Free Minnie Crockwell - Will Travel for Trouble 02 - Trouble at Sunny Lake by Minnie Crockwell

she going to smack me? She sure looked like she wanted to.
    “Who said that? Not Sean!”
    “No, I think it was the police. I can’t remember now. So much going on.”
    “Are you telling me that the police think it was murder?”
    “I don’t know, Mary. I really shouldn’t have said anything.” My palms were sweating. I thought it was time to extricate myself as gracefully as possible.
    She took a deep breath and seemed to force her face into a smile. But it was too late. The sweet lady who had checked me in only yesterday morning was long gone.
    “I’m sorry,” she said, although I didn’t think she was sincere. “I didn’t mean to scare you. You’ve had a tough time, finding the body and all. Tell me what you heard.”
    “Just that he might have been pushed off, that’s all.”
    “Do they have a suspect?”
    “I don’t know.” Frankly, I thought they could safely add Mary to the list of suspects. I had no idea pale blue eyes could glitter like that.
    She crossed her arms and chewed on her lower lip, throwing a glance in the direction of the cabins. When it seemed as if she wouldn’t offer any information, I shuffled my feet and spoke.
    “Well, I guess I’ll head back to my RV, though it seems pretty close to the activity on the hill.”
    “You’ll be all right,”” she said. Now that you mention they think Jason was murdered though, I expect they might be questioning Scott about that.”
    “Oh, I didn’t know you knew them.”
    “Who?” she said, her eyes still on the cabins.
    “Jason and Scott Strait.”
    “Didn’t I say? No, I probably didn’t mention. Sure, I know them. They went to school with Sean.”
    “The plot thickens,” I blurted.
    She swung her head to me and narrowed her eyes.
    “There’s no plot here! Sean had nothing to do with the murder. Don’t go spreading rumors.”
    I took another step back.
    “No, no, certainly not. What do I know? Well, I think I’ll get scootin’.”
    “I’m sure they’ll clear out of there pretty soon,” Mary said. “Hopefully, they’ll take Scott with them, but if not, the cabin is paid up for the month. I can’t really toss him out of there even though Jason was the one who rented it.”
    I nodded. “Good night,” I said.
    “Night,” she said as she climbed back into her camper.  
    I hurried back to my RV, staying under the safety of the overhead lights of the parking lot. From that angle I could see Josh’s SUV and the sheriff’s truck parked up by the cabins.
    Ben? Are you here?
    Yes, I am here. I would have advised you to stay away from Mistress Mary as well, but having earlier overstepped my bounds, I dared not. How did you find her?
    I paused outside the door of my RV and stared up at the cabins. The lights in Scott’s cabin remained on.  
    “A whole lot different than the woman I met yesterday morning. Defensive. Avoidant. Lying. Protective of her grandson. Protesting too much, methinks.”
    Just so. In your absence, much has occurred in yonder cabin. Sean has been disarmed by Deputy Kline. Recriminations and accusations as to who pushed young Jason from the cliff continue to be bandied about, particularly between young Sean and Scott. As I am unable to read their minds, I cannot discern who committed the murder, or whether any of them had a hand in it. Like you, I wonder if more than one person was not involved. The animosity toward the deceased is great and evenly distributed amongst all the players.
    “I just love the way you speak, Peregrine!” I said with a smile. “So, no one confessed? Did anyone get hauled off to jail? Or will they be?”
    It seems unlikely at this time. Deputies Wilson and Kline were about to depart when I saw you return.
    Just then, a figure appeared out of the darkness in front of me.  
    “Josh! You scared me!”
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I saw you down here. What are you doing outside? I’m pretty sure I told you to go inside.”
    I gritted my teeth. Men!
    “I wanted to