Read Online The Blue Coyote (The Frannie Shoemaker Campground Mysteries Book 2) by Karen Musser Nortman - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Karen Musser Nortman
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find her.” She stood with her hands clasped, watching them leave.
Frannie and the ranger got
back in the truck. As they pulled away, Frannie said, “Where’s her car?”
“What?” Sommers glanced over
at her.
Frannie rubbed the sore spot
on her shoulder. “If she’s here alone, where’s her car? How did she get here?”
The ranger thought a minute
as she pulled slowly into Frannie’s loop. “There’s an overflow parking area
near the entrance. She doesn’t have a very big site. Maybe she unloaded and
parked over there.”
“Probably.” Frannie wasn’t
convinced even though it was a logical explanation. “We’ve used that path from
the restroom—that shortcut—and you can see someone from our
campsite the whole time they are on it. It’s not very long—I can’t
imagine getting lost on it.”
Sommers was quiet for a moment as she pulled up to
Frannie’s campsite. “Has your husband used that path today?”
Frannie froze. What had she
said? Why couldn’t she learn to keep her mouth shut? Her core honesty wouldn’t
allow her to lie.
“Mrs. Shoemaker?” the ranger
prodded.
Frannie looked down at her
hands. “Ye-s-s.”
“When?”
“Right after he saw the
little girl go talk to Ms. Sloan. He went to the restroom.”
“Was anyone else with him?”
“No, but you have to
understand.” Frannie turned to face the ranger. “You don’t know my husband.
He’s the most ethical person I’ve ever known. He’s a retired cop, he was a Boy
Scout leader, he’s been an exemplary father and
grandfather. Anyone in our home town will tell you that.”
“Hmmm. He almost sounds like
a priest.” Ranger Sommers did not mean those words to be comforting. “You are
pretty upset, Mrs. Shoemaker. Pretty defensive, too. Are you sure you don’t
have your own doubts?”
“No!” Frannie clenched her
fists and almost shouted. “I’m upset because my husband is being falsely
accused. Our grandchildren are with us—I don’t want them to hear
this—this tripe! Larry has been annoyed by noisy
training wheels for years. Ask anyone we camp with. It’s a standing
joke. How can it turn from that into a charge of abduction?” She felt her face
getting red and tears welling in her eyes, which made her even madder.
“Calm down,” Sommers said.
“I’m just pointing out how it looks to others. The county sheriff is conducting
a search of the park now and will probably be by to talk to you later.”
Frannie opened the truck
door. She was not mollified. “I think you’d better use your time to look for
that little girl. Whether she was taken or is lost, she’s got to be scared. You
are wasting your time here. After four hundred years, apparently witch hunts
haven’t gone out of style!” She got out and slammed the door. As she barreled
around the truck, she willed herself to a level of calm. She didn’t want to
upset the kids.
Larry looked up, concerned
when he saw her face, and walked over to her. “What is it?”
She shook her head and looked
up at him. “They still think it’s you.”
He put his hand on her
shoulder. “They can’t totally ignore the parents’ charges. And they don’t know
me from Adam. It will be okay.” His equanimity almost made her angrier. The
others were watching them.
“What’s happened?” Jane Ann
asked quietly. “Did you find the woman Taylor Trats talked to?”
Frannie nodded. “Oh, yeah, no
problem. But they are still so focused on Larry that they can’t see how odd it
all is. The woman, Maddie Sloan, claims she reported Larry to the
hostess—not the ranger—and then walked to the restroom with Taylor and then let her take the shortcut back
through the woods to her camper by herself. Who does that?”
“Well, I went through there
twice about that time and I didn’t see...” he trailed off as he realized the
implications and saw Frannie’s face. “The ranger asked about that, didn’t she?”
Frannie nodded miserably. “I
told her about the
Frannie and the ranger got
back in the truck. As they pulled away, Frannie said, “Where’s her car?”
“What?” Sommers glanced over
at her.
Frannie rubbed the sore spot
on her shoulder. “If she’s here alone, where’s her car? How did she get here?”
The ranger thought a minute
as she pulled slowly into Frannie’s loop. “There’s an overflow parking area
near the entrance. She doesn’t have a very big site. Maybe she unloaded and
parked over there.”
“Probably.” Frannie wasn’t
convinced even though it was a logical explanation. “We’ve used that path from
the restroom—that shortcut—and you can see someone from our
campsite the whole time they are on it. It’s not very long—I can’t
imagine getting lost on it.”
Sommers was quiet for a moment as she pulled up to
Frannie’s campsite. “Has your husband used that path today?”
Frannie froze. What had she
said? Why couldn’t she learn to keep her mouth shut? Her core honesty wouldn’t
allow her to lie.
“Mrs. Shoemaker?” the ranger
prodded.
Frannie looked down at her
hands. “Ye-s-s.”
“When?”
“Right after he saw the
little girl go talk to Ms. Sloan. He went to the restroom.”
“Was anyone else with him?”
“No, but you have to
understand.” Frannie turned to face the ranger. “You don’t know my husband.
He’s the most ethical person I’ve ever known. He’s a retired cop, he was a Boy
Scout leader, he’s been an exemplary father and
grandfather. Anyone in our home town will tell you that.”
“Hmmm. He almost sounds like
a priest.” Ranger Sommers did not mean those words to be comforting. “You are
pretty upset, Mrs. Shoemaker. Pretty defensive, too. Are you sure you don’t
have your own doubts?”
“No!” Frannie clenched her
fists and almost shouted. “I’m upset because my husband is being falsely
accused. Our grandchildren are with us—I don’t want them to hear
this—this tripe! Larry has been annoyed by noisy
training wheels for years. Ask anyone we camp with. It’s a standing
joke. How can it turn from that into a charge of abduction?” She felt her face
getting red and tears welling in her eyes, which made her even madder.
“Calm down,” Sommers said.
“I’m just pointing out how it looks to others. The county sheriff is conducting
a search of the park now and will probably be by to talk to you later.”
Frannie opened the truck
door. She was not mollified. “I think you’d better use your time to look for
that little girl. Whether she was taken or is lost, she’s got to be scared. You
are wasting your time here. After four hundred years, apparently witch hunts
haven’t gone out of style!” She got out and slammed the door. As she barreled
around the truck, she willed herself to a level of calm. She didn’t want to
upset the kids.
Larry looked up, concerned
when he saw her face, and walked over to her. “What is it?”
She shook her head and looked
up at him. “They still think it’s you.”
He put his hand on her
shoulder. “They can’t totally ignore the parents’ charges. And they don’t know
me from Adam. It will be okay.” His equanimity almost made her angrier. The
others were watching them.
“What’s happened?” Jane Ann
asked quietly. “Did you find the woman Taylor Trats talked to?”
Frannie nodded. “Oh, yeah, no
problem. But they are still so focused on Larry that they can’t see how odd it
all is. The woman, Maddie Sloan, claims she reported Larry to the
hostess—not the ranger—and then walked to the restroom with Taylor and then let her take the shortcut back
through the woods to her camper by herself. Who does that?”
“Well, I went through there
twice about that time and I didn’t see...” he trailed off as he realized the
implications and saw Frannie’s face. “The ranger asked about that, didn’t she?”
Frannie nodded miserably. “I
told her about the
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