The Stolen Bones by Carolyn Keene

Author:Carolyn Keene [Keene, Carolyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4424-6548-0
Publisher: Aladdin
Published: 2014-12-30T16:00:00+00:00

9

Laws and Outlaws

Nobody talked much on the way back. I tried to strike up a conversation with Steffi, hoping I could lead it around to Jimmy, but she gave only one-word answers. Everyone looked hot and tired.

A surprise awaited us at camp. Erlinda was there, talking to Kyle. George and I grabbed sodas from the cooler, then joined Bess in the shade.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“It’s like watching a play,” Bess said. “Erlinda was talking to Felix when we got here. She’s being really friendly now. She even started asking Kyle all these questions about fossils. How valuable they are, where you find them, things like that. And Kyle is trying hard not to tell her anything useful!”

“Poor Kyle,” I said. “He must think everyone is out to get his fossils.”

George smirked. “Speaking of poor Kyle, how was your walk back?”

“Fine. He’s really nice.”

I could tell from Bess’s tone that she no longer saw him as a hunky potential date. She went on. “It’s not just this dig that is getting him down. He and Steffi are together—they’re getting married soon. But they can’t afford a down payment on a house on his salary and her graduate student stipend. He’s afraid they’ll be in a tiny apartment forever.”

That explained why Bess was no longer interested in Kyle. She’d never try to steal another girl’s boyfriend. “That’s too bad,” I said. “Unfortunately, it also gives Kyle and Steffi a motive for stealing the fossil, if they need the money.”

Bess shook her head. “I just can’t believe they would do something like that. I spent a lot of time with Steffi today. She works hard, and I’m sure she’s honest. Kyle is a sweetheart too. I like them both.”

“I do too, actually,” I said. “They seem nice, and so sincere about their work.”

“I like them,” George said. “But don’t forget that scene at Steffi’s tent last night.”

I sighed. “That’s right. It seems like whenever I’m ready to decide someone can’t be a suspect, I remember something that says they still are. We need to investigate Jimmy, anyway. He’s our number one suspect now.”

“So what is Erlinda doing here?” George asked. “If she and Jimmy are involved in the fossil theft, isn’t she just calling attention to herself?”

Erlinda walked past us without glancing our way. I called out to her. “Hello, Erlinda. How’s Jimmy?”

She turned and glared at me. “You leave him alone! I don’t need any more snooty city girls giving him bad ideas.” She stormed off, following the road back toward her house.

“Okaaay …,” George said. “I think we can forget about getting a dinner invitation.”

Bess’s forehead wrinkled. “Is her behavior suspicious, or is she just unfriendly?”

“She’s up to something now,” I said, “but she’s not a good candidate for last night’s theft. That would be fast work, if she learned that fossils are valuable only yesterday evening. Could Jimmy be the thief, and his mother doesn’t know it?”

George grinned. “Sounds like we get a field trip to the ranch tonight.”

Felix called us to dinner—an enormous pot of chili, plus a long loaf of garlic bread.

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