If Catfish Had Nine Lives(39)

            “No, Betts, I don’t.”

            “Do you have any memory of anyone taking you or leading you anywhere?”

            “Not really. Just Norman a little.”

            “What prompted you to even go over to the campsite in the first place?” I asked.

            “Shoot, Betts, I’ve met lots of new people over the last few days. Everyone was having a good time, hanging out downtown, eating at Bunny’s. It was fun to have lots of people in town in April. It’s usually quiet, and after Ophelia broke up with me . . . well, never mind that. Normally, we’re all just starting to plan stuff, plan skits, contests, all that stuff. This was like an early surprise party.”

            I suspected his involvement was less about the surprise party fun and more about his broken heart, but I didn’t push it. And, I couldn’t complain—he’d done plenty to help organize the event, too. He’d done whatever Jake had asked him to do.

            “Teddy—didn’t you help set up the campsite on the first day?” I asked.

            “Yeah.”

            “Any chance you remember meeting Norman Bytheway earlier than two nights ago?”

            He shifted on the couch again. “I don’t know. I don’t remember details if I did. Cliff asked me the same question, but nothing has come too clear yet.”

            “Did you help him set up a tent, a camper, something?” I nudged some more.

            “Betts, I just don’t know, and thinking about it hurts my head a little.”

            “I get that. Stop thinking. It’ll come back to you, but it’s not worth hurting yourself over.”

            Teddy’s eyes unfocused and his mouth pinched. “Now, hang on, there is something there. Something about knowing him before. Something on the edge of my memory.”

            I held my breath as Teddy worked his bruised brain.

            Finally, he shook his head. “I can’t be sure of the exact details, Betts, but I think I remember an argument between Norman and Orly, the guy running the show. This was at the beginning of the convention. There weren’t many people around yet. Yeah, it was when we were setting up the campsite, I’m pretty sure.”

            “Orly is the president of the cowboy poetry group. I can see him having heated discussions, even arguments with people. He’s a very in-charge kind of guy.”

            Teddy nodded distractedly. “Yeah, that’s true, but there’s something else.”

            “Okay, it’ll come. Concussions shouldn’t be messed with. Don’t force it.”

            “You’re probably right,” he said unconvincingly. “Hey, wait, it was something to do with that lady, I’m just sure of it.”

            “Which lady?”

            “That lady that was in the skit yesterday. The one who portrayed the cheating wife.”

            “Cliff’s cousin?”

            “What? She’s Cliff’s cousin?”

            “Yes, how did you not . . .” Teddy and I had always been close, but we’d never socialized together. He might not have met Jezzie all those years earlier, and he might not have picked up on the fact that she was Cliff’s cousin. Within the Broken Rope city limits, we all had a sense of who belonged to who, who was related to who, but outsiders didn’t automatically get that consideration, particularly now, when so many visitors—actors and poets—were in town. “Yes, that’s Cliff’s cousin, Jezzie.”