Jeanne Glidewell - Lexie Starr 06 - Cozy Camping

by Jeanne Glidewell

  That explained why no fingerprints were found on the first hair dryer. I’m sure the gloves had been Brandi’s idea. The murder had been pre-meditated and she hadn’t overlooked many details. This one was also attached to a long industrial-sized extension cord, just as the hair dryer that killed the author had been. I was certain Stanley had replaced the ruined electrical cord with a new functional one after Fanny’s death. I froze in place, thinking we might be more successful in trying to talk the kids out of executing their plan than trying to get out of the pool before the young boy threw the dryer into it.

  “Brandi, do you know how unhappy your mother will be if you ruin her new hair dryer?” I asked the girl, who, like a sense of humor, seemed to be lacking the compassion and emotional genes in her DNA makeup, as well. “You’ll have to explain to your mother what happened to the brand new one she just purchased a few days ago, you know.”

  “This is my hair dryer, a cheap one she bought for me at Wal-Mart a couple of years ago. I rarely ever use it anyway, so Mommy will probably never even realize it’s missing.”

  “If your mother finds out you’re behind Fanny’s death, and now the deaths of the three of us, as I can almost guarantee she will, she’ll be even more upset about her two children being thrown in prison for the rest of their young lives than she’s ever been about your father leaving her for another woman. And you know how much you hate seeing her unhappy,” I said, trying desperately to make her decide to scrap the notion of letting Chace heave the running hair dryer into the pool and taking another three lives. I knew I sounded desperate when I asked, “Did you know they don’t let people read books in prison?”

  “Oh poo! I’m not an idiot, you know. Besides, they wouldn’t lock us up for the rest of our lives,” Brandi replied. “Did you forget that I’m gifted? We’d probably end up in a correctional center for kids for a couple of years and then be released, and that’s in the unlikely event they discover who’s responsible for the murders. After all, who would suspect two kids our ages? And even if we are caught, it’s extremely doubtful they’ll try to charge Chace as an adult for murdering his stepmother. After all, she’s the woman who tore apart our family.”

  Before I could think of another tactic to save Rapella, Wendy, and me from suffering the same fate as Fanny Finch, Brandi turned to her brother and said, “Go ahead, Chace. We need to get this done and get out of here before anyone else comes near the pool area.”

  I saw the boy’s arm go back in order to get better momentum on his throw, and then saw the hair dryer being released from his hand. All three of us in the pool gasped in horror. But to our immense relief, just as the dryer started its descent into the water, directly above our heads, the lights went off, and the entire park became eerily—but blissfully—quiet.

  As if frozen in place, Brandi and Chace stood still, as the three of us in the pool made a mad dash for the ladder. It appeared as if Brandi’s usually lightning-quick mind had screeched to a halt. She stood there expressionless and speechless for several long seconds as we exited the pool. I doubted she’d thought ahead to a Plan B if Plan A failed to pan out. Personally, I never wanted to come near this pool again, and getting into any other swimming pool in the future didn’t look too likely either.

  Just as the three of us made it out and away from the pool, Kylie rushed through the gate, an expression of deep concern on her face, and asked, “Are you ladies all right? What’s going on in here?”

  Wendy and I stood in front of the gate, blocking it to keep the young perpetrators from exiting the pool area, and explained to Kylie what had just taken place.

  Kylie shook her head and said, “Oh, my God. I’m so glad I happened to be coming this way a few moments ago. When I unlocked the gate earlier, I was going to test the alkalinity, PH, and chlorine levels of the water, but discovered the little canister of test strips was empty. I was irritated by that at first, but now I think it might have been a matter of divine intervention.”

  “Amen to that!” I said.

  “So anyway,” Kylie continued, “I walked over to the maintenance shed to get a new canister and as I was walking this way, I saw the young boy standing outside the gate with the hair dryer. Considering what happened Saturday night in this pool, I was alarmed. I ran back to the maintenance shed and opened the electrical box as fast as I could. I saw a large toggle switch marked “Main” and just yanked it down, rather than try to figure out which circuit breaker controlled the power to the pool area. I could tell when the lights in the entire park went off that I’d pulled the right one. When the kids electrocuted Fanny, they must have unplugged the cord from the electrical outlet before retrieving the hair dryer from the bottom of the pool by reeling in the cord attached to it.”

  “Thank God you turned off the power when you did, and not a second later, or we’d be toast right now!” Wendy said as she wrapped her beach towel around her waist. Cheyenne mornings were usually cool, even in late July, and we were all shivering from the combination of nearly being electrocuted and the weather. After a violent shudder, Wendy said, “I can’t recall peeing in a pool since I graduated from elementary school. Excuse my language, but I can honestly say that this was the first time I’ve literally had the piss scared out of me.”

  “It’s nice to hear I wasn’t the only one to suffer a bladder crisis on this vacation,” I said, knowing it was probably that third cup of coffee I’d convinced Wendy to drink that had caused her incontinence in the grip of fear.

  “No worries,” Kylie said with a broad smile. “That’s why God created chlorine—to kill bacteria. I’m just relieved you three ladies are okay.”

  “Thanks to you,” Wendy said. “If you hadn’t shut the power off the exact second you did, Mom, Rapella, and I would be toast right now. You saved our lives with your quick thinking, and we are infinitely grateful. It’s hard to put how I feel into words right now, because my heart’s still racing and my knees are shaking. And not just because I’m chilled to the bone.”

  Rapella told Kylie she considered her an angel sent from heaven to save us, and that she appreciated her realizing something wasn’t right and shutting down the power in the nick of time. I was thinking Rapella must be a tough ole bird, as she hadn’t even wrapped her towel around her to block the cool air.

  I thanked Kylie in turn, with an overwhelming sense of regret. How could we have ever suspected this young lady of such a vicious crime as murder? She was our savior. I wanted to find her a special gift as a token of our appreciation. Instantly, I knew exactly what I’d get for her. I’d heard her gush over Wendy’s Tony Lama boots more than once. I’d get downtown to the Wrangler western wear store that afternoon and find a pair as similar to Wendy’s as I could find. The cost of the boots was inconsequential. It was the least I could do.

  Then, as Kylie instructed Brandi and Chace to sit down in two chairs located by the fence, I walked over to my little pile of belongings and picked up my cell phone, looked up the number online and called the police station.

  “Detective Harrison here,” said the baritone voice on the other end of the line. I knew I should ask for Detective Colmer, the lead detective on the case, but I had a bone to pick with this detective. He’d left a nasty taste in my mouth that was still stuck in my craw, and I wanted to return the favor.

  “Hello, Detective. This is Lexie Starr.”

  “Yes, can I help you?” I could tell he didn’t recognize my name, but that was not too surprising, given the fact he’d paid no attention to our names when we’d introduced ourselves to him on Wednesday.

  “I’m one of the ‘pretty little ladies’ you verbally blew off in your C.I.D. room a couple of days ago. We might not be professionals like you and your detective buddies, but if you send a squad car out to Cozy Camping RV Park, we’ll turn over Fanny Finch’s killer and his accomplice to you, so you can get back to protecting nice folks like me from harm.” I wasn’t proud of the sarcasm that practically dripped off my tongue, but as often happens, I co
uldn’t hold it back.

  “What? You’ve got the perp who killed the author lady? Are you serious?”

  “Of course I’m serious. Would I phone the police to joke about something like this? You need to come on over now, because I can’t keep them corralled here forever. Their mother’s going to get worried about their whereabouts.”

  “What? Their mother’s going to do what? Are you telling me you have them apprehended?” He asked again with a hint of skepticism.

  “You could say that,” I replied, as I glanced over at the two children sitting restlessly in the lounge chairs beside the pool. They should have looked nervous, scared, apprehensive, or even ticked off, but they didn’t seem to realize they should be anything but bored. I could think of a dozen different people I wished were sitting there, ready to be turned over to the police instead of the two young mixed-up children who were merely grieving the fact their father didn’t live at home with them anymore.

  “Yes, ma’am. We’re on the way,” Detective Harrison said after a long pause. I wondered if he’d been mulling over the possibility we might have some innocent citizens lashed to a tree.

  “Well, don’t waste time piddling around the station, Detective, because I’d like to get my nails polished before Days of our Lives comes on.”

  “Um, yes, ma’am.”

  Before I could tell him it was unnecessary to bring the entire task force to take the perps into custody, he ended the call. As I stowed my phone back into the pocket of the terry cloth robe I’d thrown on over my bathing suit, I couldn’t help feel a sense of satisfaction at being able to toss a few of the detective’s patronizing remarks back in his face.

  On the other hand, I was incredibly disturbed that a couple of young children could perpetrate such an unimaginable act of violence. I imagined they’d be tragically scarred by the crime for the rest of their young lives. It had left its mark on me too. I knew I’d have to think twice before ever immersing myself into a murder case again.

  Epilogue

  We’d gotten off to an early start Saturday morning, heading home to Rockdale. Sitting in the passenger seat as Stone drove, I was still shaken from my near-death experience the day before. Discovering Fanny’s life had been taken by two young children, who’d also attempted to kill Wendy, Rapella, and me, was something I’d never get over.

  I’d been involved in other disturbing murders, but the fact the perpetrators in this case were just misguided kids shook me to the core. Like all of us, unfortunately, I’d heard stories about children killing others in episodes of violence. But this was the first time I’d been personally involved in such a case, and it was a bitter pill to swallow. As I started to cry at the thought of what Brandi and Chace’s futures might entail, Stone glanced at me.

  “You okay, baby?” He asked. “I talked to the detectives, and they assured me the circumstances and ages of the kids would be taken into consideration. Detective Harrison agreed with Brandi’s assessment of what their punishment might entail. He said they’ll probably spend a number of years in a rehabilitation center for young offenders, with abundant visitation time with their parents. They would ultimately be released when they reached adulthood, as long as they appeared to pose no further threat to society.”

  “Yes, I know you’re right,” I said. “But it’s such a sad situation. I felt so sorry for Cassie and Avery, who were devastated by the turn of events. I’m glad the EMTs were there to give Cassie a sedative to calm her down.”

  Stone nodded and said, “After I spoke with Harrison. I heard Cassie tell Detective Colmer that she and Avery had known there was something unusual about Brandi at an early age, and she’d been mistakenly diagnosed with autism at age two. Because Brandi was so far advanced compared to the other children her age, she was a loner, practically an outcast. The lack of interaction with friends had resulted in her failure to learn social skills.”

  “Yes, that was clear to me the first time I had a conversation with her,” I agreed. “Even though intelligence is usually considered a blessing, I can see where in some cases, like Brandi’s, it could also be a curse.”

  “Yes, and that’s such a shame,” Stone said. “Say, did you see the warm embrace between Cassie and Avery? I saw him kiss her forehead several times, and hold her in his arms for a long time as they consoled each other. It was rather touching.”

  “I noticed that too. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Even though their children went about it in the worst possible way, maybe their ill-fated plan to reunite their parents might actually prove successful.”

  “I hope you’re right, Lexie. I hate to see any marriage fall apart, especially when children are involved. And these two kids will need a lot of parental support as they are forced to face the process of being dealt with by the justice system and, of course, the punishment that will ultimately be meted out.”

  “I hope I’m right, too,” I agreed, as something along the interstate caught my eye. “Hey! Pull over, Stone! I’m pretty sure I just saw a bear right off the shoulder of the road back there a little ways. I’m certain Andy and Wyatt will pull over behind us. Surely one of the kids saw it, too.”

  “Was it a black bear or a grizzly?” Stone asked in a serious voice. I wondered why he wasn’t slowing down.

  “I couldn’t tell because we were moving too fast and I barely got a glimpse of it.”

  “Being that we’re in the flat plains of Nebraska, and bears wouldn’t normally stand that close to a busy interstate, it could just as likely have been a polar bear or a koala.”

  “Are you suggesting I didn’t see a bear at all?” I asked, slightly hurt by his mockery.

  “No, I’m not suggesting it—I’m flat out saying you didn’t see a bear back there. I’m not going to have all three of these motorhomes pulling over and backing down the shoulder on I-80 to look at what is probably nothing more than a tree trunk or a dark-leafed bush. Sweetheart, I’m calling your optometrist to make you an appointment when we get home.”

  “Humph,” I muttered. “No need for you to do that, my dear. Yesterday afternoon after we got back from our trip downtown to purchase Kylie’s new Tony Lama boots—which she was over the moon about, I might add—I called and made an appointment with Dr. Herron for next Thursday.”

  “Good. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. Wyatt told me that Veronica has agreed to seek therapy for an eating disorder she’s battling. He said you and Wendy convinced her it was something she needed to do, for her sake as well as his.”

  “Ah, that’s music to my ears. I know it’s not going to be easy for her, but I’ll be praying for her to succeed. At first I was kind of skeptical about having her along on this vacation, but now I’m so thankful to have gotten the chance to get to know her better.”

  After a couple of minutes of silence, I brought up the possibility of Wendy and Andy marrying in the near future. Stone said, “It’s supposed to be a secret, but if you promise not to say anything, I’ll let you in on it.”

  “Tell me! Tell me! My lips are sealed. I promise!”

  “Well, all right then,” Stone said, as if still debating whether to spill the beans to someone who thrived on gossip. “Andy told me he’s going to ask Wendy to marry him on her thirtieth birthday. He’s having a ring designed for her right now.”

  “Oh, my gosh! That’s wonderful news. I’ve got an idea to make the occasion even more memorable. We can throw Wendy a surprise birthday party at the inn.”

  “Okay, great idea, sweetheart. You can start planning it as we head home. But remember to keep it to yourself. We don’t want to ruin the surprise.”

  I then thanked my husband for the memorable anniversary trip, and asked, “What would you like for your anniversary gift?”

  “Just a promise you’ll cut me some slack in the future. I love you dearly, but worrying about you has taken ten years off my life in just the first year of our marriage.”

  The look of sincerity in my husband’s eyes made me realize how much I’d put him throu
gh when I put myself in harm’s way while investigating murder cases. So I promised to try my best to not put more stress on my husband’s overflowing plate. I didn’t want to take any more years off his life because I loved him dearly too. Having the bejesus scared out of me every time I turned around was getting tiresome, as well. I’d had so many close calls that I felt the odds were turning against me.

  Besides, Stone was right. It was time I stepped aside and let the homicide detectives do their jobs while I settled into the second year of my marriage to the love of my life. I had a party to plan, a wedding to prepare for, and hopefully grandbabies to spoil in the near future. Because, frankly, as cute as they were, baby alpacas were just not doing it for me.

  “Now that we’ve taken care of that, could you go back and pour us each a cup of coffee out of the thermos? I need something to keep me alert, and I think your caffeine level must be dipping dangerously low. You are imagining highly unlikely wildlife alongside the interstate and agreeing to back off your tendency to get smack dab in the middle of murder cases. Obviously, something’s desperately wrong with you.”

  I didn’t know if there was any truth to his statement, but you should know me well enough by now to know I almost never turn down a cup of coffee.

  The End

  Want more from Jeanne Glidewell?

  Page forward for a Special Note from the author,

  followed by an excerpt from

  A RIP ROARING GOOD TIME

  A Ripple Effect Cozy Mystery

  Book One

  SPOILER ALERT

  To be read only after completion of Cozy Camping

  Dear Readers,

  I realize the outcome of this fictional story may be a bit shocking, and I sincerely apologize if any of you find it offensive because that was never my intention. I wanted the Lexie Starr series to end with a bang. I also wanted to give Lexie a very compelling reason to want to retire from the amateur sleuthing business, and I had to step outside the box to do it. Although this kind of tragedy is, thankfully, rare, it does happen on occasion and that’s just a sad fact of life.