were knocked unconscious.  Witnesses aren’t sure.”
     
    “Well now neither are we” Clarise broke in “And you darn well spoiled the story and I bet her version is funnier too.”
     
    Bill looked at Clarise coldly.  “It isn’t funny.  None of this is.  There’s a bad gang of people out there and they’re getting away with everything short of murder.  You should know.”
     
    It was Betty’s turn to turn on Clarise. “Why should you know?”
     
    Clarise found something interesting to look at that wasn’t Betty.  “Maybe because somebody picked my back pocket.”
     
    “Which you conveniently left out of your story.”
     
    Clarise humphed. “As if you’d let a little detail spoil a good story.”
     
    Betty had no answer for that. She turned to Bill, leaned into him, looked up at him.  “You’ll stop them Bill, I know you will.”
     
    Bill sighed and sat down, pulling Betty onto his knee.  Betty did not mind one bit.
     
    “Either that or I’ll make it just hot enough for them to take their ill-gotten gains and disappear.  I can’t let that happen or they’ll be back again next year and if that happens it’ll be the beginning of the end for the Lofton country fair.”
     
    “It has to be a team or a gang of some sort.  I’d bet they’re pros too, from out of town.”  Betty added, “That should narrow it down a little.”
     
    “There are twenty times more tourists than locals. Maybe more and before you blame the carnival company they’re all bonded and insured.  But you’re right about them being pros.”
     
    Gladys nodded her agreement.  Addie looked around, frightened.  Clarise wrapped her arms around herself and hugged and Betty hugged Bill.
     
    They sat together in silence until Thelma Johnson burst in, yelling “Help! Help! Oh my heavens above it’s terrible!  Terrible!”
     
    Bill jumped to his feet so quickly Betty barely had time to land on her own feet.  “What happened?”
     
    “No time! Just come quickly!  Now!”
     
    Thelma led the way and everyone followed.
     

7. Chapter 6
    A large angry crowd was milling around the tent with the large BBQ sign above it.  The barbecue tent was situated right beside the cooking competition tent.  Bill recognized many in the crowd as pick-pocket victims including the haughty lady with a dark pink dress and oversized hat.  Betty saw that the cooking competition tent was askew.   They were holding hands, running toward the crowd, unconscious of what they were doing but let go as they neared the scene. 
     
    Wes was at the front of the crowd, his hands up, trying to calm things down. “All right folks the barbecue pit has run out