Free Janet McNulty - Mellow Summers 06 - Where Trouble Roams by Janet McNulty Page B

treasure.
    “Here,” I said handing the bags to the sheriff, “This is the fabled treasure of the badlands.  We found it before Poppy tried to take it.”
    Sheriff Judson took the bags.  “I distinctly remember telling you to not try and solve this case.”
    “I didn’t,” I said, “I set out on a treasure hunt which just happened to result in the solving of a murder.”
    “Actually,” began Gil, “we—”
    Rachel slapped her hand over Gil’s mouth shutting him up.  He jumped back from being struck by seemingly nothing.
    “I’ll need you all to come down to the sheriff’s office and give your statements,” said Sheriff Judson, “But first I’ll have one of my deputies take you to the doctor’s office to get that ankle looked at.”
    He waved one of his deputies over.  I told Aunt Ethel that I would meet her back at the ranch house after we took care of Jackie’s ankle.
    “So,” said Rachel.
    “So,” I whispered not wanting to be talking to thin air.
    “Aren’t you going to ask how I got the sheriff here?”
    “Not really.”
    “Well, I’ll tell you anyway,” said Rachel, “First, I had to track him, which actually took a while.  That man can be difficult to find.  Finally, I found him.  I threw him into the passenger seat of his car, crashed it into one of his deputies’ vehicles so that they would chase us.  Then, I high tailed it out here.  Great work, right?”
    “Yeah,” I said.  What else do you tell a ghost that is extremely proud of herself?  “You saved our bacon.  Look, I’ll meet you back at the ranch later.  I need to get Jackie to the doctor.”
    “Sure you don’t want me to come along?”
    “I think I can handle it.”
    I crawled into the car with Jackie as Rachel waved to us.

Chapter 11
     
     
     
    I zipped up my suitcase relieved that the vacation was over.  I carefully wrapped my camera.  I never did get anything done on my Independent Study project.  That meant when I got home I’d have to work double time to get it done.
    The doctor had fixed up Jackie’s ankle pretty good.  Turned out she had only cracked the bone, but she still had to have a cast on it for the next month.  He was a kindly old gentleman and I really liked him.  He even gave us all the paperwork and his notes on everything he did to give to her doctor when we got back home.
    I stepped toward my closet to finish packing my things.
    “No!” yelled Jackie.  “Step away from the closet.”
    “Jackie, I—”
    “You are not opening that.”  Jackie stumbled across the room; her cast thumping on the floor.  She squeezed between me and the closet door.  “The last time you opened your closet in this place, a dead body fell out.  We are not taking any chances.”
    “Jackie, don’t be silly.”
    I reached past her and wrenched the door open.  Out fell Rachel with her eyes closed and holding a white lily.  She fell to the floor landing on her back making a good imitation of a dead man.
    “See what I mean?” I said, “It’s nothing we can’t live without.  We’ll just shove her back in there and go.”
    “Hey,” said Rachel, “Show some respect for the dead.”  She hopped to her feet dropping the lily.
    Aunt Ethel burst into our room.  “Mellow darling, you must see this.”
    “When did you get an iPad?” I asked, noticing the electronic object in her hands.
    “Oh, a while back,” said my aunt, “This nice young man in an electronic store said that it was an essential component of modern living.  Almost forgot that I had it.  Now look at this”
    Aunt Ethel placed the iPad in front of Jackie and I.  On it played the recorded video of how Jackie braved the buffalo, saved my aunt, and broke her ankle.  It even captured the look of pure terror that had covered her face.
    “And when I get back home, I am going to place it on that YouTube,” said Aunt Ethel, “Someone showed me how.”
    “Wasn’t me,” blurted out Rachel.
    “I’m sure the public will