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

by Minnie Crockwell

  I heard Sean’s voice break, and my heart went out to him again. Not only had he lost his fiancée, but he was about to lose his grandmother one way or the other.

  “I’ve got to get out of here,” she cried, still hysterical. “I’m not going to prison.”

  Sean must have grabbed her.

  “Let go of me, Sean. Let go.”

  “Grandma, no. Don’t make things worse. You can’t get away. Where are you going to go?”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know.” I heard renewed sobs, and Sean seemed to murmur soothing words.

  I heard sirens in the distance.

  “They’re here! They’re here!” Mary screamed. “How did they find out so soon?”

  I kept my head low. I worried that she might come after me if she found out I had called the police.

  “I don’t know,” Sean shouted over her cries. “Don’t run, Grandma. Don’t run. They’ll shoot you.”

  The sound of the sirens grew louder.

  I heard a scuffle at the door, and I peeked around the bushes to see Mary erupt from the trailer. She ran for the car, and Sean stood in the doorway watching her go, his hands hanging helplessly at his sides. His face was beet red, and tears ran down his face.

  Mary jumped in a small silver truck and started to back away. Sheriff’s units raced into the park, and one familiar truck barreled up the hill and skidded to a halt behind Mary’s smaller truck.

  Josh jumped out, weapon drawn, and trained it on Mary.

  “Get out of the truck, Mrs. Sanders!”

  Sean ran toward Mary’s truck.

  “Don’t shoot her! Don’t shoot her!” he yelled. He tried to position himself between Mary and Josh. Deputy Kline jumped out of his vehicle, as did several other sheriffs. All had weapons drawn on Mary.

  “We’re not going to shoot your grandmother, Sean,” Josh yelled. “Back away!”

  Sean did as he was instructed, and Josh pulled a weeping Mary from the truck. I slammed my eyes shut for a moment. I couldn’t bear to see the older woman manhandled and cuffed. I heard them read her rights to her, and her continued sobbing.

  I rose to my feet, feeling rather idiotic for hiding in the bushes. Josh saw me out of the corner of his eye and shook his head. He did not seem angry that I had disobeyed his orders to leave the area.

  Minerva, you should leave now, Ben said. I would not like to see Sean confront you. It would be most unpleasant if he knew you were the one who alerted the authorities regarding his grandmother.

  I took Ben’s advice and hurried down the hill. No one, with the possible exception of Josh, saw me leave. I made my way back to my RV and slipped inside, dropping the loaf of bread on the kitchen counter, and sinking down onto the couch.

  “I can’t believe it!” was all I could say. I shook my head. “I really can’t believe it!

  I shall never again easily dismiss an elderly woman as harmless, Ben said.

  “I really didn’t even consider her seriously as a suspect,” I said. I drew my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs. “How awful for everyone. How awful for Sean. Poor Mary.”

  You sympathize with Mistress Mary and her actions?

  “Empathize maybe. If Sean was a fairly pleasant fellow before, there’s no evidence of it now. Mary seemed to think he was terribly scarred by the loss of his fiancée. If I loved someone and they were hurt, I might want to kill someone myself.”

  Surely not!

  I shrugged. “Maybe not. I don’t know. I just know I hate to see an old woman go to prison. Somehow, none of this is guaranteed to turn Sean back into the nice guy he apparently used to be.”

  No, it is a pity. It seems that Mistress Mary found a poor solution to remedy her grandson’s grief.

  I nodded.

  And the handsome and charming Deputy Wilson came to the rescue!

  “Yes, he did,” I said with a grin. “Quite dashing, don’t you think? Hopped out of his truck, weapon drawn, just like in the movies.”

  Very dashing, Ben said. I heard a slight mocking note in his voice, but then his tone changed and grew more serious.

  He might make you a worthy husband, Minerva.

  I gasped. “What?”

  In addition to being handsome and charming, he is intelligent, can provide adequately for a wife, and appears to be quite taken with you.

  “Ben!” I coughed and started to laugh. “No, no. I’m not looking for a husband. If anything, I’ve got one right here. Besides being bossy and a fun companion, you’re handsome, charming and intelligent.”

  Ah! But I cannot provide adequately for you. I am, however, quite taken with you.

  My cheeks burned.

  “Ben! You’re such a flirt. Really!” I steered the conversation away from longings that might hurt too much.

  Do not forget you are promised to dinner with Deputy Wilson.

  “Oh, I’m sure he’ll be way too busy to remember that. Good thing I got a loaf of bread.”

  My cell phone rang just then, and I pulled it out of my pocket.

  Apparently, the good deputy is not too busy to remember your dinner engagement, Ben said in an ironic tone.

  I made a face into the air.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey there,” Josh said. “I know things are crazy right now, but we’re still on for dinner tonight, right?”

  I blushed.

  “Are you sure you’re not too busy, Josh? I’m so sorry about Mary.”

  “Yeah, I gotta admit, I couldn’t believe it when I heard her confession over the phone. I never in a million years would have thought that old gal could toss a big guy off a cliff. I thought for sure Scott had killed his brother.”

  “What’s going to happen to her?” I said with a sigh.

  “Prison, I imagine. I feel for Sean. He’s taking it pretty hard.”

  “Yeah, I’ll bet.”

  “Well, listen, I gotta get back to work. Sam took Mrs. Sanders in to book her, and we’ve got a ton of paperwork to do. But I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Tonight,” I echoed. I set my phone down and looked up as if I could see Ben.

  “Promise me, Ben, that this is the last time we find ourselves mixed up in a murder.”

  I cannot, dearest. If I were a gambler, I would say that the odds of you becoming involved in a murder once again are incalculable, but I am neither a gambler, nor do I tempt fate with such a bet.

  I grinned.

  “That was certainly a long-winded way of saying you wouldn’t bet on it.”

  Was that not what I said?

  I shook my head and chuckled before picking up a road atlas and flipping it open.

  “Where should we go after we leave Sunny Lake, Ben? North? South? East? West?”

  I have no preference, dearest, but wherever we go, it promises to be an adventure.

  Other Stories by Minnie Crockwell

  Will Travel for Trouble Series

  Trouble at Happy Trails (Book 1)

  About the Author

  Minnie Crockwell lives, travels and writes full time in a Class A recreational vehicle. Although she owns a house in Washington State, she enjoys the adventure of living in other states that the RVing life gives her the freedom to do. She enjoys hearing from readers. You can contact her at minniecrockwell@gmail.com