A Fulltime RVing Adventure Into Murder

By Betty Smith-Martin

Bob and Betty's RV dream sucks them into murder.

 

Are they helping the police or are the cops framing them?

 

They wanted to travel not run for their lives.

 

   "A Fulltime RVing Adventure Into Murder" is the first book in a new series involving the Smith-Martins and their network of new friends who are always on the road or active in the RV life.  They wanted a stimulating retirement but oftentimes get in over their heads.  Don't miss this introductory novelette of the "Fulltime RVing Adventure" series: the campground that goes sour, identity theft, heading north to Alaska.  Hitch up to murder and adventure as you go down the road.

 

Get your copy it now and enjoy the ride …..

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ethey Publication
• Release date: Nov 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201729707

Book preview

Characters

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Bob & Betty Smith-Martin 

Inspector Bill Favor    ———  Flagstaff Police Department

Lieutenant Samuel Tillman  ———  Green Hollow Police Department

James Pettigrew Mr. Pet  ———  Mechanic and park handyman

Carrie Rogers    ———  a friend in real estate

Charlotte Fell    ———  a real estate broker

Phil & Gladys Trotwood    ———  senior park residents

Bill Stewart    ———   senior park resident

Flora Jett       ———  Bill Stewart’s girlfriend

Reverend Williams & Wife    ———  Pastor

Mary Riley    ———  longest park resident

Donna Shepherd    ———  former owner of park

Sue & Joe Story     ———  young park residents

Jeff & Carl Adams       ———  park caretakers and residents

Bobby Martin       ———  Betty’s nephew

Grace          ———  Bobby’s fiancée’

Tom & Susan Bishop    ———  Bob’s military buddy and wife

Cody       ———  a Native American

Karen Smithson       ———  director of the Pioneer Home

Mr. Rock    ———  a Native American attorney

Chapter 1

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

T he market is soft bad, most agents told us with a sort of bilious sympathy.  And big places like this built in the eighties, well.  They would raise their eyebrows and leave the sentence unfinished.

So we didn’t expect anything to happen too fast.  It was just as well.  Bob and I had been discussing, re-discussing, and finally just plain arguing about what we were going to do next.

For almost two years I had been talking preaching really to Bob about the idea of RVing full time, at least for a while.  Or I would employ subtle and not so subtle hints.  Brochures of new rigs found their way to our house.  The latest issues of the Blue Beret, Highways, Escapee’s, and Motorhome, not to mention Trailer Life, were always mixed in with our reading material.  At bedtime I would recount to Bob an article I had read in one of the above concerning a rally or a tour at which people just like us appeared to be having the time of their lives.  I had read that implanting good thoughts at bedtime was beneficial and persuasive.

We had a small travel trailer which Bob had refurbished.  And we had taken short trips.  We had even gone to Yellowstone one year.  But the people I read about in the articles had really cut loose broken free, so to speak.  That was what I wanted.  Never staying in one place too long, hiking every day, getting closer to nature.  Doing yard work in the suburbs wasn’t getting close to nature.  I kept a road atlas and the RV Campground Directory out in the family room all the time.  If I found an interesting rig for sale in the Sunday paper I would drag him to see it, and get a conversation going on the order of If we were on the road.  Or, well we’d want something smaller than that, or we’d want something bigger than that.  Or, he was asking way too much, just because it’s an Airstream the guy acted like it was the Queen Mary.

I thought it was beautiful, I would murmur and cunningly add, think of what we would save on gas.  They’re aerodynamic aren’t they?"

That’s not that big a deal, Bob would counter.  But I knew Bob wanted an Airstream.  I personally had liked a used twenty nine foot King of the Road pull trailer with a living room slide out.  I thought it would be great for full timing.  Not that big, but comfortable.

We already have one box trailer, Bob said loftily. Besides, even if we could squeeze it in, it would look bad two trailers stored next to the house like that.

Well you like working on things....and we won’t be here......for the rest of our lives...will we?!

And so it went, Bob; always a cagey fighter, never openly resisted. He would reasonably remind me that we had to sell the house first.  And there are other considerations, he would intone like father knows best.  We would have to decide just what we needed to full time.  Bob made full time sound like we were discussing an organ transplant.  We couldn’t just pull up stakes overnight honey.

But you like RVing, I would say hotly, annoyed by his logical, comfortable roadblocks.

We don’t want to be hasty and regret it, He would say darkly.  Do we want a motorhome, a fifth wheel, or a pull trailer?  The question was presented like a smoking gun.  It takes time to decide we couldn’t just...

But you like, I would cut in again, and the circle would continue.  Bob’s other ploy was less direct, more subtle.

RVing and living on the road are two different things.  What if we don’t like it after all?  Bob had a way of making after all hang in the air like thunder clouds.

You say living on the road as if full timing were hitchhiking with backpacks.  But I didn’t sound sure enough.  Besides, no one even came to look at the house.  I wanted to be talking about an interesting retirement, travel destinations, getting ready.  The delay and Bob’s adroit speed bumps were depressing me.  We had made friends RVing.  The WBCCI, the Good Sam Club, Escapees, we had hop scotched to many of their events, as much as Bob’s schedule would allow.  Now a good many of those friends were full timing and loving it.  I felt trapped.  I wanted to get away from the routine responsibility of the house, and I knew that down deep Bob did to.  Arguing wasn’t what I wanted either.  I would smooth my feathers down.  The house did have to sell first.  Bob was just being cautious.  Our friends had sold their homes before the downturn in the market.  Our timing just wasn’t as lucky as theirs, that’s all.  I had to be realistic.  If and when the house sold, I told myself, Bob would be much more receptive then.  Then!  I could make my case then! I would get him on my side, convince him.

Less than two weeks after that heated Sunday afternoon discussion two things happened in rapid succession.  The house sold and I received an email from Carrie, a long time friend and real estate agent.  The actual transaction of the sale kept us occupied enough that I was able to quietly compose myself before approaching Bob about the email from Carrie.  When I stated my case I wanted to be certain the sale had gone through, no glitches, so I bided my time.  Besides Bob would be at his most receptive and reasonable when our bank account was nice and puffed up.

Until Carrie’s email arrived I had almost totally forgotten the conversation the three of us had had almost a year earlier.  We had bumped into her at a nursery near our now sold house.  An end of spring planting sale had brought out everyone in the area.  With our carts full and standing in line to checkout we got into one of those rambling conversations about dream jobs, where we would really like to live, and what to do with retirement.  As we loaded our vehicles Carrie flatly stated she would always sell real estate.

It’s what I know and I hate too much leisure time.  It’s not for me.  Carrie had been widowed two years earlier and had thrown herself very successfully into real estate.  Bob didn’t want to let the conversation lag so he said...,

Has Betty told you her latest plan for me?

What plan, I mumbled?

A trailer park, he said with just the right smirk.

You said you liked the idea, and it’s called an RV resort.  I tried to sound knowledgeable and aloof.  It was a beautiful day and good to run into an old friend.  I only mentioned it once, I said coolly.  We were discussing full timing I said with emphasis, and casually mentioned the possibility of owning say a lot or a small park, if we didn’t want to be on the road that much.

Oh that’s right you two like to take off in your RV, Carrie answered.  The conversation had gone on a bit longer in that vein and was forgotten until Carrie’s email.

Hello Bob and Jean this item came up on my radar and I recalled our conversation last year.  If you ever sell your house, you might want to have a look.  P.S. I know the market is slow so even if you don’t sell this little place has a positive cash flow.

I read and reread the email.  Carrie didn’t know we had sold.  She had contacted me the same day that we received earnest money.  This looked worth exploring.  Maybe a wish fulfilled.

It’s not like anyplace you’ve ever seen, Carrie assured me on the phone.  I wish it were my listing, is Bob there?

No, I said lowering my voice.  I waited until he went out before calling you back.

Why are you whispering, Carrie asked?

Well the house sold last week....

Carrie made a low whistle.  What timing.

I know.  I just want to know more about this place before Bob starts scaring me with details.

Ok.  Well, it was sold but the deal fell through.  The price had even been dropped for this last buyer, but then with the financial crunch he evidently couldn’t make the grade.

If it’s so great why did they cut the price, I asked bluntly?