The Swamp Motel was NOT the ideal place for anybody to spend for more than a few hours. Katie wasn't even sure she'd feel clean after showering because the showers were filthy too. This is probably were the murder happened.

Katie shuddered. A murderer was not exactly what she wanted to report on. This was serious shit, dangerous shit. Not the type of thing a young reporter was really ready for-especially since the case wasn't exactly 'closed' yet.

"So let's see, I've got a murder to deal with, a murderer still out there, a shitty hotel room in an even shittier town and I'm being blackmailed into a date with an inbred thief. Happy Valentine's Day Katie you've definitely earned this one." She muttered to herself as she yanked off a cowgirl boot and tossed it aside.("Note to self" she scribbled on a pad the motel had provided "Take Maybelle up on her offer"). She yanked the other one off with an 'oof' and began to dig through her bag for her sandals. She put on her wedges, decorated with floral straps and began to look at her hair in the chipped and smudged mirror.

She wasn't a bad looking girl, but she was no southern belle that was for sure. Her high cheek bones and angular face made her look quite foreign here. Not to mention her hair was flat as a pancake, not at all the blonde, balloon hair the south was known for.

"Ms. Gardener?" There was rapid knocking at her door. Katie jumped in fright then answered the door.

Now if Mrs. Farabuleh saw this girl she probably would've declared Katie a saint. This girl was in a belly showing tube top, a mini skirt and four inch heels. Her nails were a half inch long and her makeup was impossible to describe without using the term 'stripper' or 'porn'.

"Uh…hi!" Katie said taken a back. The poor girl looked scared out of her wits.

"I'm Dawnalee? I um, can I, ah, come in?" Katie opened the door some more to let the tiny Dawnalee run in. She sat down on the bed, staring at the floor. Katie closed the door and looked at her curiously. She slowly walked over to the bed.

"So Miss Reynolds…" She started. Dawnalee looked up at her.

"Just call me Dawn. I aint no fancy 'Miss'. I'm just…." She looked back at the ground. Katie groaned, Dawn had one of the thickest accents she'd heard so far. It would be a little hard to translate.

"So Dawn, you were really close to Miss. Chase right?" Katie began as she sat down on the bed next to her. Dawn sniffed a bit.

'Damn it why don't I have my damn notebook when I need it!' She cursed in her head as Dawn looked up at her.

"Me and Annabeth were second cousins. Almost like sisters. She was the smart one though. Like, a million times smarter than anybody here. She was goin to college and was gonna be a big architext or somethin." Katie fought the urge to correct her.

"I'm so sorry. Dawn, why are you here? Our meeting was going to be in a few hours…" Dawn gave her a shaky smile.

"I got scared." She shrugged. "I mean, I heard from The Stolls you had arrived and I just…I don't like being alone for long periods in time…" Katie could see right through that bullshit.

Dawn was afraid of someone. Someone she knew. The person that murdered Annabeth Chase. Katie wished she had her notebook. Writing things down was how she thought. It helped her so much.

"Well we can keep each other company." She patted her leg. "Does anybody else know about…what happened to your cousin?" She tried to be as sensitive as possible. Not an easy task for Ms. Gardener. Dawn shook her head and sniffed a bit more. ("Probably trained herself not to cry so she won't ruin her make up." Katie scribbled down rather cynically). She shook her head.

"They all think she's away at a college visit. Only me and her boyfriend Luke know about it. I don't…I can't…these people are all her friends and family and I don't want…to be the one…" Katie patted her leg again. Considering that it was barely covered it was quite a bit awkward for Katie.

"Well it's her family's right to know. I know you don't want to be the bearer of bad news but...if you don't want to I will." Dawn broke down crying and wrapped her arms around Katie.

"Oh thank you! Thank you! I'll come do it with you but the words can't…come out of my mouth to them. We'll tell them." Katie was incredibly uncomfortable and she patted Dawn's shoulder.

"Ok sounds good. Sounds good." Dawn quickly wiped her eyes and regained her composure.

"I hate cryin. Especially in front of strangers. Would you mind….letting me hang around here? For a bit?" Katie bit her lip. She wanted to say NO! NO! NO!, but that would lose so much for the story. Dawn was just a dumpster of information, but Katie wasn't sure what was gold and what was trash.

"You can come to Morris's with me. I need to meet this boy Travis Stoll there to get something of mine and you seem to know the Stolls." Katie said with a nod. Dawn let out a giggle that let Katie know way too much about Dawn's sex life.

"Oh yeah. I know Connor reaaaally well!" Katie shuddered. Not an image she liked to have in her head.

"What about Travis?" She asked absentmindedly looking through her bag for something a bit more presentable for Dawn to wear. She pulled out a pair of tight Capri pants. Of course they'd be huge on itty bitty Dawn, but they'd have to do.

Dawn smirked.

"Oh he's real interested in you! You like him?" Katie tossed the pants at Dawn which made her jump and let out a little scream.

"Nope, put those on please. We're going to a bar not a strip club." Katie said as a matter o factly. Dawn looked a little hurt and reluctantly put them on.

"Do you have a belt or something? These things are huge!" She complained as she tried to adjust them. Katie frowned, but then put her Stepford smile back on. She got the feeling she'd use that a lot while in this town.

"I have a belt if you have a car!" She said. Dawn smiled.

"I sure as hell do! I've got a real nice truck, we're taking that to Morris's right? Are you wearing that?" She asked with a bit of a laugh. Katie tried not to snap at her. There was nothing wrong with what she was wearing! She looked fine! Just fine!

"Yes and yes." She said as politely as she could. She grabbed a belt from the bag and tossed it over to Dawn. "Now lets go get that truck."

X^X^X^X^X

Morris's is what one would expect out of a southern bar. It was quaint, smelled greasy and fantastic and had stuffed alligators just about everywhere.

Katie jumped when she first spotted the stuffed alligator out side the entrance.

"Is that…?" She looked at Dawn who was still moping about her pants.

"Oh yeah, that's Hoyt. First gator Jo Morris ever killed. He's kinda the ascot or something." Dawn opened the door as Katie fought the urge to run away in fear.

"Hell ya! Somebody yelled over the loud country music as he spotted Dawn. Within a few seconds Katie was alone and Dawn was getting some free drinks. Katie groaned and scanned the packed place for the blonde haired boy.

Nearly the entire town was stuffed into the small restaurant. She saw Maybelle who seemed to be talking the ears off of some boy who looked very bored, she saw the black lady who had shared a porch with Mrs. Farabulah, but no Travis.

"Hiya there pretty lady!" A very enthusiastic voice said and grabbed her shoulder. She spun around, ready to go New York City on his ass when she saw Travis's brother Connor. "I guess you're a little lost huh? Well, I'll be your tour guide!" Katie shook his arm off and started to walk into the bar.

"Leave me alone or tell me where your brother is." She demanded. Connor pouted.

"But sugar, I had a tour all set up…shit fiiiiiiiiiine! I'll show you! He's over in the back booth behind the pool table." Connor said before giving her a wink. "He said he's got a special present for you!"

"I'd prefer cancer." She snapped as she went over to the booth. After navigating around the drunken rednecks she ended up at the table. She had to admit-Travis was just as hot in a flannel shirt as he was shirtless. Travis stood as she drew closer.

"Well shoot Katie! You look wonderful. Please have a seat, I'll get us some beers." He said with a big smile. Katie held out her hand.

"My notebook?" Travis grabbed her hand flipped it over and kissed it.

"After dinner dear."

"Before dinner dear." Katie said snapping her hand back. Travis pouted, spookily similar to Connor's pout and Katie crossed her arms.

'But then how will I remember for you to explain all your little notes!" Katie's eyes shot sparks and her nostrils flared.

"If you read my notebook then I will personally castrate you and feed it to Hoyt!" She snarled. Travis laughed.

"Are you sure you're not from the South? You've certainly got that Southern fire!" He said as he produced the notebook as a peace offering.

"That's called New York Grit." Katie snatched the notebook. She wrote everything in there. Stuff about stories, friends, her nonexistent sex life.

"Please have some dinner! If you do I promise to forget that Lee Fletcher is a sex god!" Travis called as Katie walked away. She froze and glared at him. Travis shrugged. "And that Will Solace has a pecker the size off-"

Katie sat down, her face bright red. "I'll eat a damn burger if you shut the hell up!" Travis grinned victoriously.

"Manny! Two Buds over here!" Travis yelled at the bartender. "I'd suggest the chicken fried steak instead of a burger. Man its like a chicken and a cow had a baby then they fried it and mmmmmm!" He rub his stomach. Katie was still bright red. She did not like people reading her notebook. Espically not sexy southern boys that are convinced she'll do whatever they say.

"Do you know Annabeth Chase?" Katie asked suddenly. Travis looked at her a little unsure.

"uh…yeah. Nice girl, smart as hell, why?" He said. "MANNY! BEER! OVER HERE!" He yelled. Katie began to scribble in her notebook.

"Do you know Luke?" She asked again. Manny brought over a few beers.

"Bout time!" Travis said with a grin. Manny rolled his eyes.

"You try hearing in this mad house. Now you have fun sugar." He winked at Katie, She didn't like it when people did that. Boys seemed to like to that here a lot.

"Luke? Annabeth's boyfriend?" She tried again with Travis who looked uncomfortable. He took a sip of his beer.

"Don't you want to know about me? Instead of some random couple?" He asked. Katie leaned back in her seat. Maybe she should play coy.

"What makes you think I want to know you?"

"Well….I want to know you." He said kind of shyly. Katie wasn't buying it. A slow, southern ballad came on and Katie winced. She hated this music. "Where are you from?"

"New York. You know that."

"Well…always?"He tried as he looked over at some table behind her. Katie followed his eyes and he was looking at the waitress.

"yes. City girl through and through."

"Wow you must be miserable here." He said with a laugh as the waitress came over to table.

"Hi y'all! We've got some fried frog legs as a special!" Katie tried to swallow. Being a vegetarian would not bode well here.

"…you have no idea." She muttered.