“He kept telling her, ‘Don’t cry. I want to take care of you!’ I thought he was going to ask her to marry him, right then and there. But a whole bunch of cowboys came in, and your grandma had to get back to work.”
She looked at the girls as if she had finished her story.
Elizabeth and Megan looked at each other, then back at Jean Louise. In unison, they nearly yelled, “What was so special about the marbles?”
Jean Louise looked surprised. “Oh, I forgot that part, didn’t I? Silly me. I’ll tell you that right now. But first, would you like some more tea?”
Camp Club Girls on the Case
The girls responded in unison, “No thank you!”
But Jean Louise didn’t take the hint. She leaned forward, picked up her own glass, and said, “I’ll just get myself some then. I’ll be right back.” She went into the kitchen, while Megan and Elizabeth sat on the couch. They shared confused looks, but neither girl spoke a word. An old Oak Ridge Boys song played softly on the radio.
After a moment, Jean Louise sauntered back into the living room. “Sorry to keep you waiting. I know you’re anxious to hear about those marbles. But to be perfectly honest, I’m having second thoughts about telling you all this. Maybe your mama is the one I should talk to, Megan.”
Megan told her, “My mama and I tell each other everything anyway. But she’s working overtime this week, so you probably won’t be able to get in touch with her for a few days.”
“Your mama was just a little girl when all this happened,” said Jean Louise. She sipped her tea, as if considering her next words. Finally she said, “Okay, I’ll tell you. But don’t go spreading this around. Tell your mama, of course, but don’t talk about it to all your little friends.” She glanced at Elizabeth.
“I won’t tell a soul, unless Megan wants me to,” Elizabeth responded.
Megan said, “Our lips are sealed.”
Finally, the woman said, “The marbles were formed out of priceless gemstones. The red one was a ruby, the blue one a sapphire, and the clear one…a diamond!”
The two girls looked at each other wide-eyed, and then stood to their feet and squealed. “We’re rich! We’re rich!” Megan sang as she hopped up and down.
The older woman let the girls have a moment before she interrupted them. “Not so fast, Megan. If you’re so rich, why is your mama working so much overtime? Why are you working as a dishwasher so you can buy a band instrument?”
Surprised, Megan looked at the waitress. “How did you know that?” she asked.
“I already told you I’m an eavesdropper!” Jean Louise said with a laugh. Then she grew serious. “There’s one more thing you need to know. The reason I thought about those marbles after all these years, is because a man came into the restaurant the other day asking questions.”
“What kinds of questions?” asked Elizabeth, shifting into her detective mode.
“He asked to see the restaurant manager. He wanted to know if anybody knew anything about some marbles that were given to a waitress there, years ago. Of course the manager didn’t know anything. We’ve had so many managers since that time. And your grandma never told anyone except my mama about them.”
“I wonder who would be looking for them, after all this time?” asked Megan.
Jean Louise snorted. “Honey, plenty o’ folks will be looking for them if they know they’re missing!”
Soon the girls thanked their hostess and started home. “What should we do?” asked Megan.
“I don’t know. This is your mystery, not mine. I promised Jean Louise I’d stay out of it, remember?”
“No, you didn’t. You promised not to tell anybody about it. That doesn’t mean you can’t help me solve the mystery,” her friend said.
“I don’t know, Megan. This one seems over my head. I wouldn’t know where to begin,” Elizabeth told her.
“Come on, Beth, you’ve got to help me. You’re the one with all the sleuthing experience,” Megan urged.
Elizabeth remained quiet, as if thinking it over. “Well…okay! I’ll do it! But first thing, we need to let your mom know what’s going on.”
“Okay. I’ll tell her as soon as—oh, wait! She works late tonight, and I have to be at work early tomorrow. I won’t even see her until tomorrow night. But I’ll tell her as soon as I can, I promise.”
“It’s a deal,” Elizabeth told her. “Meanwhile, I’ll google gemstone marbles, and see what I can come up with.”
The girls were almost home, and Elizabeth could see her parents’ van parked in the driveway. She looked at her watch—7:25. It must have been a short meeting.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Beth,” Megan called as she headed toward her front door. “Join me on my break again tomorrow. We can talk about what you find on the internet!”
“See you then,” Elizabeth called back, and climbed the front steps.
Later that night, Elizabeth sat at the family computer searching for information on the marbles. Her mother put the finishing touches on the now gleaming kitchen, and laid a fresh dish towel on the counter.
“What are you looking at?” Mrs. Anderson asked, laying a gentle hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder.
“Oh, I’m just helping Megan with a project. Do you need the computer?” Elizabeth asked her mother.
“No, I’m going to bed now. Don’t stay up too late, okay?” She kissed her daughter on the cheek and headed toward the back of the house. Then, she called over her shoulder, “Your dad will be home in a little while, though, and you know he’ll want to check his email.”
Elizabeth laughed. Her father taught Bible classes at the local seminary. He often got emails from his students, asking about their assignments. He enjoyed his job, and he loved helping his students understand the Bible better. To him, that was as exciting as a carnival would have been for Elizabeth.
She typed into the search engine, Precious gemstone marbles, and waited to see what appeared. Before long, she had links to museums and fine jewelers all over the world. There was a link for birthstone marbles, precious gemstones, forever gemstones, tigereye marbles…but nothing related to Amarillo, Texas.
If only I could send an SOS to the Camp Club Girls. Elizabeth thought of her friends from summer camp. But I promised Jean Louise I’d keep my mouth shut. She was in the middle of another search when a flag popped up in the bottom corner of her screen. HORSEGIRL96 WANTS TO CHAT the message read.
Elizabeth recognized McKenzie’s online name and clicked on the flag.
Did you get my letter? McKenzie typed.
Elizabeth: Yes! I’m so excited!
McKenzie: Me too. I can’t wait to see you.
Elizabeth: What day will you be here?
McKenzie: Next Tuesday.
Elizabeth smiled. She couldn’t wait to see her friend. Then, she had an idea.
Elizabeth: Do you think your parents will let you stay at my house while you’re here?
McKenzie: That sounds like fun! I’ll ask and email you tomorrow. Maybe you can stay at the hotel with me some too.
Elizabeth: Okay, I’ll ask. Talk to you later.
McKenzie: Bye.
Elizabeth was smiling at the computer screen when her dad walked in. “Hey, Bethy-bug! What are you so happy about?”
She stood and hugged her father. “Hi, Daddy! Guess what? McKenzie’s coming to visit. She and her family will be in Amarillo next Tuesday!”
“That’s great news, Sparky,” he said, using one of his many pet names for her. “Why don’t you see if she can sleep over while she’s in town?”
Elizabeth giggled. “I already asked her. She’s supposed to let me know tomorrow.”
Mr. Anderson walked over to the computer and sat down. “What’s all this about gemstones you’ve pulled up?”
Elizabeth had to think quickly. She didn’t want to break her promise, but she wasn’t going to lie either. “Oh, just some research I’m doing for Megan.”
“You’re a good friend, Elizabeth, and an
all-around great gal. Just like your mama. ‘A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies,’ Proverbs 31:10. Tell Megan the real gem is your mama,” he said.
Elizabeth smiled. Her parents were kind of sappy sometimes, always holding hands and kissing. It was embarrassing at times, but it was cute.
“I’ll tell her, Daddy,” she said, and kissed him on top of his head. “Good night.”
At 2:33 p.m. the next day, Elizabeth pushed open the saloon-style doors of the Big Texan Steak Ranch and looked around. Megan was already sitting at her table. Two tall iced drinks and two big slices of pie were there too.
Elizabeth tossed her blond hair over her shoulders as she slid into the booth. Megan looked worn-out.
“I don’t know how long I can keep this up!” she moaned. “I’m not sure I was created for hard physical labor.”
Elizabeth chuckled. She remembered how tired she had been at camp, after she and her friends had to do kitchen duty for a few days. “You can do it. Hang in there,” she encouraged.
Megan leaned forward. “So, did you find out anything about the marbles?” she whispered.
“Not a thing. I did an internet search, but nothing linked any gemstone marbles to Amarillo. I didn’t have time to look at much. I’ll keep trying.”
“Why don’t you get all your Camp Detective Club Friends, or whatever y’all called yourselves, to help?” Megan asked.
“Camp Club Girls,” Elizabeth corrected. “I thought about that, but we promised Jean Louise to keep it hush-hush.”
“Well, we don’t need to talk about it to people around here. But as long as you trust your friends, I trust them.”
Elizabeth sighed with relief. This would be so much easier if her friends helped her. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll send out an email tonight, and we’ll see what we can come up with. You’re still going to talk to your mom tonight, aren’t you?”
“I hope so. As much as she’s been working lately, I hardly see her. And when I do see her, she can barely stand up, she’s so tired. I’m not sure how to break it to her that her mother lost her marbles,” she said.
Elizabeth giggled and thought about the situation. It sure would be nice if Megan’s mom didn’t have to work so hard. Her dad had been killed a few years ago in a car accident, and things had been tough for their family since then. “I don’t know about you, but I’m about to die if I don’t start eating this pie! What is it today? Chocolate?” she asked.
“I think so,” said Megan without much enthusiasm. But then she took a bite, and perked up right away. “Oh, this is so good!”
“I wonder if they’d hire me and let me work for pie,” Elizabeth said. Both girls giggled and finished their pie in no time.
Just then, Jean Louise stopped by the table and bent down to their level. “You girls had better get crackin’ on that marble mystery. That man was snooping around here again this morning, asking more questions.”
The two girls looked at each other in surprise. Yes, they definitely needed to get crackin’.
Elizabeth typed into the subject line of the email: NEW MYSTERY; NEED HELP! She then moved her cursor to the body of the email, and began typing the whole story. She ended it with, I don’t know where to begin. Please help!
She paused and said a little prayer before hitting the SEND button. Lord, You know Megan and her mother haven’t had an easy life. These gemstones could really help them. Please help us find them.
There. She sent the email and sat staring at the blank screen. She knew it would only be a matter of minutes before someone answered her.
Since summer camp had ended, the six Camp Club Girls had conspired to solve several mysteries. Elizabeth had traveled to DC and helped her friend Sydney uncover a plot to assassinate the president! The other girls had been busy as well, using the sleuthing skills they had honed at camp to solve their own hometown mysteries. They were becoming quite the team, and Elizabeth knew she could count on them to offer helpful suggestions in this new case. The miracles of email, text messaging, and internet research had allowed them to keep in close contact, from Alex in California to Sydney in Washington, DC. Sure enough, just minutes after she sent her message, the red flag popped up. It was Bailey.
Gemstones? How exciting! Your friend will be rich! Wow, I wish I were there. You should check the local jewelers and see if anyone in your area sells gemstone marbles.
Elizabeth smiled. She missed Bailey, the youngest of their gang. Bailey was always excited about everything. Period.
Elizabeth typed back, Great idea. Thanks, Bales!
Just then, another red flag showed that Alexis was online.
Why doesn’t your friend snoop around the restaurant and see if there are any hiding places there? She can act like she’s cleaning or something. Tell her to try tapping on the walls. Nancy Drew is always tapping on walls to see if they are hollow.
A third red flag popped up, and it was Sydney.
Sounds to me like you need to investigate Megan’s grandmother’s death. It’s suspicious to me that she died just days after receiving the jewels.
Elizabeth felt her heart beating faster. This was getting more and more exciting. She typed the words, Thanks, y’all. This will really help me get started. I’ll keep you posted.
She signed off the computer and walked to the front porch. She would wait there until Megan got home.
An hour later, the two girls sat on Elizabeth’s front steps sipping the fresh lemonade Mrs. Anderson had brought out to them. “How much do you know about your grandmother’s death?” asked Elizabeth. She had already shared the suggestions she’d received from her friends.
“Only that it was an accident. She was hit by a car.”
“Are you sure it was an accident?” Elizabeth prodded.
Megan gave her an exasperated look. “I don’t know, Elizabeth. I wasn’t there.”
Elizabeth giggled. “Oh yeah. Sorry. But how can we find out more?”
“We can ask my mom. But she doesn’t like to talk about it. She loves talking about her mother. But when it comes to talking about her death, she clams up.”
“What about Jean Louise?” Elizabeth asked. “She knew your grandmother. Maybe she can tell us more.”
Megan’s face brightened. “That’s a great idea! Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Because you’re not an experienced detective, like I am,” Elizabeth teased.
They heard the phone ring, and a moment later Elizabeth’s mother called out, “Elizabeth, it’s for you! It’s your friend McKenzie calling, so hurry!”
Elizabeth went into the house, but Megan kept her seat.
“Hello? McKenzie?” Elizabeth spoke excitedly into the phone.
“It’s me! I’ve been working outside, and I just now checked my email. I asked my parents, and the answer is yes! I can stay with you some while we’re there. But they said if it’s okay with you and your parents, you can stay some with me at the motel. We’re staying at the Big Texan, because of their horse hotel. Isn’t that cool, a horse hotel?”
“McKenzie, that’s perfect! Did you read my other email?”
“I just skimmed it. I was so excited about staying with you, I went straight to ask my parents, and then I called you. I figured you could fill me in on the phone.”
“Well, Megan works at the Big Texan Steak Ranch! That is the same restaurant her grandmother worked at, when she got the marbles. We may want to stay at the Big Texan as much as possible, so we can snoop around.”
“Oh, this will be awesome! I was already excited about seeing you, but now we’ll get to solve a mystery while I’m there! I can’t wait,” she gushed into the phone.
The girls said their goodbyes with promises to email later in the evening. Then Elizabeth returned to the porch.
“Guess what?” she asked Megan.
“Uhmmm, let me guess. McKenzie and her family are staying at the Big Texan, and you’ll stay with her while she’s here.”
El
izabeth grinned. “I guess I did talk kind of loud. But I’m excited! I still have to ask my parents, though.”
Just then, Megan’s mom pulled into the driveway. She cleaned houses in the wealthy part of town. She also cleaned rooms for several local hotels, including the Big Texan.
“Are you going to tell her what’s going on?” Elizabeth asked.
“I guess it’s now or never,” said Megan. “Why don’t you come with me? You can fix Mama some pie and iced tea while I break the news.”
The Charming Stranger
The girls walked across the driveway, and Megan hugged her mother. The woman’s hair was falling out of its pretty clasp, and she had tired circles under her eyes. Still, she was beautiful.
Before Megan’s parents had met, Ruby Smith had been Miss Amarillo. As small children, Elizabeth and Megan had enjoyed hiding under her bed and watching her experiment with different hairstyles or shades of lipstick. Once, she had fixed her hair in crazy crooked braids, and put cold cream all over her face. Then, she had said in a loud voice, “I think I’m ready. I sure wish Megan and Elizabeth were here to tell me how I look!”
The girls had burst into a fit of giggles. Mrs. Smith had coaxed them from under the bed and given them makeovers. But now, things were different. She didn’t even wear makeup any more.
“Hi, girls,” she said, offering an exhausted smile. “How are y’all today?”
“We’re great, Mama,” Megan responded. “Here, let me carry your bag. Come on in and sit down. I need to talk to you.”
Camp Club Girls: Elizabeth Page 12