The history of the indigenous people of the Southwest contains significant mysteries. One of them, the widespread withdrawal of the Puebloan people [Anasazi] from large established pueblos from 1150 to 1450, is still being researched. In the last century archaeologists in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico have discovered considerable evidence of this mysterious migration.
“THE MYSTERIOUS MIGRATION: EARLY PUEBLOANS ABANDON THEIR PUEBLOS” BY JAY W. SHARP, DESERT USA, HTTPS://WWW.DESERTUSA.COM/IND1/ IND_NEW/IND12.HTML
Maria set down the Kanab Daily News. The newspaper had almost gone under after the main reporter, Sherrie Mercer, died in the cave explosion almost seven months ago, but the owners had finally found a new journalist named Mark Lyon who’d kept the paper afloat. He had taken to the job quickly and within months seemed to know everything about Kanab even though he’d only lived in town a year. Just a few days ago, Lyon had requested an interview from Maria about the arrests down at the creek two weeks ago, but she’d put him off. She didn’t want to entangle Beth’s kids in the media.
Maria had been horrified when the Phoenix New Times had printed an article about her after Dakota’s return to the living. That piece had made Maria seem like some kind of a nutty psychic, with its half-true quotes given by Rod’s kooky friend Derrik.
But Maria’s effort at anonymity in the Kanab newspaper had been useless. Lyon had pieced together the story about Karl at the creek from the locals around town and police reports. However, in the article he made Maria out to be the town hero, which was wrong since it was really Pete who had come and cleaned the whole mess up. But what had bothered Maria the most was the very last paragraph of the article.
Las Vegas authorities confirmed Thursday that 37-year-old Karl Fossum has jumped bail. His whereabouts are currently unknown.
“Unknown.”
The word ate at Maria’s inside like it was made of acid, not ink.
Why had authorities in Las Vegas given Karl Fossum, a man who had threatened a child with a knife, bail in the first place? Was that truly the best Vegas could muster? As a result of their incompetence, Fossum was back on the streets—or in creeks.
Disgusted, Maria promised herself next time she wouldn’t be so fast to get criminals back to the gambling capital of the United States. The place might know how to run a casino, but a criminal justice system? Clearly not.
Maria’s phone rang, and she saw it was Beth. “Hello,” she said in the most chipper voice she could muster. She hoped Beth hadn’t read the newspaper article.
“Hey, just wanted to check and make sure your hair still looks good.” Beth spoke above the noise her children were making in the background.
“It looks awesome. You’re a magician, you know that?”
Beth laughed. “So are you ready for your date with Rod tonight? I know you’ve been excited about it.”
Maria winced. “Am I that obvious?”
“Yes, and I’m glad. It’s good to see you in …”
“In what?”
Beth stumbled over her answer. “In . . . in . . . I’m not sure what to call it. I guess you’re ‘in like.’ ”
Maria was much more than “in like” with Rod, but she hadn’t told anyone else that, not even her best friend. “What’s ‘in like’ supposed to mean?”
Beth laughed. “You know.”
“No, I don’t. You forget I’m relationship challenged.” Maria took a deep breath and then asked the question that nagged at her daily since the pollywog fiasco. “How are the kids doing?”
“Good. The child psychologist your Dr. Roberts referred us to in St. George is amazing. Please tell him thanks again for pulling strings to get us in so quickly. All the kids really like her, and they’re making great progress. Their bad dreams are already calming down.”
Maria let out a sigh of relief. “You don’t know how glad I am to hear that. Again, I am so sorry—”
“Knock it off. It wasn’t your fault. Everybody knows that but you.” Beth interrupted. “What time is Rod picking you up tonight?”
“Seven.” Maria let out a sigh. “And I’m nervous. It’s stupid. I mean, we used to see each other almost every day before … well, before Arizona.”
“Give him time. A little goes a long ways.”
Beth was right, and Maria knew it. But patience had never been one of her strengths. There was a bang on the other end of the phone and Maria heard Beth say something to one of her kids.
“Everyone okay?” asked Maria.
“Yeah. Looks like I gotta go clean up a mess. Have fun tonight, okay?”
“I will,” answered Maria. “Thanks for calling.” She hung up the phone and stared at the screen, deep in thought.
She’d hardly seen Rod since Arizona, which to her now seemed like a bad memory even though it was only two months ago. Rod’s multiple trips back to Phoenix to get his legal work in order after Brian, his so-called friend, had tried to scam him of millions of dollars had dampened their dating life. Rod had also spent a fair share of time in a neurologist’s office in Salt Lake to make sure there were no residual effects of the brain infection that almost killed him.
The last time they’d gone out together, Rod had been distant. After analyzing the situation in depth, Maria had concluded that Rod was trying to figure out the legal ramifications of his ex-wife still being alive and that his “trust-o-meter” was on the fritz. Both were things that could only be fixed with time.
As usual, Beth was right.
An hour later the doorbell rang; Maria swallowed down on the hard lump in her throat.
Rod was here.
Finally.
Her stomach felt like it was going to tie itself in knots.
On the phone, Rod had told her to dress casual, and she’d dutifully followed the request. Sporting a pair of boyfriend jeans and baby-doll cut red t-shirt, Maria laughed out loud when she opened the door and saw she and Rod practically matched. He looked fabulous in a pair of distressed designer jeans with a crimson t-shirt. He’s even topped it off with a cowboy hat—a rare treat.
“I’m glad you got the memo on what to wear,” she joked.
Rod grinned, and Maria was mesmerized by his infectious smile and kind eyes. Once again her stomach twisted and contracted. Maybe tonight they could finally clear up the weird vibes between them. She would love to forget the trip to Superstition Mountain ever happened.
Rod took a step back, looked at her, and then looked down at himself. “It’s like we’re dressed for a high school dance. Wow, does that bring back memories or what?”
“Do you want me to change?” Maria asked.
“No, no. Y-you look great. We’re fine.” Rod seemed to be stumbling over his words.
Nervous was not a good sign.
Or was it?
Maria wished she could flip the switch for her brain to off. She was over thinking everything.
As they drove in the car, Rod turned up the jazz music he loved so much and rolled down the window. The air was perfect—not like a hot blast from a furnace as it had been that afternoon—but instead the evening held a crisp, subtle mention of the chill that would settle on the desert floor later that night.
Rod drove into the local Subway parking lot. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d said casual. As he got out and walked around the car to open Maria’s door, she clenched her jaw tight for a few seconds, flexing as many muscles as she could, and then released the tension.
Relax.
The familiar smell of baking bread, olives, and ranch dressing pelted Maria the instant she entered the Subway. Once inside, they got in a long line of people who had also opted for a foot-long in lieu of a home-cooked dinner. Rod and Maria were negotiating what kind of sandwich to get when the bell on the door chimed; in walked Rod’s brother Grant, the ultimate playboy. Hanging on his arm was his latest conquest. The woman was tall. Five ten. Maybe five eleven. Broad shouldered. Toned. Blonde. With Grant’s California surfer facade, the pair looked like a couple s
traight off a magazine cover.
“Hey bro!” Grant called out to Rod. “You finally got back into town?”
Rod nodded, his eyes scanning the woman at his brother’s side. “Yep.” He cocked his head to one side. “Looks like you’ve made a new friend?”
Grant got in line behind Rod and Maria and introduced them to his date. Her name was Natalie. She’d come to Kanab to visit the Grand Canyon but had liked it so much she’d decided to stay a little while longer—maybe do some volunteer work at the animal sanctuary nearby. She’d known Grant a sum total of fifty-three minutes—to be exact.
“Good to meet you, Natalie,” said Rod. “This is Maria. She’s the—”
“—the local hero,” interrupted Grant. “This lady single handedly brought down two fugitives from Vegas while babysitting three kids. I mean, who does that?”
Taken off guard, Maria struggled with some kind of a comeback to downplay the comment.
“Did you read the article too, Rod?” Grant winked at his brother who nodded.
Maria’s slight flush exploded in a full-fledged heat wave. The attention was uncomfortable but short lived. Soon Grant, Natalie, and Rod had all moved on to a different subject.
After the sandwiches were ordered and the drink cups filled, Rod and Maria headed back to his car, for which Maria was grateful. She hadn’t wanted to eat dinner with Grant and Natalie. They were both nice, of course, but she’d been looking forward to time alone with Rod. With their sweet onion chicken sandwiches in his backpack, Rod drove to the base of “K Hill” and parked the car. “Are you up for a hike?” he asked.
“Always.” Maria opened her door and stood up, stretching. The open air immediately cleared her mind and calmed the nerves.
“K Hill” was a mesa on the edge of town where nearly a century ago residents had painted a white letter “K” midway up the mountain. The white paint brilliantly contrasted with the red dirt, and it was a symbol of pride for the town.
“I’ll race you to the ‘K,’” Rod called out.
“Where’s the trail?” Maria scrambled behind Rod, who was already several yards ahead of her.
“There isn’t one.” Rod scaled the face of the hill like a mountain goat.
Determined to beat him, Maria skirted a clump of boulders and headed up the mountain where the path seemed less rocky. Competition might as well have been her middle name.
Rod’s desire to win had also kicked in. Seconds later they were both sprinting up the face of the mountain, dodging Juniper trees, bounding over cactus, and scrambling up small cliff ledges. By the time she got to the painted letter she was panting and sucking in air. So much for a “couple’s hike.”
Rod had beaten her by mere seconds.
“H-how,” Maria panted, “d-id you do that so fast?”
“The left side is less steep than the right.” Rod wiped his forehead. “Helps to have climbed this thing so much in high school.” He grabbed his water out of his backpack and sucked down half the bottle.
“I must have missed that somehow during my time in school here.” Maria sat down on the edge of the letter “K.”
Rod joined her on the ground and grinned. “Well, the chess club had a special affinity for coming up here. Not sure why.”
“Ah, the chess club. If only I had been smart enough to hang with you guys.”
Rod threw a handful of Juniper needles at her, which she dodged. “Don’t go mocking my one claim to fame from high school.”
Maria threw up her hands in pretend surrender. “I would never do such a thing. But I am definitely ready for a sandwich.”
Rod unzipped his backpack. “One sandwich coming up.”
“Awesome. I’m starving.”
As the two of them enjoyed their sweet onion chicken deli creation, dinner conversation flowed—almost like old times. Questions flew back and forth. Some teasing. Lots of joking. They both skirted the topic of their trip to the Superstition Mountains. Instead, Rod asked Maria what other top secret missions she’d participated in during her time in the CIA. Maria rolled her eyes and asked Rod how much longer he planned to live, because if she told him …
“… you’d have to kill me. I know. I know, you’ve threatened before.” Rod reached out and poked Maria right below the ribs, startling her.
It was unexpected and … personal? Instead of karate chopping his hand, which was her first impulse, Maria choked on her last bite of sandwich and asked, “What was that for?”
“What was what for?”
“You poked me.”
“I did not.”
“What do you call this?” Maria stuck her finger into Rod’s side.
A conspiratorial look began to grow on Rod’s face. “That wasn’t a poke. That was me trying to make a point.”
“Oh, I get it.” Maria gave three more teasing jabs into Rod’s side. “That’s me making three points.”
Rod’s eyes sparkled in the evening sun, reminding Maria of how a child might look right before stealing cookies out of the cookie jar.
“And here’s me making another point.” Rod poked Maria a second time. She stifled a laugh. He cocked one eyebrow and then, like an animal stalking its prey, he maneuvered his hand to the back of her neck.
“No!” she shrieked. “Not there.” Maria tried to squirm free.
Within seconds the two of them were lying on the ground, ankles twisted together, rolling in the dirt. As the tussle slowed, Maria looked into Rod’s eyes, wanting to understand what he was feeling. Rod looked at her too, but not necessarily into her eyes. His gaze fell a little further down. More around the mouth area.
A growing ache formed in Maria’s stomach. She invited him in closer and he accepted.
Rod’s lips caressed hers, which is all it took. The feelings Maria had been pushing down since Arizona erupted within her. She melted into the moment.
Rod’s movements were eager but gentle. Maria kissed him back with more emotion that she realized she possessed.
The wrestling had stopped. The tickling had stopped. And Maria was pretty sure the earth’s rotation had stopped as well.
It was just the two of them.
He kissed her more fervently and she mirrored his intensity. His hands were in her hair, on her shoulders, in the small of her back, pulling her closer to him.
His chest heaved. Maria sensed his heart beating rapidly. She stopped kissing him momentarily to open her eyes. She ran a finger down the side of his face, over his cheek bone, down his rugged jawline. The short stubble on his face was the type of manliness she found hard to resist.
Maria closed her eyes again, letting the feelings she was experiencing sink down into her very being. She wanted to savor every moment, every second. This night would be special. It would be….
“No.” Rod pushed her away from him.
Maria blinked half a dozen times. She felt dizzy. Almost woozy. “What?”
Rod sat up and scooted away from Maria. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get carried away.”
Maria pushed herself off the ground, dusted the dirt off her shirt, and sat in front of Rod. “Oh. Okay. No big deal. I know things have been … different since Arizona. I’m sorry. I thought we were both … I don’t know …enjoying ourselves?”
Rod held up his hand, motioning for her to stop talking. “You don’t need to be the one to apologize. This is my issue.”
“Issue?” asked Maria. “What kind of issue?” Despite the lowering sun in the sky, she felt a rush of uncomfortable heat.
“I didn’t come up here to …” He trailed off.
Maria waited for him to continue.
At last Rod spoke again. “I didn’t come up here to get physical. I brought you up here to talk. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. I haven’t been feeling quite right.”
“I’d love to talk,” responded Maria, biting her lip. “I’ve noticed things have been a little bit … different lately.”
Rod sighed. “To be honest, Maria, I’m not sure about u
s. I’ve been thinking that maybe we need to see each other less.”
An unexpected snort escaped Maria’s mouth. “Really? Cause we hardly see each other as it is? What, twice a month?”
“Listen,” Rod sighed and stared at the ground, “that was lame. I guess I just need to say what I’m feeling, but I don’t want to hurt you.”
Maria’s hands trembled. Her defenses were up. She could feel survival mode kicking in. “It’s pretty hard to hurt me, Rod. I’m thick skinned.” Which was, of course, a lie.
Rod’s gaze dropped to the red dirt. “I’m really sorry about everything. It’s just that I’m so unsettled.”
“What you went through in Arizona was pretty rough. You need to give yourself some time. And, I’m fine to wait. But I want you to know I’m here for you.”
Rod shook his head. “This isn’t about what happened in Arizona.” Defeat filled his words. “At least I don’t think so. I mean, you’re right, at first it was hard. I was embarrassed I’d married such a loser and pretty shocked she’d tried to kill me. But I was feeling better, and then….” His voice drifted.
“And then, what?” asked Maria.
“And then a …” He stopped talking for minute and then slowly began once again. “I don’t know if there’s even a word for it.”
Maria’s heart was beating double time. “Well, try to think of one. I’m lost here.”
“Okay, call it a darkness—like a heavy shadow hovering over me. That’s how I feel, and I want to get out from under it. I need freedom.”
Maria had felt that before. Still did sometimes. “Rod, that’s part of the trauma you’ve been through. When we get home tonight let’s sit down and try to get to the bottom of this. There’s got to be a reason you’re—”
“Maria, I’m not hiding some big secret from you. I wish I could explain it better, but I know I need to do something different. I’m thinking about moving to California for a while.” He thought a moment and then continued, “I don’t get it myself. I guess I’m just messed up.”
Maria gave a hollow laugh that was an attempt to hide the rising distress in her gut. “You’re messed up? Have you forgotten who you’re talking to?”
Paranormal Mystery Boxset Books 1-3: Legends of Treasure Page 54
