Forbidden Entry

by Sylvia Nobel

  “Agreed.”

  He consulted his report once again. “It appears that at least the Taylor kid may have realized they were in trouble because his body was found facing the door of the camper where he had collapsed. Jenessa was found inside a sleeping bag in the back. We can theorize that he woke up, made an attempt to get the door open, but it was either frozen shut or perhaps he was too disoriented to know where he was or what he was doing at that point. We’ll probably never know for certain.”

  Something about his explanation wasn’t gelling. “So, you’re saying that these two supposedly experienced campers may have been burning charcoal for heat? They didn’t have another heat source?”

  “We found a propane heater with extra canisters that appeared to be full.”

  I blinked my confusion. “That doesn’t make sense. Why wouldn’t they just use the propane heater?”

  “We don’t know. Evidence shows that the grill had been used at some point for cooking.”

  “And they didn’t have a window cracked open or anything?”

  “That’s correct.”

  His troubling answer fueled my curiosity even further. “Where was the grill located?”

  “Just inside the door. We found the lid on the floor nearby so, again, we can only speculate that it was either already off or perhaps he knocked it off when he fell.”

  I threw him a sharp look. “So, if they were using the grill for heat, would it have been covered or not?”

  Marshall met my questioning gaze. “We don’t know that either. Again, we can only speculate. Whatever, at some point the coals re-kindled.”

  I sat in silence for a few seconds before asking, “Did Nathan try to call for help?”

  “We didn’t find any cell phones at the scene.”

  “You’re kidding! What are the odds of two young people not having their cell phones with them?”

  A pensive nod. “I agree. We’re still searching for them.”

  “Shouldn’t you be able to track them through their providers? When was their last communication with the cell tower?”

  “We’re working on it.” He consulted his notes again. “Marcelene told me that they intended to rent an ATV in Crown King and also had planned a nighttime hike and rock climbing. It’s possible their phones were lost prior to them getting stranded.”

  I frowned disbelief at him. “That doesn’t sound plausible that they’d both lose their phones.”

  He hitched one shoulder. “As it turns out, they wouldn’t have been of much use. There’s no cell service in that particular spot anyway.”

  My discomfort level increased markedly. “Marshall, why wouldn’t they hike out to the main road? Why would they just stay there and freeze to death? It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Dr. Garcia told us that Jenessa had multiple cuts and bruises on her body and he is almost certain her left ankle was broken. If he confirms that, it would offer an explanation as to why she was unable to hike out of there. And remember, the snowdrifts in that area were over four feet deep at one point.” His weary sigh filled the space between us. “Anything else?”

  “One more thing. If it was simply an accident, why did you call in Dr. Bartoli?”

  His expression turned guarded. “Just covering all the bases.”

  “In other words, you’re not going to say.”

  “Look here, Kendall, I know you’re looking for a headline, but I can’t comment any further until we know all the facts. What I can tell you is that there have been two other deaths reported within a few miles of that general location during the past year, so I wanted to make sure our investigation is thorough.”

  “Well now, that’s intriguing.”

  “Normally, we wouldn’t call her in on this type of case, but since the bodies were in a state of decomposition and Dr. Bartoli is the best forensic anthropologist in the business, it seemed like the right thing to do. If this case is anything other than what it appears to be, she’ll know.”

  Pride for my old friend Fritzy welled up inside, but in the same instant the sheriff’s quiet revelation stoked the flames of my seemingly insatiable curiosity, as Tally was always quick to remind me. “Can you fill me in on the other two cases?”

  “I can’t give you too many particulars off the top of my head, but I believe one guy was filming stuff for a documentary and the second one was a Department of Transportation surveyor. Call or stop by the office tomorrow and I’ll be able to give you more information.”

  “Were they homicides?”

  He blinked and stared into space, searching his memory. “I seem to recall that both cases were eventually ruled as accidental death or maybe one of them was a suspected suicide, but again, I have to review the records. I’ll have Julie pull ’em for you.” He focused on the digital clock. “Look, it’s getting pretty late…”

  “Right. Thanks, Marshall.” I stuffed my notepad into my purse and stepped out of the patrol car into the brisk night air before turning to lean back inside. “I’m going to file what I’ve got in the morning, but I’m going to be out of the office all next week with my family here, so if anything new develops, can you follow up with Walter?”

  He gave me a two-fingered salute. “Will do.” I was in the process of closing the door when he added, “And, Kendall?”

  “Yes?”

  “If by any chance you find anything of interest, you’ll be sure to let me know, right?” Even though the light was low, I didn’t miss the unmistakable gleam of skepticism reflected in his steady gaze.

  I grinned. “What makes you say that? I told you I’m not going to be working this story.”

  Humor sparkled in his eyes. “Just asking.”

  It was no secret that I thrived on breaking a provocative story, and this one was packed full of more questions than answers, but as much as I yearned to follow up on my mounting suspicion that there might be more to the situation than met the eye, it wasn’t going to happen this time. Tally’s sage words, ‘You can’t have them all,’ rang in my ears. “Night, Marshall.”

  When I returned to the motel lobby, Duane Potts was crossing to the front door. “Sorry about that, Kendall. Sometimes duty calls,” he said, shoving some papers into a folder. “I have a few minutes now.”

  “No worries. I think I got what I need from Marshall for the moment, but as you get more details, I’d appreciate you keeping me in the loop.”

  He stopped close enough for me to get a whiff of his cloying aftershave. “I’m always happy to help you out with anything you might need.” His intimate, insinuating smile was combined with his signature tongue click. “And you know where to find me.”

  Good grief. It took all my willpower to bite back a cutting remark. “Thanks, Duane.”

  When the door closed behind him, it suddenly seemed deathly quiet standing there alone in the small lobby listening to the solitary ticking of the clock behind the desk. Mentally bracing myself, I crossed to the office and rapped gently on the doorframe. “Okay if I come in for a minute?”

  Both women looked up, their red-rimmed eyes moist with tears, the tips of their noses bright pink, piles of used tissues scattered on the couch and floor beside them. Heavy-hearted, I bent down to embrace Marcelene. I could only wonder at the sheer enormity of her grief, having lost first her husband and now her only daughter within a year’s time. “I don’t know what to say except I am so terribly sorry,” I whispered, patting her bony shoulders.

  “Thank you, Kendall.” She grabbed for more tissues.

  I took a seat beside Ginger and folded her hand in mine. “Are you going to be okay?” Her face was so pale the maze of freckles sprinkled across her nose and cheeks stood out in sharp relief. I had never seen her look so distraught, so utterly crestfallen.

  “What can I say?” she sniffed. “I’m alive and kickin’ an’ Jenessa ain’t.”

  Ma
rcelene dabbed the corners of her eyes. “All I want is my baby girl back. I can’t believe she’s gone, that I’ll never see her again, never hold her, never hear her laugh…” Choking with anguish, her voice cracked and, when I tried to swallow, it felt like a cold, sharp-edged rock was lodged in my throat. Realizing there was really nothing I could do or say to soften such a horrendous loss left me with an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

  Ginger honked loudly into a wad of tissues. “I just can’t reconcile them two kids being so dang stupid. What were they thinkin’?” She stared at me blankly as if I had the answer. With both of them in shock, I had no intention of pressing for additional information, but Ginger’s remark appeared to have caught Marcelene’s attention and she leveled me a curious look.

  “She’s right. Jenessa of all people would know better.” With that she burst into heaving sobs again and I knew it was time for me to go.

  Rising, I murmured to Ginger, “I’m going to leave you two alone now,” and then added, “Marcelene, if there is anything at all that I can do to help, just name it.”

  Ginger pinned me with a meaningful look that left me perplexed. She jumped up and then bent down to kiss her aunt’s cheek. “I’ll be right back, darlin’.”

  She practically pushed me out the door into the lobby. Closing it behind her, she whispered fiercely, “Sugar, I need to talk to you for a minute.”

  “Sure. What’s up?”

  She grabbed my elbow and steered me towards the big, potted fern in the far corner of the lobby. “Okay, here’s the deal.” She drew in a deep breath. “Maybe I’m full of it up to my ever lovin’ eyeballs, but…did you ever get one of those tickly feelings that kinda roll around inside your belly? The kinda feeling that tells you something just ain’t quite right?”

  “Sure. All the time. What’s going on, Ginger?”

  She shook her head slowly. “I don’t really know how to put it into words except…well…something’s not right.”

  The fact that she was echoing my exact thoughts bothered me. “What do you mean?”

  “It wasn’t these kids’ first rodeo. I remember Aunt Marcelene and Uncle Arnold taking Jen along on camping trips from the time she was an itty, bitty toddler. As for Nathan, well, Jenessa told me that he’s…he was a real super jock. Besides hiking, mountain climbing, zip lining and riding his quad all over creation, she said he was into extreme sports like base jumping, skydiving, rappelling off cliffs an’ flying around in one o’ them wing suits like a danged bat. I went online and watched a couple of videos he’d posted. He did some crazy stunts.” She folded her arms and locked eyes with me. “So, don’t you think he’d know better than to do something so boneheaded?”

  “Ginger, you know I’m always looking for a good story angle, but I just finished talking with Marshall. Even though there are a couple of things that seem questionable, right now the initial assumption is accidental death, so that’s what I’m dealing with unless something else comes to light. And remember, nothing is definitive until the investigation is complete but, just for the sake of argument, how about I play devil’s advocate, okay?”

  She frowned skepticism, but said, “Okay.”

  I filled her in on everything Marshall had told me with the exception of what he’d asked me to keep confidential. “So, the question is, considering what must have been dire circumstances, does it sound plausible that they opted to use the charcoal grill for heat rather than freeze to death?”

  “I suppose it’s possible,” she said grudgingly.

  “And if, as you say, they were seasoned outdoors people, they would already know the dangers of using it in an enclosed area, right?”

  “I’m thinking yes.”

  I palmed my hands skyward. “So, it stands to reason that they obviously didn’t plan to fall asleep, but did and were overcome by the fumes. Given what we know now, what other explanation is there?”

  She pursed her lips appearing uncertain. “Well, I guess that all sounds real logical, but…”

  “But what?”

  Her golden eyes signaled doubt. “You know what? Maybe I’ve been hanging around you too long or watching too many crime shows on TV, whatever, but something about this don’t pass the smell test and I can’t tell you why.”

  As the significance of her assertion slowly sunk in, another wave of uneasiness settled over me. “Ginger, are you suggesting that it was not an accident?” If I combined Marshall’s refusal to provide his confidential information with the vague reference to two other deaths in the same area, the missing cell phones and then added in Fritzy’s involvement, her allegation gained merit. Or not. Intriguing as it all sounded, I cautioned myself not to jump to conclusions. We both stood silent for several seconds before I ventured, “Ginger, what did Marcelene mean when she said Jenessa of all people would know better? Know better than what?”

  The faint lines on her forehead deepened as her gaze turned blank. “I think she might’ve been referring to some kind of accident that happened to her way back before I moved out here…but I can’t say as I remember the details clearly.” Her shoulders slumped and her eyes welled up with tears again. “I’m sorry, sometimes things just go in one ear and out the other. Or maybe I’m just not thinkin’ straight right now.”

  “Don’t worry about it now. If you think it’s significant, call me later.”

  “Thanks for listening to me ramble on.”

  I laid a comforting hand on her arm. “Hey, you’re my best friend. You can ramble anytime. And, considering the circumstances, it’s perfectly understandable.”

  “It’s just so doggone hard to accept. Them being so young and, like Nona always says, full of piss and vinegar.”

  I nodded, concurring with the archaic phrase borrowed from her wise but colorful grandmother. “Listen. Don’t worry about coming into work tomorrow. I’ll text Tugg and see if Louise can sub for you and maybe a few days next week, if necessary. Marcelene is going to need your help. Please don’t feel obligated to come to the barbeque tomorrow night either. Everyone will understand.”

  “Oh no, I want to! I was really lookin’ forward to that! Doug is going to be bartending so maybe I’ll just drop by for a short spell.”

  “Whatever works.” I embraced her again, and when I finally climbed into my Jeep and started the engine, only then did I realize how profoundly exhausted I felt. I rummaged around in my purse and pulled out my phone. My quick text to Tugg contained minimal details and suggested that his daughter man the reception desk for a few days. I hit the send button, lamenting that since my very first day at the Castle Valley Sun we had been perpetually understaffed. I glanced at the digital clock and was surprised to see it was after eleven. No wonder I was so fried.

  I wished I could inform Tally of today’s turn of events, but it was far too late to call or even leave a message. I always teased him that he went to bed with the chickens but woke early enough to personally wake the rooster. Instead, I sent him a text briefly explaining the day’s events and that I’d call him in the morning with additional details.

  It was kind of eerie driving alone along the deserted streets, now dark except for a smattering of Christmas lights. I was anxious to get home to the cozy ranch house I’d been renting and would continue to rent until after the wedding. I’d made it clear that I could not live in the same house with his chain-smoking, screwball mother. Happily, the plans for the new house Tally was having built for us were being finalized next week. It would be great fun showing everyone the building site and plans.

  Once on the main highway, I headed into the open desert, as always marveling at the striking beauty of the radiant starlit sky. Fifteen minutes later, I swung onto Lost Canyon Road and stared ahead at the moonlit silhouette of Castle Rock sporting a ragged crown of silver-rimmed clouds. Spellbinding! The solitude of the desert provided a soothing balm to the conflagration of emotions engulfing me as the dist
urbing events of the day looped endlessly in my mind. What irony. This perfect day I had built up in my mind for so long had turned out to be possibly the most imperfect day I could have ever imagined.

  CHAPTER

  5

  The insistent rumbling purr and gentle kneading on my chest woke me from deep slumber. So much for my plan to sleep in. Being a recent and first-time cat owner, I was still getting accustomed to the unique personality and subtle demands of my ginger-colored kitten, Marmalade, and I wryly acknowledged what long-time cat owners already knew—that cats rule and are benevolent enough to allow humans to live in their house. When I didn’t respond immediately, she gently nipped the end of my nose. “Okay, okay, I’ll get up and feed you.”

  The second my eyes locked with her luminous turquoise ones, she let out a plaintive meow, stretched to her feet, circled around a few times and then vaulted off the bed. She raced to the doorway, stopped and turned see if I was following. Laughing aloud, I threw off the covers and padded after her to the kitchen where she sashayed back and forth, eyes aglow with anxious anticipation, her tail curled into a fluffy question mark. “Here you go, baby,” I murmured, spooning the canned food into her bowl. As she ate, I stroked her soft fur, lamenting the fact that I could have had my family stay here if my mother wasn’t so deathly allergic to cats. But then, considering the prickly relationship that currently existed between her and Sean, perhaps it was best they had not.

  The dawn sky, pearl grey and cloaked with wispy clouds, slowly brightened to a soft buttery yellow as I sipped hot coffee and tried to fight off the clutch of melancholy as memories from yesterday flooded into my mind. So many unanswered questions. A call to Fritzy might be in order after I finished filing my story at the office. Would she tell me if she’d found anything unusual at the scene or would that, too, be confidential? Considering the volume of material I needed to review, it was just as well I’d been awakened early.

  After a quick shower, I dressed in my favorite Western outfit—jeans, blue and white checkered shirt, leather boots—and then slid the tooled leather belt around my waist, cinching it snugly. The impressive silver and turquoise belt buckle Tally had given me for a birthday gift last August completed the look I was going for. Marmalade, demanding more attention, brushed against my ankles as I surveyed the results in my full-length mirror with satisfaction. Like my dad had said, I was an Arizona girl now and I intended to look the part.