Renie was nowhere in sight. Not on the stairs, not by the wall, not in the parking lot. Given how much her cousin hated walking, especially on pavement, Judith was flummoxed. She squinted into the western sun, wondering if someone had given her a ride back to the motel. But who? Judith’s trust in most of the people they’d met during their stay in Banff was on shaky ground.
She was still pondering when she heard a horn honk. Nobody was in the parked cruisers. Then her gaze traveled to their SUV rental. Renie was behind the wheel. Judith stalked over to the passenger side and opened the door.
“Well?” Renie said with a puckish expression. “Did you think I’d stay outside in the sun and wilt? I do know how to drive.” To prove it, she started the engine. “Where are we going now?”
“You scared me,” Judith confessed. “I thought something might’ve happened to you.”
To Judith’s relief, Renie laughed. “When you’re sleuthing, nothing ever happens to me unless it happens to you, too. Where are we going?”
“We?” Judith offered her cousin a tentative smile. “You’re sure you’re still not irked with me?”
Renie shook her head. “Of course not. You know I never stay mad for long. Especially at you. Besides, I have a short attention span. Now tell me where we’re going.”
“I’m not sure. On my way out, I noticed a map that shows the impound lot. Maybe we should head there.”
“I should ask why,” Renie said, waiting for traffic on Lynx Street, “but where is it?”
Judith fretted her lower lip. “Umm . . . take a right. It’s near the train tracks. I saw them on the map.”
Renie finally found an opening and swung out into traffic. “Now I’ll ask why.”
“That’s where we’ll find the Odells’ allegedly abandoned Buick,” Judith replied. “I gather the RCMP is shorthanded over the weekend with so many tourists in town. They haven’t had time to check it out.”
“But we do,” Renie said. “And how helpful of us. Your uncanny lockpicking skills will again come in handy.”
“I’m rusty,” Judith admitted. “It’s been a while.”
“I trust you. How do we get to the impound lot?”
“It’s west of town by the train tracks. Take a left up ahead on Railway Avenue. It can’t be far from the station.”
“Got it.” Renie made a sharp turn that forced a camper with Oregon plates to come to a jarring stop. Moments later they saw a ten-foot-high chain-link fence enclosing at least three or four vehicles. “That’s it. Want me to floor it and drive through the fence?”
“No!” Judith cried, terrified that her cousin might actually do just that. “But the gate has a padlock. Those are trickier than the ones on doors and windows. I might have a little problem.”
“You can do it, coz,” Renie assured her. “Let’s go.”
They went. Judith studied the padlock before getting out her nail scissors. “Move to my left,” she told Renie. “The sun’s in my eyes.”
“Got it.” Renie moved.
“Damn,” Judith said under her breath. “You’re too short. Hold up your arms.”
“Sheesh.” Renie shook her head but complied.
Judith struggled at first, then finally managed to tweak the mechanism just enough to release the lock. Renie lowered her arms to open the gate.
“After you, Super Sleuth,” she said with a little bow. “Why didn’t we become burglars instead of working for a living?”
“That lock was work,” Judith declared, looking over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching them. “Let’s hope the Odells’ Buick is easier to get into.”
It was, taking Judith barely a minute to open the driver’s side. “Clean,” she announced. “I see the front tire looks a bit low. Maybe the twins hit something and it upset them. Let’s try the trunk.”
They moved to the vehicle’s rear. When they lifted the trunk’s lid, Judith let out a little shriek and Renie gasped. The first thing that met their startled eyes was a tattered blue blanket.
“I can’t look!” Renie cried, turning away.
“Then don’t,” Judith said sharply. Gritting her teeth and holding her breath, she tugged gently at the fabric’s edge. All she could see at first were a pair of running shoes and then a canteen. Judith finally yanked the rest of the blanket away and groaned.
“What?” Renie asked, peeking between her fingers.
Judith sighed. “You can look now, Chicken Liver. Codger’s gone.”
Renie lowered her hands. “Gone? He’s been gone almost since we got here. What are you talking about?”
“See for yourself. It’s not gruesome.” Judith gestured at the open trunk. “Come on, coz.”
Reluctantly, Renie came closer and took a deep breath. Then she looked in the trunk. “Okay. So how did Codger get into the Odells’ trunk in the first place? And does the RCMP know he was there?”
“No,” Judith replied. “They don’t have the keys. The twins made off with them. I wonder if Win and Winnie have shown up in Banff or if they really fled. But why?”
Renie waved away a mosquito. “Maybe they opened the trunk and got scared.”
“Of what? A torn blanket? I don’t remember seeing any blood on it.” Judith frowned. “Or . . .” She bit her lip. “Maybe the family really did send Codger down the Bow River. But that could backfire on the Stokes family if it’s found this side of the border.”
“Could the twins have been delegated to do the dirty deed by one of the other family members?”
Judith sighed. “Anything’s possible with this crazy crew. Why didn’t the alleged Codger watch sci-fi movies and insist on being shot off into outer space?”
“I like that,” Renie said. “That might even get Ada’s attention. Especially if they did it at halftime of a Cornhusker game.”
“Ada,” Judith said softly as she closed the trunk. “I still want to talk to her. How do we cull her from the herd?”
Renie’s brown eyes lit up. “Tell her you’ve got footage of the Nebraska team’s practice?”
“I wish I did.” They started back to the SUV, but paused to padlock the gate. “I’d also like to find out why Doris and Jens Draper told me the Stokeses were originally headed for California.”
Renie handed over the SUV’s keys to Judith. “If they’re like the majority of people,” she said after they were in the vehicle, “they have no sense of geography. I read recently that ninety percent of all Americans can’t find Canada on a map. They probably think it’s in California. They both begin with a C-A. Where are we going?”
“Back to the motel,” Judith replied, driving away from the train tracks. “I need to unwind. And I want to find out what happened to Trixie. She puzzles me.”
“Hmm,” Renie murmured. “That’s all well and good, but I missed hearing the word ‘dinner’ in there.”
“It’s not yet seven,” Judith replied. “Let’s make a reservation somewhere for seven thirty. The restaurants shouldn’t be so busy on a Sunday night. You can do that while I inquire after the troubling Trixie.”
“Trixie isn’t troubling me,” Renie declared.
Judith turned off in the direction of the motel. “She’s an emotional disaster. Besides, I want to find out why she visited the Stokes menagerie. There must be a reason.”
“Maybe she mistook their campsite for the zoo. Maybe she thought Teddy was a stud.” Renie darted Judith a quick glance. “Maybe some people are just too damned curious.”
“Maybe,” Judith said, pulling into a parking spot behind the motel, “you should shut up and focus on finding somewhere we can eat.”
Renie grinned. “No maybe there, coz. I’ll go inside now. Stay put. It looks like you’ve got company.”
Judith frowned. “Who?”
“The aforementioned Trixie.” Renie slid off the car seat and onto the parking area tarmac. “Good luck. Your next person of interest looks higher than a kite.”
“Great,” Judith said—and groaned.
Trixie was literally reeling around the grassy area next to the narrow strip of plantings by the building. When the cousins exited the SUV, she stumbled and would have fallen if she hadn’t grabbed hold of an evergreen shrub.
Judith reached out to take Trixie’s left arm. Renie, who had gotten only as far as the door, hurried over to help. She leaned into the girl’s back to steady her while Judith took hold of the other arm.
“Can you walk?” Judith finally asked, seeing Trixie’s eyes starting to close. “Trixie? Trixie?” she repeated, giving her a little shake.
When no answer came, Judith nodded at the SUV. “Let’s haul her inside. There’s room for her to lie down on the passenger seat. I think she needs a doctor.”
It was a bit of a struggle, though Trixie didn’t resist. Her eyes were still open, but she seemed to be staring into space. After the cousins arranged her as comfortably as they could, Renie volunteered to go into the motel.
“They probably have a doctor on call,” she said, moving quickly to the rear entrance.
Judith got out of the SUV, but stood by the open door, eyes fastened on Trixie. The girl twitched a couple of times, but otherwise remained quiet. It was difficult for Judith not to speak to her, but she sensed that Trixie’s brain was somewhere other than in a stranger’s vehicle outside of the Banff Springs Motel.
Three minutes later, Renie reappeared. “Layak called 911. That’s the motel’s policy for guests or employees who have medical emergencies. Insurance reasons, I suppose. He’ll join us as soon as he checks in some new guests.”
“I hope your news won’t scare them off,” Judith said, still keeping watch on Trixie. “What’s your guess?”
Renie wrinkled her pug nose. “A drug overdose?”
“Possible,” Judith murmured. “But what kind?”
Renie started to respond, but heard sirens in the near distance. “Shouldn’t someone from the motel be here to talk to the medics about their employee? If Trixie has to be hospitalized, they’ll need her ID.”
“You’re right.” Judith noted that Trixie’s eyes were still open, and she was breathing, if somewhat erratically. “Did we ever learn her last name?”
“I don’t think so.” Renie winced as the sirens grew louder. “I’ll go inside and ask Layak while you roll out the welcome wagon for the emergency crew.”
“Got it.” Renie disappeared inside. A moment later a red-and-white medic van veered around the corner of the motel. Judith waved at the driver, who stopped just inside the parking area. A fire engine pulled up in back of the smaller emergency vehicle. Two husky uniformed men erupted onto the tarmac and hurried to join Judith.
“What have we got here, ma’am?” the taller of the two asked in a calm voice.
Judith explained Trixie’s erratic behavior prior to her collapse. “She’s a maid at the motel, but hasn’t worked here very long. In fact, she seems to be new in town.”
The shorter of the EMTs was already checking the girl out. “No visible signs of trauma,” he said over his shoulder. “But she should be seen by a pro.”
Judith was momentarily distracted by the fire engine’s departure. Before she could say anything, Renie virtually flew out of the motel. “O’Hara,” she called out, but stopped in her tracks to take in the EMTs and their van. “Ah! Help has arrived. Good.”
Judith and Renie stepped back, watching the taller man pause, peering into the SUV at Trixie’s motionless body. “Victim’s still alive,” he announced.
The shorter EMT rolled a gurney from the rear of their vehicle. They were very gentle as they maneuvered the young girl out of the car and onto the heavily padded conveyance.
The shorter man looked at the cousins. “Which of you is coming with her?”
“Not me,” Renie replied. “I’m allergic to hospitals. They give me hives.”
“I will,” Judith said as she discreetly punched Renie in the back, “but only if my cousin comes with me. She can’t be left alone. She’s a bit . . . mental.”
“Ah!” the shorter one exclaimed, darting a look at Renie. whose tongue was lolling on her lower lip. “Yes, I can see that. Get in the back. We’re ready to roll.”
Once inside, Judith noticed that Trixie still hadn’t moved, though her eyelids fluttered once. The shorter EMT was at the wheel, and as soon as he turned the ignition key, the siren went on. As they sped away from the motel, the cousins had to hang on to anything they could get ahold of that wasn’t the gurney—or Trixie. Judith tried to overhear whatever information the taller man was radioing in, but the siren drowned out most of his words.
After signing off, he angled around to look at the cousins. “Are you two visitors?”
“Yes,” Judith replied. “We’re on vacation.”
“I figured,” he said. “I’m Waldorf. My partner’s Statler.”
“You’re hotels?” Renie cried. “Or Muppets?”
Waldorf looked bleak. “We hear that one a lot.”
“Darn,” Renie said under her breath.
“Where is the hospital?” Judith asked.
“Next to RCMP headquarters,” Waldorf replied.
Judith remembered seeing the building but hadn’t realized what it was. “I know where it is—on Lynx Street.”
“Right.” He looked at Renie. “I thought you might.” He turned around to face the front.
“Oaf,” Renie muttered.
Less than a minute later, they pulled into the emergency entrance of the Banff Springs hospital. The exchange between the EMTs and the medical personnel was brief. Before Judith or Renie could ask how they were supposed to get back to the motel, a fortyish man wearing a white jacket leaned into the van.
“Come along, please,” he said in a deep voice.
“To . . . where?” Judith asked.
“I’m Medic Roberts,” he replied, waving an errant mosquito away from his shaved head. “We need information about the patient.”
“But we don’t really know her,” Judith protested. “She works at the motel where we’re staying.”
Roberts’s blue eyes snapped with impatience. “We’ll contact them as well. Please follow me.”
Judith glanced at Renie, who was looking relatively benign. The cousins got out of the van and followed the medic through the emergency entrance and into a hallway. Trixie and the gurney had already disappeared. Halfway down the hall, Roberts led them into a small, cluttered office that had room for filing cabinets, a desk, a chair, and a life-sized skeleton. Roberts sat down, picked up a ballpoint pen, and skipped to a blank page in a legal-sized yellow tablet. Then he handed index cards to both cousins and proffered the pen.
“I apologize for the lack of space,” he said in a neutral tone. “Can you write your names and permanent addresses, please?”
Judith and Renie complied. After they gave Roberts the cards and his pen, he asked how long they’d known the patient.
“We really don’t know her,” Judith responded, “except for seeing her on the job at the motel.”
Roberts nodded faintly. “Who owns the SUV where the EMTs found her?”
“It’s our rental for the trip,” Judith said. “We’d just pulled in when Trixie reeled out of the motel’s rear entrance. She staggered toward us and collapsed onto the SUV’s seat.”
“Did she say anything to you?”
Judith shook her head.
Renie finally spoke up. “Nobody ever says anything to me. Can you see me, Medic Roberts? I do exist, if only in my mind.”
Roberts’s face tightened. “Then tell me if the patient spoke to you.”
“I already did. No.” Renie folded her arms and leaned back against the wall.
“Very well.” Roberts cleared his throat. “Have either of you spoken to her on previous occasions?”
Judith took a deep breath. “Yes, a few times. She struck me as being unhappy, especially about the maid’s job she’d just started at the motel. I got the impression she was new to Banff, though I may be wrong.”
“Did she strike you as a drifter? That is,” Roberts clarified, “the rootless type who moves from place to place?”
Again, Judith had to consider her answer. Hearing a hiss from Renie, she asked her if she’d gotten that impression.
“No,” Renie said, mercifully benign for once. “I think she came here for a reason, maybe to be with someone, most likely a man. I’m sure she didn’t come to Banff to take a job as a motel maid. She obviously didn’t like the work.”
“Ah.” Roberts looked satisfied with the answer. “Jilted, perhaps. A reason to go off the rails, eh?”
“It’s a guess,” Judith admitted. “What do you mean by ‘going off the rails’?”
His expression grew unreadable. “Is there anything else we should know?”
Judith tried not to wince. “She fainted when she heard that the old man from that campsite by the river had been murdered. We were there. Later she explained that she had a problem with death, having seen so much of it when she worked in a nursing home.”
Roberts frowned. “Did she know the family?”
“I have no idea,” Judith admitted. “She might have wandered over there to check them out. We did.”
“Yes,” the medic said thoughtfully. “I’ve heard about that bunch. But that’s up to the RCMP.” He put down his pen. “That’s all I need from you, ladies. I apologize for the inconvenience.”
“We understand,” Judith said, smiling. “May we check back with you later to find out about Trixie?”
“Of course,” he replied, getting up from his chair. “Enjoy the rest of your stay here in Banff.”
“We’d enjoy it more,” Renie said, “if we had a ride back to the motel.”
Roberts grimaced. “You can call a taxi from the pay phone in the hall. I have to look in on Ms. O’Hara.”
“She’s doing better than we are,” Renie huffed, grasping the doorknob. “The last I saw of her, she had wheels under her. We only have feet.” She stalked out into the hall.
Embarrassed, Judith looked at Roberts. “My cousin has fallen arches.”
The medic looked askance. “She also has bad manners.”
Judith took umbrage. “I have an artificial hip. I don’t like to walk very much either.” She left the cluttered little room, but refrained from slamming the door.
Renie was leaning against the wall by a fire extinguisher. “Are you mad at me? Again?”
“No,” Judith declared. “You were right. Roberts—or someone—should’ve offered to take us back to the motel. We’re tourists, for heaven’s sake! And Canadians usually have excellent manners.”
“Maybe,” Renie said as they stepped outside, “he’s an émigré from the U.S.A. Hey, why aren’t we calling a cab?”
“Because we’re going next door. The Mounties will give us a ride. I’ll tell them about Trixie.”
Renie looked puzzled. “She’s now a suspect?”
Judith’s expression was grim. “Everybody’s a suspect.”