Peete and Repeat (The Frannie Shoemaker Campground Mysteries Book 3) (7 page)

She relaxed when she saw no threat there, but before turning around, she glanced down at the floor, and pulling a pen out of her shirt pocket, leaned around the corner and snagged a small backpack by the strap.

She held it up for Frannie to see and said, “Did you see this here before?”

“No. None of us went in there,” Frannie said.

Sorenson carefully replaced the bag where she found it.

“So you know these women?”

“We just met them last night,” Larry said. “They’re camped across the road from us at River Bend.”

“What are their names?”

“Valerie and Virginia Peete,” Frannie said. The horror of the site began to harden into a lump in her stomach. “I think they’re—that is, they were—from Minneapolis. The campground owners should have that information.”

“Do you know which one’s which?” Sorenson asked.

Larry and Frannie both shook their heads, then Frannie said, “Wait!” and looked at their wrists. The woman who had fallen into the machinery had a watch on her right wrist; the other woman wasn’t wearing one. She pointed at the one with the watch. “I think that’s Virginia.”

But then she noticed something else. “Can I move a little closer?” she asked the sheriff. Sorenson nodded and moved into the open doorway so that Frannie could get past her. Frannie bent over the woman, trying to ignore the bloody wound to her head. Fastened around her neck was a necklace such as Valerie had described to her the night before.

She straightened. “I don’t know for sure. I think that necklace belongs to Valerie. But…” She continued to stare, noticing the clasp exposed at the back of the woman’s neck as she lay on her side, her hair falling away.

She turned to the sheriff to explain her dilemma. “Last night, the one who introduced herself as Virginia wore her watch on her right wrist, so I thought she must be left-handed. Valerie wore hers on her left. I was trying to figure out some way to tell them apart. But Valerie had told me about that necklace earlier—said she had gotten it from a man she was in love with. He’s at the campground this weekend and asked her to wear it.”

She shook her head. “
But
, the thing is, it looks like the necklace was fastened by a left-handed person.” Frannie looked from the sheriff to her husband.

“What are you talking about?” he said.

She looked back at the sheriff. “You know what I mean. If you are right-handed, you work the little clasp-thingy with your right hand and hook it into the little ring on the left. That necklace has the clasp thingy on the left, so it looks like she is left-handed and that
is
Virginia. But she seems to be wearing Valerie’s necklace.”

Larry still looked baffled, but Mary Sorenson nodded. “I see. Very observant. I didn’t find any ID on them. We’ll hope there’s something in their dental records, because if they
are
identical twins, DNA won’t be any help. If their fingerprints are in the system, we can use those.”

“You don’t think they’re identical?” Frannie asked.

“Well, fraternal twins can look a lot alike, but these two appear to be identical. We’ll see.”

“They told us they had been to Europe so they should have passports on record.”

“You’re right. Thank you for your help,” the sheriff said as they all heard more footsteps on the stairs. “I’ll want to talk to you later. Try to remember if they felt threatened by anyone. You’re staying at River Bend, right?”

Larry nodded and gave her their site number. He and Frannie moved into the corner to allow the EMTs to pass and then went back up the stairs. As they headed back up to the parking lot, they met an older man carrying a bag and a young one in a sheriff’s department jacket. They nodded at Larry and Frannie and took the path down to the power plant.

“Must be the medical examiner and a crime scene tech,” Larry said.

When they rejoined their group, questions flew. Donna, as usual, led the bombardment.

“What did the sheriff say? Did she think it was murder?”

“She didn’t share—just asked us what we knew about them,” Larry said.

“Do we need to stay here?” Mickey asked.

“They’re definitely dead?” Jane Ann said.

Larry held his hands up. “We really don’t know anything more. The sheriff said she’d come talk to us later, so we might as well head back to the campground.” It was a quiet ride back.

Late Saturday Morning

When they arrived back at the campground, Frannie noticed that the old blue pickup with the topper was parked in the same spot. She would have to make sure the sheriff gave Richard the news. She certainly didn’t want to do it. Back at their campsites, Mickey put on a new pot of coffee.

As they settled in their chairs, Jane Ann said, “Do you suppose we’re going to be confined to the campground again?” She was referring to two previous incidents in their camping history when that very thing had happened.

“I doubt it very much,” Larry said. “This time the crime wasn’t committed here and there’s no reason to believe it was one of the campers any more than an outsider.”

“I heard that people all over the Midwest are checking to make sure Frannie doesn’t have the next campsite when they make their reservations these days,” Mickey said, grinning.

“Oh, hush,” Frannie said. “You and Jane Ann were there both times too.”

“And people have avoided being next to Mickey for years,” Larry added.

“Seriously, Larry, could you tell anything about how they died?” Nancy said.

“Of course, that will be determined by the medical examiner, but on the surface it appeared that the one was pushed into that machinery and the other may have been choked or strangled, judging from the tone of her skin.”

“Which one was which?” Donna asked.

Frannie shrugged and told the group what they had observed. She also repeated what Valerie had told her the night before about the necklace.

“From what she said, it sounded like Virginia had impersonated her in order to break her up with Richard.”

“Could they have killed each other?” Ben asked Larry.

“I don’t see how.”

“Wonder if that guy Richard knows yet,” Donna said.

Frannie thought about him. “He’s camping here—I saw his truck when we pulled in. But the authorities wouldn’t have any reason to notify him. The sheriff didn’t find any ID so they wouldn’t know
who
to notify.”

Nancy said, “Neither of them had a purse or anything?”

That jogged something in Frannie’s memory. “The sheriff found a little backpack on the floor in other room. But…I saw one of them leave this morning in the pickup and she had a camera bag. I didn’t see that there.”

“But if only one went in the pickup, how did the other one get to the power plant?” Rob said.

“The hiking path,” Nancy said.

“But that would be odd,” Frannie said. “If they were both going to end up in the same place, why didn’t they go together?”

Larry said to Frannie, “You’re sure only one was in the truck?”

Frannie nodded. “She waved before she got in the truck. It was about 8:30—we were done with breakfast and the rest of you were inside, I think.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Larry rubbed his hand over his crewcut and leaned forward in his chair, elbows on knees and hands clasped. “I’m still worried about that old trailer. Those women were photographing it yesterday and they said one of the guys saw them.”

“If one of them took the hiking path,” Nancy said, “it’s on that side of the campground. She might have been seen by one of those guys.”

Larry nodded and sat back. “Well, the sheriff said she wanted to talk to us and would be over. We need to tell her about the camera bag, the guys in the old trailer, and you need to fill her in on Richard. Did you say he’s camped here, too?” He looked at Frannie.

“Yeah, his site is over near the office. He has a little blue pickup with a topper. It was there when we came back just now.”

Donna got out the cinnamon rolls left from breakfast and coffee mugs were refilled. Conversation rambled in kind of an audible version of shuffling feet and twiddling thumbs.

When the sheriff’s car edged up the road, everyone perked up, hoping for an end to the suspenseful atmosphere.

Mary Sorenson parked her patrol car on the grassy edge of the road and pulled a small notebook out of her pocket as she walked toward them. She declined coffee but accepted a lawn chair.

“I’m going to go back in a minute and have you tell me everything you know about these women, but when you first went down to the power plant, did you meet anyone?”

The ones who had made that hike all shook their heads. “No, we didn’t,” Ben said.

“And you,” she looked at Ben, “stayed there while the others went for help? Did you see or hear anyone while you waited?”

“Not a soul,” Ben said. “Why?”

Sorenson sighed. “From the preliminary ME’s examination, it appears they must have died about 9:30.”

Nancy’s mouth dropped open. “But, that’s just about the time we started down there!”

Frannie nodded. “We got to the Visitor’s Center right after it opened and looked around at the exhibits, then split up to explore.” She shivered. “But we didn’t see anyone on our way down there.”

“We got the call about 9:55,” Sorenson said.

“And you think they were definitely killed by someone else?” Frannie said.

“There had to have been someone else involved,” Sorenson said.

“Could they have left by the river?” Rob asked.

“It’s possible but seems unlikely. At least if it was a premeditated murder. The murderer would have had to come by canoe, and it would be pretty hard to time their arrival. Maybe a spontaneous thing; the fact that they were killed by different methods points to that…like a robbery gone bad. We didn’t find a purse or wallet on either of them.” She shifted in her chair.

“What about that backpack? Anything in there?” Frannie asked.

Sorenson shook her head. “No ID. Now tell me how you met these women.”

They took turns filling the sheriff in on their observations of the twins on the path and the incident in the pie shop. Frannie described her first conversation with Valerie on the road and later in the camper.

“Then last night,” Larry said, “we visited with them for a while and they said they had taken some photos of animals and wildflowers over by the river, but also of that derelict trailer that sits next to the campground property. They thought it was ‘interesting,’ but I have to wonder if it isn’t a meth lab or something.”

Mary Sorenson nodded. “We’ve suspected that place for a month or more but haven’t been able to catch them at anything. Did you see either of the women this morning?”

“I did,” Frannie said. “One of them left in their truck about 8:30. She had a camera bag with her.”

“Only one?” Mary Sorenson thought a moment. “She must have come back to get her sister?”

Frannie shook her head. “I don’t see how she could have. We would have met her—there’s only one way out of the campground, and from here to the nature center without going miles out of your way. Given the time frame, we think the other twin must have hiked the trail to the power plant.”

Mary Sorenson frowned. “Why do you suppose they would have gone separately if they were going the same place? You didn’t talk to either of them this morning?”

“No. We wondered the same thing. Maybe one of them wanted to hike and the other didn’t.”

“Could be something that simple, I suppose.”

“Did you find a camera bag?” Frannie asked.

The sheriff shook her head. “Not in the power plant or in their truck.” She stood. “Mary Louise said their camper is across from you?”

Donna pointed out the unique vehicle. “Over there next to ours.”

The sheriff pulled a set of keys out of her pocket. “These were in the backpack. I’m hoping one of them opens the trailer.”

Larry pointed to one on the ring. “Probably that one.”

Sorenson thanked them and headed across the road.

“I wanted to see inside that thing,” Donna said. “I hoped the twins would give us a tour today.”

Rob frowned. “Not going to happen, honey.”

“Well, I know that
now
. I just meant…”

“I know…just pulling your chain.”

The sheriff gained entrance and a few minutes later, appeared back in the road.

“Ms. Shoemaker?”

“Yes?” Frannie got up and walked toward her.

“There are a couple of purses in the trailer. Would you take a look and see if you recognize them?”

“Sure.” Frannie followed her back to the camper. “But I don’t think we ever saw either of them with a purse.” She gloated a little knowing Donna was sitting back there stewing because Frannie was going to get inside.

The interior of the little trailer was very streamlined and modern—kind of minimalist. Plain white cabinets in the tiny kitchen area were bracketed with natural wood. The ends were filled with bunk beds in the back and a built-in dinette in the front, all brightly lit by a large skylight. No clutter marred the interior, except for two matching tapestry bags sitting on the table.

“Is that where you found them?” Frannie asked the sheriff.

“No, one was in the storage under the dinette bench and the other in a bin of clothes under the bunk bed. I take it you haven’t seen them before?”

Frannie shook her head. “When we saw them on the trail, they had matching fanny packs on. Then later when we talked to them, they weren’t carrying anything.”

“Hmmm. Fanny packs. I didn’t find billfolds or any ID in the purses. Maybe they’re in the fanny packs.” She started opening cabinets and drawers. From an overhead cabinet near the door, she pulled two black fanny packs. Unzipping them, she pulled a billfold out of each, nodded, and replaced them.

“This is what we were looking for. I’ll take them and the purses with me. Thanks for your help.”

Frannie took the hint and headed out the door, followed by the sheriff. Sorenson relocked the door and, as they walk back to the campsite, questioned Frannie about her hometown and camping experiences. Frannie left out the parts about the previous murders and abduction.

As she approached her car, Mary Sorenson asked, “Do you know this Richard’s last name?”

“No,—Valerie never said.”

“But he’s in a small blue pickup camper over near the office?”

“Yes,” Frannie said. “It’ll be on your left shortly before you get to the office.”

“Mary Louise will be able to give me that info then. Thanks for all your help.” The sheriff shook Frannie’s hand, got back in her cruiser, and left.

When Frannie returned to her group, they were deep in the throes of a discussion planning their afternoon.

“I saw she found their purses,” Donna said. “What’s the trailer like?”

“Yeah, the purses and their fanny packs. The camper is really cool—kind of Scandinavian looking. Clean lines, light colors.”

“I found the company on the internet,” Mickey said. “They are
neat
.”

“We’re talking about what to do this afternoon,” Larry said. “Ben and Nancy want to go back to the nature center and try the high ropes course.”

“Um—that would be a ‘no’ for me.” Frannie plopped in her chair.

“Me either,” Donna said. “I think Rob’s going to take me back into Burdensville to check out more shops. Want to come?” Rob did not look overly excited about the prospect.

“I don’t know…What are you guys doing, Jane Ann?”

“We’re thinking about a canoe float,” Jane Ann offered. “There’s a two hour one at 1:00—they run a shuttle from here.”

“That’s a nice float. Larry and I did it several years ago when we were here by ourselves.”

“Interested in doing it again?” Larry asked her.

“Sure,” Frannie said. No way she was going to do the high ropes course and a lazy afternoon drifting down the river beat following Donna, an Olympic shopping contender, from store to store hands down.

Rob looked at his wife. “Sure you don’t want to do the float? Save the shopping for a later day?”

Donna pouted. “Quite a few of them aren’t open on Mondays. And tomorrow we were going to take the bikes out to Wheat Valley and do that part of the trail.”

“No problem.” Rob was used to catering. “We’ll do the float another time.”

That settled, Mickey and Larry biked up to the office to reserve canoes for the 1:00 float, while the others got lunch fixings out. When Mickey and Larry returned, they reported that the sheriff’s car was still at Richard’s campsite.