Read Online The Red Trailer Mystery by Julie Campbell - Free Book Online
Authors: Julie Campbell
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golly," Honey moaned. "It seems to me we’ve got too many things to do in such a short time. We want to find Jim and Joeanne, and we don’t want to find the red trailer, and at the same time we ought to be looking for that van and an abandoned barn." Trixie laughed. "We don’t really have to do anything but find Jim, but I hope we find Joeanne, too. I can’t bear the thought of that poor little girl wandering around all by herself."
"Maybe she isn’t anymore," Honey said, without much hope. "Maybe she knew where her family was going in the trailer and has caught up with them by now."
Trixie shook her head. "Then why did she run away in the first place?"
"I don’t know," Honey began, and then she said with a little gasp, "Oh, Trixie, did you ever think that person in the faded blue jeans who disappeared into the woods back at the Pine Hollow trail might have been Joeanne? Both the dogs know her pretty well, and especially Bud!"
Trixie’s mouth fell open in amazement. "We don’t need a quiz to prove who’s the smartest," she said ruefully. "I never thought about that, Honey, and I’ll bet it was Joeanne. Let’s go back there and explore some more as soon as we can."
"You mean tomorrow as soon as we’ve cleaned up the Swan?" Honey demanded. "Don’t you think we’d better ride to Wilson Ranch first? We don’t want to lose track of Jim."
"Of course not," Trixie agreed. "We’ll look for clues to Joeanne in the afternoon."
Miss Trask beckoned to them from the doorway then, and they hurried to follow her into the dining room. As they stood in line with their trays in the cafeteria, the radio began to blare forth the latest news and weather reports.
"Upstate," the announcer in the New York broadcasting station said, "police are searching for a gang of trailer thieves. Three of the four stolen trailers have already been located only a short distance from where their owners left them, stripped of all valuable and movable equipment. But, so far, state troopers have found no trace of the luxury trailer, named the Robin." The announcer repeated several times the license plates on the Robin and on the tow car and then issued the warning, "All trailer owners are cautioned against parking in side roads or in the woods and are especially urged not to abandon their homes-on-wheels at any time unless they are parked in supervised trailer camps."
"This whole business is making me rather nervous," Miss Trask said when they were seated at a table. "I feel terribly responsible for the Swan. If anything should happen to it, I’d never forgive myself, although I suppose it is heavily insured."
"And it’s perfectly safe while were in Autoville," Honey said quickly.
"Nevertheless," Miss Trask told her, "I’d like to take it back home as soon as possible. You two can inquire for Jim at Wilson Ranch tomorrow and at Rushkill Farms on Tuesday. Then I think we ought to try for an early start for Sleepyside on Wednesday morning."
Honey and Trixie stared at each other in dismay. Only two more days, and they had so much to do!
Honey immediately began to plead for more time, but Trixie had suddenly caught sight of the waiter, Jeff. He was clearing the soiled dishes from a table that some young people had just vacated, but he was working so slowly, stacking the plates with exaggerated care and wiping carefully at unseen spots, that Trixie became suspicious. And then she realized that he was listening to every word a man and woman at the next table were saying.
The middle-aged couple had a map spread out in front of them, and while they sipped after-dinner coffee, they were discussing plans for a trip.
"We can stop here for a swim before lunch," the man told his wife, pointing with a pencil. "That’s a lake, see? I get so hot driving in the heat of the day, I’d welcome a chance to cool off."
The woman smiled. "Then why do we leave Autoville at all? There’s a lovely pool right here, Rob."
Her husband chuckled. "You know
"Maybe she isn’t anymore," Honey said, without much hope. "Maybe she knew where her family was going in the trailer and has caught up with them by now."
Trixie shook her head. "Then why did she run away in the first place?"
"I don’t know," Honey began, and then she said with a little gasp, "Oh, Trixie, did you ever think that person in the faded blue jeans who disappeared into the woods back at the Pine Hollow trail might have been Joeanne? Both the dogs know her pretty well, and especially Bud!"
Trixie’s mouth fell open in amazement. "We don’t need a quiz to prove who’s the smartest," she said ruefully. "I never thought about that, Honey, and I’ll bet it was Joeanne. Let’s go back there and explore some more as soon as we can."
"You mean tomorrow as soon as we’ve cleaned up the Swan?" Honey demanded. "Don’t you think we’d better ride to Wilson Ranch first? We don’t want to lose track of Jim."
"Of course not," Trixie agreed. "We’ll look for clues to Joeanne in the afternoon."
Miss Trask beckoned to them from the doorway then, and they hurried to follow her into the dining room. As they stood in line with their trays in the cafeteria, the radio began to blare forth the latest news and weather reports.
"Upstate," the announcer in the New York broadcasting station said, "police are searching for a gang of trailer thieves. Three of the four stolen trailers have already been located only a short distance from where their owners left them, stripped of all valuable and movable equipment. But, so far, state troopers have found no trace of the luxury trailer, named the Robin." The announcer repeated several times the license plates on the Robin and on the tow car and then issued the warning, "All trailer owners are cautioned against parking in side roads or in the woods and are especially urged not to abandon their homes-on-wheels at any time unless they are parked in supervised trailer camps."
"This whole business is making me rather nervous," Miss Trask said when they were seated at a table. "I feel terribly responsible for the Swan. If anything should happen to it, I’d never forgive myself, although I suppose it is heavily insured."
"And it’s perfectly safe while were in Autoville," Honey said quickly.
"Nevertheless," Miss Trask told her, "I’d like to take it back home as soon as possible. You two can inquire for Jim at Wilson Ranch tomorrow and at Rushkill Farms on Tuesday. Then I think we ought to try for an early start for Sleepyside on Wednesday morning."
Honey and Trixie stared at each other in dismay. Only two more days, and they had so much to do!
Honey immediately began to plead for more time, but Trixie had suddenly caught sight of the waiter, Jeff. He was clearing the soiled dishes from a table that some young people had just vacated, but he was working so slowly, stacking the plates with exaggerated care and wiping carefully at unseen spots, that Trixie became suspicious. And then she realized that he was listening to every word a man and woman at the next table were saying.
The middle-aged couple had a map spread out in front of them, and while they sipped after-dinner coffee, they were discussing plans for a trip.
"We can stop here for a swim before lunch," the man told his wife, pointing with a pencil. "That’s a lake, see? I get so hot driving in the heat of the day, I’d welcome a chance to cool off."
The woman smiled. "Then why do we leave Autoville at all? There’s a lovely pool right here, Rob."
Her husband chuckled. "You know
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