Free Minnie Crockwell - Will Travel for Trouble 03 - Trouble at Glacier by Minnie Crockwell Page A

campground except yours.”
    “It’s not mine, but you’re welcome to look. Did you know the guy that was murdered?”
    I stiffened. “I’d met him. Just that day, as it happens.”
    “Used to be a ranger,” he said. “At Yellowstone.” I wondered where he had heard that information.
    “Yes, I think he was.”
    “I don’t have much use for law enforcement,” he said nonchalantly.
    “Oh?”  
    “Nah. I’ve spent a lot of time down at Yellowstone. Rangers were always running me off good camping spots. Fourteen-day limit.”
    “I see.” I was just making noise at this point, acknowledging his comments.  
    He raised his head to look at the sun, and I froze. The movement had lifted his beard from his neck. Around his collar, I saw a necklace…of something that looked a lot like bear claws.
    My knees wobbled.
    Steady, Minerva. Steady. Do not faint! Not under this man’s eyes.
    I’m okay, Ben, I said silently. Believe me. I’m not about to fall down at his feet and offer myself up as a victim.
    “So, you travel around the national parks a lot?” I asked. I wanted him to tell me about the necklace.
    He lowered his head and shrugged. “Some. I like the big parks, with all the wildlife.”
    I didn’t hold back.
    “You like bears, I think.” I nodded toward his neck.
    He put a hand to his throat.
    “This? Yeah, I bought it years ago when I used to do bear research. I thought it was ironic.”
    “You did bear research?”
    He snorted and half smiled, still unpleasantly.  
    “Yeah, I used to work for the government as a wildlife biologist, but I didn’t exactly agree with their ‘wildlife management practices,’ so I quit. I thought I’d be protecting wildlife, not expected to kill ‘em. I’d rather kill a human any day than kill a wolf or a bear.”
    His comment was at once sad and frightening. He clearly cared about wildlife, but to the point of killing humans?
    “A wildlife biologist, huh?” I prompted.
    He narrowed his eyes when he looked at me.  
    “What? You don’t think I look like a biologist. Washington State University.”
    “Oh, no! I didn’t say that.” But, of course, that’s what I was thinking.
    “I just hang out now in parks and enjoy the animals, learn from them, watch them.”
    “You heard there was a black bear in the area a couple of days ago, right?”
    He nodded. “Yeah, he came by sniffing out my place. Now that the rangers relocated him, I don’t guess we’ll be seeing him again for a while.”
    “Oh, they relocated the bear? I hadn’t heard.” Of course, I had. I just wanted to see what he would say.
    “Sure! That’s what they do when one becomes a nuisance, or in this case, when they have to figure out if he attacked someone.”
    “I see,” I said.
    “Probably would have been poetic justice if the bear had killed that guy, right?”
    “What?” I gasped.
    “Well, as Rick told me the other day, he was responsible for his wife’s death.”
    I grimaced. “Yes, he told me that too.”
    “Stupid mistake. Cost the woman her life.”
    I said nothing. I had no idea what to make of this guy. None whatsoever, but I knew I’d rather not stand here talking to him.  
    “Well, I’ve gotta go,” I said. “It was good talking to you.” I started to walk away.
    “Did you find out what you wanted?”
    I turned around.  
    “What?” I asked.
    “Let me guess,” he said. “You think I might have killed this guy cuz I look sort of homeless.”

Chapter Seven
    I sputtered and coughed.
    “No, I don’t think any such thing.”  
    “Sure ya do. Blame it on the homeless guy. He probably did it.”
    “I don’t think that at all. Besides, this is none of my business. I’m not the police.” I turned to leave.
    “No, you’re not, so don’t come butting into my business again!” he called out behind my back.
    I hurried away, humiliated, stress out, and confused.
    “Ben, what do you think?” I asked the air.
    I think you might not have been as subtle as