by Tara Ellis
“It doesn’t matter,” Sam says softly. When Ms. Cooper and Zorro exchange a surprised look at her comment, she takes advantage of the distraction by putting her foot on top of the business card and slowly drawing it back towards her.
“Well, as if that wasn’t enough already,” Ms. Cooper insists, deciding to ignore Sam. “We had a camper come forward this afternoon and admit to seeing the two of you fleeing the bathrooms right before the vandalism was discovered the other night. While I might tolerate some of the other poor behaviors, that is something we simply cannot allow to go unpunished. That kind of criminal act spreads harmful rumors and sheds a very poor light on our organization. Camp Whispering Pines can’t afford that sort of negative reputation.”
Ally has begun to openly weep, but while Sam feels horrible, she is more convinced than ever about a growing suspicion. Pretending to also be upset, she places her head in her hands, and peeks between her fingers to confirm that the business card is now directly under her.
“Come on,” Zorro says with contempt. “It’s your own fault. Don’t expect us to feel sorry for you.”
“Don’t worry,” Sam replies coolly, raising her head to meet his gaze. “I would never ask for anything so…decent from you.”
Reaching for a dazed Ally, Sam also makes a blind grab for the card under her shoe and palms it before standing. Pulling her friend after her, they stumble through the door as Ms. Cooper calls out behind them.
“Enjoy your final supper girls, and then get your stuff packed and tell your friends goodbye. You leave first thing in the morning!”
17
PIECES OF A PUZZLE
“This is crazy!” Ally says in disbelief. They make it as far as the bottom of the hill before she pulls at Sam until she stops. “Why didn’t you defend us? Do you have any idea how mad our parents are going to be? We’ll never hear the end of this!”
“Arguing with them wasn’t going to do us any good,” Sam answers. Her tone causes Ally to pause and study her friend more closely.
“Sam…” she begins, cautious. “I’ve seen that look on your face before. You’ve figured something out, haven’t you?” Her excitement growing, Ally glances around to make sure no one else is nearby. “Come on, spill it!”
In response, Sam turns her left hand over, revealing the business card cupped in her palm. “Ms. Cooper knocked this off her desk,” she explains. Able to examine it now, she confirms it’s the standard business info on the front, and reads it aloud.
“Wait,” Ally stops her. “Hollingsworth. Isn’t that Sandy’s last name?” Brows furrowed, she purses her lips. “Why would she have that?”
Sam flips the card over without answering, and discovers a handwritten message:
“It was a pleasure to meet with you and your brother. I hope to hear from you soon,” Sam reads, squinting at the scribbled text. “There’s a phone number, too. I’m guessing it’s her father’s personal cell.”
“But I still don’t get why you let her say all of those lies about us.” Ally states, her arms crossed over her chest.
“Because she already knows they’re lies, Ally,” Sam says. “I’ll explain what I mean, but I think we need to talk with Sandy first.”
They find the three other girls still at Cabin Navaho. Thankfully, Butterfingers isn’t there. Sam’s confidence might be growing, but she’s not sure she could convince their counselor yet.
Trying to collect her thoughts, Sam closes the screen door and then leans up against it. “You’re going to want to sit down for this,” she tells her friends, rubbing at her eyes. She can feel a headache coming on, but forces herself to talk. They’re all dismayed when they find out what happened, and start asking several questions all at once.
“Wait!” Sam stops them, putting her hands up to ward off the interrogation. “There’s more.” She tells them about the matching logo on the truck and about Zorro calling Ms. Cooper his aunt. Finally, she hands Sandy the business card. “This was on her desk.”
“This is my dad’s,” Sandy acknowledges. “And that’s his handwriting. But why do you think it’s so strange, Sam? I already told you that he was here. Ms. Cooper is the director, and remember, this place isn’t even for sale, so there wasn’t a real estate agent to show them around.”
“If it wasn’t for sale,” Becky asks, “then how did he find it?”
“Daddy is a pro at digging up large corporations that are failing, and then bailing them out. Most of the time, it’s mismanagement by the owners, so he’s able to turn a big profit, even though that’s not why he wants it. But I already told you that the board voted it down.”
“We’ve been assuming that Ms. Cooper was against selling the camp,” Sam mutters, pacing the floor. “But then why would your dad be looking forward to talking with her and Zorro’s father? That suggests that she was his contact. What if Ms. Cooper was actually the one who wanted to sell? What if she was mad and not talking to her three sisters because they voted her and her brother down?” Pausing, Sam looks up to find four stunned faces staring at her revelation.
“But why?” Becky wants to know. “Why would she want to sell it?”
“That, we don’t know,” Lexie answers, when Sam shrugs in response. “But it would explain a lot.”
“I’m still not really following you,” Ally admits. “It might explain why she’s in such a bad mood and not really caring that things aren’t being kept up. But what does it have to do with us?”
“Think about it,” Sam urges, turning to Ally. “Ms. Cooper said she had heard about us and ‘looked into’ me, so I’ll bet she read the article about us solving the Hollow Inn mystery that ran in our local paper. I could tell from the beginning that she had it in for me. She knew that we’d be quick to poke around where we shouldn’t.”
“What mystery?” Becky asks, wide-eyed. Sam and Ally quickly explain their excitement from a few weeks before that had ended with a run-in with a gun-wielding transient.
“That’s a cool story and all,” Sandy replies with her typical attitude. “But it still has nothing to do with this camp.”
“I think it does,” Sam counters. “We were put into a cabin with the most loyal and well-known camper here, and the daughter of the man trying to buy it. What better way to spread the rumors and stories of all of the mishaps? Ms. Cooper thought she had a couple of perfect scapegoats. And I don’t think it was a coincidence that Sandy’s kayak sank. That alone might be enough for her dad to manipulate the board into selling.”
“You could be right,” Sandy agrees, standing up slowly with a new sense of purpose. “I was even falling for it. Remember after I got back from kayaking? I already had a list of troubles to share with my father. If he were to find out that I could have drowned due to faulty equipment, he could threaten to shut this place down. He’d have them begging him to buy!” Sandy puts a hand over her mouth while turning to look sheepishly at Lexie. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Sandy,” Lexie mumbles, her normal energy drained. “This whole summer has been different, anyway. Things do need to change, but I just wish the camp could stay open, not get turned into a corporate retreat.”
“What can we do about it?” Becky pleads, looking at each of them.
“I can talk to my dad after he picks me up on Friday,” Sandy assures her. “I promise,” she continues, looking at Lexie. “I’ll explain everything to him. He’ll know what to do!”
Doing her best to smile, Lexie thanks Sandy and then goes back to writing in her notebook, where she’s copying all of their contact information down on separate sheets. “At least we’ll be able to talk to each other, no matter what happens with the camp,” she says, trying to stay positive.
“You guys still have all day tomorrow to have fun,” Ally adds. “Don’t worry about us. Sam and I have been in worse trouble.”
“Do you have to go to the isolation cabin?” Lexie wants to know. When they shake their heads no, her smile broadens. “It stinks that you have to lea
ve in the morning, but tonight is one of the best nights of the week. Trust me!”
Encouraged by her friend’s enthusiasm, Sam begins to see the brighter side of things…but then she remembers that her mom will be coming for her tomorrow. In spite of what Ally said, Sam can’t think of another time that she was ever accused of doing such things. She only wishes they could prove their innocence.
18 ANSWERS IN THE DARK
Sam was hoping to see Cowboy at dinner. She didn’t know what she was going to say, but she wants him to know about her and Sam being sent home…and why. But he was nowhere to be seen. When she asked one of the food servers, they said he had to go into town to get some food. He’d be back either late that night or the next day.
Word of their expulsion traveled fast and they receive plenty of looks with whispered conversation. However, several girls come up to give Sam and Ally support. The young girl that Sam helped in the pool approaches to tell them how sorry she is and that she doesn’t think it’s fair they’re being sent home. As she walks away, Sam realizes why Ms. Cooper didn’t put them in the isolation cabin. She suspects the director wants to make a scene about it.
“Come on,” Lexie orders, as they clear their dirty dishes from the table. “Let’s go finish our barge!”
Happy to get away from all of the attention, their group escapes to the craft hut in the woods. Ally glues the stick on that she found that morning, and they all add some final touches.
“All done, except for the candle and the holder for it,” Lexie declares. “We won’t get that until tomorrow, though.”
“Can we go swimming now?” Becky asks, looking at everyone hopefully. “I want to show Sam and Ally what I learned.”
They all quickly agree that it’s a good idea, and spend the rest of their free time at the pool. With the sun shining down on all of the laughing, happy girls, Ally almost forgets that they have to leave.
Sam notices her best friend’s mood change, and sits down beside her at the edge of the pool. Dangling their feet in the water, they sit silently for a minute.
“Do you think our parents will ever let us do anything together again?” Sam finally asks, looking sideways at Ally.
“They’ll believe us,” Ally says with confidence. “If we have to, we can get ahold of Sandy and have her dad talk to them. They know we would never do those things,” she insists, kicking at the water.
Ally’s anger is contagious, and Sam finally allows herself to experience the emotions she’s been holding back.
“We might have one more chance to get some answers,” Sam says. Looking around to see who’s nearby, she lowers her voice. “Tonight. At the trailhead at midnight.”
“You mean the meeting between Zorro and Ranger?” Ally questions, her eyes sparkling.
Sam is surprised to find Ally so willing, knowing she is normally the levelheaded and cautious one
“Yeah. If we can find out for sure what they’re up to, it might give us some proof. If we can find Cowboy in the morning before we leave and talk with him about everything, I bet he could help.”
“Well…why not?” Ally shrugs. “What are they going to do if we get caught, send us home?” Laughing now, they hug each other just as the whistles blow, signaling the end of swim time.
***
Lexie was right. That night the bonfire is lit early so that the older campers can gather at dusk. Butterfingers announces that bedtime is extended to whenever the fire burns out. They start into several energetic campfire songs.
Breaking off later into smaller groups, they play various games before making s’mores and banana boats. Sam’s never had the latter, which involves stuffing a banana with chocolate and marshmallows, wrapping it in tinfoil, and tossing it next to the fire to cook. Someone even produces cans of whipped cream to top them off.
By eleven thirty, a few girls have gone to bed, but most are still scattered around the clearing. One counselor has a guitar and the crowd around her has been steadily growing.
When Lexie starts another ghost story, Sam sees their opportunity to leave. “I’m beat,” she says casually, yawning as she stands. “I think I’m going to head out.”
“Me too,” Ally adds, standing with her.
Lexie only pauses in her storytelling and gives them a little nod. Breathing a sigh of relief when no one asks to join them, she and Ally link arms and quickly walk away.
They had discussed the plan with their friends earlier, and it was decided that it would best for the two of them to go alone. Sam was adamant that no one else take a chance of getting into trouble. The other girls agree to cover for them, if it’s possible to do it without lying. Sam hopes to be back before they’re missed, so it shouldn’t be an issue.
As they reach the edge of the courtyard, the sound of a car door slamming makes them stop before they clear the trees. A loud engine roars to life and then Zorro’s truck passes within ten feet of them and they can clearly see Ms. Cooper in the passenger seat. As it disappears up the gravel road, Sam and Ally stare at each other.
“So she is part of whatever they’re doing up there!” Sam acknowledges. “Come on! If we hurry, we can still be there close to midnight. The foot trail has to be a more direct route.”
Grabbing Sam’s arm, Ally stares hard at her friend. “Are you sure about this?” she demands. “This might be more serious than we realize. Maybe we should wait and just tell our parents in the morning.” Now that Ally’s sharp edge of anger from earlier has worn off, the reasonable side of her is winning over.
“Tell them what?” Sam counters. “We have a lot of suspicions and some weird things have happened to us, but we don’t have any real explanations as to why. What if they think we’re trying to make excuses?”
Ally considers this for a minute. She knows that Sam would never push her too hard to do something she didn’t want to do. If she says she doesn’t want to go, then Sam won’t go either. But – “Okay,” she finally decides. “But let’s just see what it is they’ve got going on, and then come back. Right?”
“Right,” Sam confirms, anxious to get going.
“Come on then,” Ally urges. “We’d better hurry.”
Stopping briefly at the cabin for their flashlights, they take off up the trail at a jog.
Over half an hour later, Sam is just beginning to wonder if they somehow got lost, when she finally recognizes a small meadow. The woods seem otherworldly in the bright moonlight. The sounds and smells are so different from during the day.
On the far side of the meadow, Sam signals for Ally to turn her flashlight off, and then they creep as quietly as they can around the next bend. The open space that houses the horses comes into view, and as they expected, Zorro’s truck is already there. It’s only a few minutes past midnight though, so they’re hopeful that they made it in time.
“He’s late,” Ms. Cooper says loudly from the dark recesses of a nearby shed.
Ally slams into Sam’s back when she freezes at the sound, and both of them nearly fall to the forest floor. Kneeling down, they hold onto each other and wait to see if they were heard, but the conversation continues uninterrupted.
“What’s new?” Zorro answers. Pinecones crunch underfoot as he emerges from the shed and walks over to his truck, not even twenty feet away from where Sam and Ally are crouched behind a tree. “I don’t even know why you bothered to come,” he adds.
“I told you,” Ms. Cooper answers, obviously irritated. “I need to speak with both of you tonight. Are you sure we can trust Ranger not to talk to anyone?” she asks, her tone changing to one of concern.
“He’ll do what I tell him,” Zorro says darkly. At the sound of distant hoof beats, he turns on the truck’s headlights.
Ranger and the three horses left behind earlier soon come into view, each with metal barrels strapped to their backs.
“It’s about time,” Zorro barks, pushing away from the pickup. He starts yanking at the ropes and releasing the loads.
“I spent hours t
rying to find that stupid container,” Ranger whines.
“You didn’t find it?” Zorro yells. “How hard can it be?”
“They float when they’re empty, man,” Ranger complains. “We got to figure a new way to dump that stuff, ‘cause this ain’t working. And I think I need a mask or something, because it gave me a headache last time. I don’t like breathing it, man…it stinks.”
“None of that matters anymore,” Ms. Cooper announces. Ranger becomes noticeably agitated when he sees her for the first time.
“What are you talking about?” Zorro asks, pausing in his task.
“I’m talking about the risk outweighing the benefit,” the older woman scolds. “Now that I’ve got things set up with Mr. Hollingsworth, I can’t take any unnecessary chances. After he hears about the incident with his daughter and her cabin mates, I expect to receive another phone call. When I put Hollingsworth in front of the board to rant, combined with enrollment for the last summer session being at a record low, my sisters will have no choice but to listen to me and your father, Zorro.”
Sam and Ally look at each other, wide-eyed, their faces slightly illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the cedar boughs. You were right! Ally mouths silently, and Sam nods in understanding.
“Not having to pay to legally dump this stuff is saving us thousands of dollars a month!” Zorro counters, turning to face his aunt. “Besides, this is our property. It’s nobody else’s business what we do with it.”
“You know, you’re as smart as your father,” Ms. Cooper says sarcastically. “The toxins you’re dumping in the water are flowing downstream into a national forest! Mr. Hollingsworth is an intelligent businessman, and it wouldn’t take much for him to put it together, and then the deal would be off. Besides, those two snoopy girls are onto us…I just know it. They served their purpose, and I’m getting rid of them, but we need to have all evidence of this gone before the morning, just in case their parents believe them. Got it? All of it!”