The Butterfly Conspiracy (13 page)

Phillip glared at her.

Britt continued, “Didn’t you say his parents had cooped him up in a stuffy prep school for the last six years?
 
You can tell he doesn’t feel comfortable around women.”

She stood up and wrapped her arms around Phillip.
 
She kissed him hard on the lips.
 
“Come upstairs, darling.
 
You know you’re the only man I love.”

Chapter 15

It was apparent to Scott that the information Moon provided did not set well with their new friend.

Scott walked over to the table where Joe was sitting with the girls.

“Come on Joe, lets get out of here.”

“Are you kidding me?”
 
Joe slowly rose from the chair.
 
“We gotta leave now?”
 
He looked back at the table.

 
“Yeah, let’s go.”
 
Scott said, “Come with us, Stephen.
 
We want to take you for a ride.”

Joe and Stephen got into Scott’s car.
 
King jumped in the back seat with Joe. Stephen said it seemed a little awkward to leave Moon just sitting there by himself. Both Joe and Scott agreed that Moon would be fine as long as he had his free beer.

“Forget about Moon” Joe piped in. “Here I am, making time with the two prettiest girls we’ve seen all summer and now I gotta leave.”

“Come on, Joe. You gab to every girl that walks into the freighter.
 
I never seen anything like it.”

Joe laughed.

“I wanted to show Stephen our place, here.” Scott continued.

After a few minutes Scott turned the car into the entrance of the Grand View Campgrounds.
 
They all piled out and Scott took Stephen for a tour.
 
Scott pointed out the twenty two campsites, the soon to be completed recreation hall and the stream that meandered along the back of the property.
 

“There’s great fishing in that little stream,” Joe proudly declared.

 
They followed Scott to a picnic table and sat down.
 
“Stephen, Scott said, “I started thinking about a few things when Moon was telling us about that guy.
 
You didn’t look so happy when Moonie said the big guy was asking questions and went over to your uncle’s place.”

Scott turned to Joe.
 
“Remember Aunt Rose telling us about that rude guy she waited on at the diner?”

“Yea, the big guy that could hardly fit into his car?” Joe asked.

“I think that’s the same guy that’s been asking questions about Mr. Kahle.”

“He sounds like a jerk, to me.”
 
Joe said.

“Stephen, your uncle has really helped out around here.”
 
Scott said.
 
“He started a scholarship fund and he gave money to rebuild the Moose Hall a few years back.”

“Some people are jealous of what he has.”
 
Joe interrupted.
 
“And I know a couple of guys who aren’t too crazy about his girlfriend.
 
Her views on hunting, most of all.”

Scott looked at Stephen.
 
“That’s true.
 
But I think most of us around here are damn happy with what Stephen’s uncle has done.
 
We know who belongs here and who doesn’t and it looks like this guy from
New York
is looking to start some trouble.”

Stephen said, “I’m kind of worried because I don’t have a clue of why would this guy would be following me.
 
He has to be up to something.”

Scott laughed.
 
“If he’s the same guy my Aunt Rose ran into, I think you’re right. Maybe we can make this guy want to get the hell out of here and go back to wherever he came from.”

 
“I appreciate your help, I really do.” Stephen said.
 
“Count me in, I want to help out if I can.
 
Don‘t forget, it’s my problem, not yours.”

Scott just grinned, “We have to find the guy first.”

Stephen glanced at his watch.
 
“This has been great.
 
Thanks for showing me around the campground. I need to get going, there’s a situation I want to take care of back at my uncle’s place.”

Scott and Joe dropped Stephen off at Jeanette’s car.
 
As Stephen drove off, they walked back into the bar.
 

Scott ordered two beers and asked, “Joe, do you remember what happened when we went camping with our scout troop in the seventh grade.”

“You mean that trick my dad’s friend, Mr. Miller, played on us out in the woods?”

“Yeah.”

“What about it?
 
Oh, wait a minute.
 
Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Scott started to laugh.

“Scotty, remember how mad my dad got at Mr. Miller because of that?”

“Yeah, I remember. Big deal.
 
It all blew over pretty quick.”

“You think so?
 
I don’t think Freddie DeGrand has ever spoken to him since then, and that happened over 7 years ago.”

“Joe, if we needed to get down to the basement of the lodge, does your old man still have a key?”

“Sure.
 
He cleans up the place every Sunday morning, just like always.”

“Great, I want you to go get something for us and put it in your car so it’s ready if we ever need it.”

“Oh, boy,” Joe said, shaking his head.
 
“Here we go again.”

Stephen had mixed emotions about his first trip to Grand View.
 
He had made friends with two great guys, but he also confirmed for sure that somebody was actually following him.
 
Every few minutes on the way back to Uncle Phillip’s Stephen checked the rear view mirror to make sure there wasn’t a suspicious car tailing him.

Uncle Phillip was waiting in the trophy room when he returned.
 
Phillip was feeling much better about the whole situation after seeing Britt.

“Stephen, can we talk?”

“Sure.”

Uncle Phillip asked how his trip to Grand View had gone.
 
Stephen mentioned that he had enjoyed the trip, had met two new friends and had been given a tour of the Grand View Campground.
 
He didn’t mention anything about the other information he had learned.

Phillip knew about the campground and told Stephen he knew Scott’s parents, but he couldn’t place Joe.
 

Phillip put his arm around Stephen, “I want to apologize for my behavior this morning.
 
That was not so good.
 
Britt, she’s very good at irritating me.
 
I’m sorry you were dragged into this.
 
Will you accept my apology?”

“Certainly, Uncle Phil. I’m just relieved you understand I didn’t have anything to do with what happened this morning.”
 

“No, no, I understand completely,” Phillip stated.
 
“This won’t happen again, believe me.”

Uncle Phillip turned to leave. “I’m glad we had this talk.
 
I’m working on something in the library.
 
By the way, it was nice of Jeanette to let you use her car, but I have a car set aside for you to use whenever you wish.
 
Find Bobby, he’ll show you where it is.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“Oh, Cora needed to go to Munising today so we’re just grabbing something to eat out of the kitchen.
 
She left us a plate of fried chicken and there’s some home-made soup in the crock pot.
 
Help yourself whenever you’re hungry. She’ll be back later to prepare supper.”

Stephen had not felt hungry until Uncle Phillip mentioned food.
 
Stephen made his way back to the kitchen.

As he entered, once again the guard was sitting at the table.
 
Apparently, the kitchen doubled as the guard office.
 
This time Bobby was sitting alone.
 

Stephen poured himself a cup of coffee, grabbed a chicken leg, a steaming cup of soup and sat down at the kitchen table with Bobby.
 
 

“Anything interesting in the paper?” Stephen asked, trying to make conversation.

The guard glanced up.
 

“Not really,” Bobby replied returning his gaze back to his paper. Stephen took a bite of chicken.
 
The silence felt awkward.

“How long have you worked here?” Stephen asked.
 

“Three years,” Bobby responded, not looking up.
 

Stephen gave up trying to be polite.
 
He grabbed a part of the paper Bobby appeared to have finished reading and continued eating his lunch.
 
He wondered why the guard was being so unfriendly.
 
He hoped it wasn’t because he viewed Stephen as family.
 
That would just be stupid.
 

Stephen finished his lunch and stood up.
 
“My uncle said you would show me the car he has ready for me. Can we do that now?”

    
Bobby tossed down his paper.
 
“It’s in the garage.”
 

The garage was set back and to the left of Britt’s cottage.
 
They walked in silence. Stephen was amazed when he saw six shiny vehicles parked in the garage.
 
Bobby pointed out a fully restored red 1960 MG.
 

“That’s the car Mr. Kahle would like you to use.”
 

    
Stephen walked up to the car.
 
“It’s beautiful!
  
How long has he had it?”
 
Stephen waited a few seconds for an answer.
 
He turned towards Bobby only to see him headed back to the main house.
 
Stephen wondered what the problem was with him.
 
He opened the driver’s side door of the MG and peered inside.
 
The car looked like it was brand new.