Bailey’s Estes Park Excitement

by Linda McQuinn Carlblom

  “If you can’t find something for your rock collection here, you never will,” Kate said.

  Bailey gasped. “Look at this!” She held a shimmering rock in her hand. “Gold!”

  “That can’t be real gold,” Kate said. “They wouldn’t have it in an old barrel.”

  “But it looks just like gold,” Bailey said. “Even the sign says it’s gold.”

  “Yeah, fool’s gold,” Trina said from nearby.

  Bailey whirled around to face her. “Gold is gold.”

  “And a fool is a fool,” Trina muttered.

  “Girls,” Mrs. Chang warned.

  “Bailey, check out this poster.” Kate stood by a large wooden pillar on which a poster had been stapled. “Estes Park Film Festival, a weekend of stars.”

  “Stars? Here?” Bailey’s knees nearly buckled.

  “That’s what it says,” Kate replied.

  “We’ve got to keep our eyes open!” Bailey exclaimed. “This could be my big break!”

  “Or heartbreak,” Trina mumbled.

  “I’ve got to look my best at all times, just in case!” Bailey looked down at her sweatshirt and jeans with holes in the knees. “This will never do!” Her voice rose ever higher, approaching the panic level.

  “Deep breath, Bailey, deep breath,” Kate coached her. She picked up a brochure from a rack of tourist information and fanned her friend. “Do you need your inhaler?”

  “What’s wrong?” Mrs. Chang asked, rounding the corner.

  “Bailey just found out there’s a film festival here this weekend and the streets will be swarming with stars.” Kate smiled sweetly and pushed up her glasses.

  Mrs. Chang put her arm around Bailey. “I hate to break this to you, but we’re going home on Thursday.”

  “Some of the stars may come early. I’ve got to be ready,” Bailey replied breathlessly. “Kate, will you be my manager?”

  “Of course,” Kate answered.

  Bailey eyed her friend’s mismatched outfit. “But we may need to work on your wardrobe.”

  Kate smoothed her clothes out with her hand. “What’s wrong with this?” Kate asked.

  “Nothing for your everyday girl look,” Bailey said. “But if you want to be a Hollywood agent, it doesn’t quite cut it.”

  “Hollywood agent?” Kate scrunched up her nose. “You’re from Peoria, Illinois, and I’m from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania!”

  “But you have to dress for success.” Bailey waved her arm with a flair. “You have to act the part of who you want to be, not just who you are.”

  Biscuit yawned loudly.

  “Hmm. Maybe I’m not ready for this Hollywood agent thing.”

  “Of course you are!” Bailey patted Kate on the back. “You just have to believe in yourself.”

  Suddenly, a commotion outside drew Bailey and Kate to the store window. People scattered from the streets, revealing two enormous elk standing on their hind legs pawing at each other as if they were boxing. When Mrs. Chang and Trina hurried over to see what was going on, Mrs. Chang put her arms protectively around the girls.

  “Must be two males fighting over a female,” Bailey overheard a man say.

  “But they usually do that in the hills, not right here in the middle of town!” said another.

  “I see Justin and Joe out there!” Bailey yelled and pulled away from her mother.

  “Bailey! Don’t go out there!” Mrs. Chang screamed.

  Biscuit barked wildly, each bark almost lifting him off his feet.

  Bailey flung open the door and as she did, the elk bolted toward the hills, leaving only dust to prove their presence. Coughing, Bailey tried to spot Justin and Joe. Kate, Mom, and Trina appeared at her side.

  “I don’t see them!” Bailey wailed, beginning to wheeze. She pulled her inhaler from her pocket and breathed in the asthma medication.

  As the dust settled, people began talking excitedly. No one had been hurt, just shaken. Bailey, from the corner of her eye, saw two figures running down the street.

  “There they go!” she said. “Justin! Joe!” she called. But the two kept on running.

  “Guess they’re in a hurry to get out of here,” Kate said.

  “I can’t blame them,” Trina replied. “Are we ready to move on? I looked at all the rocks I can stand.”

  “I guess.” Bailey gave a longing glance back at the rock shop. “I didn’t get anything for my collection, but I’m not exactly in the mood anymore. I think I’m ready to go back to the hotel.”

  “I’m more than ready,” Mrs. Chang said with a shiver.

  “Too many elk around here for my taste.”

  “Look at this,” Kate said. “This sign says there’s a free shuttle a few blocks down the street that can take us back.”

  “Mom, can Kate and I take the shuttle back?” Bailey begged.

  “I suppose,” Mrs. Chang answered. “Just stay on the sidewalk and keep your eyes open for running elk.”

  “I doubt there will be any more since those two just went through,” Bailey said. “But we’ll be careful.”

  Mrs. Chang and Trina went back to their car and the girls walked to the shuttle stop.

  “I wonder what made the elk come into town like that?” Bailey thought aloud.

  “Me, too.”

  “I hate to say it, but it almost seemed like Justin and Joe were ahead of the elk, like they were leading them here.” Bailey grimaced at the thought.

  “That doesn’t seem likely,” Kate said. “They were probably just at that end of the street when it all began.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

  When the girls neared the shuttle stop, Bailey stuck her arm out in front of Kate to stop her. “Look!” Bailey pointed to the bench at the shuttle stop. “It’s them!”

  “Let’s go!” Kate took off running.

  The boys didn’t see the girls until Bailey poked Justin’s arm.

  “What’ja do that for?” Justin snarled.

  “We wanted to surprise you.” Bailey flashed her sweetest smile.

  “Are you guys okay?” Kate asked. “We saw you running from the elk.”

  “Yeah, we’re okay.” Justin studied his tennis shoes.

  “How was your hike?” Bailey asked.

  “Hike?” Joe said.

  “I thought you hiked here,” Bailey said. “Oh yeah, we did,” Joe said. “But we’re taking the shuttle back.”

  “Where’s your hiking stick?” Kate noticed Justin’s jacket was unzipped all the way down and hanging open.

  “Hiking stick?” Justin’s eyebrows descended like dark clouds on a mountain, confusion filling his eyes.

  “Yeah, you said the long thing you were carrying in your coat at the hotel was your hiking stick.” Bailey crossed her arms and waited for an answer.

  “Oh, that!” Justin laughed as if he’d just been told the world’s funniest joke. “We left it on our way down from the hill. Got tired of carrying it.”

  “Hmm,” Bailey said, hardly convinced. “Here comes the shuttle.”

  Back at the room, Bailey sat on the floor with her suitcase and sorted through her clothes looking for just the right outfit for her “Hollywood Moment.” A pile of rejected items surrounded her as she pulled out another shirt. “Mom, would you let Kate and me go hiking on one of the trails by ourselves?”

  Trina strolled by her and rolled her eyes but held her tongue.

  “Only if you promise to stay on the trail,” Mrs. Chang replied.

  “We will, won’t we, Kate?” Bailey tossed a tie-dyed shirt on the floor.

  Kate nodded her approval. “And Biscuit could be our guide dog.”

  “Let’s try it tomorrow!” Bailey said, suddenly feeling she’d just been set free.

  “Tomorrow’s the Elkfest,” Kate reminded her. “We’ll have to go the next day.”

  “Shucks,” Bailey whispered, her voice registering her dismay. “I wanted to look for that ‘hiking stick’ Justin left behind.”

 
“Exactly what I was thinking,” Kate said with a nod. “We’ll just have to pray it’s still there when we go.”

  “There!” Bailey said, holding up a red long-sleeved T-shirt with rhinestones that spelled “sweet,” and a pair of new jeans with flowered embroidery down the leg. “I have my Hollywood outfit figured out for wearing to the Elkfest tomorrow. You never know, there may be a talent scout there for the film festival, too!”

  That night, Bailey could hardly wait for lights-out in their room. “Hurry up, Trina!” she ordered. “How long can it take for you to brush your teeth and wash your face?”

  Trina stuck her head out from the bathroom, growling with her foamy, white mouth.

  “Patience, Bales, patience,” Mr. Chang said calmly from behind a business report.

  “We never hear the children of the night until the lights are out and everyone’s quiet,” Bailey tried to explain. “We need to get to bed so we can listen.”

  Kate was already beneath the covers, which she’d tucked snugly under her chin. Biscuit puttered around her feet, making his bed just right. He plopped down with a giant sigh just as Trina finally emerged fresh-faced and ready for bed.

  “Okay, lights out!” Bailey said. Mrs. Chang flipped the switch and the room went dark. Silence flooded the room like billowing smoke, filling every corner until Bailey could hardly breathe. “I don’t hear anything, do you?” she whispered to Kate.

  “Uh-uh.”

  “Maybe no one’s out there to trip the switch.” Sweat beaded on Bailey’s upper lip. A door in the hallway creaked then slammed. Bailey raised her head to listen even harder, if that was possible.

  “We’ll just have to wait it out,” Kate whispered.

  Bailey nodded in the dark and lay perfectly still. Then she heard it.

  Elkfest!

  A muffled, high-pitched giggle seeped into the room. Bailey and Kate sprang from their bed like jack-in-the-boxes.

  “We’ll be back in a few,” Bailey said breathlessly. She grabbed her robe, then her cell phone for light. Biscuit let out a yip but then settled back into his cozy blanket.

  “He must be getting used to us jumping out of bed,” Kate said softly.

  When Bailey opened the door, Trina groaned and pulled the covers over her eyes as the wedge of light poured in from the hall. Kate followed Bailey to the door but then took the lead once it closed behind them. They hurried to the speaker they’d seen in the hall earlier and waited. Nothing.

  “Something has to be tripping this thing to set it off.” Kate looked around.

  A ding alerted the girls that someone was about to get off the elevator. The doors opened, and a middle-aged couple emerged and went to their room at the far end of the hall in the opposite direction from the girls. Their door closed with a bang.

  Hee-hee-heeeeee!

  Bailey saw Kate’s eyes widen and a grin spread across her friend’s face. The laugh had come from the speaker above them. The two jogged down the hall. Bailey looked in all the potted plants in the hallway for a switch of some kind that the couple might have brushed against. Kate got on all fours and felt the carpet from the elevator to the couple’s room.

  “I found something!” she said in a loud whisper. “Feel right here.”

  Bailey joined Kate on her hands and knees and ran her hand along the carpet. “A bump!” she said.

  “I think it’s the switch that turns on the ghost children’s laughter. It comes on when someone steps on it.”

  “Let’s try it.” Bailey scrunched up her shoulders. “I can’t wait to tell Alex about this since she’s the one who told us to look for a switch.” She stood and stepped on the bump.

  Almost a full minute of silence passed. “It didn’t work!” Bailey moaned.

  Hee-hee-heeeeee!

  “It’s on a delay!”

  “Kate! You’re a genius!” Bailey hugged her friend.

  “They must have delayed the ghost recording so when people hear the children laughing and look out into the hall, whoever tripped the switch would have had enough time to get to their room.”

  “Yeah, so no one would be there when they checked!” Bailey gave Kate a high five.

  “Well, that solves that one!” Kate said.

  “Now if we can just figure out why the elk are going nuts.”

  “Yeah, that’s a tougher one to pin down.”

  Bailey scratched her head. “Maybe Sydney will have discovered some information about elk behavior that will help us. Let’s call her tomorrow.”

  “We’d better get back,” Kate said.

  They returned to their room, the sound of Hee-hee-heeeeee! echoing in their heads.

  The next morning, Bailey awoke to a deep, reverberating sound that rose quickly to a high-pitched squeal and was followed by a series of low grunts. Biscuit sat up, ears twitching. Bailey rubbed her eyes. “What was that?” Mr. and Mrs. Chang were already up and dressed. Trina obviously slept through anything.

  “Not another ghost, I hope,” Mrs. Chang said with a smirk.

  “Sounds like a wounded elephant,” Kate said, stretching.

  “I think it’s coming from outside.” Bailey went to the window to investigate. “There’s a guy out here blowing some kind of horn.”

  “I know what it is,” Mr. Chang said. “I read about it in the newspaper this morning. Today is the start of the Elkfest, and he’s bugling like an elk to begin the festivities.”

  “Oh yeah!” Bailey said. “We saw a poster about that in town yesterday and we picked up a flyer that told all about it. We thought you should enter the bugling contest, Dad.” She cast a mischievous look his way.

  “Sure thing. I’ll get right on that,” Mr. Chang teased back. “It would be fun to watch some of it, though,” he admitted.

  “Do you have meetings today?” Kate asked.

  “Just one. After that, I’m free.” Mr. Chang looked at his watch. “I’d better get going. I hope to be back around ten. We can go into town then if you’d like.”

  “Yeah, if Trina ever gets up!” Bailey yelled, hoping to wake her sister.

  Mrs. Chang gave her a look. “You didn’t make it any too easy for her to sleep last night with your ghost capers,” she said. “Did you figure anything out?”

  Bailey and Kate filled Mrs. Chang in on how the ghost children’s voices were activated. “Pretty smart of you to figure all that out,” Mrs. Chang said. “I’m impressed.”

  “We need to send an e-mail to the other CCGs to let them know.” Bailey turned on the laptop. “Hopefully, they’ll have some elk info for us.”

  Bailey opened her e-mail and found a note from Sydney. Kate read over her shoulder.

  Hi. An elk’s #1 defense is his sense of smell. He can spook at the scent of a human as far as a mile away. Hunters have to keep checking the wind to make sure it isn’t blowing their scent toward where the elk gather.

  Elk also have excellent hearing and can be spooked by a car or an ATV miles away. Of course I’m talking about wild elk. Sounds like the elk in Estes Park are used to people and vehicles, unless they possibly feel threatened by someone and remember their scent.

  “That’s interesting,” Bailey said. “Maybe the elk are catching the scent of someone who’s been mean to them and that’s what’s making them charge.”

  “Maybe,” Kate replied. “Anyway, it gives us something to start with. If there’s another incident, we’ll have to keep our eyes open for any similar circumstances.”

  Bailey stepped out of the car at the Elkfest in her favorite jeans with flowers embroidered down the sides of each leg and sequins in the centers of each flower. Her long-sleeved red, rhinestoned T-shirt had thumbholes at the end of each cuff. Large white sunglasses and shiny pink lip gloss completed her Hollywood outfit. Kate, unaffected by Bailey’s pleas that she dress like an agent, wore green plaid pants and a Hawaiian print shirt.

  Bailey felt the same excitement when she looked around at the Elkfest as she did her first time at the circus. The sweet aroma of
hot Indian fry bread mingled with corn dogs and cotton candy. Elk roamed freely among the crowd, eating the food people dropped. Live country-western music filled the air and a festive mood settled over the town.

  “When’s the bugling contest?” Bailey asked, looking for movie stars.

  Mr. Chang looked at a schedule he’d picked up. “At one o’clock.”

  Bailey looked at her watch. “It’s only eleven thirty now.”

  “Maybe we should get some lunch, then head over that way so we get good seats,” Mr. Chang suggested.

  “Hey, there are the Perkinses!” Mrs. Chang said. She waved to the family.

  “Hi, Dory,” Mrs. Perkins said to Mrs. Chang. “What do you think of the Elkfest?”

  “It’s terrific! We’re interested in the bugling contest, but we see it isn’t until one o’clock,” Mr. Chang told them.

  “Yeah, they always have it in the afternoon,” Mr. Perkins said. “My dad is in the competition again this year.” He motioned to Justin and Joe’s grandpa. “He won it a couple years ago.”

  “No kidding!” Mr. Chang said.

  “Now we’ll have someone to cheer for.” Bailey wished she could turn a flip like Alex could. She would have done one on the spot.

  “We’ll see if I’m worth cheering for in a couple hours, won’t we?” Grandpa Perkins winked at Bailey. “I appreciate your enthusiasm and support.”

  Bailey turned to Justin and Joe. “You must be excited to see your grandpa in the contest, huh?”

  “Sure,” Joe said. “He’ll win, I just know it.” He smiled at his grandpa, and Bailey thought it was the happiest she’d ever seen Joe. Justin shrugged and kicked a rock in the dirt.

  “We were just getting ready to eat a bite of lunch,” Mrs. Chang said. “Would you like to join us?”

  “We can’t eat until after Grandpa’s contest is over,” Justin glowered at the Changs. “He can’t bugle on a full stomach.”

  “Oh, I see,” Mrs. Chang said, hesitation marking her words as she looked uncertainly at Justin.

  “Actually, we had a late breakfast so we could eat lunch later after Dad’s big performance.” Mr. Perkins’s face seemed a bit redder than usual. “But thanks anyway.”