Page 95 of Spades

Again, a surge of warmth flutters through me at his words. I get the big flashlight, and he’s holding the shovels. I could easily hold a flashlight in one hand and a shovel in the other, but Maddox is going above and beyond.

I really might… Ireallymight have actual feelings for this man.

But again, not the time, nor the place.

“Either way, the second line doesn’t help a lot. My guess is our little friend needed a rhyme to go with the first line.” I widen my eyes. “Speaking of which, I totally forgot to look and see if there was a statue of a cat at the waterfalls.”

Maddox frowns. “I didn’t think of it either.”

I scratch my head. “We’ll just keep that in mind if we run into a wall.” I look back at my phone. “Quadruple the instants you’ll say ‘good God damn.’”

Maddox shifts his gaze and recites, “Good God damn, good God damn, good God damn, good God damn.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Why did you do that?”

He shrugs. “I thought actually saying it four times would help. Maybe the words slide together somehow. ‘Goo… Go… Dah…’” He frowns. “Anything in your maps look like…Gugodah?”

I chuckle. “No, nothing like that.” I tap at my phone screen. “Besides, it says that it’s four times. There must be something about that.”

He scratches his head, and then his eyes grow wide. “Wait. What if it’s a homophone?”

“A homophone?”

“Yeah, you know, a word thatsoundsthe same but is a different word.”

“I know what a homophone is, Maddox.” But then I drop my jaw. “Yes. A dam!”

He nods. “I’m sure there are several along the river.”

I open my Maps app and scroll. I’m still at the Wisconsin border, so I move south on the map looking for anything labeled a dam. Then I see it. “Dam number one, woods east. But it’s several miles north. Why would they have had us start at Monument Park if it were that far away?”

Maddox exhales. “If there’s a dam specifically labeled as number one, then there must be more.” He runs his hands through his hair. “Quadruple the times… Quadruple the times.Is there a dam number four?”

I scroll down the map, my fingers shaking.

And there it is.

“Dam number four.” I throw my arms around Maddox. “You’re a genius.”

He chuckles. “You can just call me Maddox.”

“Very funny.” I let go of him and return my eyes to my phone. “But a dam isn’t a clearing, is it?”

“Is there something nearby?”

I zoom in on the screen, gazing intently. “Yeah, there’s a little square-shaped clearing off of dam number four. There’s even a little parking lot. We could drive right there instead of walking along the river in the dark.”

“Probably a good move. I don’t want one of us falling in.” Maddox rubs his arms. “Getting wet in this weather could do some pretty bad damage.” He looks over my shoulder at the phone. “So that’s our clearing. Are there any other details?”

I zoom in further. “Just the clearing and the parking lot.” But then I squint. “Wait. There’s a smaller clearing just south of the lot. Dam number four, woods east. Picnic grove two.” I drop my jaw. “The last line of the riddle!”

Maddox nods. “This won’t be a picnic.”

I swallow. “You’re likely to scram.”

He smiles at me. “I won’t scram if you won’t.”

I raise my flashlight as if it were a sword. “I intend to see this through until the bloody end, Maddox.” I grab the shovels out of his hands and place them back in the trunk. “Get in the car. I’ll drive.”

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