us?” McKenzie asked.
“Well sure. All you had to do was ask,” Megan said. “I would have taken you there all along.”
Kate slapped herself in the head. “I don’t believe it. You’re so great, Megan. I thought you would be mad at us after last night.”
“What did you do last night?” Joel asked.
Kate filled him in and his eyes grew wide. “You went outside in the dark? With all the coyotes hanging around?”
“Y—yeah,” McKenzie agreed. “We didn’t know about the coyotes or we wouldn’t have gone.”
“We think we’ll figure this out once we get in the room,” Kate said. “Is it okay to bring my camera and some of my other gadgets?”
“Sure.” Megan shrugged. “I don’t see why not.” She paused a moment, then looked at the girls. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Yes.” McKenzie and Kate both spoke at the same time.
“Do you think Gus is the one doing this?”
Kate shrugged. “Maybe.”
The wrinkle in Megan’s brow grew deeper. “Well, before you judge him too harshly, I think you kids need to know something about him.”
“O—okay.” Kate gave her a curious look.
“Here’s the deal,” Megan said. “About two years ago when my dad first met Gus, we fell in love with him … and his wife, Jeannie. She was bubbly and fun and always made us laugh.”
“I didn’t know Gus was married,” Joel said. “I’ve never met his wife.”
Megan paused. “Gus and Jeannie were on a road trip to Colorado, carrying some expensive fossils from the quarry where he used to work. Gus was driving the car at the time, and they had a terrible accident late at night.”
Kate gasped. “Really? What happened?”
“A driver fell asleep at the wheel and hit Gus’s car. Jeannie was badly hurt.”
“Oh Megan, that’s awful!” Kate said.
“Yes. She spent a long time in the hospital—several months. She’s been in a rehab facility ever since. Gus goes to see her every day. I understand the hospital is very expensive.”
Kate looked at McKenzie and mouthed the word, “Wow!” Maybe Gus forged the fossils and sold them to make the money he needed for his wife’s care.
“On top of all this, the quarry he used to work for fired him because the fossils he was delivering were ruined in the accident.”
“That doesn’t seem fair,” McKenzie said. “Why would they fire him when the accident wasn’t his fault?”
“I don’t know.” Megan shook her head. “But my father felt sorry for Gus and gave him the job here. And even though he’s kind of grumpy, we love him very much. He’s like a grandfather to me.”
Megan started to go on but got distracted by the other campers entering the dining room. Megan headed off in search of Conner.
After she left, Kate turned to McKenzie and Joel. “What did you think of that?”
“Megan obviously thinks Gus is innocent,” McKenzie said. “She feels sorry for him because of what happened. I don’t blame her. It’s a sad story.”
“Yes, but …”
Joel’s eyes narrowed. “I think there’s more to the story than meets the eye.”
“He has motive,” Kate said. “And he obviously needs money.”
“Exactly.” McKenzie nodded.
“And he does work in that room all alone.” Kate’s tummy rumbled. “I guess we can talk more about this over some food. I’m so busy solving mysteries that I don’t have time to eat. That’s inexcusable!”
They all laughed.
After breakfast, the campers headed across the parking lot. Kate saw Gus entering the back door of the building. Something about seeing him troubled her, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. It was probably the story Megan had told about what had happened to his wife.
Watch out, Kate
, she scolded herself.
Don’t start feeling sorry for him!
Still, something about seeing him today put things in a new light. She pondered that for a minute, trying to make sense of her feelings.
Suddenly Kate snapped her fingers as she realized what had been bothering her so
“Well sure. All you had to do was ask,” Megan said. “I would have taken you there all along.”
Kate slapped herself in the head. “I don’t believe it. You’re so great, Megan. I thought you would be mad at us after last night.”
“What did you do last night?” Joel asked.
Kate filled him in and his eyes grew wide. “You went outside in the dark? With all the coyotes hanging around?”
“Y—yeah,” McKenzie agreed. “We didn’t know about the coyotes or we wouldn’t have gone.”
“We think we’ll figure this out once we get in the room,” Kate said. “Is it okay to bring my camera and some of my other gadgets?”
“Sure.” Megan shrugged. “I don’t see why not.” She paused a moment, then looked at the girls. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Yes.” McKenzie and Kate both spoke at the same time.
“Do you think Gus is the one doing this?”
Kate shrugged. “Maybe.”
The wrinkle in Megan’s brow grew deeper. “Well, before you judge him too harshly, I think you kids need to know something about him.”
“O—okay.” Kate gave her a curious look.
“Here’s the deal,” Megan said. “About two years ago when my dad first met Gus, we fell in love with him … and his wife, Jeannie. She was bubbly and fun and always made us laugh.”
“I didn’t know Gus was married,” Joel said. “I’ve never met his wife.”
Megan paused. “Gus and Jeannie were on a road trip to Colorado, carrying some expensive fossils from the quarry where he used to work. Gus was driving the car at the time, and they had a terrible accident late at night.”
Kate gasped. “Really? What happened?”
“A driver fell asleep at the wheel and hit Gus’s car. Jeannie was badly hurt.”
“Oh Megan, that’s awful!” Kate said.
“Yes. She spent a long time in the hospital—several months. She’s been in a rehab facility ever since. Gus goes to see her every day. I understand the hospital is very expensive.”
Kate looked at McKenzie and mouthed the word, “Wow!” Maybe Gus forged the fossils and sold them to make the money he needed for his wife’s care.
“On top of all this, the quarry he used to work for fired him because the fossils he was delivering were ruined in the accident.”
“That doesn’t seem fair,” McKenzie said. “Why would they fire him when the accident wasn’t his fault?”
“I don’t know.” Megan shook her head. “But my father felt sorry for Gus and gave him the job here. And even though he’s kind of grumpy, we love him very much. He’s like a grandfather to me.”
Megan started to go on but got distracted by the other campers entering the dining room. Megan headed off in search of Conner.
After she left, Kate turned to McKenzie and Joel. “What did you think of that?”
“Megan obviously thinks Gus is innocent,” McKenzie said. “She feels sorry for him because of what happened. I don’t blame her. It’s a sad story.”
“Yes, but …”
Joel’s eyes narrowed. “I think there’s more to the story than meets the eye.”
“He has motive,” Kate said. “And he obviously needs money.”
“Exactly.” McKenzie nodded.
“And he does work in that room all alone.” Kate’s tummy rumbled. “I guess we can talk more about this over some food. I’m so busy solving mysteries that I don’t have time to eat. That’s inexcusable!”
They all laughed.
After breakfast, the campers headed across the parking lot. Kate saw Gus entering the back door of the building. Something about seeing him troubled her, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. It was probably the story Megan had told about what had happened to his wife.
Watch out, Kate
, she scolded herself.
Don’t start feeling sorry for him!
Still, something about seeing him today put things in a new light. She pondered that for a minute, trying to make sense of her feelings.
Suddenly Kate snapped her fingers as she realized what had been bothering her so
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