Harper

by Kathi Daley

  “I had to lie about my wallet being stolen,” Michael explained to Harper, and then told her the rest of the conversation with the clerk. “The problem is, I told him I was traveling alone so he wouldn’t ask for ID from the other person in my party, so I was only able to book one room for the night. It has two beds, however.”

  Harper shrugged. “That’s fine. That’s something we should keep in mind for the future: that motel chains are likely to ask for ID even if you are paying cash.”

  Michael yawned as he opened the door. “I’m afraid that we might be looking at a string of dive motels for the rest of the trip. The ‘I-lost-my-wallet’ routine won’t work with everyone.”

  Harper tossed the bag she was using for her clothes and personal items onto the bed closest to the bathroom. The room was decent and, unlike the place they’d stayed the night before, had a coffee maker. “I remember Ben saying that the vehicle he brought us was registered to his assistant. Any idea what his name is?”

  “Cooper Callaway. He is actually more than an assistant. I think that Ben is grooming him to be a full partner in the PI firm. Ben has a lot on his plate, and I think he realizes that at some point he is going to need regular help.”

  Harper flipped open her bag and took out a heavy sweatshirt. “Have you met Cooper?”

  Michael nodded. “I have. He goes by Coop. He is a nice guy. Smart as well. I think he will be a good partner for Ben.”

  “Is he young? Old? Close to Ben’s age?”

  Michael paused. “I guess he is around thirty. He has a degree in criminal justice and planned to apply to the FBI, but somewhere along the way he met Ben, who convinced him that freelancing provided a lot of opportunities that working for the government didn’t.”

  “So he changed his life based on Ben’s recommendation alone?”

  “Well, maybe that wasn’t the only reason,” Michael admitted. “From things I’ve heard Coop say, it seems that at least part of his decision to alter his career path from the FBI to work with Ben had to do with a girl he met in Moosehead.”

  “Ah,” she said. “That explains a lot. Do you know who the girl was?”

  “He didn’t mention a name that I can remember. I’m sure you will have the chance to meet him when you get home.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.” Harper tossed the flannel sleeping pants and long-sleeved thermal T-shirt she had bought to sleep in onto the bed. “We should probably head out to grab some food before we settle in. I noticed a diner a few doors down. We can just walk.”

  “Sounds good. We’ll call Ben after we get back to the room.”

  Chapter 14

  Harper couldn’t believe they had finally arrived in Southern New Mexico. The weather had not been their friend and the trip had taken a full day longer than they’d counted on. Along the way, they’d worked on the encrypted instructions that had been included with the map, and from what they could figure out, which wasn’t a lot, they were looking for a location associated with the clue where angels sing, which, as best they could tell, should be somewhere in or near the Guadalupe Mountains. Unfortunately, from that cryptic message, they were left with an area that was way too large for them to simply start looking for something that fit; Harper knew they were going to need something more. And more was going to take time.

  At least Princess was safe. Harper had talked to Ben, who had assured her that both the baby and the puppy had settled in just fine and would be welcome to remain at the Holiday farm until circumstances allowed them to find a more permanent home. Harper knew that Michael had spoken to his sister on the phone several times, and at some point he was going to have to head east for his parents’ anniversary party, whether they were finished with what they had set out to do or not.

  “Let’s get checked into a motel and then we can take a look around town,” Michael suggested. “I know we’ve only been able to decipher a quarter of the message, but it’s possible that the ‘where angels sing’ part is something that is recognizable to people who live in the area.”

  “That’s true. Maybe we can find a laundromat after we eat. I’d love to wash my clothes.”

  Michael looked at his watch. “It’s early yet. We should be able to take care of everything this afternoon, leaving us all day tomorrow to try to find the ledger.”

  The ledger. The thought of finally going after the item that had already cost at least two people their lives left Harper feeling agitated and unsettled. She supposed it was all the waiting that was getting to her. She usually did much better in circumstances where immediate action was called for. Not that traveling from state to state to find the ledger hadn’t brought a certain amount of danger, but in her mind, it had been more of a prequel to the main event. Although, as Harper had looked out the window at the passing scenery, she had decided that just because the ledger seemed to be the prize that everyone was after, it didn’t mean that finding and obtaining it would guarantee an explosive climax. She had been involved in many missions during her time in the Army when an explosive climax resulting from enemy gunfire and plenty of it was a foregone conclusion. In this case, however, it was more likely that they’d find the ledger, hand it off, and be done with their part.

  “There is a motel up ahead. It’s nice-looking and it isn’t a chain, so they may not care about ID,” Harper said as she struggled with the idea that an easy ending would most likely leave her dissatisfied and unfulfilled.

  Michael turned into the parking lot. “Okay. Let’s check it out.”

  As predicted, the young desk clerk was happy to take cash and didn’t seem to care about ID, because she didn’t ask for it. They were given rooms near the outdoor pool, which was closed for the season. The rooms weren’t connecting, but Harper didn’t suppose it mattered. After they each checked out their own room, they agreed to take some time to get cleaned up and arranged to meet in the lobby in thirty minutes. Harper used her time to take a quick shower, change into the last of her clean clothes, and sort her laundry in the event that a laundromat was in their future. By the time she made it to the lobby, Michael was already waiting.

  “The desk clerk told me that there is a small museum about a quarter mile down the road,” Michael informed her. “She seemed to think the woman who volunteers there might be able to help us with our puzzle.”

  “That’s great.”

  “She also said there is a really good Mexican restaurant just a few doors down from the museum, and a laundromat just across the street.”

  Harper opened the back door to the SUV and tossed the bag with her laundry inside. “It sounds like the perfect setup. Should we start with the museum?”

  Michael nodded. “It is most likely to be the first to close. Do we need to stop for laundry soap along the way?”

  “I’m sure the laundromat will have a machine selling detergent and dryer sheets.”

  Harper pointed out the sign for the museum, which was housed in a small adobe building. There was a fountain in front, which had been drained for the winter, and off to the side, she saw a garden that was probably lovely in the summer but was brown and dormant now.

  A Hispanic woman greeted them at the door. “Welcome to the Guadalupe Mountains. My name is Maria. How can I help you today?”

  Michael smiled at her. “My friend and I are on a kind of scavenger hunt. We are following clues that will eventually lead to a prize. One of the clues brought us to this area, where we were supposed to find a place associated with the clue ‘where angels sing.’ We hoped you might know of such a place.”

  The woman screwed up her face. “ʻWhere angels sing?’ It sounds like that clue might refer to a holy place of some sort. I’m new to this area myself, but I do know that there are two churches in town. I can give you a map.”

  “That would be helpful,” Michael said.

  Maria made a copy of a map she had laid out on the countertop where she worked. She circled two locations. “These are the town’s two churches. They might already be closed for the da
y now, but if you need to get a look inside, there should be something on the doors to tell you who to call for information.”

  Michael picked up the map and glanced at it. “Thank you so much. Are these the only churches in the area?”

  Maria nodded. “The only ones still open. There is a church up on the mountain that has long since closed. It won’t be easy to get to in the winter.”

  “Would you mind pointing it out anyway?” Michael asked.

  Maria took the map and drew a circle around a spot that looked to be in the middle of nowhere. “I can give you driving directions to the trailhead, but from there you would need to hike.”

  “How far of a hike is it?” Harper asked.

  “A couple of miles, three at the most, but it is a couple of miles straight up the mountain.”

  She looked at Michael. “I guess we could do the hike tomorrow.”

  Michael folded the map and put it in his pocket. He stuffed a fistful of bills into the donation jar and thanked the woman.

  “If you do decide to go up the mountain,” Maria said as they started for the door, “bring plenty of water with you, and check the weather report ahead of time. The last place you’d want be in a storm is up there on that peak.”

  They thanked Maria once again and then headed to the laundromat.

  “I thought we’d put in a load and then go next door to grab a bite while it washes,” Michael informed Harper.

  “Sounds like a good plan. Did you bring clothes to wash as well?”

  Michael nodded. “I stuffed them into a pillow case and put it in the back. Hopefully, there will be enough free machines so that we can do all our laundry at the same time.”

  “What now?” she asked as they started their washers.

  “Let’s eat. I’m starving. We can try to come up with a plan after that. It seems that checking out the two churches in town might be our next move. I sort of doubt Isabella hid the ledger in the one at the top of the mountain.”

  “I agree. If she was already pregnant when she ran away, even if she wasn’t all that far along, it doesn’t seem as if she would have wanted to make a hike as steep as the woman in the museum made it sound.”

  “I was thinking the same thing. Of course, we haven’t actually tried the hike. Maybe it isn’t as steep as Maria made it sound. Or Isabella might have had help,” he countered. “We already suspect that someone helped her with the encryption of the clues. We’ll start with the closer churches and then take it from there. As for tonight, I’m thinking enchiladas. It has been a long time since I’ve had any really good enchiladas.”

  “I could go with enchiladas,” Harper agreed. “And maybe even a margarita. If they make them, that is. I suppose it is cold for a frozen drink, but maybe a margarita on the rocks.”

  The restaurant they walked to was small and quaint and, like the museum, the building was made from adobe. The woman who greeted them at the door didn’t seem to know a lot of English, but she had a sweet smile and was quick to bring them a basket of chips and a bowl of salsa as soon as they sat down. She handed them menus and then went into the back, where they could hear her talking to someone, probably asking them to come out to take their order, Harper imagined.

  As they’d discussed, both ordered enchiladas with beans and rice. Michael had a beer and Harper asked for the margarita she’d mentioned.

  “This salsa is hot.” Harper waved her hand in front of her mouth after taking her first bite.

  Michael dug a big scoop on a tortilla chip and took a bite. “I like hot.”

  “I do too, but this salsa should be labeled ‘fire of hell.’” She took a sip of her drink, then ate a plain chip, and another. She could see that Michael was trying to appear unaffected, but he’d downed half his beer in what looked to be a single sip. Maybe that was the point, Harper thought: feed the visitors the hot stuff and sell twice as many drinks.

  When the second woman brought their food, Harper asked for a glass of water. She graciously brought an entire pitcher to their table. She also brought over a cup of what she referred to as “mild and mellow salsa,” which she encouraged them to try.

  “Except for the fact that I probably have third-degree burns on the inside of my mouth from the peppers in that salsa, this food is really good. I wonder why the place is deserted. It is a little early for dinner, but not all that early.”

  Michael cut his enchilada. “This is a small town tucked out of the way. It appears to me that it must exist as a recreation hub for summertime visitors heading up the mountain. There probably aren’t a lot of tourists here at this time of the year, and I would be willing to bet that the locals can’t afford to eat out often during the off-season.”

  Harper took a bite of her rice. “I guess that makes sense. But in that case, I’m kind of surprised the place is even open in the winter.”

  Michael glanced toward the attached bar. “I suppose that even if the locals generally don’t eat out, the bar might still attract the afterwork crowd. Once we finish up here, we’ll put our laundry in a couple of dryers and then take a walk down the block. I’d like to get a feel for the lay of the land. Besides, this is the first time in a long time we don’t have to worry about snow and a stroll down the street is even an option.”

  The sun was just beginning to set when Harper set off with Michael down the street. The mountains in the distance were really beautiful. She bet it was hot as Hades in the summer, but the spring months must be gorgeous. Not only would the weather be temperate but, from the photos they’d seen in the museum, the wildflowers were colorful and abundant.

  “I think one of the churches that Maria circled as being currently open should be just down this street,” Harper said. “She said it might be closed for the day, but although it is dark, it isn’t really all that late. Maybe we should check it out.”

  “I’m game,” Michael answered.

  Like the museum, the church was made of adobe. There were three wooden steps leading to a heavy wooden door, which they found to be unlocked after trying the handle. Inside, the church was small and modest. There were two rows of wooden pews with eight pews in each row. Each pew looked as if it might be long enough to seat eight adults. The floor was covered with old wooden planks scratched up after years of use, and in the front was an altar made of stone. Atop the altar were several glass goblets and a Bible. To the side was a stand with candles that were probably meant to be lit for a small donation. Harper took the four quarters she had left from the machines at the laundromat out of her pocket. She slipped them into the donation box, then lit a candle for Isabella, the brave young woman who had sacrificed herself so that her baby could live.

  “If Isabella did hide the ledger in here, where would it have been?” Michael asked.

  Harper looked around. There didn’t seem to be many places to hide anything. There were stacks of hymnals at the end of each pew, which made her think of angels singing, but if Isabella had hidden the ledger among them, that was a plain sight where it would have been found long ago. There wasn’t anything other than the pews and altar in the bare room. No doors to cabinets or hidden alcoves. The floor looked to be solid, but she supposed that one of the boards could have been lifted and the ledger tucked beneath. Short of ripping up boards, which she had no intention of doing, at least at this point, she wasn’t sure how that theory could be explored.

  “You know what strikes me about this little church?” Michael began.

  “What?”

  “The building and its contents are simple. Stark, even. But then, amid the simplicity, are those windows.”

  Harper looked up at the three stained-glass windows that lined one wall. “They are beautiful. It looks like they are on an east-facing wall. I bet they are magnificent in the morning, when the sun streams through them.”

  “The window in the center shows a choir of angels.”

  Harper studied the window. “If the window is a clue to the location of the ledger, maybe you have to be here when the sun
is coming through to appreciate it.”

  “If the sun through the window points to the hiding spot, don’t you think we’d need to know the specific date and time on which the sun would reveal the location?”

  She nodded. “Sure. If this was a movie. But in reality, I suspect that the location indicated by the light streaming through the window would be a bit more general. Maybe the shadow creates a pattern or something. It’s hard to say.”

  “I guess it might be worth our while to show up at sunrise to see what we find.”

  She nodded. “Yes. Let’s do that. The worst-case scenario is that we don’t find the ledger here. Then we’ll follow through with our plan to check out the other two locations Maria circled.”

  Chapter 15

  Harper decided that the problem with their idea to catch the sunrise was that they had to get up really early to do it. Not that she had a problem with early rising most of the time, but she’d tossed and turned for most of the night and was having a hard time getting going this morning. Michael had booked the room for two nights, so they didn’t need to take time to gather their belongings and load the car. The plan they’d discussed the previous evening had consisted of heading to the church in time for the sunrise and then waiting in it until they either located the ledger or the sun stopped shining through the windows, at which point they’d have breakfast and then either call Ben about turning over the ledger, if they found it, or continued on to the next church on the list.

  “It had occurred to me after we left last night that the church might be locked this morning,” Michael said as he easily pushed open the door.

  She yawned before saying, “I’m glad we didn’t get up at the crack of dawn for nothing.”