Lin was relieved to hear that Michael was OK. The meds were working and she was able to rest more comfortably as Billy began to tell her the rest of the story.
While Raymond Tso was indeed selling stolen art and artifacts, his was a small- scale operation; although, he was seeking to enlarge his business using Lee Chou as his outlet. The Santa Fe police had picked up Chou for questioning with possible serious charges pending. Meanwhile, Tso was being held by the tribal police on multiple charges—but not murder.
Lin had been correct when she identified Sessions. He was not only her attacker, Billy felt sure he was also guilty of murder. Sessions was denying this; however, a rifle and a hunting knife had been found when the sheriff’s men searched his gallery storeroom, after obtaining a warrant.
“We are still awaiting ballistic and lab results on these weapons,” Billy reported, “I feel certain they will be identified as the murder weapons. Meanwhile, we have booked Sessions on attempted murder of you and Michael.”
Billy speculated further, “It may well be that Sessions didn’t actually kill Henry Piestewa. It’s unusual for a killer to use two different methods, after all. My guess is that we may find that the knife belonged to Darren and he used that to kill Henry—then Sessions shot him, at some point. Sessions probably found the knife and hid it, along with his weapon. It’s a crazy scenario but, sooner or later, we’ll have the facts and get it straight.”
Continuing his train of thought, Billy went on, “ We think that Darren was searching for the pottery. Henry might have known something about where it was located. That may have been the link to Cullen’s earlier death—he might have told Henry where he hid the pots he found. Darren may have realized that possibility and gone after Henry.”
Lin smiled at this possible link to Cullen’s death—maybe Darren was responsible for that also. After all, he was supposedly meeting Cullen to get the pots and he disappeared shortly after that time.
“We found blood evidence earlier that indicated Henry was killed atop that rise, where the old ruins were located, and was dragged down to the place he was found. Darren was shot there, probably by Sessions using the rifle we found—the same one he used on your head.” Billy said.
“One of Tso’s men has admitted following Darren but says he never found him; claims he saw Henry’s body though. Apparently, he encountered one of Chou’s men from New Mexico who was also following Steele. Tso’s man says they both left the scene when they saw the body—they thought it was Darren. Darren and Henry were dressed similarly in jeans, western shirts, and boots—and the men following Darren were apparently unaware that Henry had even come to the park. Darren evidently hid when he heard them coming. Sessions must have arrived after they left—and after Darren had emerged from his hiding place—that’s when Sessions forced Darren to show him where he thought the pottery was hidden and then shot him. The pottery has not yet been uncovered but we feel fairly certain it’s there—where Michael was searching. Sessions most likely came to that spot to search also—that’s when he ran into you and Michael.”
“At least that’s my version of the story,” Billy said. “I believe, when all the relevant facts are in, they will support it.”
Danielle continued the tale , “ We can’t be certain how Henry got involved in all of this. Probably, he had some information about the pottery—perhaps from Cullen, as Billy said earlier. He was a good man and there is no evidence he had ever been involved in any wrongdoing. I guess he simply became a victim of this whole situation.”
Danielle turned to Neal. “Thanks to Dr. Smith we now know all about the pottery that Cullen found and planned to sell,” she looked at Lin, “We now have the information which connects Cullen’s death, perhaps by Darren’s hand, to these other murders.”
Lin turned to look at Neal but his head was lowered. She was certain he found this part of the story painful.
Billy picked up the tale at this point, “ We are most grateful to Neal,” he placed his hand on Neal’s shoulder, “thanks to his help we now can piece together most of the story and, not only can we charge John Sessions with murder, but also with the theft of valuable art and artifacts. Hopefully, some of these can be recovered.”
“ Although he denies killing anyone, John did confess that he was focused on finding the pottery that Cullen had promised to deliver last year,” Billy turned to Sue with a knowing grin, “apparently he had a wealthy customer waiting in the wings!”
Sessions claims Darren and Tso must be responsible for the murders, that the weapons were planted to make him look guilty, but I think the crime lab tests will prove otherwise and the security system at Sessions’ gallery is such that it would be difficult for anyone to enter the warehouse undetected—it is wired to the police department and has video surveillance as well. If anyone had tried to circumvent this system the police would have been alerted.”
“John also said that he thinks Darren may have killed Cullen, hoping to take the pottery and sell it himself—cutting the gallery and Smith out of the deal altogether,” Billy added, “Sessions had returned to the scene last Saturday—the first day the area was reopened—to find the pots. He discovered that you and Michael were there first. If you hadn’t been there, he would’ve probably gotten away with the theft, as well as the murder—we already thought we had Tso for that! He left you to die. He probably tried to pursue Michael—luckily he didn’t succeed.
Lin shook her head in dismay—that caused the painful throbbing that the meds had dulled to return. She stopped immediately but asked, “ What about the first attack—the man with the beard?”
“When, I got your message, I was worried,” Billy responded. “I had assumed that your attacker was one of Tso’s men but I realized it was unlikely. Most Native American men don’t have heavy facial hair! But I’m afraid, I didn’t figure out who carried out that attack in time to prevent what happened to you and Michael.”
Billy continued, “ I’m sorry but, we have not yet succeeded in finding out exactly who attacked you at Sue’s place. I think Sessions will probably tell us when we confront him with actual murder charges—which will hopefully happen soon. I expect he hired some local thug to carry out that deed.”
Lin still had more questions…”What about the pottery? Michael wanted to find it for his family—to restore honor and make things right.”
Danielle responded, “ We think he was on the right track—possibly Cullen had hidden the pottery beneath that old ruined wall. We have some of the park archeologist’s out there right now looking for it. If they can find it, it will be evaluated and preserved for the tribe and for the community to enjoy.”
Lin felt a deep sense of relief and satisfaction. Things were going to work out for Michael and his family—she felt sure that Michael had turned the corner his uncle was hoping for. He would soon be on the right path. She found herself feeling very sleepy again—the pain meds were probably working.
Sue Gray noticed Lin’s eyes closing and spoke up. “ I think we should let Lin rest now. We can talk more later,” she moved toward the door and the others got up to leave—all except Neal.
“I’m going to stay,” he said. As the others departed, Neal carefully lowered the head of her bed. He dimmed the lights in the room and pulled a chair next to her. Gently he placed her left hand in his—IV and all. “You rest now,” he said quietly, “I’ll be right here.”
Lin wanted to talk more. She wanted to ask about his sharing information with Billy—about what he had decided and what was going to happen to him but her tired, battered body won out and she couldn’t focus her attention enough to ask anything. As she drifted off into sleep, she thought. All that can wait. It’s enough that he is here with me now—and I feel safe.
Epilogue
Lin’s recovery continued along a relatively smooth course. Her ankle healed fairly quickly and her bruises were fading. Her headaches continued to recur from time to time—after all she had endured a second concussion—but, they bec
ame less frequent as time passed.
Dr. Barnes performed surgery on her battered shoulder before she left the hospital—that extended her stay several days. Before the surgery took place, Lin’s son and daughter flew out from the east to be with her—unfortunately, her grandkids had to remain at home as school was still in session. Lin insisted that she still wanted them to visit as soon as possible when their summer vacation began.
“Are you sure you want to stay here all summer?” Lin’s son Ben, Jr. asked, “I thought maybe you would want us to take you back home.”
Lin insisted that she planned to stay. After all, her volunteer stint had just begun. Danielle was willing to work with her—she might even extend her stay into the fall—she hadn’t even had time to do all the things she had planned anyway.
Somewhat reluctantly, her kids agreed that it was her decision. Perhaps it would be better for Dr. Barnes to continue her follow up care, anyway. They insisted on postponing the grandkids visit until he gave the ok—and Lin realized that might be best. There would be plenty of time for the visit later in the summer.
Neal met both Ben, Jr. and Lucy while Lin was in surgery. Later she introduced him simply as a friend with no further details, but she suspected they realized that there was more to their growing relationship. This was confirmed, when the two of them were getting ready to leave the following day. Lucy leaned close to her as she was saying goodbye and whispered in her ear—“I like Neal, Mom. Ben does too, I think… even if he won’t admit it!” Lin returned Lucy’s smile.
“You two travel safely, “ she said, “thanks for coming. I’ll stay in touch and let you know when Dr. Barnes has released me so the kids can come for their visit.” Neal was there and stepped forward to shake Ben Jr’s offered hand. “I’ll take care of her,” he insisted, “I’ll make her follow doctor’s orders!” he gave her a knowing look.
“You, do that,” Lucy grinned, “we know our Mom!”
When they left, Neal settled down into the chair opposite her bed. Dr. Barnes had been in earlier and indicated that she could be discharged the following day, provided she would stay with Sue for at least two weeks. At that point, he felt she could begin routine physical therapy and could return to Wupatki and her volunteer status, at least on a limited basis.
“I like your kids,” Neal smiled at her. “Ben, Jr. is a fine fellow. Lucy has her Mom’s charming personality—and she’s almost as good looking,” he joked.
Lin smiled at him but her thoughts were troubled. At no point during the week since she had been injured had he talked about what had transpired between him and Billy Taylor. All she knew was that his information had helped to make a case against John Sessions. There had been people around all week—Sue, Billy, Danielle, Toby , her kids, even Michael and Sophie had come in. Michael was recovering well. He had been discharged the previous day. Now she and Neal were alone and it was time for her to find out the rest of his story. She took a deep breath, pushed herself into as comfortable a position as she could manage, and jumped in.
“OK, Dr. Smith,” she began, “everyone is gone now—it’s just you and me. What did you do—how did you approach Billy Taylor with your information about Cullen and John Sessions? What happened and what is going to be the result—for you that is?” She felt a bit of anxiety as she waited to hear his answer but she had to know.
Neal pulled his chair closer to her bedside. “It’s going to be ok,” he said. “I consulted an attorney—Mike Bates, a friend of mine—he arranged for me to talk to Billy—with him in attendance also. That was right after you were hurt—the first time.”
Lin remembered his saying he was going to do something about his situation—that day.
Neal continued, “ We made an agreement that, since the original deal was never consummated, and nothing had ever been taken or sold, no charges would be brought against me, if I gave them information to use in their investigation of John. That was, of course, before any of us had any reason to suspect him in the murder case. By that time, I was convinced John was into this black market art thing more deeply than I had originally thought, so I felt I had to talk to the authorities. Anyway, that is basically all there is to the story. John is under arrest and, frankly, the art theft is the least of his worries now—and I am well out of any such dealings—forever!” he added.
Lin smiled at him but pressed on, “What about the university? What did they say?” She felt a bit uneasy when she saw the expression on Neal’s face but she had to know.
“That’s a bit more complicated, I’m afraid,” he responded. “They can’t afford to have the department associated with any black market dealings—even if they never were actually carried out. They have placed me on administrative leave for the remainder of this term—and for the fall semester—but they have agreed to issue no statements regarding why and nothing will be placed in my personnel file. They have indicated that I can return next spring with no further consequences—provided I keep my nose clean!” He smiled as he gently stroked Lin’s free hand. “I’m not sure what I will decide at this point—you do realize that I am old enough to retire if I choose!”
Lin smiled and nodded, “I’m already retired, you know, and I have some good ideas about how you can spend some of your newly found free time for the next few months!”
“So, do I,” Neal smiled, leaning forward to plant a warm kiss on her forehead, “So, do I!”
About the Author
Sharon Canipe is a retired school administrator who most enjoys reading and travel. She was inspired by her experience as a volunteer with the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service to write mysteries set in various locations that she has visited and enjoyed. Hopefully readers will also enjoy these adventures! Sharon and her husband Steve split their time between homes in North Carolina and Arizona. They enjoy traveling to various locations within the U.S. and also to international destinations. The first two books in the Lin Hanna mystery series are set in the beautiful states they call home.
SANDRIFT
BOOK 2: LIN HANNA MYSTERIES
Watch for the second in this series of mysteries coming soon. A preview of this intriguing tale follows. Lin’s desire to help the family of a young woman falsely accused of murder leads her once again into a world of crime and intrigue. Among the drifting sand dunes and maritime forests of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Lin finds that a peaceful family holiday becomes a dangerous adventure!
SANDRIFT
PROLOGUE
November , 2000
Liz Frazier let the door to Tim’s bar slam behind her stumbling awkwardly as she went down the steps. She was angry that Tim had taken her car keys from her claiming that she was too drunk to drive home.
“You’ll get caught,” Tim had insisted, “ Don’t need a DUI. Go on and walk. It ain’t far and besides the air might do you good, sober you up a bit. Carrying on with all your crazy talk—some of these yokels will knock you senseless for that so-called treasure of yours—if it’s real!”
Tim’s doubting her story sent Liz into a rage causing Tim to grab her keys and shove her more or less gently out the door. Now she stumbled lazily through the sandy parking lot heading toward the highway and the dirt road on the other side that led to her small frame house. It was really just a short walk and maybe she could work off some of her anger. She’d show them all—thinking she was lying about finding the diamond jewelry.
The stiff ocean breeze hit Liz in the face as she walked down the highway’s edge to the dirt road. It felt good and seemed to clear her head a bit. Maybe she had drunk too much to drive home—whatever, Tim would take care of her car—battered old heap that it was. She could get her keys tomorrow. Tomorrow would be a better day. Tomorrow she would take her treasure to town and find someone to appraise it and tell her what it was really worth. That was what her friend Billy at Island Pawn had told her to do—said it was really good stuff—too rich for his blood. Liz trusted Billy. He always helped her out with her treasure
hunting finds—a lost watch or ring here and there, sometimes a piece of silver flatware off a fancy wreck but he refused to touch this stuff saying it was far too valuable for his small pawn shop.
Liz’s sometimes boyfriend, Mark, had also looked at the jewelry. Liz could still recall the greedy look in his eye when he offered to take it back to his art gallery in Manteo and do some research for her. He thought it might be worth about twenty-five thousand, give or take, but something about the way he said this made alarms go off in Liz’s head and she refused to let him take the stuff back with him at that time. “I’ll bring it in myself,” she told him, “maybe we can go together to one of your Jeweler friends and have him look at it.” Liz knew that Mark dealt mostly in art objects so what did he really know about the value of this jewelry?
As she approached the end of the road where her house was located, she thought to herself; that’s exactly what I will do—tomorrow. Mark might not be a jeweler but he did know a lot of other businessmen in Manteo where his own shop was located. That was probably what he had planned to do anyway; maybe she shouldn’t have been so distrustful. Anyway, tomorrow would be soon enough. She would call Mark first thing in the morning and make the arrangements. He probably wouldn’t want her to come to town, fearful that his wife might find out about her but Liz didn’t care. She was tired of just being his “beach playgirl.” Let him worry about his reputation. She had every right to show up in town anyway!
Earthcrack: A Lin Hanna Mystery Page 34
