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Duke took several deep breaths as they headed toward Coldfoot.
Maybe he needed a mental break from thinking about the crime in this area. Maybe some simple conversation about something unimportant was what they all needed. Distractions often lead to revelations later. He knew that from experience.
“You know how this town got its name?” Duke called to Ranger and Andi, snapping into tour guide mode.
“I do.” Ranger’s words were lackluster, as if he were bored.
“I don’t.” Andi popped forward in her seat. “Why don’t you tell me?”
“Gold prospectors used to come here. Once they saw what the conditions were like where they’d be living, they got . . . wait for it . . . cold feet.”
“I don’t even want to know how Dead Horse got its name then,” Andi muttered.
“No, you probably don’t.” He repressed a smile. “Anyway, Coldfoot only has a little over two hundred full-time residents.”
Talk about a small community.
“The thing about these towns is that they’re close-knit.” Ranger rubbed his scruffy beard. “People won’t give each other up.”
“Even if one of their own was killed?” Andi asked.
“Even if.” Ranger’s expression remained stoic. “Even if they hate each other, they’re more loyal to someone here they hate than they are to an outsider. Plus, people who lived in Canaan weren’t exactly considered locals. They were outsiders who invaded the area.”
“That’s going to make this challenging.” Andi gently massaged her temples as if she had a headache coming on. “But not impossible.”
“You speak like you’ve done this before.” Ranger glanced at her.
At least, he wasn’t talking in grunts anymore. Maybe he was finally getting warmed up. Or maybe yesterday when he first arrived at the trading post he’d just been too cold and his vocal chords too frozen.
Still, Duke was curious about the man. Why was he still hanging around? Why did he want to help them? Duke was stuck here, along with Mariella, Matthew, and Andi. Simmy had a personal stake in things.
But Ranger?
Duke still wasn’t sure why he’d even come to the trading post.
Ranger’s statement slammed back into Duke’s mind.You speak as if you’ve done this before.
Andi squirmed at his words.
“I guess talking to people and asking questions just comes naturally.” She shrugged and didn’t offer any more information.
But Duke was still curious also. Andi had definitely done things like this before. Average, everyday people simply didn’t dive into these situations with the ease and confidence Andi did.
Several minutes later, they pulled up to Coldfoot.
There was nothing fancy about the town, which almost looked more like an oversized rest stop. There was a post office, a gas station, a state troopers’ office, a restaurant, a small runway for bush planes, and an inn that consisted of single-wide trailers that had been attached to each other.
It was also one of the launching areas for Gates of the Arctic National Park.
“If we want to find out information on Joe Prospector, where should we go?” Andi glanced at the rustic town around them.
Duke was sure about one thing—Coldfoot probably wouldn’t show up in any Hallmark movies. The buildings were rather bleak and uninteresting, mostly painted beige or neutral colors. Though the mountains were close, the landscape in town was relatively flat.
“There’s a bar attached to the restaurant,” Ranger said. “And I guarantee if you want to know anything about anyone, that’s where you go. Maybe you’ll want to grab a bite to eat while you’re there.”
At those words, Duke’s stomach grumbled. Food sounded really good right now.
But so did finding answers.
