“Who did this to you?” the guard said after he pulled the bandanna from the ranger’s mouth.
“I don’t know,” the ranger said. He gasped and breathed heavily and quickly. “Please, untie me.”
We ran to the bed to help.
“What are you doing?” the guard said. “This is a crime scene.”
“We’re detectives,” Sam said. “Honorary ones, anyway.”
The guard just stood there, looking shocked, as we untied the ranger.
“Didn’t you see the culprit, sir?” Sam asked.
“Whoever it was,” Ranger Harrison said, shrugging, “he tied me up while I was still asleep.” He got up from the bed and stretched his arms. “That feels much better,” he said. “Thanks.”
“I’ll have to call the police,” the guard said. He left the room as he pulled out his walkie-talkie.
“Doesn’t your daughter live here too?” I asked the ranger. “Maybe she saw something.”
“She always leaves the house very early,” the ranger said. “She likes to take a hike at sunrise. Then she helps at the gift shop.”
Egg snapped a few photos of the bedroom. “Good idea,” Sam said, nodding. “It’s super important to take pictures of the crime scene.”
“Wow, you kids really are detectives, huh?” the ranger asked.
“We solve crimes all the time,” Gum said.
The ranger looked around the room. His eyes fell on a gold watch on the dresser. Then he glanced at his laptop computer on a desk in the corner. Finally, he looked at his cell phone, which was on the night stand next to his bed.
“I don’t get it,” the ranger said. “Whoever did this, they didn’t steal anything. Nothing at all.”
Sam frowned. But before I could ask her what she was thinking, the ranger cleared his throat.
“Well, kids,” he said, “it’s been a pleasure to meet you, but I have a Ranger Walk to lead, so I better get into uniform. If you’ll excuse me?”
He led us toward the cabin’s door. The caretaker followed us out and closed the door behind us.