Wild Wild Death (21 page)

“That would be…” In a desperate search for salvation, he scanned the area. Apparently, he found what he was looking for because his eyes lit, and he pointed toward the kiva. “That would be Dr.

Valenzuela. I’l …” He sidled out from behind the table where he’d been working. “I’l take you right to her.”

Caridad Valenzuela was, as it turned out, a stunning brunette a whole lot shorter than me with the slim, lithe body of a bal erina, skin that managed to glow even in this harsh light, and dark, intel igent eyes.

Oh yeah, it was smal -minded of me, but I couldn’t help but glance at Jesse as we were introduced al around. Sure I understand that guys always appreciate a gorgeous woman. I just didn’t want this particular guy to appreciate this particular gorgeous woman too much.

Not to worry. Jesse was al business.

When he explained why were we there, some of the sun-drenched color drained from Caridad’s cheeks. “Al the permits are certainly in order.” I would learn later than Caridad was original y from Spain, but al I knew at that moment was that her accent was as exotic as her looks. She swept out an arm, directing us to a tent at the farthest reaches of the mesa. “If you’d like to see them…”

It went without saying, and a few minutes later, we were al crowded around a folding table in what was obviously Caridad’s private sanctuary. Don’t ask me how it al got up there, but Caridad’s quarters were equipped with a plushy oriental rug, a camp bed that looked plenty comfortable, and any number of storage cabinets designed to hold pottery and files and keep out the harsh elements al at the same time. She went to one of these, found the appropriate files, and handed them to Jesse, who handed them to the war chief, who looked through them, gave his head a curt shake, and passed them back for Jesse to study.

“They’re signed by Michael Winter Day.”

Jesse glanced at the war chief beside him. “And you, sir . . ?”

Another shake of Michael Winter Day’s head. “I might be old, but I’m sure not stupid. I never would have signed such papers, and if I did, I sure would remember.”

His expression impossible to read, Jesse leafed through the file again. “They’re also signed…” He tipped the folder toward Caridad and pointed. “By Dan Cal ahan.”

That was my cue to move forward. “But Dan wouldn’t—”

The briefest of looks from Jesse and I swal owed the rest of my words. But then, he already knew what I was going to say.

Jesse finished with the papers and signaled to one of the other cops for an evidence bag. He slipped the file inside. “We’re going to need to take a much closer look at this,” he said. “They’re probably forged.”

Caridad sank into the nearest chair. There was a turquoise, red, and purple shawl draped over the back of it, and the colors looked especial y intense against the sudden ashen tone of her skin. “That… it is not possible,” she said. “But Dan wouldn’t—”

Exactly what I’d said, but I didn’t bother to point it out. For one thing, Jesse was too busy to pay any attention. He was directing his officers to walk through the excavation and close things down. The tribal elders went along to see what damage might have already been done.

That left me and Jesse. Me, Jesse, and Caridad, and without being invited, I took the seat opposite hers, bit my tongue, and waited for Jesse to do his cop thing. He didn’t waste any time.

“You want to explain?” he asked. “Or would you rather have legal counsel present when you do?”

Caridad lifted one elegant shoulder. “My goodness, no! We have done nothing wrong, I goodness, no! We have done nothing wrong, I assure you.” When she looked up at Jesse, those big brown eyes of hers were moist. “I did not believe we did. There must be some terrible mix-up. It is the only explanation.”

“So Dan Cal ahan, he assured you al the paperwork was in order?”

She didn’t so much shrug as she did twitch away the very thought. “Why would I question this? Dan is…” The smal est of smiles touched her ful lips. “He is unconventional. You wil hear that from everyone here you talk to. But he is professional. And honest.

A good man. I did not ask him if the paperwork was in order. I did not need to.”

I’d been quiet long enough. I leaned forward.

“She’s right. That sounds like Dan.”

I’m not sure how anybody could miss a tal redhead out there on the side of a mountain, but I think it was the first time Caridad actual y paid any attention to me. She swung her gaze my way. “You know Dan?”

“Old friends.” It seemed sufficient. “He sent me a note and said he was coming to see me and—”

“Pepper?” Caridad popped out of her chair, hurried to the other side of the desk, and grabbed my hand to give it an affectionate pump. “But of course, I should have known instantly. Dan, he has spoken of you many times.”

Any other situation, I might have blushed appropriately and said something about how I hoped everything he said was complimentary. This didn’t seem like the time or the place.

“I’m Caridad.” Like I’d forgotten—or I should have known more than I did—she pointed one finger back at herself. “Dan, if he was in touch with you, he must have told you al about me. Dan and I, we were married last spring.”

So this was the news Dan was coming to Cleveland to tel me!

I sat for a moment, processing it, trying to decide if I was royal y pissed Dan hadn’t spil ed the beans, surprised he’d found another woman to share his life with after the pain he’d gone through thanks to Madeline, or just plain disappointed. While I did, Caridad did an elegant little two-step in front of me, barely containing her excitement. “He said he was going to speak to you and convince you to come here. He told me that’s why he went to Cleveland. I did not know you arrived. But that means…” She scanned the excavation site. “But Dan, he must be here with you as wel .”

She didn’t know about the kidnapping. Of course she didn’t know. What wife would be out here playing in the dirt if she knew her husband was being held for ransom?

This news I was going to leave up to Jesse.

He told her. Unemotional, plain and simple. He told Caridad her husband had been kidnapped and that I was there in New Mexico because I had attempted to save him.

“Thank you.” When she grabbed my hands again, there were tears staining Caridad’s cheeks. “He said you were a good friend.”

Apparently not good enough to hear the news of his marriage until months after it had taken place.

I wiped the sour thought away and concentrated on the matter at hand. “If we knew more about what’s happening out here, maybe it could help us find Dan,” I suggested.

She shook her head. “There is nothing I can tel you, nothing I know. If I did, I would most certainly do al in my power to bring Dan back.” She was not the hand-wringing type. I knew that even though I’d only known her for only a couple minutes. That didn’t keep her from clutching her hands together at her waist. Her bones were fine and sharp, like a bird’s, and against the red T-shirt she was wearing with jeans, her hands looked as fragile as her composure.

It didn’t take a detective to pick up on the vibes. It did, however, require a little woman’s intuition. Good cop or not, I knew this was one area where Jesse wasn’t going to be able to help. I slid him a look, and when he ignored it, I got up and pointed out to where I saw Pete walking along the face of the pueblo.

“Olivas is cal ing you,” I said.

“I didn’t hear him,” he grumbled. “Besides…” He homed back in on Caridad. “We have a lot we need to talk about.”

She nodded and, on shaking knees, made her way back around the table. There was a bottle of water nearby and she took a drink and pressed a hand to the smal of her back. “I was digging yesterday,” she said. “Perhaps a little too much.”

She sank into her chair. “It was Dan’s idea,” she said. “To excavate here. He told me…” For a said. “To excavate here. He told me…” For a moment, she dropped her head into her hands, but apparently, Caridad was something of a realist. She knew we wouldn’t disappear. Not so easily or so quickly. When she raised her head again, she looked directly at Jesse.

“My husband,” she said, “believes in some things that are… how shal I even begin to explain this?…

things that are out of the intel ectual mainstream.”

“He’s a paranormal researcher.” Jesse nodded.

“Yes, I know.”

“And this site…” Caridad looked beyond the wal s of the tent. “There are stories of spirits who visit the kiva, and legends of rituals and ceremonies.”

“Rituals and ceremonies that are sacred to my tri b e .” Jesse’s words were as brittle as his composure. “You have no business here.”

I wound one arm through Jesse’s and swung him around to face the mesa. “You’re not going to get anywhere hitting her over the head like this,” I managed to mumble from between clenched teeth.

“She’s scared to death.”

“She deserves it,” he muttered. “They al do. And besides, that’s the whole point.”

“Not if you’re looking for information that might actual y help us figure out what’s going on.” My message to him delivered, I raised my voice. “See, you heard Pete that time, didn’t you?” I gave him a nudge out of the tent. “They obviously need to talk to you about something.”

“Yeah. I…” Jesse stepped out of the tent. “I’l be right back. And don’t think we’re not going to continue this conversation,” he said just to make sure Caridad didn’t think he was going to let her off the hook.

Once he was gone, I strol ed back into the tent and sat down opposite Caridad. “Sorry,” I said.

“Cops are pricks.”

“That one…” Her gaze fol owed Jesse across the rocky mesa toward the kiva. “He does not seem so bad. And I am sure he is only doing his job, but…”

She spread her hands in a helpless gesture and gave me a watery smile. “I am usual y not so emotional. I apologize.”

“Give me a break!” I waved away her concern.

“You just found out your husband…” Yeah, I choked on the word a little, but I recovered in a heartbeat.

“You just found out Dan’s been kidnapped. Of course you’re upset. You’d think a cop would understand, but hey, you know how they can be. Hardheaded and hard-hearted.” I didn’t want to overplay the good cop/bad cop shtick so I decided to change the subject.

“What’s real y going on out here?” I asked her.

“I thought it was simply an excavation. But now…”

She raised her hands in a helpless gesture. “I did not know. You must believe me. Dan, he has been obsessed with this site for some time now. You are his friend. You know how he can be. He talks about it day and night. He is the one who begged me to arrange the excavation. He said… he promised me he had al the proper paperwork. There must be some mistake.” She turned pleading eyes on me.

“You know he is a good, honorable man.”

“I do know that.” I wasn’t bul shitting her. Not this time. I’d known Dan for years, and although he had the tendency to be too focused on science at the risk of neglecting the real y important things in life like haircuts and basic fashion sense, he had never been dishonest. Wel , unless the fact that he had kept his most recent marriage a secret from me counted.

Another wash of acid raced through my system, and I told myself to get a grip.

“We both know he’s a stand-up guy and as trustworthy as al get-out. He’d never do anything underhanded,” I said. “But then, how do you explain that phony paperwork? And what was he doing here in the first place? Dan is al into ghosts and stuff.

This whole archaeology bit, that doesn’t seem like his thing.”

“He assured me this place was important to his work. And Dan…” For a heartbeat, a smile touched Caridad’s lips. “He is difficult to say no to.” I was glad she didn’t look to me for confirmation because, if she had, I would have remembered that motel room outside Chicago where I was al set to say yes, yes, yes to Dan, and would have, too, if not for the fact that the creepy ghost who was his first wife swooped in and stole my body before I could.

“So Dan, he was the one who pushed you to excavate here?” I waited for her to nod to confirm what I’d said, and when she hesitated, I pushed. Just a little. “The cops are going to find out, Caridad. I’m sorry, but you know it’s true. I understand that you’re trying to protect Dan, but those Taopi Indians out there, they’re plenty pissed. They’re not going to let there, they’re plenty pissed. They’re not going to let this rest. Not until they get to the bottom of things.

And if you’re keeping secrets from them, and if al this has something to do with Dan getting kidnapped… wel , don’t you see? If you don’t tel us everything you know, you might be putting him in danger.”

“Yes. Yes. I understand.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “I wil try to help as much as I am able. But I do not wish to get Dan in trouble.”

“He’s already in trouble. The kidnappers have him and they’re waiting for me to find some bones so I can exchange the bones for Dan. Only somebody stole the bones, and I’l tel you what, I’m afraid if we don’t do something soon…” I didn’t have to elaborate. Caridad’s breath caught on the end of a sob.

It took her a minute to compose herself. “I am an anthropologist,” she said around the tears that clogged her voice. “I am not nearly as imaginative as Dan. I came to this place for the science, not the parascience. And now you’re tel ing me that because of something we’re doing… of something that’s going on… you say that is why Dan has been kidnapped?”