by Tonya Kappes
All three of us jumped when the bell over the front door dinged as it opened.
“I guess we are more on edge than we figured.” Abby waved at Dawn Gentry, the newest member of our little Laundry Club, and Mary Elizabeth Moberly, my foster-slash-adoptive mom.
Adopted not by choice. And I had held a long grudge against her for trying to make me into some southern belle by sending me to etiquette classes and making me participate in local beauty pageants. Deep inside, I was grateful she took me in her home as a teenager after my entire family had been killed in a house fire because teenagers could be a little persnickety.
I was too young then to realize what I had and that’s when I high-tailed it to New York City. I had to get away, but the manners and all that stuff she tried to beat into my head had come in handy when I was a socialite. The grace and charm that came with learning to be a debutante had also come in handy when I had to sweet talk most of the town folks here in Normal as I was trying to show them I was nothing like my dead ex-husband.
“A meeting? Without us?” Mary Elizabeth drew her hand up to her collar bone and fiddled with the strand of pearls that lay perfectly on the neckline of her Lily Pulitzer dress. She had an overnight bag in her hand that exactly matched the pattern on her dress. The Bonnet Blue dress to be exact, one of Mary Elizabeth’s favorite prints from Lily Pulitzer.
“Yeah.” Dawn wore her normal motorcycle look with black skinny jeans, black leather jacket, and a black knit cap pulled down over her black pixie cut hair.
Dawn wasn’t much about social graces and I wasn’t sure how she and Mary Elizabeth had become business partners at the Milkery, the local dairy farm.
“We were walking back from dropping off some cream and milk to Christine Watson at the Cookie Crumble and noticed all of you in here.” Her five foot six inch, thin frame slid down into a chair. She pulled her legs up, crossing them.
Mary Elizabeth zipped open the bag and made the opening wide enough to let us look in while she swept it in front of us. “We had our first bed and breakfast customer.”
“That’s great.” I was truly happy for them. They’d been working hard on turning the working dairy farm into a bed and breakfast.
They’d converted the empty farmhouse on the back end of the property into a really cool remodeled bed and breakfast for tourists who weren’t into camping like the ones who came to my campground. Mary Elizabeth was so good at southern hospitality that when she decided to stay in Normal after she came to see me, she had to do something to keep her occupied. That’s when the Milkery went up for sale and Abby’s marketing ideas came into play, ending with a bed and breakfast.
“I’m sure you were the epitome of grace and charm.” A smile crossed my face when I saw the pride on hers. “Are they here for the reenactment?”
“No. Just passing through. It’s a shame because clothes were left behind.” Mary Elizabeth shook the bag, which was apparently filled with clothes.
“I told her just to stick them in a box and I’d write lost and found on the side, but she insisted that we clean and mail them.” Dawn rolled her eyes and picked at the soles of her Doc Martens boots. “They aren’t the best of clothes either.”
“Not that it would mean anything to you, but there’s a serial killer on the loose.” Abby changed the subject.
She got back up off the couch and gestured for them to sit while she ran over to the coffee bar and got them each a hot cup of joe.
“Serial killer?” Mary Elizabeth gasped, as the smooth, Botoxed lines between her eyes gave and creased as big as the Mississippi River.
I didn’t dare point it out or she’d be off to the doctor as soon as she left, getting more injections.
“Tell me,” Dawn said eagerly and rubbed her hands together. “I love a good mystery.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” I didn’t want them to scare Mary Elizabeth, but by her wide- eyed look, she was already a smidgen frightened. “A prisoner escaped. Hank is right on it.”
It sounded good coming out of my mouth, but the shaky tone in my voice said more than my words.
“Greaser Gadie hurt Preacher Hager.” Dottie scooted to the edge of her seat. “Has Betts texted you back?” she asked Abby.
Abby gave a slow head shake after she looked at her phone.
“I think we need to go to Betts’s house.” Dottie put both hands around her mug.
“I think we need to stay right here.” Mary Elizabeth was always the voice of reason when it came to doing the right thing after an event like a death or an accident. “Betts has her hands full. When she’s got time, she’ll call you back. In the meantime, Dawn and I will go back to the Milkery and bake some goodies for them.”
“That sounds like a very good idea.” Abby nervously looked at her phone. Her face pinched with worry.
Mary Elizabeth and Dawn were gone in no time, leaving us there to finish our conversation about Betts.
“Mary Elizabeth left the bag here.” Abby pushed the bag with her foot to move it out of the way of the couch.
“I’ll clean the clothes for her.” I stood up and took the mugs from Abby and Dottie. “I think Mary Elizabeth is right. We need to carry on with our everyday life and be here when Betts calls. If something was really wrong with Lester, we would’ve heard by now.”
My phone chirped with a text while I was walking over to the coffee bar to clean our mugs and put them back. I slipped the phone out of my pocket. It was Hank. He was on his way to the campground.
I didn’t tell the girls it was him because he didn’t say anything more than that, but I was hopeful he had some good news since he was stopping by. Usually, when he was knee deep in an investigation, stopping by to see me was the last thing on his list and that meant he’d stop by late at night.
If I did find out from him that Greaser had been caught, I’d let the girls know, but as of now, I didn’t know anything new.
“Let’s go, Dottie.” I quickly cleaned out our mugs and put them back in the right spot on the coffee bar so Betts didn’t have to worry about the Laundry Club.
Four
It felt so good to see the winter months had given way to the budding trees and the tip-tops of the Kentucky Bluegrass peeking out of the limestone soil. And that meant that Happy Trails Campground was booked.
Spring and fall were the campground’s two big seasons, though I was extremely happy with all the winter activities we’d planned that had brought in tourists that wouldn’t usually think of camping during the off season. But right now spring was here and so were the full campsites.
I pulled up in front of Dottie’s camper, which was the first one on the right after the office, and we got out of the car.
“It’s so nice to see us busy again.” I put my hand over my eyebrows to shield my eyes from the sun and look at all the campers walking around with coffee mugs in their hands and visiting with other campers that I’m sure they didn’t know until today.
That’s the one great thing about being a camper. The community. It was as welcome as any small town and just as cozy.
“I’ll get all the contracts to the campers and you give them an hour or so to fill them out.” Dottie was raring to go since today was considered the beginning of the week.
Fridays were a popular day to get to a campsite in order to have all weekend to camp and hike and enjoy nature. Friday was always our busiest day and today was busier than normal since some of the RVers and campers were here for tomorrow’s reenactment.
“Why don’t you go on and visit with Hank while they fill everything out.” Dottie had noticed Hank’s car was already pulled into my parking pad next to my RV.
“You’re a good friend.” I patted her. “Tell them I’ll be by in an hour to pick up the contracts and get anything they need,” I said to her before I got back in my car.
She waved me off. I drove slow around the lake, the opposite side of where my RV and lot were located. I wanted to see if the new aeration system I had put in last yea
r, which was really a fancy fountain that kept the water moving so the lake scum wouldn’t lay on top of the water, was on and working.
The main road in Happy Trails Campground went around the lake before it ended up back at the front. There were several small roads off the main one, but they were just ways to get to the different camping pads.
Each pad had its own concrete parking space along with hookups. I provided all the hookups including sewage, but a lot of campgrounds didn’t do that. As a camper, you had to really do your homework on a campground before you got there because trust me when I say that the big blue poop bag wasn’t fun to deal with if you had to haul it two or three miles down the road.
Each camper site had a nice brick firepit in the grassy area where we encouraged nightly supper get togethers when the weather permitted. Every camper who participated cooked an item that was meant to be shared with all the campers. Then we’d take our plates and walk around the campground filling our plates with delicious foods before gathering around the big fire near the Recreation Center at the top of the lake behind the office.
The Recreation Center was stocked with every family-friendly board game you could possibly imagine along with badminton, corn hole, bean bag toss, hula hoops, and other games. Inside were pool tables, old style video games, a snack bar, and a table for doing puzzles.
Next to the lake was a Tiki Bar and a little stage where we had Blue Ethel and the Adolescent Farm Boys, a local band, perform during our monthly parties, like the one tomorrow after the reenactment.
The Daniel Boone National Park surrounded the campground. The beginnings of several marked trails were scattered around the edge of the campground. They were why campers really came to Happy Trails. It was the marvelous hiking, caves, and nature the national park provided that they loved.
The camper I lived in was actually a small RV that was also drivable. When I drove it into Happy Trails the first time, I thought I was just going to sell the campground, ditch the old RV, and get my old set of wheels back, which was a Maserati.
After I fell in love with Normal and its residents and knew I was going to make it my home, I had decided to remodel the RV.
I’d used every bit of space possible. I took down all the walls and made it an open concept plan with the kitchen and family room in one big room. I put up shiplap walls painted white. I’d gotten a cute café table with two chairs and a small leather couch from the Tough Nickel. The camper was the perfect size for one person. I had the floors redone with a prefabricated gray wood. The kitchen cabinets and all the storage cabinets were white. I’d transformed my little camper into a charming country farmhouse.
I’d strung twinkle lights everywhere I could. The bathroom had been updated with a tile shower and upgraded toilet. Then I had my bedroom in the back. I’d opted to buy a new mattress, with some wooden pallets painted pink and nailed together as a headboard. I’d gotten a dresser with four drawers from the Tough Nickel that went perfect with my distressed look. The twinkle lights added a bit of romance, along with the fuzzy rugs and milk glass vases that were currently filled with different floral arrangements from the Sweet Smell Flower Shop, the local florist.
I loved it here and I wanted to make sure the families who came to Happy Trails felt like they were home. I kept that in mind when I remodeled Happy Trails into what it was today.
The younger generations loved to hike and camp. If they didn’t have a camper, they could rent one of our little bungalows of various sizes. Those were all booked too.
“Hi there,” I greeted Hank as I walked into the camper.
My heart flip-flopped when I saw him on the couch with Fifi, my French poodle.
“Hi, baby,” my voice rose an octave when Fifi jumped off of Hank’s lap and greeted me, her little pom-pom tail wiggling back and forth. “That’s mama’s girl.” I made smooshy faces and kissy noises.
“I wish I had four legs.” Hank joked and put his arms out.
“Maybe if you greeted me at the door with a wagging tail, I’d treat you the same.” I winked at him and picked up Fifi. “But I guess I can give you a kiss too.”
I bent down with Fifi in my arms to give him a kiss, but she had another plan as she licked between us, making us giggle.
“I hope you’re hungry. I brought some Chinese takeout because I’m starving and only have a little time before I need to get back to work.” Hank stood up and walked over to the kitchenette.
“What’s going on with the escaped prisoner,” I asked.
I put Fifi down and grabbed her bowl, putting a scoop of her fancy, pricey dog kibble in it.
“We haven’t found him yet. There’s so much wooded area to cover. He could be hiding anywhere.” He pulled two little containers out of the brown sack before spooning a little bit of each on two plates. “We are using Darnell’s hunting dog. The dog picked up Greaser’s scent, but so far nothing’s turned up.”
“Where did he pick up the scent?” I asked and filled two glasses with water, placing them on the little café table that was just the perfect size for the inside of my RV.
“I can’t tell you specifics since it’s an ongoing investigation, but I can tell you that I’m sure you’re fine here.” Hank looked at me under his brows, setting the plates across from each other before he sat down in one of the two chairs.
“You can’t leave me hanging. I have a curious side that needs to be scratched,” I warned and sat down.
The smell of Chinese beef and broccoli made my stomach growl and my taste buds water.
“I told you earlier that you didn’t need to worry yourself with this.” He looked up from his plate and rested his forearms on the edge of the table. “But I do want you to keep your gun close by.”
“My gun? You just said you thought I’d be fine.” That certainly got my attention. “I’ve never even taken the gun out of the box.”
When Hank and I officially started dating a couple of months ago, he had me take the conceal and carry class he taught at the local police station.
“That means you’re not really sure where he is,” I mumbled, trying to swallow the food that was now lodged in my throat.
I set my fork down. I’d suddenly lost my appetite.
“It means that if I can’t be here, I want you to protect yourself. That’s why I had you take the conceal and carry class.” He didn’t stop eating. “You just never know who’s out there in the woods. The national park is a big place.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.” I picked up the glass of water and gulped it down. “You’ve never said to keep the gun close before.”
“Just do it, Mae.” A loud sigh escaped him.
“No.” I didn’t like the tone in his voice. “But I want to know why you think I need to protect myself.”
“Because,” he said with frustration. He paused. “Because the dogs picked up his scent on Forest Service Road 736 in the national park. It’s on the other side of town, but I’m sure he’s still in there, trying to find a way out.”
A flicker of fear coursed through my veins, giving me goosebumps. It was spring. The sun still set pretty early in the evening and it was pitch black before eight p.m. If someone was walking around, I’d never see them.
“Do you think I need to inform my campers about it?” I asked in a very calm voice.
“I think you need to tell them to be alert and to report anything or anyone suspicious.” There was a look in his eyes that told me he was worried. “I’ve got officers at all the jurors’ houses just in case Greaser does decide to follow through on his threats.”
“What about the reenactment? Are you going to be able to come?” I asked, knowing that Queenie was relying on him.
“No.” He snapped his fingers. “Which reminds me.” He leaned to the side in his chair and took out his cell phone. “I’ve got to tell Queenie.”
He put his cell phone on the table and looked at me.
“Oh, no. . .” I wagged my fork in front of me before I dug it b
ack down into my food. “I’m not telling her.”
“Please,” he begged. “She’ll take it better from you.”
“Are you serious?” I asked while trying not to look into his memorizing green eyes that made my mind go blank then swirl with incomplete thoughts. “Fine.” I put my fork down and grabbed my phone when he picked his back up.
I wrote a short and sweet text to her saying Hank was so busy trying to catch Greaser and working so hard to keep our town safe and it was all hands on deck to make sure Greaser was long gone or caught and that he didn’t show up at the reenactment.
“We are going to need officers at the reenactment site for tomorrow,” he had called someone and told whoever he was talking to on the other side of the phone. “They did?” He questioned. “Okay, I’ll make my way out to the Milkery in a few.”
He slipped his phone back into his pocket.
“Milkery?” My heart fell into my toes. “Is he at the Milkery?” I asked in a panic, scared something had happened to Mary Elizabeth or Dawn.
“No.” Hank was trying his hardest to stay calm. “The dogs picked up his trail there. I hate to leave, but I’ve got to get out there.”
“I’m going too.” I stood up, knocking the chair backwards against the back of the small RV’s driver’s seat. “I’ve got to see Mary Elizabeth and Dawn.”
I picked the chair up and put it back.
“You stay here. They are fine.” He tried to assure me, but he didn’t know me very well if he thought I was going to be a good little girlfriend and stay where he told me to when Mary Elizabeth could be in trouble.
“I’m not staying here and you can’t make me.” I ran around the camper, making sure Fifi had everything she needed while I was gone. “You can deal with it or not. I don’t care.”
“Mae, I told you they are fine. I’ll call you when I get there.” He put his hand out to stop me from grabbing my purse and car keys.
“Listen, I think you’re great and all, but Mary Elizabeth took me in when I didn’t have a family. I’m going to be there for her when she needs me and if this crazy killer guy is there, I’m going with my gun.” I jerked away from his grip and headed back to the bedroom where I reached under the bed, pulling out the small pink metal case with the Ruger handgun in it.