Dead Man's Bones (38 page)

I eyed her. “You’ve talked to Juan?”

“Justine Wyzinski brought him in this morning, and he gave us a statement. I didn’t inquire into the details, but I gather that Justine thinks she can help him get out from under his immigration problem. He’ll have to go back to Mexico for a while, but Justine says she thinks he can reap-ply for a student visa.”

There was a long pause. Sheila leaned forward, and her mouth tightened. “I need to ask you something, China. It’s about Blackie and Alana Montoya, the forensic anthropologist at CTSU. Do you know her?”

“Yes,” I said cautiously.

“Are they . . . are they involved?”

“Do you care?” I countered.

She sighed. “I’ve been hearing things about her. That she drinks, for one thing. That she’s in some sort of trouble at the university, for another. And I even heard a rumor that she tried to kill herself.” Her expression was rueful. “I guess I’m feeling . . . well, protective. I don’t want Blackie to get hurt again, that’s all.”

“If it’ll make you feel better, I understand that they aren’t involved.”

“Well, that’s good,” Sheila said, sounding relieved.

“And that she’s returning to Mexico.”

“Returning—” Sheila stared at me. “You mean, she’s taking a leave from the university?”

“I think she’s resigned.”

Sheila was puzzled. “Resigned? But why? What’s going to happen to the new program?”

I shrugged. “You’ll have to ask McQuaid about that. Maybe they’ll look for somebody to replace her. The program is a good idea. It would be a shame to let it die.”

She nodded. “Yeah. Well, I’m sorry she’s leaving, but I’m glad that Blackie isn’t . . . well, involved with her. He’s pretty raw right now.” She put out her hand and touched mine. “And thanks for the information.”

“Maybe you can return the favor.” I regarded her seriously. “Tell me about you and Colin Fowler—at least, that’s the name he’s using right now.”

Sheila put both hands flat on the table and tensed her muscles, as if to rise. Her mouth was hard, her eyes remote. Her cop face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, China.”

“Sure you do, Smart Cookie. I have no way of knowing what this is about, but I do know that there’s something between you and Colin. If it’s over and done with, that’s one thing. If it’s current, that’s another. Ruby is crazy about him.”

“If I tell you it’s over and done with, will you believe me?”

“Is it?”

The silence stretched tight as a soundless guitar string. “Yes.”

Her “yes” was unqualified, but the silence had been telling. “Then why all the secrecy?” I asked testily. “Why not just come right out and—”

She stood up. “I’m sorry, China. I can tell you that any relationship I might have had with Colin Fowler is concluded. However, I’m not at liberty to tell you anything else.” Her voice was flat and hard. Her cop voice.

“But what—”

“I’m
sorry,
China. Lay off with the questions.” Her mouth softened. “You’re making me feel terrible.”

“Yeah, sure,” I said, unsatisfied, troubled. There were too many unanswered questions here, too many hidden things, too many secrets. It sounded to me as if Ruby was headed for trouble, and there was nothing I could do to head it off.

Sheila looked at her watch. “Now I really have to go. Thanks for the supper. Tell Ruby that my bones feel better already.” Her mouth fitted itself into a smile. “And thanks for connecting the dots on the Obermann case.”

“You’re welcome,” I said glumly. “Anytime.”

She went to the door, put on her cap, and gave me a flinty-eyed glance. In her uniform, she looked a whole lot tougher than Howie Dingbat Masterson—real Texas Tough. “Okay, China. Here’s the deal. I promise not to get between Colin and Ruby, if you promise to keep an eye on Blackie for me.”

I folded my arms. “Keep an eye on Blackie?” I asked with interest. “Does that mean you still—”

“It just means that I don’t want him making a fool of himself over women who don’t deserve him,” Sheila snapped. She pulled her hat brim down. “Deal?”

“Deal,” I said. I regarded her. “Sheila, you are one tough cookie.”

Before modern science came up with pharmaceuticals to help us maintain our bones and joints, herbal medicine offered an array of possible treatments. Here are some that have been used over the centuries.

 
Herbs with estrogenic effects

Declining estrogen is one of the causes of bone loss. Herbs that have estrogenic effects include black cohosh (a well-documented herbal alternative to hormone replacement therapy), dong quai, burdock root, Chinese ox knee root, alfalfa, and motherwort. Red clover, the subject of recent scientific study, has been shown to help increase cortical bone. Numerous studies have confirmed that soy slows bone loss, as well as lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of breast cancer.

Herbalists have traditionally recommended nettle, alfalfa, oatstraw, and slippery elm to enhance the minerals in the body and maintain strong bones. In a 1999 Italian study, horsetail was shown to improve bone density.

 
Herbs that help to relieve joint pain

Although it has not been scientifically studied, turmeric has been traditionally prescribed to reduce inflammation and relieve the pain of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Devil’s claw (an African herb) and boswellia (a tree native to India, Africa, and the Middle East, which yields a resin known as
sallai guggal
) have been the subjects of several studies, but the results have been mixed. Other recent scientific studies have confirmed the traditional use of nettles, willow bark, ginger, St. John’s wort, evening primrose, borage, and black currant as effective analgesics and inflammation suppressors. The remedy most thoroughly studied and most confidently recommended is capsaicin, the pain-relieving compound derived from hot red peppers.

Bucco, Gloria, “Joint Relief: Herbs for Osteoarthritic Pain.
Herbs for Health
, November/December, 1998, pp. 50-54.

 
Hoffman, David,
Healthy Bones & Joints: A Natural Approach to Treating Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Tendinitis, Myalgia & Bursitis
, Storey Books, 2000.

 
Khalsa, Karta Purkh Singh, “Herbs for Bone Health,”
Herb Quarterly
, Part One, Summer, 2003, pp. 43-49; Part Two, Fall, 2003, pp. 50-54.

 
Stengler, Mark,
Build Strong Bones: Prevent Osteoporosis and Enhance Bone Health Naturally
, IMPAKT Communications, 1998.

 
White, M.D., Linda B., “Pain-Free Joints, Naturally,”
Herbs for Health
, July/August, 2001, pp. 38-42.

A Collection of Recipes from
Dead Man’s Bones

 
In a large skillet, brown chicken pieces in hot oil and butter over medium-high heat. Remove chicken. In the oil, sauté onion, celery, carrot, apple, green pepper, and garlic until tender, but not brown. Stir in undrained diced tomatoes, raisins, crushed red pepper, curry powder, and salt. When the mixture boils, add chicken pieces. Cover and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through. Remove chicken to a heated platter. Make a paste by adding a little water to the cornstarch, and use it to thicken the vegetable mixture. Serve chicken and vegetables over brown rice. Makes 6-8 servings.

 
Place all ingredients in a nonreactive (stainless, glass, or enamel) pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for about 3 hours, uncovered, until the chutney is thick. Stir occasionally, to keep from sticking. Spoon into hot, clean jars and cover immediately with airtight lids. When cool, store in refrigerator for up to a month. Makes 4 or 5 half-pint jars.

 
Cook peas until soft in barely enough water to cover. Drain, place in a blender with mint, and puree. Add milk and chicken stock and blend until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt, pepper. Chill for at least an hour. Garnish with sour cream and chopped green onion tops. Serves 4.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, cream cheese, chopped chives, scallions, salt, and garlic powder. Stir with a fork or whisk until well blended. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. To serve, spoon dip into pumpkin and set on a tray surrounded by fresh cut vegetables for dipping. Sprinkle some chopped chive blossoms on top of the dip. Garnish tray with remaining chive blossoms and fresh sprigs of lemon balm or parsley. Makes 1
¹
⁄2
cups. May be doubled or tripled for a large crowd or a larger pumpkin. (Reprinted with permission from
The New Herbal Calendar,
2003, by Theresa Loe. To order Theresa’s current calendar, book, and videos, go to
www.countrythyme.com
, or write to Country Thyme, P.O. Box 3090, El Segundo, CA 90245.)

 
Rub chops with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the jelly melts. Broil or grill chops 8-10 minutes on each side. Spoon sauce over meat during the last 5 minutes. Sprinkle chops with green onions, and serve with bowl of sauce.