"I think it had to be one of them. Maybe they had hoped it would take my investigation in another direction. But it, and the rumors about Nancy and the three men, were just red herrings."
The Hickenloopers jumped to their feet and tried to make a break for it as Ed put handcuffs on Ted and read him his rights. Pete and Dr. Morgan remained in their seats with grim expressions.
The Iowa State police swarmed, taking the suspects into custody.
Once the suspects and agents were gone, Nancy, Murl, Jared, Virgil, and Tommy Maplethorpe still remained. The girls offered to give them a tour, and the gob-smacked townspeople took them up on it.
"Go ahead and look through the house," I insisted. "Just be careful of the third floor."
Everyone dispersed, except for Nancy, who came over to me.
"Nancy, I am so sorry," I apologized. "I never wanted to out anyone."
She put her hand on my arm. "Don't worry about it. Let people talk. I've got Murl now. Besides, I'm so grateful that you figured this all out. I'd hate to think those Hickenloopers could've won. They deserve what they get."
My eyes roved over the walls to the photos of a smiling Aunt June with all those famous people. "I just wish I had known her."
Nancy winked and tucked the letters into her purse. "It's too bad. She would've loved you." Then she began to wander around also.
I decided that Nancy and Virgil should take something they wanted to remember Aunt June by. I mentioned it to Kelly and Rex, and they ran after the two to pass on the message.
Slumping into a chair, it felt like I'd been hit by a truck. Metaphorically, of course. I really had been hit by a truck once while in Uruguay. The driver was blind and didn't see me step into the street. Why they let him drive was beyond me. But since I wasn't really hurt, I let it go. That was probably a bad decision in hindsight.
All the adrenaline that had sustained me through the big reveal now drained out of me. How did Nancy Drew manage it every time? Then again, she was eighteen and fit, and I was older and not.
Getting up, I stretched and made my way to the kitchen to open and drain a bottle of wine. I'd earned it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Back at camp after lunch at Nancy's, we packed up everything. Rex and I took a small break to visit the Indian burial mounds and have a little romantic moment on the bluffs overlooking the river.
"This was fun!" I pulled Rex into my arms. "You make a great Nancy Drew."
"I'm going to concede the title of Nancy Drew to you," Rex laughed. "I'm still awaiting the solving of one mystery. Namely, what you will do with Aunt June's house."
I thought for a moment. "It's tricky. On the one hand, I've considered selling and donating all the money to a charity. But whoever wins the rights might go for the bluffs here too and undermine Camp des Morts. On the other, it would be nice to honor Aunt June's original wish and sell to someone who might turn it into a bed and breakfast."
"You're not thinking of adding a third house to the mix?" my husband asked.
"No. Not really. I already have two, and this one is three and a half hours away."
Rex considered this. "I don't think you should rush into the decision too soon. What about the stuff in the house?"
"The bugs are all going to a zoo in Milwaukee. I got a call from the zoo director earlier. But not the frog. I'm keeping him."
My husband didn't look surprised in the least. "What are we going to do with him?"
"I don't know, but I'll build him a nice enclosure. Maybe I can get him a friend. I figure we can take a week off in the near future to come up here and go through things. Just the two of us. Maybe the pets."
Rex seemed to approve. "Back at the house, I heard Jared telling the funeral director that he was thinking about running for sheriff."
"That's an interesting idea. Nancy would make a great mayor. She could clean this town up and make it a tourist destination. They do have the world's largest human tooth and one of the best diners in Iowa."
Rex kissed me, making my toes curl. "Take your time to figure it all out. There's no rush. We could visit in the fall when the leaves are turning. And we'd have a place to stay."
"I would consider coming up here again." I looked around. "And Camp des Morts really is amazing. It would be nice to bring the other girls here."
Rex looked at the burial mounds. "So are you sad that there are no aliens?"
"Nope. I'm especially happy that there are no ghosts. It makes for great campfire stories, but can you imagine those girls and a ghost in the same location?"
"It's not like you needed another thing to deal with." Rex took my hand as we walked back to where Kelly and the girls had loaded the van with all of our gear.
Rex took off to get gas and meet up with us. Secretly, I relished the thought that it was like having our own police escort.
A middle-aged man approached us dressed in a Camp des Morts polo shirt, khakis, and muddy hiking boots.
"Hey, ladies." He held out his hand. "I'm Ned Nickerson, camp ranger."
Kelly stifled a grin at the Nancy Drew reference. If only Rex had been here.
We each shook his hand, and he continued, "I'm so sorry I wasn't here to greet you. We had a family emergency. My mom was rushed to the hospital in Dubuque. I see you found everything okay. I hope you had a good stay. I left a map here for you."
"That's okay." Kelly smiled sympathetically. "How is your mother?"
He looked relieved. "She's much better. Had a minor TIA."
Kelly
