Free Minnie Crockwell - Will Travel for Trouble 01 - Trouble at Happy Trails by Minnie Crockwell

humor.”
    “Thank you, I think.”
    “So, I was wondering if you would be interested in taking on the job of hosting this place.”
    My eyes bulged.
    “What? Me?” I shook my head vehemently. “Oh, no! I don’t think I could.”
    “Why not? You have an RV. You seem intelligent. What else would you need? You look a little young to be retired, so I thought you might still need to work.”
    I reared back. “Well, I don’t need to work, thanks. I’m all set in that direction. But I don’t want to settle down either. I just got on the road a few months ago. I want to travel.”
    He took a swig of water from his bottle.
    “Well, you could travel in the winter. Head south and golf.”
    I laughed as he repeated my suggestion to him. Over his shoulder, I saw window blinds move slightly in Jim and Karen’s RV. We were being watched, and probably overheard. I lowered my voice.
    “Thanks anyway, Nick, but campground hosting is not for me. I know nothing about maintenance.”
    He nodded.
    “Well, that is a drawback, I’ll admit. It’s good to have a couple who can do both paperwork and maintenance.”
    “There you go!”  
    He didn’t move away, and I waited to see what else he had to say. He chewed on his lip for a minute.
    “The police stopped by to see me today.”
    “Me too. I thought I was going to be arrested.”
    He smiled absentmindedly.
    “I think they’re thinking Carl was murdered.”
    My heart jumped in my throat.
    “Well, it is possible.”
    “I knew the guy was a jerk, but I never realized he was sleeping with the paying guests.”
    I quirked an eyebrow.
    “I didn’t realize you knew him, but of course you did. You probably hired him.”
    “He was my uncle.”
    My knees buckled, and I drew in sharp breath.
    “Oh, my gosh. I didn’t know! I’m so sorry! You’re the nephew Sally mentioned.”
    “Thank you,” he said. “We weren’t particularly close. I hadn’t seen him since I was a little boy, but I gave him a job when he asked. My mother would have been happy that I did.”
    “Your mother’s not alive?”
    “No, both my parents passed away.”
    “I’m sorry.” I grimaced. “I seem to be saying that a lot, but I mean it.”
    “I know you do.”
    “This must have been awful for you. If the police think Carl might have been murdered, did they say who they thought might have done it?”
    He shook his head. “No.”
    I looked around as if murderers lurked in every RV.  
    “It could have been anyone at this rate,” I mumbled.
    “Yup. Any number of disgruntled wives or husbands.”
    “Do you have any suspicions?”
    He looked at me, blinked and looked away.
    “I’m pretty concerned that it might have been Sally. I probably shouldn’t say that to you. She likes you,” he said.
    “I wouldn’t blame her.”
    “Why do you say that?” he asked. He didn’t seem angry at my statement.
    “Well, she told me he was violent with her.”
    Nick nodded. “Yes, I think he might have been. I never saw it, but I knew he had a temper.”
    “Well, she’s out of it now.”
    He nodded again and took another drink of water.  
    “I’d better get going. Just enough time to get home and get some sleep before I have to get back up and return to the park.”
    “Good night,” I said.
    “Night.” He strode off in the direction of the office, and I returned to my RV.
    I think we can eliminate the handsome Nick Granger as a suspect, can we not? Ben asked.
    “What are we? Some amateur sleuthing team?” I smiled.
    It would seem so. I find it interesting that you have become the repository of so much information.  
    “Yeah, that’s weird, isn’t it? I’m not even social!”
    Yes, I thought you were a bit reclusive when we first met, but you seem to have blossomed into quite the butterfly of late. Perhaps Mr. Granger could remark upon this.
    “Oh, for goodness sake, Ben! I just went to find out what was going on. The man wants me to work for him, not date him!”
    I hated to admit it,