June walked out of Fran’s home feeling frustrated. The woman knew who had done it. I should just tell Danielle and let her strangle the petite woman until she spills the beans. How could Fran sit by and just let someone get away with this?
Chapter Twenty-Four
A key rattled in the door, jerking June out of her sleep. Panic flooded through her. Had Fran sided with Gabriella now? Were they coming to get her? She pushed herself to unsteady feet, and reached for the cane, bracing herself to face the intruders.
The door opened. “Mom, are you in here?”
June rubbed at her face and pushed a hand through her hair. She should have felt relieved that it was only Rebecca, but now she felt a new-if-lesser kind of worry. What would they think finding her here snoring? She had sent them away, not letting them help, and had somehow convinced herself that she could figure out who did it by lying down, just to rest her eyes, while she thought.
Rebecca clicked on the light and glanced at June. She frowned.
June must have slept for hours.
“I’m sorry I woke you up.”
June sighed. Of course, there was no hiding that she had been napping. “No, I shouldn’t have been sleeping. I’ll get dinner going.”
Moments later, June was feeling a bit better. Steaks sizzled loudly in the cast iron skillet, creating a cloud of smoke in the motorhome. She used her tongs to check that both sides had browned and were not sticking to the heavy black pan. Satisfied, she slid the whole skillet into the preheated oven. It was her favorite way to do steaks when she didn’t want to bother with setting up a grill. She pointedly did not think about her nap or the dreams that had come with it.
“You should get an outdoor stove if you’re going to make so much smoke,” said Rebecca.
“Probably,” said June. She set about opening windows and the panel in her door to let in fresh air. Let the neighbors be jealous, she thought, remembering the good smells coming from someone else’s trailer the day before.
She glanced outside into the pitch black of the moonless sky. She still hadn’t gotten used to how dark things got here. Years of living in a suburban environment had made her too accustomed to having some kind of light all the time.
She was grateful for the time she’d had to spend in nature, for the time she’d enjoyed around family. She would miss this place when she was gone, miss the stars and the trees and the lack of traffic. She wouldn’t miss the lack of reliable cell service, however.
Nathan, seated at the dinette, turned and opened the window closest to him. He closed his laptop. “I don’t mind the smoke,” he said. “It smells like steak in here.”
“You’re getting spoiled,” said Rebecca, shaking a finger at him. “You conned me into making you cookies earlier and now you’re having steak.”
Nathan grinned. “It must be my birthday.”
She rolled her eyes. “It is not. You’re going to have a hard time adapting. I’m not going to make you steak and cookies all the time once Mom goes back home.”
“So, you’re saying I should celebrate this joyous occasion?” He stood, picking up the laptop. “I have some beer in the fifth-wheel. You want one, June?”
Rebecca wrinkled her nose. Beer had never been one of her favorite things.
“That sounds great, actually,” June said. It wasn’t normally what she would pair with a nice steak, but she didn’t have any wine on hand. A small breeze wafted through the motorhome from the opened window, but it wasn’t enough to chase out the smoke, and the heater would have to work extra hard to make up for the cold air drifting in.
She glanced out the window. The glass reflected the light and garish colors of her motorhome, but through the screen, she could see a light near the back of the alpaca pens. I wonder if that’s Danielle.
Danielle had said that she shouldn’t have trusted Ronald to keep watch and that she should have just stayed out herself. Would the thief try again? Were the two alpacas all they were after? Or would the rest of the herd disappear one by one? Sooner or later, June would have to act on the evidence that she found, but she was unsure of how to proceed and not entirely sure who had actually stolen them.
“You seem distracted.” Rebecca pulled on oven mitts and drained the potatoes. A cloud of steam mixed with the smoke, making it even more difficult to see.
“Sorry. My mind keeps wandering, probably because I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Let’s just hope that there is no more alpaca screaming. They might start thinking it’s a nightly habit that they should adopt and then no one will ever make a return visit.” Even Rebecca looked a bit tired.
June chuckled. “Now that would be a pain, wouldn’t it? It’s bad enough when Mr. Bigglesworth decides that she wants me to wake up before I’m ready. She walks right over me. You think she’s pretty lightweight until she steps on your bladder. It’s like an elephant wearing heels, I swear.”
Rebecca laughed. “At least she pays attention to you. I can’t believe how quickly she forgot who I was. She used to be the family cat and now she barely acknowledges me.”
“She’s at least as old as I am in cat years,” said June. “You can’t blame her for not being friendly after getting dressed up in doll clothes and shoved into those little dump trucks you guys had. She put up with all kinds of things from you kids. I had to constantly be rescuing her from you or the boys.”
Rebecca found the masher and set to work on the still-steaming potatoes. “You know, that does explain a lot. No wonder she’s antisocial. Still, she is the cat I grew up with. She’ll always have a place in my heart, even if she doesn’t like me anymore.”
Mr. Bigglesworth watched them from her perch on June’s bed, unwilling to come any closer. At least with Rebecca and Nathan, she didn’t hide so that no one could find her.
The door swung open and Nathan tromped back in with a four pack of beers he had obtained from a local brewery. It was one of his favorite things, finding local foods and sampling them for his travel videos. He set them on the table, popped off a cap, and handed it to June.
“Thanks,” she said, and then remembered the steak. She opened the oven door and was blasted with the smell of perfectly cooked beef. She probably would have burned it if she didn’t have such a finely tuned internal clock. Years of practice meant that her subconscious would keep track of most things, even if she didn’t. Her mouth watered. She set the heavy cast iron skillet on the small stovetop and grabbed some plates out of the cupboard.
“So, did you figure out what was going on with the alpacas?” Nathan asked, leaning against the back of the dinette.
“Mostly,” June replied, allowing her mind to drift back to the topic she had been avoiding. She knew that whoever had stolen the alpaca had to be a man. Fran had clearly told her that much. Of all the people she had met at the campground, there was only one that seemed likely to have tried to date more than one woman at once.
“Aren’t you going to tell us who did the dastardly deed?” Rebecca asked.
“It’s bad luck telling people before you’re certain,” said June. Maybe a little of the psychic was rubbing off, but she felt uncomfortable sharing her theories without a little more confirmation.
“Well, here’s to finding the criminal in the nick of time,” said Nathan, holding out his beer.
June clinked hers against his, grinning at her son-in-law. She took a swallow. It was dark and not too hoppy and delicious. She contemplated the drink in her hand for a second before expressing her opinion. “You have good taste.”
Nathan grinned, holding his beer up like it was a trophy. “I have a talent for finding the right beer.”
“What he means is that he drinks too many beers and now he knows which ones he likes,” said Rebecca, setting the potatoes on the table.
Nathan winked and took another swallow. “It’s called research, sweetie. You wouldn’t want me to share a bad beer with someone, would you? I’m just doing my friends and family a favor by making s
ure they are safe to drink.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes, but June caught the smile she was trying to conceal at her husband’s wit.
“The green beans aren’t quite done yet,” said June. Leave it to the easiest thing to make to take the longest.
Nathan gave his wife a serious glance and rolled his eyes in June’s direction.
“What?” said June, looking from one to the other. It felt like they were telling secrets behind her back.
Rebecca frowned. “Mom, I…” she looked at her husband. “…we don’t want you to confront this person about the alpaca. It might be dangerous, even if it is one of the old ladies. Someone has gone through a lot of trouble to frame people, and so I’m sure they won’t appreciate you unraveling their plans.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “At least, if you’re going to do it, make sure that Nathan or the police or someone who can handle the alpaca thief is with you.”
“Right,” said Nathan. “We don’t want to see you get hurt.”
The unspoken word “again” hung dangerously in the air. They had, after all, been with her through the aftermath of the car accident, had learned first-hand how long it took her to recover. The microwave beeped, interrupting the uncomfortable silence, and June immediately turned to it, checking the temperature with a clean finger and setting them back in for another minute.
June placed a steak on each plate, and topped each with a pat of butter. She spoke quietly. “I’m not planning on pointing my finger at anyone. Besides, Blanche didn’t want me poking my nose in the matter anymore. All I wanted was to figure things out, and I think I have. I doubt the thief is even aware that I know who he is. Tomorrow, I will call the police and let the people with experience deal with it once we’re safely out of the campground. I don’t want anyone here to still think that we had anything to do with it after we leave.” She handed the plates out, giving the hungry man the largest steak, and pulled the bowl of green beans out of the microwave. “I just hope you two weren’t planning on coming back. I’m not sure Blanche will be happy to see you after this.”
Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Mom.” She took a seat next to her husband.
June put her hands on her hips. “Wait, did you think I was going to go hunt them down and whack them with my cane or something? I know I’m not in any shape to go confronting people like that.”
“Well, you have been acting different lately. I mean, it’s obvious that you’ve been enjoying yourself, but I’ve never seen you hunt out clues like that before,” said Rebecca.
Enjoying myself?
June paused, holding the green beans an inch above the table. She hadn’t really thought about it until now, but she had found such a thrill in hunting down who it was, asking people questions, and getting to know people around the camp. Maybe it was one of the reasons she enjoyed catering so much. She loved learning little things about the people she was serving. Food, and especially drink, had a way of bringing things out of people that nothing else did.
A warm feeling spread through her body. Despite the frustrations and the cold and lack of sleep, she had enjoyed investigating the missing alpaca.
Heat from the green beans radiated through the hot pad and she put down the bowl. “I know, and I appreciate your concern. I’ll try not to do anything reckless until I have proper help, ok?”
Rebecca smiled.
Nathan seemed completely occupied with filling his plate. How a man could eat so much and stay so trim was beyond her, but it didn’t look like there would be mashed potatoes left over after she took the last bit, which was probably a good thing for her waistline.
She supposed it must help to be a man, and to do crazy hikes all the time, like he did.
Rebecca took a bite of her steak, rolling her eyes back and closing them while she chewed. “I’ve changed my mind. Smoking up the whole motorhome is totally worth it.”
Nathan nodded his agreement, his mouth too full to respond.
They ate in silence for a few minutes. It was the best meal June had prepared in a long time.
The steak was pink enough that juices ran over her plate, and June sopped it up with her mashed potatoes. It wasn’t anything really fancy like the stuff she had done as a caterer. It was plain and boring mashed potatoes with no roasted garlic or blue cheese, but the juices from the steak certainly helped. There was nothing quite like good food and good company.
And it would end soon. They would leave the next day. Meals from here on out would be quick. They had warned her that meals on the trip back would be a lot of sandwiches and fast food.
She thought about going back home. It would take days to make the drive, button up the motorhome in the backyard, and see her daughter off on her next adventure. June would finally get back to her old life. It’s what she wanted, wasn’t it? The extra break from catering had helped her recover a little more. She hoped it was enough.
She imagined herself banging around her empty house with just Mr. Bigglesworth to keep her company. Before the accident, it had never occurred to her how alone she had been, but ever since—and especially since—they left on this crazy vacation, she realized that going back to the massive home would just feel like too much empty space.
She worried about being alone. What if she fell and couldn’t get back up? Her friends were all so busy, as were her two younger sons, one off to college and the other in the military. They and Rebecca were so busy now, and they should be. The thought of going home left an empty feeling in her heart. Did she want to go back to that life? Did she even want to cater again? Would her hip recover soon enough that she could help with all of the summer events? That’s what she should have been thinking about this trip, not stressing out over missing alpacas.
June took a deep breath and brought her mind to the present. She realized the time spent in her head allowed her steak to get cold. She put down her fork. “I want to thank you for bringing me out here. This trip has been great. I can’t remember the last time I took a real vacation.”
Nathan, always one to lighten the mood, looked at his wife and said, “I told you it was a good idea.”
“You did not. It was my idea,” said Rebecca, grinning at her husband.
“Of course it was me,” he retorted, a sly smile on his face. He turned back to June. “I’m glad you’ve enjoyed yourself, though. Sometimes getting away for a while puts life into perspective. It’s one of the reasons I love to travel. I don’t want to get stuck in a rut for most of my life.”
“It’s not like we’re going to be home tomorrow,” said Rebecca. “We still have a week or two of driving left, and a bunch of cool things to see along the way.”
Despite the sights and new experiences, the two weeks spent stationary at this campground in southern Utah had been June’s favorite part of the trip, and she couldn’t help feeling a bit sad about leaving it behind. She glanced back out the window.
That light was still glowing near the pens.
Be careful, Danielle.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Long after she had convinced Mr. Bigglesworth to stay on her part of the bed, June struggled to find sleep.
The cat rested peacefully, making little snoring noises and twitching her paws occasionally.
She must be catching mice in her sleep. June closed her eyes again and trying to convince herself that there was nothing she could do tonight.
But she kept thinking about that lone light in the darkness.
Her eyes popped open.
12:37.
The blocky numbers on her alarm clock seemed to be mocking her at this point. It had been twelve minutes since she’d looked at it last, but it seemed to be an hour.
She rolled over, so that the light of the alarm clock wouldn’t be staring her in the face anymore, and found that her bad hip wouldn’t allow it. She rolled back the other way, tangling her blankets. She thought about knocking the alarm clock to the floor so she didn’t have to look at it, but she doubted it would do any good.
/>
The cat didn’t seem bothered at all by the motion, continuing her little snoring noises.
It was the one time June wished Mr. Bigglesworth would be awake in the middle of the night, so at least she would have some companionship with her frustration.
Finally, June threw off the blankets and sat up. I’ll just go make sure Danielle’s ok. Then maybe I can sleep. She could barely see, but had gotten quite adept at creeping around her motorhome in the dark to get to the bathroom. She shuffled over to the window and pulled back her shades just enough to see out. The light she had seen before was still shining in the darkness.
She let the shades fall back into place and clicked on her bedside lamp. Maybe she should have called the police and had this whole thing over with. Then, Danielle wouldn’t be sitting out there all alone, and Rebecca and Nathan wouldn’t have to worry about her doing something rash.
The problem was, she was almost certain who had done it, but that didn’t feel certain enough. Just one more shred of evidence, showing her she was right, could make all the difference. She was going to have to tell the cops everything she knew and better evidence would help them find the right person.
Of course, calling the police would make Blanche angry. She might even kick them out, which wouldn’t be that big of a loss because tomorrow they would be on their way home anyway. With any luck, the alpacas would be back and the person behind the alpaca-napping would be in jail right now.
She smiled to herself, just thinking about it.
Danielle would be ecstatic.
Mr. Bigglesworth rose and stretched, her body shaking with the effort.
June patted her mindlessly. “It wouldn’t hurt to look, just to make sure that Danielle isn’t out there all alone. I can tell her my plans and then everyone can get some sleep.”
Mr. Bigglesworth gave her a green-eyed stare.
“I know what I told Rebecca. I’m not confronting anyone. I’m just checking on things.”
Herd is the Word Page 13