Bats and Bones (The Frannie Shoemaker Campground Mysteries) (18 page)

Outside, they
stowed lawn chairs and empty firewood bins in the back of the pickup. Larry was
collapsing their utility table and Frannie was returning some items to Jane Ann
when Dave Schlumm appeared in their campsite.

“Good
morning,” he said as if he wasn’t certain it was. Frannie didn’t really want to
talk to him since he had thrown his daughter out but they all stopped what they
were doing and nodded to him.

“Wanted to
talk especially to you,” he inclined his head toward Frannie. She thought,
‘Now, what?’

“Yes, Mr.
Schlumm?” Perhaps a little coolly.

“Heard what
you did yesterday and just want to thank you.”

“What we
did?”

“Stopping
that monster from violatin’ Maeve’s body. Poor woman didn’t deserve that after
puttin’ up with me.”

“I can’t
take any credit for that, Dave—we were mostly trying to keep him from
killing us.”

“But you
stopped him from hurting anybody else. That’s good. I realize now that I drove
off my daughter too. Going to try and patch that up. Just wanted you to know.”

“I’m glad
to hear that and we wish you the best.”

“That’s all
I got to say. Looks like you’re gettin’ ready to pull out. Drive safe.”

He turned
and shuffled back towards his camper.

“Strange
guy,” said Larry, as they returned to their tasks. Before they were done, the
bikers went by pulling their little trailers and waving gaily. By the time they
got everything hooked up, the campground had pretty much emptied; after being
confined for two days, people didn’t want to take a chance on something else
happening before they could head home. Mickey and Jane Ann led in their RV,
then the Nowaks, with the Shoemakers in the rear. A final stop at the dump
station and they wended their way slowly out of the park, shaded by the
beautiful trees and limestone bluffs.

Perched up
in the passenger seat of their truck with Cuba’s head over her shoulder,
Frannie said, “This is one camping weekend I’m not sad to put behind us.”

Larry
reached over and rubbed the back of her neck. “Babe, the odds are in our favor.
Smoooth camping ahead.”

********************

Happy
Camper Tip #16

Smashed
Potatoes and Sausage Gravy: Bake russet or red potatoes either in a
conventional or microwave oven. Place on a greased cookie sheet and smash down
with a spatula. (Good therapy when the raccoons have emptied your coolers or you
found a body on your morning hike.) Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper,
and bake about 20-30 minutes in a 400-degree oven until crisp. Serve with
sausage gravy. We usually prepare the gravy before our trips and just heat it
up.

For taking
your time to share Frannie and Larry's adventures. Just as the sound of a tree
falling in the forest depends on hearers, a book only matters if it has
readers. Please consider sharing your thoughts with other readers in a review
or emailing me at [email protected]. My website at
www.karenmussernortman.com provides updates on my books, my blog, and photos of
our for-real camping trips.

If you
enjoyed
Bats and Bones
, you may want
to try the other Frannie Shoemaker Campground Mysteries:

The Blue Coyote
: Frannie and Larry Shoemaker love
taking their grandchildren, Sabet and Joe, camping with them. But at Bluffs
State Park, Frannie finds herself worrying more than usual about their safety,
and when another young girl disappears from the campground in broad daylight,
her fears increase. The fun of a bike ride, a flea market, marshmallow guns,
and a storyteller are quickly overshadowed. Accusations against the Shoemakers
add to the cloud over their heads. Frannie begins to puzzle out the mystery: Are
the itinerant road workers as much of a threat as Frannie thinks? What about
the lone woman camper who also disappears? Or is the girl's deadbeat dad behind
it all?

Peete and Repeat
: A biking and camping trip
to southeastern Minnesota turns into double trouble for Frannie Shoemaker and
her friends as she deals with a canoeing mishap and a couple of bodies. Strange
happenings in the campground, the nearby nature learning center, and an old
power plant complicate the suspect pool and Frannie tries to stay out of
it--really--but what can she do? After all, she is only curious, but sometimes
it isn't just cats who have trouble with that!

Finally,
don't miss the wonderful outdoor opportunities in our beautiful state and
national parks.

No creative
effort takes place in total isolation and this book is no exception. I wish to
thank John and Shannon, for information on funeral homes and state park
operation and Ginge and Marcia for being my early readers, and me giving
tremendous feedback. And to my siblings: Gretchen, who did the cover artwork;
Libby, who designed the cover; and Jim, who did the final read-through and
found a couple of serious clinkers, I want to say I’m sorry I ever wished to be
an only child. To my other friends and family for encouragement, and my husband
Butch for continuing support, my undying gratitude.

Karen
Musser Nortman, after previous incarnations as a secondary social studies
teacher (22 years) and a test developer (18 years), returned to her childhood
dream of writing a novel
.
Bats and Bones,
a cozy mystery, came out
of numerous ‘round the campfire’ discussions, making up answers to questions
raised by the peephole glimpses one gets into the lives of fellow campers.
Where did those people disappear to for the last two days? What kinds of bones
are in this fire pit? Why is that woman wearing heels to the shower house?

Karen and
her husband Butch originally tent camped when their children were young and
switched to a travel trailer when sleeping on the ground lost its romantic
adventure. They take frequent weekend jaunts with friends to parks in Iowa and
surrounding states, plus occasional longer trips. Entertainment on these trips
has ranged from geocaching and hiking/biking to barbecue contests, balloon
fests, and buck skinners’ rendezvous. Frannie and Larry will no doubt check out
some of these options on their future adventures.

Karen has
three children and eight grandchildren. She also loves reading, gardening, and
knitting, and can recite the 99 counties of Iowa in alphabetical order.

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