“Yes,” Sue interjected, “the doctor wants Sophie to rest and stay as quiet as possible for the next few days. He will see her again Friday morning—maybe then he will release her to return to her home.”
Sue continued, turning to Lin, “I’m going to take Sophie back to my place to rest after lunch. Then I plan to visit the newspaper office.”
“Let me take her,” Lin said. “I need to drop my things off anyway and I need to call David Cameron and see if I can be worked into his schedule. Then I plan to ‘drop in’ on our friend John Sessions.”
“OK,” Sue agreed. “I’ll be at the paper for awhile and I’ll have my cell phone. Call me when you know your schedule. Maybe we can meet up somewhere later. The three of us can go somewhere for dinner tonight and catch up—see where we are with gathering information.”
Sue left; Lin and Sophie cleared their table before leaving the mall. Soon they were back at Walnut Canyon and Sophie prepared to take a nap. Lin called David Cameron’s office and discovered, to her surprise that he was in. The receptionist rang him directly.
“I’m surprised I caught you!” Lin said, “ I was hoping to get in to see you this afternoon—if you have a few minutes. I want to tell you more about what happened to Michael’s mother yesterday and ask if Michael gave you any more information.”
“He did, indeed,” David Cameron responded, “ and I would love to learn more about the incident with Sophie. When I told Michael she’d been hurt it really made an impression on him—he really opened up. I think he is scared for his family, though. I hope Sophie is still doing, ok.”
“She is. She is staying here in town for a few days and resting. She’s going to be fine.” Lin reassured the attorney, “Can I come in to see you?”
“Try to come about three this afternoon. I have to drop some things off at the court and take care of some routine things there but I should be back here by then,” Cameron said.
“See you then,” Lin hung up the phone. It was only a few minutes past two at present. Time enough for another visit to Mr. Sessions’ gallery.
***
Leaving Walnut Canyon, Lin headed for downtown Flagstaff where she was lucky to find a parking space along Aspen Ave. She was only a few blocks from each of her planned destinations so she wouldn’t have to move her car between appointments.
She left her papers in the car, not wanting to take them all into the gallery—she could retrieve them before she visited David Cameron.
As she entered the gallery she noticed that John Sessions was busy with a customer. An attractive gray-haired couple appeared to be making a fairly large purchase that included jewelry and larger items. The smile left Sessions face as he looked up and noticed Lin.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Hanna,” he spoke pleasantly but still wasn’t smiling, “As you can see, I am very busy; however, my assistant is in the back and would be happy to help you—I’ll call him.”
“ Don’t,” Lin responded pleasantly, “I really came in because I need to talk to you, but I’m not rushed, please take your time—I’ll just look around while I wait.” Lin turned toward an attractive display of pottery and began looking at the items, avoiding Session’s gaze.
As she waited, she browsed around the store admiring the many attractive items and wishing her own wallet were a bit fatter. There were some lovely things on display. She could hear Sessions quietly talking to the customers behind her as he was apparently wrapping up their purchases. The transaction took about fifteen minutes but then Lin heard Sessions thanking the couple for their business. The doorbell gave a soft tinkling sound as they exited. Lin turned toward Sessions but didn’t say anything.
At first Sessions said nothing. He busied himself putting away trays of jewelry and returning some baskets to the proper shelves. Finally, he approached Lin.
“Now, how can I help you today Ms. Hanna—perhaps some more gifts for friends in far places?” Sessions smile reflected phony warmth and his tone was a bit sarcastic.
“Not this time Mr. Sessions,” Lin hoped her voice reflected a confidence she didn’t really feel, “ I came to ask you about Darren Steele—your former employee who disappeared last year and who was, apparently, found murdered just last week. I believe you said you had no knowledge of Steele’s activities, but that can’t be true! I am still exploring connections between what happened last week and the death of Cullen Honeyestewa last year. What connections did Darren Steele have with Cullen, Mr. Sessions?” Lin hoped to catch Sessions a bit off guard with her assumption that some connection did exist—even if she couldn’t prove such.
Sessions demeanor was clouded. He looked as if he could explode with anger but, when he spoke, it was in measured even tones.
“ I believe I made myself clear when I told you earlier that Cullen Honeyestewa was not known to me. I didn’t know, at the time we talked, that Darren Steele was one of the victims in this most recent case but in any event I have had no contact with the man since he voluntarily left the area and my employment last year. I recently learned of his death—and I am sorry for that—but Darren had many problems. He often drank too much and was certainly not a dependable employee. I don’t know what sort of monkey business he might have gotten himself into since he left me. I am sorry he got himself killed, but not really surprised. That is all I have to say on the subject—I’m a busy man and I must ask you to leave now. In fact, I must ask you to stay away from my gallery in the future with your troublesome inquiries. I think I have made it clear that I don’t know anything about this business!” Sessions tone was emphatic and his anger barely controlled.
Lin turned as if to go then, as she approached the door, she turned back. She didn’t know why but she felt the urge to say one thing more,“ Perhaps Darren got himself into trouble trying to steal native artifacts for the art black market—Mr. Sessions—would you know anything about that?” Lin paused only briefly as Sessions glared at her. Then she turned and left the gallery quickly.
She walked up San Francisco Street and stopped at the Late for the Train Coffee shop. She was trembling from her own anger and frustration. Why had she thrown that last remark at Sessions? She didn’t really know why—she just knew somehow, in that moment, that this might be where the connections lay. The expression on his face as she left the gallery told her that she had hit a raw nerve with John Sessions!
Maybe Sue was right; Sessions was somehow involved in procuring and selling native art and artifacts on the black market and maybe, as his former employee, Darren Steele was connected somehow as well. She still had no proof but something was definitely amiss here. Glancing at her watch she noted that she still had at least half and hour before she could meet David Cameron so she went inside and got a tall cup of coffee. Maybe she could relax for just a few minutes. She sat down at a small table on the sidewalk outside the coffee shop.
As Lin sipped her savory cup, she looked up and saw a young native man approaching her warily.
“Miss, you were just in the gallery down the street?” the young man spoke with downcast eyes.
“Yes,” Lin answered, “can I help you?”
“I am Isaac Tsosie,” the young man spoke softly. “I work for Mr. Sessions—in back, I am his assistant—I am on my break and must return to the shop soon but I followed you hoping I could speak with you.”
“Please sit down,” Lin gestured toward the empty chair opposite. “Would you like something to drink?”
“No,” Isaac said, “and I really don’t have time to sit down—Mr. Sessions will expect me back in a few minutes.” The young man glanced warily over his shoulder as if he feared being followed.
“I just needed to tell you that you are right about the stolen art. I do all the packing and shipping and I know what I’m talking about. I have to go now and please do not try to call me. I’m afraid of what might happen if Mr. Sessions found out I talked to you. I worry and worry. I don’t like being part of such things but I need this job and can’t take any chances. My famil
y needs me to work.” With that Isaac turned and was gone as quickly as he had arrived.
Lin was stunned. She still had no proof and she felt sure that Isaac’s word might not mean much to law enforcement authorities. After all, he was, at the very least, an accessory to whatever was going on with the gallery. Still Lin felt some sense of reassurance that her instincts—and Sue Gray’s as well—were on target. Now she simply had to keep pushing. She had to know how all of this linked together.
It was exactly three o’clock when Lin entered David Cameron’s office. She had stopped by her car to pick up her files containing information gathered so far and was still juggling her half-finished cup of coffee.
The young receptionist came around her desk, “ Here let me hold these papers for you. Mr. Cameron just called. He is running a few minutes late but said for you to go ahead and relax in his conference room. Can I warm that coffee for you?”
Lin graciously accepted the offer and was soon sitting at the plain oak table in Cameron’s conference room. Nothing fancy, after all David was employed as a public defender, but the room was comfortable and airy with bright sunlight streaming in from tall windows. Lin spread out her notes and papers and began to try to put them into some order. She really was beginning to feel that information was coming at her from all directions. It was time to review and classify all that she had learned thus far. She was just beginning to read through her notes when Cameron entered the room.
“Thanks for waiting, I had to run a quick errand before I left the court house.” Cameron removed his jacket and placed it on a pole in the corner of the room.
“Looks like you have a wealth of information there,” he spoke, indicating her notes and papers.
“Too much—yet not enough!” Lin remarked, “ I just wish I could tie some of this stuff together.”
“Well, I think we can tie one loose end,” Cameron remarked, “Michael is sure that Raymond Tso is responsible for what happened to his mother. He spilled the beans about his gambling debts and his working in Tso’s shop to repay. Apparently, Mr. Tso still intends to collect from the family.”
“Yes, but the debts should have already been satisfied,” Lin remarked. She explained to David what Sophie had said about Michael and Teddy working for more than a year without taking home any money. “She told the sheriff’s office about that and I think they are contacting the tribal police. I’m sure that Mr. Tso has violated labor laws, not to mention sending that man to threaten and assault Sophie.”
“Mr. Tso is most likely behind the beating Sophie endured yesterday,” Cameron offered. “Learning about that really shook Michael up. He is still afraid for his mother and his family but I think I convinced him that he couldn’t protect them by remaining silent about what was going on. Only the authorities can help in this situation.”
“ Michael gave me a lot of information that I’ll be glad to share with you, since you are helping the family. I spoke with Sophie by phone earlier and she gave me permission to talk with you about all this. I had her to sign an official release of information form while she was at the sheriff’s department. I persuaded Michael that he couldn’t hide what he was doing from his Mother. She needs to know for her own protection. I did promise him that I would only use the information to help him or to help his family. The same goes for Teddy. I’m defending him also.” Cameron seemed happy that he had finally gotten Michael to share with him.
“I can promise you that I will not misuse any information which you give me. I’m trying to help Sophie and her family learn what happened to her brother last year and I think it is all connected somehow to recent events.” Lin explained.
“Well, Michael told me that he and Teddy went to the park last Monday to search for some old pottery that is supposedly buried near that box canyon area—near the place where his clan collects eagle feathers and such. Supposedly the boys had a hand drawn map. He says he threw it away when they left.”
“ Apparently the boys saw the dead bodies when they got there and became frightened. They ran back to their truck; that is when Michael must have dropped the belt buckle that was in his pocket. After they left, he said, they tore up the map that Raymond Tso had given them. He thinks he could still find the place where supposedly the pots are hidden—but he admits that he is not sure if there are any pots, there or anywhere for that matter. I wish he still had the map so I could use that to back up his story with the sheriff but…” David seemed troubled, “I believe what he is saying but we will need more than that to avoid charges.”
The wheels were turning in Lin’s mind, “Why were they looking for old pottery in the first place?” she asked. Her thoughts were rambling—trying to make connections. She remembered that Jimmy Chee had said Darren Steele, in his drunken state, was talking about looking for pottery also; he had turned up dead in the same location the boys were looking.
Cameron continued, “Apparently, Raymond Tso had promised the boys forgiveness for their remaining debts if they could locate some pottery that was supposedly hidden in that part of the park. Michael told me that Tso met with some Chinese guy from New Mexico a few weeks ago. It was after that visit that the hunt for the pottery started. Tso also hinted that the boys might find it profitable to continue to work for him after this pottery was located—said there might be other jobs.”
Lin’s thoughts were clicking now. She thought of the information Sue was gathering about the trade in stolen pottery. Perhaps John Sessions was not the only one involved in this trade. Maybe Raymond Tso was also connected somehow. Were these pots valuable enough to kill for? Lin realized that Cameron was still talking but she wasn’t really listening.
“I’m sorry David. I’m afraid I wasn’t paying attention.” Lin told David about her feeling that Cullen Honeyestewa had somehow been linked to John Sessions who was the former employer of Darren Steele. “Apparently though, Darren left about a year ago. Maybe he had made connections with the stolen art world; maybe Raymond Tso was involved also. I know that Sue Gray suspects John Sessions is involved in stolen art—and a young assistant at the gallery has said that this is true—but that may be another case entirely, since Steele was no longer in his employ.”
Cameron looked thoughtful. “It would be hard to say about Sessions, although I feel sure that dealing in stolen art and artifacts is a lot more widespread than we might think. You may be right about Steele going out on his own, so to speak. You may not know that he was known also to Raymond Tso—his cousin, in fact.”
“And maybe a cheating cousin?” Lin queried.
“What I was saying earlier is that Michael and Teddy have procured some stolen artifacts and small art pieces for Tso before this more recent effort. Michael said it was small stuff—until the search for this pottery began. He thinks this Chinese guy was somehow connected too—but he doesn’t know his name.”
“It seems to me that Raymond Tso might be a better suspect in this killing than Michael and Teddy are! Does deputy Taylor have all of this information?” Lin asked.
“He will soon,” Cameron offered. “I have arranged for Michael to tell all of this to the deputy tomorrow morning. I will be present for the meeting. Hopefully, Tso will have been picked up by the tribal police for the assault on Sophie. If we can link all of this information for the authorities, perhaps Michael and Teddy can be released.”
“I certainly hope so,” Lin smiled. She couldn’t forget her primary goal however, “Does Michael have any idea why his uncle also died in that same part of the park?”
“Not really,” David was thoughtful. “He said that Cullen had promised him some major help paying off his debts to Tso shortly before he disappeared but he didn’t know what he had in mind. “
Lin thought back to the fact that Cullen had John Sessions’ business card in his possession and, she could not forget, he had some connection to Neal Smith who did archeological work in the park. She told David about the business card and reminded him that there was some reason to believe Session
s was in the stolen art trade. She couldn’t bring herself to mention Neal Smith, however.
“It does seem suspicious,” David agreed. “Maybe Cullen was hoping to help Michael by selling some art or artifacts but I’m afraid we really can’t pursue that angle legally without more real evidence. Hunches and suspicions will not do it.” His face brightened a bit, “but we do have some more solid information regarding Raymond Tso. That is the angle I need to pursue for the benefit of Michael and Teddy.”
“ Sue Gray and I will continue to work to learn more about what Cullen was doing in the park last year when he died,” Lin offered. “If we find any definite connections to this current case—any evidence which could help you we will be in touch.”
“Thanks,” David said—rising to show her out, “and I will do the same for you. I’ll call you tomorrow when I learn what will be done about Michael and Teddy.”
Lin thanked the young man, gathered her notes, and prepared to leave. Things were looking up a bit for Michael and Teddy. It would be good to have some positive news to share with Sophie.
Chapter 25
It was almost four when Lin left David Cameron’s office. As she headed back to her car she mulled her options for the rest of the afternoon. Sue had indicated she would be at the newspaper office or, perhaps, the public library all afternoon and Sophie was most likely sleeping still. Her thoughts drifted to Neal Smith—her emotions were in a bit of turmoil where the handsome professor was concerned. She hadn’t seen nor heard from him since their last evening together when he became so upset when she wouldn’t drop the subject of Cullen’s death. She still was convinced in her mind that he did know Cullen and that he could shed light on what he was doing in the park. If only she could get him to talk to her about this. While she didn’t trust his denial of having known Cullen, neither did she believe that he could be involved in anything violent. Somehow she just didn’t see this in him. Perhaps she was losing her instincts where people were concerned, but she didn’t think so. She still trusted her own judgment. Smith was lying to her about Cullen but he was, at heart, a good and gentle man. She felt herself tearing up a bit as she thought about Neal. She had to admit that she did care for him—even if that was a lost cause at this point.
Earthcrack: A Lin Hanna Mystery Page 25
