by Rose Pressey
The customers were buying something from Carly. I knew she would be finished soon, and I wouldn’t have that distraction to help me. Therefore, I had to move quickly. She had a small table next to her trailer with a lawn chair beside it. I supposed this was where she sat and worked on her items, and her general office area. She had a folder on top of the table.
As I walked by, a gust of wind blew a piece of paper from the top, and it floated onto the ground. I placed my foot on top of it so it wouldn’t blow away. I thought I was doing her a favor. She probably wouldn’t see it that way.
When I reached down to pick up the paper, I realized it was a map of the fairgrounds. That wouldn’t have been so unusual, except Carly had marked Evan’s trailer and the area behind it, as if she was marking out a way to get to and from it. That was highly suspicious.
I placed the paper back on the table just as the customers walked away. Before Carly had a chance to say a word, I hurried away from her. I didn’t dare turn around and look back to see if she was watching me. I assumed she was. I needed to get back to my trailer.
I wondered if Carly was walking behind me. I couldn’t stand it any longer, so I peeked over my shoulder. Whew. Thank goodness she wasn’t there.
I hurried the rest of the way to my trailer. I was almost there when I spotted Ruth and Max talking. As if they sensed me watching them, they looked over toward me and ended their conversation. Max went one way and Ruth rushed into her trailer. What was that all about?
CHAPTER 19
Travel trailer tip 19: Try to avoid walking too close to other people’s travel trailers.
Later that night, I was just drifting off to sleep when I heard a strange noise, something like a loud thump, thump, thump. Driven by curiosity, I got out of bed and opened the door and peeked outside. It seemed as if someone was always poking around. Maybe it was the thief, waiting for another chance to steal money—or the killer, looking for another victim. The thought sent a shiver down my spine. I thought I heard Ruth call out my name, though she was nowhere in sight.
“Ruth, is that you? Are you all right?” I said into the darkness.
No answer came. The fairgrounds were dead quiet. What if she was in danger? I had to check on her. After locking the door behind me, I hurried over to Ruth’s trailer. Just being outside at night gave me the creeps. There was no sign of Ruth. However, a light was on in her trailer. It was probably just my imagination, I told myself. There was nothing to worry about. Nevertheless, I decided to check on her.
Despite the warm night, a breeze brought goose bumps to my skin. An owl hooted in the distance, breaking the eerie silence. I stepped up to Ruth’s trailer and knocked on the door. As soon as my knuckles touch it, it opened.
“Hello?” I called out. “Ruth, are you there?”
I didn’t want to step inside, but I needed to check on her. With a shaky hand, I eased the door open a little bit more.
“Ruth, are you here? Is everything all right?”
Still, I got no answer. This was making me nervous. I had to go inside. What if she had just forgotten to lock the door? What if she came back and caught me in her trailer? She would think I was the thief. I supposed I had no choice but to take that chance. I had to help her if she needed me. I took a couple more steps up the stairs and into her trailer.
Even with the little lamp on in the corner, the space was dark. Her living area was quite messy. Clothes were lying about on the table and chairs. Newspapers and other papers were tossed about. A blanket covered the little pullout sofa. Underneath it was a mound in the shape of a person. The cover was completely over the figure.
My heart sped up as I moved closer. Was Ruth under there? Had something happened to her? Standing over the sofa, I reached down and grabbed the cover. Ever so gently, I eased it back. Thank goodness it wasn’t a body. Just more laundry. Ruth seriously needed to visit the laundromat. There were no other places for her to hide in the trailer, so it was time for me to get out of there.
Obviously, she had just left the door unlocked and forgotten to close it all the way. But she would have to do better than that, because someone was stealing money. This would be an easy target for them. I didn’t want to tell her that I’d been in her trailer, but I would have to confess that I came by to check on her. I’d let her know the door had been open.
As I walked over to the door, I happened to glance down at some of the papers. A name on one of them caught my attention. It didn’t read Ruth Gordon, but instead Ruth Stone. That was odd. I knew for sure she’d told me her last name was Gordon. And Gordon didn’t sound anything like Stone. Maybe Ruth was divorced.
It was really none of my business. However, something about it made me suspicious. Perhaps it was because I was feeling that way about everyone at the craft fair. So many strange things had happened, I was suspicious of everyone. Nonetheless, I left the trailer and closed the door exactly as it had been when I arrived. I should have closed it all the way, but I didn’t want to do that in case Ruth had left it that way on purpose. Maybe she didn’t have a key. I didn’t want to lock her out.
I moved down the small stairs and turned to position the door as I’d found it. Just as I turned to walk away, I spotted Ruth. The frown on her face was evident from all the way across the path. Only the moonlight lit her face. Her glare was focused on me. I hoped she didn’t call the police. She would probably tell them that I’d been the one stealing all the money.
She rushed over to me as I tried to get back to my trailer.
“What do you think you were doing in my trailer? Are you the one taking the money?” she snapped.
I whipped around. “No, I am not taking money and I don’t appreciate you accusing me of it.” It really made me mad, because I hadn’t done anything wrong. “You left your door open,” I went on, “so I went to close it.”
“Did you go inside?” she asked.
I just couldn’t admit I’d gone in there.
“I did not go into your trailer. I wouldn’t do that. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, so I cracked the door open just a little bit farther. I called out to you. Obviously, you weren’t there.”
“I would appreciate it if you stayed away from my trailer.” She narrowed her eyes.
“No problem,” I said.
“What did you want anyway?” The bite in her voice snapped right through me.
“I came by to ask if you heard that strange thumping sound. I thought you called out my name. Plus, it sounded as if someone was walking around the trailers. But maybe it was just an animal.”
I’d told myself that, but I really thought it was more like the killer.
“I didn’t hear anything. And I didn’t call your name,” she said. “If that’s all you want, I’m going back inside.”
Ruth turned and stomped back over to her trailer. Right before she walked inside, she looked back at me and gave me another nasty look. Clearly, she didn’t want to be my friend.
CHAPTER 20
Travel trailer tip 20: To sleep better, choose a quiet space to park your trailer. Being next to the snack bar may be great during the day, but not so much at night.
After the confrontation with Ruth, I couldn’t sleep. Thoughts of the map, the ring, and the bloody shirt swirled in my head. My tossing and turning had disturbed Van and now he was awake too. Van jumped from his bed and over to the door. He scratched at it, indicating that he wanted to go out.
“It’s late, Van,” I said.
He scratched again, so I slipped on my sneakers and grabbed the leash. “All right, but we have to hurry.”
Being outside at night sent a shiver up my spine. Nevertheless, nature called for Van. I opened the door and reached down to pick him up and put the leash on him. He darted out the door and down the steps.
“Van! Stop,” I yelled.
He had never run out the door like that. I raced down the steps after him.
“Where are you going?”
He darted from the open area, aroun
d the old oak tree, and to the path.
“It’s too dark back there, Van!”
Not to mention scary. I ran as fast as I could, but Van was faster. We were both on the path now.
“Where do you think you’re going, Van? Stop!”
I knew he heard me because his ears were perked up. Evan’s trailer came into view, and Van stopped. I reached down and picked him up. “You are a naughty dog,” I said, attaching the leash to his collar.
As I turned to leave, I stopped in my tracks. I hadn’t expected to see someone else there by Evan’s trailer. Detective Pierce Myers was there too, shining a flashlight along the ground, as if searching for something.
The last thing I needed was for him to see me out and about around the trailer at night. He would think I’d come here on purpose. I wanted to avoid further questioning. But I also was curious about what he was doing. I assumed he was looking for more clues, but maybe he’d already found something. I would really love to know what that was.
Hoping to conceal my presence, I rushed behind a tree. I peeked out from around the trunk, hoping he didn’t sense me watching him. I would only watch for a couple of minutes and then head back to my trailer. Part of me wanted to talk to Pierce, but I knew it was best that I didn’t.
Pierce stood in front of the trailer, staring at something or nothing in particular. I had no idea. Was he putting the crime together in his mind, recreating the scene in his head?
A low sound echoed from somewhere behind me, and I screamed out. That owl high in the treetop had tattled on me. Pierce spun around, with his hand on his gun holster. I had to get out of there before he caught me. With Van in my arms, I turned around and took off running, but unfortunately, I couldn’t get back on the path. He’d see me there, so I had to go in the grassy area.
My foot slipped on a big branch. My ankle twisted and I tumbled to the ground with a thump. I tried not to scream out this time. For someone who wanted to be quiet, I had done a poor job of it. I probably couldn’t be any louder if I’d tried. I should have used a bullhorn and yelled at him. Perhaps a neon sign blinking over my head. Thank goodness Van was secure in my arms during my tumble. I tried to scramble to my feet. Before I could, footsteps sounded from right behind me.
When I looked up, my gaze locked onto Pierce’s gorgeous hazel eyes.
He stretched out his hand toward me. “What are you doing out here?”
That was an interesting question. I had to decide what I was going to tell him. The truth?
“Van got away from me,” I said as I got to my feet.
He lifted an eyebrow. “He just happened to come to the scene of the crime?”
“Okay, I admit it’s a huge coincidence, but it’s the truth. What are you doing over here?”
He didn’t seem shocked that I’d asked him this question. “I wanted to take a look around. I’ve been thinking about what happened and wondering if I missed anything.”
What was he thinking he’d missed? What did he think about finding me out here? It couldn’t be good.
“Well, I should go back to my trailer now.” Before he could answer, I spun around to walk away.
However, he quickly ran up beside me. “Wait just a minute, Celeste. I want to talk to you.”
Ugh. That was what I was afraid of.
“Maybe there’s somewhere we can go to talk?” he asked. “There’s an ice cream shop around the corner that stays open until midnight.”
Late-night ice cream? That was the place I’d gone with Caleb. I didn’t want to go for ice cream tonight with Pierce.
“I have lemonade back at my trailer. We can sit there and talk,” I said.
“That sounds nice.”
This was certainly a strange outcome.
Pierce and I walked down the path toward my trailer. Van trotted on his leash between us.
“Sorry about back there at the trailer,” I said. “That I screamed and scared you.”
“I understand,” he said. “It’s just that, you know, without knowing who the killer is . . .”
“It’s dangerous, right?” I asked.
“It could be,” he said.
“Well, I opened the door before putting the leash on Van and he took off. That was a dumb mistake. If you knew my family, you’d understand why I don’t always make the wisest decisions.”
Pierce chuckled.
“It’s definitely a character flaw I’m trying to remedy,” I said.
“I’m not sure I’d call it a character flaw,” he said. “Maybe just being stubborn.”
“I’m pretty sure most people would consider that a character flaw.”
“I just don’t want you to be hurt,” Pierce said.
When we reached the trailer, I gestured toward one of the folding chairs. “Have a seat. I’ll just run in, put Van to bed, and get the lemonade.”
He smiled and took a seat while I hurried inside. I still couldn’t believe he was here and we were about to drink lemonade together. This was quite scary, actually. I had a feeling he would question me more about the murder. I would have to come clean about everything I knew. He wouldn’t be happy I’d been withholding information. And also that I’d been snooping around more than he realized. He probably still thought that was why I was at the trailer tonight. I wouldn’t be able to hide it any longer. I grabbed a couple of glasses and headed back outside.
When I handed him a glass, he said, “Thank you. It looks delicious.”
I smiled as I sat down. “You’re welcome.”
Silence settled between us as we drank. I wasn’t sure who would speak first, but I wanted to get everything out in the open. I’d spill everything I knew. After all, that had to be why he was here.
“You know I was snooping around tonight,” I said. I felt better already, getting this off my chest and telling the truth. Well, some of the truth.
Pierce studied his glass for a few seconds and then said, “Yes, I’m aware.”
“There are some other things I should tell you.”
He looked at me strangely.
“Well, first of all, I found a map at Carly’s trailer.” I rushed the words before I chickened out.
“And how did you find that?” he asked with suspicion in his voice.
“Let’s just say it happened to jump out at me.”
“Okay, and what about the map?”
“Well, the map was of Evan’s trailer. It marked the path to get to and from it. I just thought that was suspicious.”
“That is,” he said. “What else?”
“Shar had a ring on her finger. I know for sure it was Evan’s. I saw him wearing it and he told me he’d designed it.”
“How long have you known about this?” he asked.
“Oh, I just found out not long ago. I would’ve told you. I was going to, but I just didn’t have a chance.”
He didn’t look as if he believed me. “All right. Is that it?” he asked. “It sounds like you have quite a list.”
I released a deep breath. “Also, it’s Caleb.” I hated to tell him this part, but I knew I couldn’t leave it out either.
“Okay, and what about Caleb?”
“I found a shirt, and I’m almost sure it had blood on it.” I couldn’t believe I’d actually told him. “Now, maybe it was just his blood, but maybe you could look into that and make sure. It could be evidence.”
“Wow, you have been busy,” he said.
“They just kind of fell into my lap.”
“I’m sure,” he said. “Have you always wanted to be a detective?”
Now I was blushing. I hoped he couldn’t see it in the dim light. “Well, no, not always,” I said. “I’m just naturally inquisitive, that’s all.”
“Right,” he said with a smile.
“What about you? Have you always wanted to be a detective?”
He took another drink of the lemonade. “This stuff is really good.”
“Thanks. It’s my aunt Patsy’s recipe. She owns the Paradise Café.”
“Oh, yeah, I’ve been to that place. Great burgers.”
As he said that, Caleb came to mind, and I recalled how much he’d loved the cheeseburgers.
“But back to the detective thing, I suppose I knew when I was about seven or eight years old that I wanted to help people solve crimes. I saw a detective show on television, and after that, I always had an interest.”
“We have something in common. I knew what I wanted to do at an early age too,” I said.
“You did? How long have you been painting?” Pierce asked.
I explained to him about painting from a young age, but I didn’t want to bore him too much. I contemplated telling him about my hidden talent of adding images within paintings, but I figured maybe that would be too much. So I kept that part quiet.
Movement caught my attention, and Pierce noticed it right away too. Caleb was walking down the path. Gum Shoe was with him. I guessed they were out for a late-night potty break. Caleb saw Pierce and me sitting at the trailer having a glass of lemonade. I knew by the look on his face that he was surprised and also maybe a bit jealous of Pierce. After all, we had gone out on a couple of dates to the café and the ice cream shop.
When Caleb realized I saw him, he turned around, heading back the other way. That kind of made me sad, but Pierce and I had only been discussing the case. Okay, we had been talking about more than that, but I digress.
Caleb had barely disappeared from view when Pierce pushed to his feet. “I should go. It was nice talking to you, Celeste. Please be careful.”
I took the glass from his outstretched hand. “I promise I’ll be careful. Are you going to check out the leads I gave you?”
“I’m on it. Again, be careful.” He touched my chin with his index finger.
My stomach fluttered with his touch. I watched as Pierce walked down the path. Was he going to speak with Caleb now?