The Mystery at Blackwater Falls

Part Five

Author’s note:

Last time we visited Blackwater Falls, the Bob-Whites were leaving Smoke Hole Caverns and planning to attend a lecture at the Nature Center at Blackwater Falls. While her friends enjoy their vacation, Trixie focuses on the mystery she stumbled onto at their stop in Elkins. She wonders why a mysterious man in a plaid shirt was so determined to get her trail map. Also, she’s curious what secret their strange, English bus driver is hiding After seeing the man in the plaid shirt talk to English Jon, Trixie decides to find out if they know each other.

Once the girls had finished their perusal of the gift shop at Smoke Hole Caverns, the van and all its passengers made the trip back to Blackwater Falls State Park and Resort. To make the time pass more quickly, the girls suggested they play the alphabet game. It didn’t take long for the boys to figure out that their female counterparts had sinister intentions.

“Okay, it’s my turn,” Di managed through a fit of giggles. “I’m going to the Bahamas, and I’m taking an adorable aborigine, Brian’s bikini―”

“It’s not my bikini,” Brian clarified for the umpteenth time. “Bikinis are for girls, and in case you haven’t noticed, I’m a virile male.”

Honey grinned at him wickedly. “Well, it’s your bikini for this game because I gave it to you. Go on with your list, Di.”

Di pursed her lips and twirled an ebony strand of hair as she tried to remember the rest of the items. “Where was I? Oh yes, I remember now. I left off at Brian’s bikini. Let’s see, next there’s a clear colostomy bag, Dan’s derby hat—”

“Why does Dan get a derby hat while I’m stuck with a bikini?” Brian protested.

“Probably because your name starts with a ‘b’ and Dan’s starts with a ‘d’,” Mart explained in a most unhelpful manner.

“Amongst other reasons…” Honey murmured to the rest of the girls. That comment was followed by lots of whispering.

“And if you ask me,” the boys heard Trixie say, “Dan’s lucky that Mart had ‘d’, or else he would’ve had a hard time explaining why he had a douche bag in his suitcase.”

Dan winced, only making the girls laugh harder.

Jim quirked a ginger brow as he noticed the girls’ hushed exchange, but he resisted the urge to ask them what they were talking about. “Keep going, Di,” he prompted instead.

“Umm… an egomaniac Eskimo, a flatulent-expulsing ferret, gross Gouda cheese, a hairy hamster, an indigo igloo, Jim’s jock itch cream—”

“Even jock itch cream is better than a bikini!” Brian interjected.

Jim curled his lip to express his distaste. “I don’t know about that. I really wouldn’t want the security guy at the airport to see a tube of fungal medication in my carryon. And something tells me that nobody’s going to believe that it belongs to Mother or Honey.”

“It could be worse, you know,” Trixie said with a toss of her curls. “The guy at the security counter could be a really hot girl.”

“You mean like the girl working in the gift shop at Smoke Hole?” Di suggested in a deceptively innocent tone.

Trixie scowled. “Yeah, like her.”

Mart’s brows furrowed in confusion. “What girl in the gift shop?” he questioned.

“As if you don’t remember,” Di remarked, her voice thick with sarcastic overtones.

“Let’s just quit this game,” Dan said. “I’m sick of all this bickering. You girls have been acting funny ever since we got back in the van.”

Di’s almond-shaped eyes widened with alarm. “We can’t quit now! I haven’t given Mart his maxi-pad with wings yet!”

“You were going to give me a…?” Mart couldn’t even bring himself to name the feminine product out loud, so he left his sentence hanging. “Fair Diana, how could you be so cruel?”

“It’s just a game, Mart,” Trixie huffed. “We’re not really going to the Bahamas, and Brian doesn’t really own a bikini, Jim doesn’t really need jock itch cream, Dan doesn’t really have a douche bag—”

“Don’t you mean a derby hat?” Dan corrected.

With a roll of her eyes, Trixie continued speaking without skipping a beat. “And you don’t really wear maxi-pads, Mart. Now can we just continue our game?”

“Still—” Brian began, only to be interrupted by Jonathan Darling.

The lanky bus driver looked in the rearview mirror at the teenagers behind him. “I hate to interrupt what sounds like a very important discussion, young ones, but we’re approaching the resort. Do you wish to go to the main lodge, or would you prefer to be taken somewhere else?” he questioned.

“We’d like to go to the nature center, please,” Jim requested. “The park’s naturalist is giving a lecture there on tracking.”

“Andy’s giving a lecture, you say?” English Jon nodded his head appreciatively. “Very nice fellow, that naturalist is. I’ve had several chats with the bloke, and we got on right well.”

Trixie looked up with renewed interest. “You’re friends with the naturalist?”

“More like acquaintances,” English Jon amended brusquely. “Andy’s several years my junior, so we don’t share many common hobbies, but I respect him immensely. He’s quite knowledgeable about the flora and fauna native to this area. I’m sure you’ll enjoy his lecture.”

The bus driver navigated the van onto a side road, which led to a small parking lot. To the left, there was a brown boathouse in front of a lake that was slightly larger than the one by Manor House. A metal sign greeted visitors, advertising paddleboat and bicycle rental fees. Another sign offering whitewater rafting tours hung from the side of the boathouse.

If bicycling or boating didn’t meet one’s interest, the park offered a variety other activities. A tennis court had been constructed beyond the lake. There were also horseshoe pits, a sandy volleyball court, and a basketball court, and farther up on the property, there was a large pool for those who preferred to swim outdoors.

To the right of the driveway, a much larger brown building stood. “There’s the resort’s nature center,” Jonathan said, pointing at the structure.

The Nature Center at Blackwater Falls

“And that’s Andy’s truck parked beside us, so he’s obviously here already,” English Jon continued. He nodded towards the tan GMC truck with the resort’s logo painted on it.

“Will you be attending the lecture with us?” Honey politely questioned as she gathered her things.

“I think I’ll use this time to catch a few winks, little one.” English Jon made a show of reclining back in his seat and pulling his golf hat over his eyes in preparation of a long nap. “I’ll just wait for you here, if you don’t mind.”

According to plan, Trixie purposely left her bag on the seat where she’d been sitting, and then followed her friends down the aisle of the small bus.

“Trixie,” Di called, “you forgot your backpack. Do you need anything in it?”

Instead of going back to pick up her belongings, Trixie merely shook her head. Although Di was curious, she didn’t pry.

Just as the Bob-Whites were preparing to exit the vehicle, Jonathan Darling raised his hat slightly above his eyes. “Before you leave, there is one more thing…”

The teenagers turned around to look at him.

“I hate to be rude, but I can’t help but notice there has been a certain… how shall we say… foul odor in the van as of late,” English Jon explained as tactfully as possible. “I don’t suppose anyone else has detected an unpleasant smell lingering in the air?”

“Well, I haven’t smelled a thing,” Mart answered. He turned slightly to wrap his arm around Diana’s slim shoulders, forcing her to get a good whiff of the toxic fumes coming from the vicinity of his armpits. “Have you noticed anything stinky, Di?”

Di automatically used her index finger and thumb to pinch her nose closed. Unfortunately, it was impossible to keep the horrid smell from penetrating her nostrils. “Only when I breathe,” she muttered.

“I can’t speak for everyone, sir, but the air quality was fresh as a daisy back where I sitting,” Dan interjected quickly.

“Daisies that’re being pushed up by a rotten corpse,” Trixie whispered.

“What was that, pet?” Jonathan prompted.

Trixie stifled a giggle. “It wasn’t anything important,” she finally managed. “But I promise that if the smell gets any worse, we’ll be among the first to know.”

“And then we’ll be sure and let you know,” Honey added.

“Although it’s quite possible you’ll already know before then,” Di cracked, her nose wrinkled to avoid smelling Mart.

Jonathan’s weathered forehead creased with puzzlement as he tried to make sense of the teenagers’ ramblings. “I would appreciate that very much,” he replied.

“And if you’d like to pick up an air freshener or two, we’d be glad to chip in,” Trixie remarked as she followed the rest of her friends off the van.

Once they were out of earshot, Di hissed, “You boys and your silly no-deodorant pact are going to get us kicked off the bus!”

“English Jon’s paid by the resort to drive that van,” Jim pointed out. “The resort wants to keep its guests happy, so they’re going to make him chauffeur us around, no matter how smelly we are.”

“I wouldn’t bet on that, my dear brother,” Honey muttered. “If the bigwigs at the resort get a whiff of you, they might be afraid that your nasty BO will permanently contaminate their nice van.”

Further conversation ceased as the Bob-Whites approached the nature center.

“We’re almost thirty minutes early,” Brian commented after a peek at his watch. “I hope there’s not another lecture going on.”

Jim nodded in agreement as he climbed the steps leading to the building’s entrance. There was a set of double doors in the front which served as the main entrance. Jim awkwardly peeked through the rectangular windows of the doors, frowning at his limited view. “I think I see somebody in there, but I can’t hear anybody talking. I’m not positive, though.”

“Let’s go around to the other door,” Mart suggested. The group followed him to a heavy screen door on the side of the building. The sturdy chicken wire covering the door wasn’t so tightly woven that it prohibited them see through it. The teenagers curiously peered inside. The room had one lone occupant, whose back was turned to them.

“It’d probably be safe to go inside,” Brian said. “I don’t think we’d be interrupting anything.”

“Maybe we should wait out here for a few more minutes,” Honey suggested.

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt,” Dan agreed.

Bored, the teenagers peeked through the windows to see what the inside of the building looked like. One side of the large open room was filled with various games. A couple of ping-pong tables stood in the middle of the floor, and there were a few old arcade games against the back wall. The opposite side of the room, however, looked more like a nature center should.

Maps of various trails around Blackwater Falls hung from the walls. Several Native American artifacts had also been framed, offering guests insight into the people who had once been the only inhabitants of the Davis area.

Perhaps the most interesting feature of the nature center was the “forest” that had been created in a fenced off section of the room. A realistic woodland scene had been painted on the back wall and served as the backdrop. The floor had been covered with dirt and moss, as well as an assortment of plants and flowers. Several trees stood to offer shade from the imaginary sun. Through the middle of the “forest”, a small creek “bubbled” over some rocks.

Stuffed wildlife native to the Blackwater Falls area had been posed among the greenery, making the scene look even more authentic. At the base of a small tree, a black bear cub stood on its back legs and looked up to see if a beehive hung from one of the branches. A red fox sniffed around a rhododendron bush as a frightened rabbit poked its head out from a laurel bush to make sure the coast was clear. On a nearby tree stump, a bushy-tailed squirrel silently studied a young whitetail fawn standing by the creek. Farther down, a raccoon sat perched on a rock and dipped its fingered paws into the water, hoping to catch a fish for dinner.

“Wow,” Dan murmured. “Somebody really worked hard to set all this up.”

“Whoever it was did a good job,” Brian commented.

Mart nodded in appreciation. “It looks like someone picked up a chunk of the preserve and dropped it into the building.”

“It sure does,” Jim remarked. “I could stand here all day studying this.”

“Me too,” Diana said with a giggle. After poking her friends to get their attention, she casually tipped her head slightly to the left of the woodland scene. “Don’t you agree, girls?”

“Mmm-hmm,” Trixie agreed, her blue eyes sparkling. “The forest has never looked better.”

A languid smile played across Honey’s lips as she smoothed her golden-streaked hair. “Almost makes me want to give up the detective biz and take up forestry.”

The boys wore identical perplexed expressions until, one by one, they turned their heads in the direction which the girls were looking. Although three of the male Bob-Whites appeared angry, the fourth seemed genuinely amused. Unlike his comrades, Dan hooted loudly, greatly enjoying as the green-eyed monster attacked his friends.

The boys glared in the corner of the room that captivated the girls’ attention. From this angle, they could clearly see the room’s only occupant. A man in his early twenties stood at a lectern. Apparently, he’d been studying some papers which were laid out in front of him. Dressed in an olive green uniform with the park’s logo on it, one could assume this good-looking fellow was the resort’s naturalist. He had closely-cropped brown hair, and except for a goatee, was clean shaven. Although he looked several inches shorter than all the Bob-White boys, he had broad shoulders and an athletic build.

Jim’s neck reddened as he noticed the way Trixie looked over admiringly at the naturalist. “Oh, give me a break!”

“Put a guy in a uniform, and all of a sudden he’s a real catch,” Brian remarked. “Let’s see what he looks like in street clothes.”

“Yeah, you daffy girls are pathetic,” Mart snorted in disgust.

“Like you aren’t?” Di countered angrily. “We saw the way you were drooling over that pretty clerk in the gift shop.”

“We weren’t drooling,” Mart argued.

“Then what do you call it?” Di squared her shoulders in a defiant manner, her bottom lip distended slightly in a pretty pout. “And you’d better not expect me to believe that all that saliva was dripping down your mouth because you were hungry.”

Dan slapped his forehead as all the pieces of the puzzle finally clicked together. “Oh, so that’s why your panties were in a wad during the bus ride over here! You were jealous of the hottie in the gift shop!” He suddenly felt the urge to duck as three sets of blazing eyes fastened their fiery gaze upon him.

“Shut up, Dan!” the normally tactful Honey hissed.

“Why should we care if those bozos want to make fools of themselves fawning over some bleached-blonde floozy?” Trixie retorted.

“Yeah, if they want to flirt with some skinny little bimbo with the figure of a thirteen-year-old boy, then that’s fine with us,” Di stormed.

“Whoa,” Mart sputtered. The wild accusations put him at a loss for words. “I don’t know what you think you saw, but it couldn’t have been us flirting because we weren’t doing any such thing!”

Di crossed her arms in front of her and smirked over at Mart. “We know what we saw.”

“Well, I don’t know what you think you saw, but we were just talking to that girl,” Brian explained.

“If you were just talking, then why did you keep puffing out your chests like roosters strutting around the henhouse?” Honey demanded.

“We weren’t puffing or strutting,” Mart insisted. “We were just having a conversation with someone who just happened to be a girl.”

“Yeah, right,” Trixie said with a snicker. “And you’re the only ones who can smell your stinky armpits. You were flirting with that girl, and you know it!”

“Trix, this is all just a big misunderstanding,” Jim began. “We had an hour or so to kill while were you were shopping, and when we saw that young lady sitting by herself at the cash register, we thought we should be polite and keep her company.”

“Well, aren’t you all just the little Boy Scouts, gallivanting around, doing good deeds,” Di said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Strange, I didn’t realize there was something in the Boy Scout manual that instructs you to fawn over strange women,” Trixie commented airily. “I had no idea it was actually written down somewhere that it was your civic duty to rescue damsels in distress. All this time I thought it was just a personality quirk of yours.”

“I’ve never heard you protest when he’s coming to your rescue, Beatrix,” Mart needled. He was rewarded with a murderous glare from his sister.

“Mart has a point,” Brian stated. “Being the polite young man that he is, Jim has always been quick to assist the fairer sex, even Trixie. She’s a good example that looks have nothing to do with it. Homely girls need help, too.”

Trixie made a face at him. “Uh, thanks, Bri.”

“Having said that,” Brian continued in his most eloquent fashion, “Jim has set the example for all of us through the years. No matter how torturous it would be for us, showering that lonely girl with attention was the gentlemanly thing to do. The fact that she was hot had absolutely nothing to do with it.”

Honey arched a golden brow in a speculative manner. “Oh, really? Did you hear that, girls? It’s considered ‘gentlemanly’ to flirt with attractive women. Chivalry isn’t dead, after all.”

“Personally, I didn’t even think she was that pretty,” Mart observed. After a peek in Diana’s direction, he impulsively added, “I’ve always preferred brunettes.”

“If she wasn’t pretty, then why were you flirting with her?” Di inquired archly.

Jim held up a hand in protest. “For the billionth time, we weren’t flirting; we were simply talking to that clerk in a friendly manner. We would’ve done the same thing for anyone.”

“Uh-huh.” Trixie’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Then why didn’t you buddy up with that fat guy that was taking out the trash?”

“Because he didn’t look lonely?” Jim suggested hopefully.

Trixie folded her arms huffily. “Or maybe it was because he didn’t have long blonde hair and boobs.”

“Actually, he did sort of have boobs, but you’re right that he didn’t have hair,” Dan commented with a grin. “He was as bald as a cue ball.”

“Whose side are you on anyway?” Mart muttered.

Dan didn’t seem the least bit concerned about the trouble brewing. “Whichever side’s offering the best benefits,” he said matter-of-factly. “Now, what’s your opening bid, men?”

“This isn’t a joke, Dan!” Trixie thundered with a stamp of her foot. “Can’t you see that we’re really upset about this?”

“Well, yeah, a blind man could see that you’re upset,” Dan snorted. He looked over at Trixie, Honey, and Di through narrowed eyes. “But the real question is this: Why are you girls madder than a bunch of wet hens?”

Diana pursed her lips as she tried to suppress her anger. “What exactly do you mean?”

Dan shrugged his shoulders, and then held up his hands in a defensive pose. “I’m just curious why you’re so jealous.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Dan Mangan!” Trixie gave a loud indignant sniff. “We are not jealous!”

“And neither are we!” Jim added.

“Then why are you so bent out of shape that we were flirting with that girl?” Dan asked, obviously enjoying his position as a third-wheel.

“We weren’t ‘flirting’!” Brian clarified.

“Yeah, right,” Honey sputtered.

“Will everyone just stop?” Diana’s shrill voice caught the rest of the Bob-Whites’ attention. “The boys say they weren’t flirting with that girl. Fine. It’s none of our business anyway. But just so you know, we weren’t upset because we were jealous.”

Mart’s eyebrows drew downward in a skeptical manner. “Then why were you so mad?”

Di blinked her eyes a few times. “You want to know why we were mad?”

“Yeah, that’d be nice,” Jim snapped.

“You tell him, Trixie,” Diana said with a gulp. “You can explain it better than me.”

Trixie made a mental note to “thank” her friend later. With an inward groan, she scrambled for a plausible explanation.

“Di’s right; we weren’t mad,” she blustered after a few seconds of thoughts. “We were just… embarrassed to be seen with you.”

“Yeah,” Diana affirmed a bit too enthusiastically. ”We were embarrassed to be seen with you.”

Jim cocked his head as he studied the girls’ guilty faces. “Exactly how did we embarrass you?”

“How did you embarrass us?” Trixie repeated weakly. She immediately assumed an insulted expression. “I can’t believe you even have to ask! You’re so out of touch with your feelings!”

“Well, why don’t you enlighten us insensitive males?” Brian prompted.

Trixie closed her eyes tightly as she shook her head. “I can’t even bear to talk about it.” She dramatically clutched Honey’s shoulder. “You tell them, Hon.”

“Why, thank you, Trixie,” Honey said flatly. She plastered on a phony smile as she planned how she would get revenge on her curly-haired friend. “I was hoping you’d give me the honor of explaining this.”

Mart crossed his arms in challenge. “So let’s have it, Honey.”

“Well,” Honey drawled out thoughtfully, “we were embarrassed because you boys made complete fools of yourselves. That girl was at least five or six years older than you, so you were way out of your league.”

“And she was much too pretty for the likes of you weirdoes,” Trixie chimed in quickly.

“And no doubt she smelled your body odor from a mile away,” Diana tacked on for good measure.

“Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have a lecture to attend,” Trixie informed them with a haughty toss of her curls. She hastily spun around on her heel, turned the corner, opened the screen door, and led the other two girls into the nature center.

“Well, how do you like that?” Brian snorted. “They weren’t even jealous.”

Dan merely shook his head in disbelief. “If you believe that story, then I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. And if you ask me, the girls aren’t the only ones who’ve been bitten by the green-eyed monster.” He glanced at the handsome young naturalist in the building, and then back at his friends.

“You’re crazy, Mangan,” Jim sputtered. “We are not jealous.”

“Aye, and me homelan’s not the bonny Emerald Isle,” Dan countered, his voice taking on a perfect Irish lilt.

“We could care less if those dumb girls gawk at that naturalist, Danny Boy,” Brian retorted. “Why would that make us jealous?”

Dan grinned like the cat that had just eaten the proverbial canary. “Because you want them to gawk at you that way.”

“What gave you that crazy idea?” Jim demanded.

“Oh, puuh-leaze,” Dan sniggered. “The three of you have been chasing those girls since the beginning of time, so you might as well take the plunge and ask them out. That way you can stop trying to constantly make each other jealous.” He paused, and then advised, “Just take a shower before you do. They’re right; you do really stink.”

“Even if we are jealous— and I’m not saying that’s the case, mind you—” Mart clarified, “why do you care? If the six of us hook up, what do you get out of it?”

“The happiness of my friends is the only reward I need,” Dan replied with a beneficent smile.

Brian gave a loud snort. “No, really. What do you get out of it?”

Dan looked him squarely in the eye. “Peace.”

“Peace?” Mart echoed with a quizzical raise of his brows.

“Yeah, peace from all six of you yapping and pining for each other,” Dan deadpanned. “After three years of this, I’m getting a headache.”

Brian let out a groan of irritation. “If you’re so concerned that the girls are ‘pining’, why don’t you ask them out?” He was immediately “rewarded” with dirty looks from Jim and Mart.

“All right, maybe I will,” Dan replied with a cheeky grin. “I’ll take Trixie out on Thursday, Honey on Friday, and Di on Saturday.”

“You wouldn’t,” Mart ground out through clenched teeth.

“You’re right; I wouldn’t.” Dan smirked in satisfaction. “But the next guy might.”

Brian’s tanned face blanched. “What ‘next guy’?”

“The ‘next guy’ who notices how pretty and sweet they are,” Dan observed. “Just because I think of them as my little sisters doesn’t mean everyone else will. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll join the girls.” With a wink he rounded the corner and disappeared out of their sight.

“Does he actually think he’s going to make us jealous with that ‘next guy’ ruse?” Jim sputtered indignantly, leading the way to the side door. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Yeah, if Di falls for the first slick Romeo who crosses her path, that’s fine with me,” Mart remarked.

“That’s right,” Brian agreed. “Honey’s free to swim with as many fish as she wants. I’ve washed my hands of her.”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself, Bri.” Jim thumped his friend on the back. “If some other guy catches Trixie’s eye, then she’s free to let him worry about her for a change. This knight in shining armor needs a break.”

Mart, who had been spying on their friends through the screen door, tipped his head respectfully in the redhead’s direction. “That’s very mature of you, Jim.”

Jim returned the gesture in grand fashion. “Why, thank you, Mart.”

“Yeah,” Mart continued offhandedly, “why should it bother you that, at this very moment, Trixie’s fawning over that naturalist guy?”

“Huh?” Jim whirled around and pressed his nose against the chicken wire. “Why, that guy’s got at least a decade on us! He’s too old for the girls!”

“Apparently, there’s no need to worry; you got that break you needed,” Brian teased smugly.

Jim snickered. “Don’t look now, Brian, but it looks like Honey’s reeling in one of those other fishes.”

“What?!” Brian pushed Jim down on the sidewalk so he could look over his head. “What’s Honey thinking? That dude’s so old that he’ll be drawing Social Security by the New Year!”

Mart clutched his stomach as he hooted with glee. “I thought you’d washed your hands of her, Bri. Sounds like you’ve still got some ‘honey’ on them!” He laughed uproariously at what he thought was such a clever pun.

“Laugh it up, Fuzzball,” Brian snorted. “Trixie and Honey aren’t the only ones falling under this guy’s charm. Apparently, Di’s playing Juliet to his Romeo…”

“Get outta my way!” Mart yelled as he shoved Brian down on top of Jim. The shorter boy practically climbed on Brian’s back so he could see what was going on in the room. Grasping his older brother by the shoulders to steady himself, Mart peered over Brian’s head through the door. Brian crumbled under his added burden, and he knocked Jim to his knees in the process. Since Brian still wanted to see, he looked over Jim’s red head. Crouched in a precarious position, Jim wobbled back and forth as he craned his neck up to see what was happening.

Unfortunately, one of Mart’s knees rammed into Brian’s back, causing Brian to fall on top of Jim. To catch his balance, Jim leaned back and inadvertently put all his weight on Mart’s untied shoelaces, causing Mart to lose his balance. All three boys ended up toppling against the screen door, forcing it open all the way. With a loud oomph, Jim, Brian, and Mart landed on the floor of the nature center, their heads still stacked on top of one another.

“What kind of totem pole is this?” Trixie snickered as she studied the three heads, which were reminiscent of the posts carved by the ancient Algonquians.

“The sore kind,” Brian muttered. With a wince, he rubbed the knot on his head that Mart’s chin had caused.

“Well, at least you’ve only got one person on top of you. I’m on the bottom of this heap.” With a huff, Jim used all his strength to shove Brian off of him. Somehow, their feet tangled, and all three fell down again.

Mart waved a hand in front of his nose as he struggled to stand. “Man, you guys stink.”

Jim was too busy glaring at the naturalist to respond to Mart’s comment. “I hope we weren’t interrupting anything.”

“Of course not,” the naturalist greeted in a congenial manner. He quickly recovered from the shock of witnessing three teenage boys tumble into the room. After walking over to the doorway, he stuck his hand out to help them up. “The class doesn’t start for another ten minutes.”

Not wanting to appear impolite, Brian reluctantly accepted the offer of assistance. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

The man looked over at Jim, who had already jumped to his feet. “You okay?”

Jim managed what he hoped was a polite smile. “I’m fine.”

“I’m fine, too, in case anyone’s worried,” Mart said as he brushed the dust from his legs.

“Andy,” Trixie began with an air of importance, “you don’t want these vagabonds to disrupt your class. You should kick them out before they distract those of us who came here to learn.”

“They look harmless enough,” the man said with a grin.

“Don’t let them fool you,” Diana warned ominously. “They’re more dangerous than they look.”

“And they smell bad, too,” Honey added.

The naturalist put his hands on his hips and looked around at each of the teenagers. It hadn’t been that long ago that he’d been their age, so he easily recognized the preening and crowing that often went along with young love. “I think I’ll risk it and let them stay.”

Trixie frowned. “Well, don’t say that we didn’t warn you.”

“I take it that you’re acquainted with these fine gentlemen,” he stated.

“Unfortunately,” Di answered, her nose upturned in a haughty manner.

The young man didn’t seem too worried about Trixie and Diana’s reactions. With an easy grin, he held out his hand in greeting to Jim, who was standing nearest him. “I’m Andy Burton, the naturalist here at Blackwater Falls. Glad to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” Jim replied as he dutifully shook Andy’s hand. “I’m Jim Frayne.”

The naturalist then repeated the gesture with Brian and Mart.

“I’m Brian Belden, and this is my brother Mart,” Brian said.

“Pleasure to meet you, boys,” Andy greeted the Belden brothers. “Hey, are you two related to that little lady with blonde curls? I see the family resemblance.”

That comment was met by great disgust from all Beldens present.

“Sorry, I’ll take that as a yes,” Andy chuckled.

Mart shook his head at his older brother. “Brian, I told you that we should’ve kept Beatrix chained up in the basement. Now everyone will know about her.”

“At least we managed to hide that hump back of hers before the public saw it,” Brian teased. “She would’ve given all the small children nightmares.”

“Ha-ha,” Trixie said sarcastically. “However, as much as I’d like to forget, we’re from the same gene pool, you numskulls. So if I’m a hunchback, so are you.”

“I hate to change the subject, but something tells me I’d better unless I want to break up a fight,” Andy said with a wink. “How can I help you, kids?”

Jim looked around the nearly empty room. “Are you still giving that lecture on tracking? We were hoping to sit in on it.”

“I sure am,” Andy answered.

Mart arched a single brow. “Where’s everybody else?”

“More people may show up later,” Andy said, shrugging. “But it wouldn’t surprise me if you’re the only ones. This is the afternoon session, and it’s not nearly as well-attended as the one in the evening. Guests usually spend their days sightseeing.”

Di flashed him a brilliant smile. “Do a lot of people come to hear you speak?”

“Depends on how busy the resort is,” Andy told them. “Of course, since I often speak on the same topics, it really doesn’t matter; I’ll just reuse my notes later.” He paused briefly, and then added, “Speaking of my notes, I’d better take another quick look at them and make sure I have everything I need before we begin.”

“Do you need any help?” Dan offered.

“Thanks, but I’ve got it.” Grinning, Andy nodded towards the empty seats in front of the podium. “Besides, y’all had better grab a chair before they’re all taken,” he teased.

Once Andy had turned his back and began flipping through his notes, the Bob-Whites found chairs in the front row. Just as they claimed their spots, five or six stragglers walked into the nature center and sat down in the back.

They had just gotten settled when Trixie dramatically clutched her sandy curls. “Gleeps! I forgot my backpack!”

“Trixie!” Brian scolded. “Please tell me you didn’t leave it at Smoke Hole!”

Trixie’s chin edged its way up proudly. “If I left it back at the caverns, I would’ve missed it before now. It’s in the van.”

“I’m sure it’ll be okay,” Jim said with a shrug. “English Jon’s there and he won’t let anybody take it.”

“Yes, English Jon’s alone in the van,” Trixie told him pointedly, jerking her head and hitching her thumb in the direction of the door. Irritated, she could only hope her tone, head jabs, and gestures would remind Jim of his suggestion to ask the bus driver about the truck they’d seen earlier.

Her words and motions finally registered in Jim’s brain and he gave her a knowing nod. “Hmm… I just thought of something. Didn’t English Jon say that he was going to take a nap? Maybe you should go out and get it. If he’s asleep, he might not notice if someone tried to sneak on the van and steal something.”

“Have no fear, James,” Mart snorted. “Only a tatterdemalion would dare purloin such a decrepit reticule.”

“You’re the one who needs to be ridiculed,” Trixie countered, proud that she seemingly recognized a Martism.

“A reticule, my poor benighted Beatrix,” Mart corrected in a superior tone, “is a lady’s drawstring satchel. Ridicule is the act of making someone the object of scornful laughter by derision, much as I’m mocking you at this very moment.”

Trixie yawned to express her boredom, and then stood up. “I hate to duck out when you’re on such a roll, Martin, but I’m going to get my bag.”

“Andy’s getting ready to start the lecture,” Dan whispered.

“It’ll only take her a sec.” Jim winked at Trixie as he moved his legs so she could get past him. “Say hello to English Jon for us.”

Trixie gave him a secretive smile as she passed. As quietly as possible, she left the building, making sure not to allow the heavy screen door to slam shut. She hurried to the van, anxious to ask their mysterious bus driver why he’d been talking earlier that day to the man in the plaid shirt.

Credits:

Thank you to my editors for this story: Steph H, Ryl, and Claire. You ladies rock! Thanks for all your help!

I must also thank the readers, whose enthusiasm for this story never fails to inspire me. This chapter is dedicated to all those who have showed an interest in seeing this tale continued.

I tried to describe the Nature Center as accurately as possible. However, it’s been several years since I’ve been there. I actually tried to look inside when we visited the resort a couple of weeks ago, but it was closed. We did manage to get a picture of the outside, though. I don’t know if they still have their “forest” inside, but they used to.

The naturalist at Blackwater does give lectures; however, if you want to catch a glimpse of Andy to see a little eye candy, too bad. He’s a figment of my imagination. =D

Right about now, you’re probably wondering how this chapter contributes to the mystery or even to the plot in general. Well, it doesn’t. I had good intentions, but I got kind of sidetracked by all the silliness. Hey, we all need to have fun. I promise that the next chapter will actually advance the plot and stuff.