The Desert Thieves Read Online Free Page A

dull, if you know what I mean. I head back to California every couple of weeks for a few days. But overall, I’ve been here longer than just about anybody. Even longer than that old professor in the campsite next to yours.”
    â€œYou mean Professor Townsend?” Joe asked.
    â€œYeah, him,” Perez replied. “He’s a crab, but his daughter is nice. Her name is Diane.”
    â€œWhat does the professor do here?” Joe asked.
    â€œI don’t know,” Perez said. “He— Hey, why are we standing out here in the middle of the road? You guys want to come over to my place and have a soda? It’s right over there.”
    The three walked over to Perez’s campsite as he continued to talk about Professor Townsend. “I’m not sure what he does around here,” Perez said. “He and Diane go off almost every day. I see them here and there in the park. Or rather I see their truck pulled over on the side of the road. I guess they’re out in the desert someplace, doing research or something. I tried to talk to him one day about what he does, but he almost snapped my head off.”
    â€œWhat about Diane?” Frank asked. “Is she easier to talk to?”
    Perez shrugged. “I guess,” he said. “But she seems a little afraid of him.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Frank asked.
    â€œI mean she clams up when he’s around,” Perez said.
    When they reached Perez’s campsite, Joe saw litter under the picnic table—a banana peel and some used paper plates. Maybe he’s a famous artist, Joe thought wryly, but he needs to learn some housekeeping skills. And he doesn’t seem to have much respect for the great outdoors.
    â€œDoes Diane talk much when her dad isn’t around?” Frank asked.
    â€œYeah, I guess,” Perez said, opening an ice chest. “You guys want a cola? That’s all I’ve got.”
    â€œNo, thanks,” Joe said.
    â€œA cola would be fine,” Frank said. “So, what does Diane have to say when her dad isn’t around?”
    Perez handed a cold, wet can to Frank and said, “Well, she told me he’s doing some kind of medical research. Something to do with using cacti and other desert plants as sources for medicine. I couldn’t get her to be more specific than that. I do know they leave every few days, always at night.”
    â€œAt night?” Frank asked.
    â€œYeah,” Perez said. “They take off about sunset in their pickup, and they leave the camp trailer behind. They come back a day or two later.”
    â€œWhen was the last time they left?” Joe asked.
    Perez looked thoughtful for a moment. “Three days ago,” he said. “They came back about noon today, just before you arrived.”
    â€œMan,” Joe said, “you notice everything, don’t you?”
    Perez brightened. “Arists are observant. I keep my eyes and ears open. That way I don’t miss any of the action.”
    â€œWho else besides you and Professor Townsend has been here for a long time?” Frank asked.
    Perez thought for a moment. “Nobody, really,” he said. “There’s a couple down on the end who were here for a week and then gone for maybe a month. I think they were in Mexico. They’ve been back about a week now. But that’s about it. Everybody else is just passing through, more or less.”
    Frank looked carefully at Perez, trying to guess what he was thinking. Frank wondered if he was just a busybody or if his nosiness had some other purpose. “Well,” Frank said, “we’d better get back. Joe, I think you’ve got some hot dogs to put on the grill. That charcoal should be the right temperature by now.” He shook hands with Perez. “Thanks for the soda.”
    On the way back to their campsite, Frank said, “That guy could be a good source of information if we need it.”
    Joe nodded.