by K C West
“Fantastic. Well done, Detective Sergeant Esperanza.”
“Well done, Pup, you mean. He has a real nose for criminology and forensics.”
“I think he just likes bones.”
She laughed. “Probably.”
“Hey, speaking of bones reminds me of the corpse powder thing that had Kim so freaked out.”
“Right.” She turned a few pages in her folder. “I have a report from the lab right here, someplace.” She slid a folded piece of paper across the table to me. “Looks like you’re off the hook.”
I scanned the document. “Thank God. Talc and household cleanser. This should satisfy her. Now she can stop threatening me with sweat lodges and cleansing ceremonies.”
“I know what you mean. Your housekeeper’s been beside herself with worry about contamination and witches’ spells. She was certain you and Kim would be subjected to a lifetime of pain and suffering. The Simms woman certainly knew how to damage her victims psychologically.”
“She knew all the right buttons to push. And I guess it’s ‘once a Navajo, always a Navajo’ when it comes to taboos and harmony with Little Bird. She’s so sweet, though. I don’t know how I’d have survived this whole ordeal without her and Jasper. All of you, actually.”
“Just part of the job, ma’am,” Gina said. “Oh, I almost forgot.” She rummaged through her briefcase and produced several pages of white, typed paper. “When Kim is able to process the information, you may want to show her this. It’s a preliminary copy of the autopsy report on Terry Simms.”
I felt my back stiffen. “The shot killed her, didn’t it?”
“Essentially, but she also had a brain tumor, one that she’d lived with for some time. It most likely caused her aberrant behavior.”
“Are you saying she was crazy?”
“The ME says she was definitely mentally unstable because of this tumor and its location. He said it was a virtual certainty that she’d have become more violent and dangerous over time.”
“My God! She was dangerous enough in the kiva.”
“It might help Kim to know that Terry Simms couldn’t have continued as a productive member of society. In fact, her life expectancy was probably numbered in months, if not weeks.”
I felt a momentary sadness for the dead woman. “She was a highly-respected anthropologist at one time. Do you suppose she knew about the tumor?”
“Hard to tell. Maybe she sought medical help.”
“Maybe she didn’t, seeing as how she was on the run from the law.”
“She must have suffered some ill health. Debilitating headaches, if nothing else.”
I gripped Gina’s hand. “Thank you so much. I’ll let Kim know.”
“Oh, and more good news, I think. The investigation is ongoing, of course, but we found some papers in the kiva that have led us to a few places in southern New Mexico and a town across the border in Mexico. We recovered a lot of alleged stolen property, and we hope to have something for you to identify and claim in a few days.”
“That is good news.”
Gina poked into another folder in her briefcase.
“I also can’t go into details on this, but I need to talk to Kim again when she’s able to give us a longer interview. We think we’ve found the accomplice who worked with Terry. Kim told us his name was Jake and she gave us a brief description of him before she went into surgery.”
“That’s fantastic. I’m sure Kim’ll want him brought to justice, if it’s the right guy.”
Gina shook her head. “If it’s the right guy, it’s too late for him. He’s dead.”
“Oh, my God.”
“When Mark interviewed you in the ER, you said the Simms woman admitted killing someone.”
“Yes. Kim and I both heard her say so.”
“We’re still putting all the pieces of the story together, but we think this was the killing she meant.”
“Geez.”
A hospital volunteer found me and told me I could visit with Kim for ten minutes.
“Thank you, Rosemary, I’ll be right along.” I turned and gave Gina an impromptu parting hug. “Thanks for everything. I think we’re going to be okay now. Kim’ll be so relieved to get all this information. Even though it was self-defense, I know she feels guilty about killing Terry. Maybe it’ll help Kim a little to know about the tumor.”
“You’re very welcome, PJ.” She opened her shoulder bag and pulled out an envelope. “Before I forget, I want to return this. The EMTs took it off Kim before transport.”
I opened the flap. “Our medallions. I wondered where they were.”
Gina hesitated. “They seem to have some sort of special significance for both of you.”
“They do, yes. Thanks for returning them.”
“Do you know why they feel so warm?”
I was pulling the chain over my head, but froze in mid-motion. “What did you say?”
“They were both warm, when I touched them. One was even hot for a time. I couldn’t figure out how that could happen. How could you stand to wear them that way?”
My stomach did a complete flip-flop. I felt the color drain from my face. For a brief moment, I thought I might faint.
Amazon alert! She felt the heat. It means she’s one of us.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. And, oh dear, I need to see Kim right now, but we have to talk about these.” I held up the medallions. “Soon, okay? It’s important that you and I have a chat, preferably over a bottle of wine or something stiffer.”
“Now you’ve really got me curious.” Gina looked at her watch. “And, I’ve got to run along, too. So, sure, we’ll meet. I want to know all about that crazy jewelry of yours. Call me, okay? And if you have more questions, or if you need anything else, let me know.” She waved as we parted outside the cafeteria and headed in opposite directions.
*
I lay in my bed, still hooked up to the monitors. Is this life support? What kind of life is it supporting?
The nurses moved silently around me and the doctor was in and out with barely a word to anyone. Perhaps they were getting ready to pull the plug. Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad idea, except for the fact that I’d be leaving PJ. Perhaps that, too, would be better in the long run. For her.
“Hey, tiger. I’m back.”
I felt a cool hand on my face and soft lips brush my forehead. When I opened my eyes, PJ was leaning over me. She took my hand and encased it in both of hers. “You okay?”
“As well as I can be under the circumstances.” My throat hurt and my voice was raspy, but if I didn’t move, I felt no discomfort. As soon as I shifted, the pain brought tears to my eyes. “Are you all right?”
“As long as I’m here with you, I’m perfect. How are you doing on your reduced pain medication?”
“Not good.”
“They want to wean you off the strong stuff as soon as possible.”
“I know, but it isn’t easy.”
“That doesn’t mean going without. I know you’d rather suffer than ask for something, even if it’s only Tylenol or Aspirin.”
“I’ll ask.”
“Promise me?”
“Yes. Okay. I promise.”
“Good.” She gave me a dazzling smile and pulled up a chair. “I have lots of news for you.”
I stared at her, wondering what she could have to say that would make her so happy. Lying in that hospital bed, I’d had a lot of time to think about what lay ahead for PJ and me. I knew what I had to do about our situation, and it wouldn’t make either of us happy, but it had to be done.
“First,” PJ said, “I have to do this.” She leaned over and licked my cheek.
“What the hell?”
“Pup asked me to deliver that.” Her eyes were bright with amusement.
“Uh-huh.”
“Okay, I’ll be serious. We have limited time, and you’re not as medicated for the pain today, so I’ll make it short and to the point. Gina said the t
ests on the alleged corpse powder were negative. It’s nothing but a mixture of talc, sand, and some kind of household cleanser. No sweat lodges, cleansing, or anything like that for us.”
“Yeah, well…”
“It’s a relief, isn’t it?”
“I’m pleased for you and whoever else came into the kiva that day, but I might’ve been better off if it’d been the real stuff.”
She bolted upright in her chair. “That damn medication must be messing with your mind. How can you make such a ridiculous statement?”
“Okay, somewhere deep inside me, I guess I’m glad to hear it. Now, please go. You must have something better to do than sit here with this wreck of a human being.”
“But, I’m not through yet. I have something else to tell you that might make you feel a little better about Terry’s death.”
Guilt washed over me like a bucket of dirty dish water. “And what could that possibly be?”
“She was sick. When they did the autopsy, they found a brain tumor. The preliminary findings indicated it may have caused her madness. The medical examiner also said she probably wouldn’t have survived more than a few months. I know how you feel. It was tragic that she died, but she was suffering and you saved her from that.”
You don’t know how I feel. She died because of me. Nothing will make that right.
“Gina gave me a copy of the report. You can read it as soon as you’re up to it.” PJ’s fingers brushed through my hair, absently rearranging the top and one side as she spoke. “Instead of robbing her of life, you stopped Terry’s agony and saved our lives, too. She’s at peace now. We need to forgive, forget, and move on.”
I glanced away, not daring to look at her. “That’s easy for you to say. You didn’t pull the trigger.”
“Damn it, Kim, you haven’t heard a word I’ve said. It’s not like you did it on purpose.”
I could hear exasperation in her voice. She went on.
“You were fighting for your life. And mine. It was an accident. We can’t change that.”
“PJ, please leave now. We’re only upsetting each other.”
I watched her eyes glisten with unshed tears, knowing I’d caused it. Would this insanity never end?
“We seem to be doing that a lot lately,” she said softly. “And I have some amazing news to tell you, but I’ll go if that’s what you want. I’ll be back, though. You aren’t dismissing me that easily.”
She kissed me on the mouth.
“Oh, dear.” She fumbled in her purse until she located a tube of lip ice and applied it to my cracked and dry lips. “I’ll leave this for whenever you need it.”
She dropped it into the drawer in my bedside table. “And I’ll save my really cool surprise for when you’re in better spirits.”
I didn’t respond. I had no idea when that might be.
I called Gina that evening and we arranged to meet at a cafe near the hospital the next morning. Kim’s mood had taken such a dramatic downturn that I was worried about what to say to her anymore.
We found a booth in the back and ordered a breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and tea.
“So what’s up, PJ? Are you going to explain about the crazy jewelry from yesterday?”
I prepared my tea before trying the eggs. “Okay, sure. We’ll get to that in a second. I want to talk about Kim first. My chat with her about all the stuff you told me didn’t go over like I thought it would.”
Gina chewed her toast and swallowed. “What happened?”
“She was cranky and barely heard anything I said. She couldn’t wait for me to leave. All she talks about is how she killed Terry.”
“It’s a valid point. I’ve seen officers behave like that when they’ve had to use their guns, even in justified shootings. And it was justified for Kim, from what you told me. We know it was self-defense, but we didn’t do the deed. Give her some time, okay? Be patient with her.”
I took a deep breath. “I’ll try.”
“Let her talk and don’t try to change her mind. I think her moodiness is very normal right now.”
“I’m so glad to hear you say that. And I’ll do my best to be calm, whatever mood she’s in.”
Gina poured us another cup of tea from the insulated carafe. “This tea is good. Is it what you usually drink?”
“Earl Grey. Kim and I got in the habit of drinking it when we first met in Arizona while working in the Superstition Mountains.”
“With the Amazons?”
I remembered my promise to talk with her about her status and pulled my medallion out from under my shirt. “I never got a chance to tell Kim about what you discovered.”
“You can tell her later on. But, I must admit, I’m curious.”
I said a silent prayer that the right words would come to me. Gina was a police officer. She dealt with real world problems, probably some of the harshest human tribulation imaginable. I’d better give it to her straight out. Just the facts.
“Here’s the deal, Gina. The medallion was warm when you touched it because you’re an Amazon. Probably an Amazon Warrior, considering your profession.”
She looked at me as though I’d just rocketed in from a far away galaxy. “I’m a what? An Amazon Warrior? You mean like a gang member?”
“Not exactly, no.” I wished we’d had something a little stronger to drink, even if it was early in the morning. “Let me start at the beginning. I’ll tell you about the dreams Kim had and how we came to find the lost tribe. I know it will sound crazy and totally bizarre, but it happened to us, and now I know you’re one of us. It’s a good thing. Really. At least, I hope it is.”
“You’d better talk fast, PJ. I’m about two seconds away from giving you a sobriety test.”
Two hours later, after refuting every argument and denial she tossed at me, I could see she was beginning to accept most of what I was telling her. She wasn’t one hundred percent on board, but I was used to that. I had been the queen of the skeptics. Flashbacks of the ancient Amazon village in Greece popped into my head as we talked. I remembered my stubborn resistance to Queen Leeja’s counseling. It would most likely take a visit from Gina’s personal spirit guide to convince her.
We finished our breakfast and parted on good terms. Gina reminded me that her offer for me to call if I needed further help with anything didn’t have an expiration date. I could only hope that having another of our sisters close at hand would somehow help Kim through the awful time she was experiencing.
*
I slept fitfully, only to be awakened by the unpleasant thoughts that kept intruding. Why couldn’t the corpse powder have been the real thing? Why couldn’t it have spilled before Terry sent PJ the message? If the powder had taken both Terry and me, it would’ve been so much easier. And there’d be a lot less heartbreak.
You’d never have known, PJ, and now I wonder if you’ll ever forgive me for what I have to do.
Chapter 26
The ranch looked the same when I returned. It was cozy and inviting. Just like home should always be. Pup greeted me with unbounded enthusiasm. Jackie and Cleo purred loudly when I reached over to pet them as they tried to rub against my legs.
On the surface, things appeared the same. PJ was the same gorgeous, loving woman she’d always been. Pup was the same loyal friend, and the kitties, though growing, were the same mischievous creatures who’d brought so much joy into our lives. Jasper and Little Bird had greeted me with a delicious pre-prepared meal. Our valley was as beautiful and unchanged as it had ever been, at least as far as I could see. The mountains appeared unaltered, though, in fact, they were ever-evolving and enduring. So nothing had really changed.
Except me.
PJ fussed over me like a mama bear with a sick cub. “Lean on me,” she’d said, as she helped me from the Rover into my wheelchair. Then, refusing Jasper’s assistance, she pushed me up the newly installed ramp and into the house. Once inside, she again refused help to settle me into my comfortable recliner. She made sure I had
everything I needed and that it was close by.
I felt her soft hand against my cheek. “Would you like some tea?”
“Okay, yes. That’s fine.”
Was I the only one who realized the truth? I was an invalid now, totally dependent on her and others for my needs. The doctors said I’d make a complete recovery in time, but how long would that be? Months, they said, but did they know for sure, and would it be complete? I’d dreaded this scenario for a long time, and it was the reason I always feared the difference in our ages.
Ironically, Terry had caused my current situation, not age. Even though I killed her, she’d still won. She’d instigated the beginning of the end for PJ and me, leaving me with blood on my hands. PJ thought Terry might’ve wanted to end her pain and suffering but lacked the courage to commit suicide, so she’d forced me to take her life. If Terry had planned that, she’d succeeded, but I’d never know.
One thing I did know. PJ and I would never be the same again.
*
Detective Nelson stepped into the living room and looked around. He’d brought me the last of our stolen property and I eagerly took the painting from his hands.
“I’m glad to see you’re looking better,” he said. “And Ms. Blair’s improving, too, I hope.”
“Thank you for asking.” I removed the protective paper covering from the artwork, not looking at him as I spoke. “She’s progressing slowly. She was barely alive when we got her out of that kiva, and she nearly died before they stopped her internal bleeding, so a gradual recovery is to be expected.”
I turned to him when I’d finished replacing the painting in its spot on the wall. “Sorry. I’m forgetting my manners. Would you like to sit down? Can I get you some iced tea or a soda? We have plenty of root beer.”
He perched on the end of a leather chair. “I guess the root beer would be good, if it’s not too much trouble.”
I started toward the kitchen, but turned back. “Did you need to speak with Kim, too? She’s sleeping, but I could wake her.”
