by Tanya Stowe
“Or by someone he trusted.”
Alex met Lara’s gaze. He hadn’t appreciated until now how quickly her mind worked. “Do you know someone like that, someone Troy trusts, who might have loaned him money?”
“No. But I can find out.”
The determination in her voice set Alex on edge. “I don’t want you taking any chances, Lara. These men tried to run us off the road today. They’re dangerous. You don’t need to get involved.”
“I’m already involved. The people I love are in danger and I won’t sit by and watch.” She turned to face the dipping sun. “I can’t believe this is happening…and all because Troy owes someone money when all he has to do is talk to my father.”
Another burn of guilt swept through Alex. He couldn’t tell Lara how much more there was to the plot without explaining his deception. He couldn’t do that. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
He faced the setting sun as the truth he’d been avoiding crept deep into his bones. He’d demanded trust from her, and she’d given it. That and more. But he was holding something back, manipulating her like a puppet after he’d accused everyone she loved and trusted of doing the same thing. He was caught in a web of his own making. He’d been too clever, too smart for his own good.
From the moment he’d met Lara, he’d understood her, bonded with her…and he’d used that bond to get what he wanted. All for the greater good, he’d told himself. And maybe it had been. But in the end, it would cost him. He had the feeling the price would be more than he wanted to pay.
Rising, he extended his hand. “Come on. We need to get going if we want to get off this mountain before dark.”
“I have to talk to Troy and tell him I know everything. This has to stop. I won’t let Christy be put in harm’s way.”
Alex gritted his teeth. “Yes, you’ll have to talk to him. But not yet. Not just yet.”
She turned to him, her blue eyes wide. “Why not?”
Because I need time to follow these leads, to find hard core evidence.
“We need more information.”
She studied him and Alex shifted, uncomfortable beneath her gaze.
“If their goal was to scare Troy by threatening Christy, they’ve done their work.” Alex explained. “Now they’ll wait to see what Troy does. Christy is safe for the time being. That gives us time.”
“Time for what?”
“To discover what they’re really after. This was a pretty elaborate setup, Lara. Months of preparation and probably lots of money have gone into this game. Just so they could get money back from Troy? I think something else is going on, and we need to find out what that could be.”
“You’re probably right. But I don’t even know where to begin.”
Alex hid his sigh of relief. “Let’s start at the school. It seems to be the center of all this.”
“OK. We can start now. Everyone’s gone.” She hurried ahead of him to punch in her code numbers at the door.
Alex looked away, determined to bury his feelings of guilt. Lara was in danger. The sooner he found out the truth, the sooner she would be safe.
As soon as they stepped inside, Lara flipped on a light and headed toward the offices. Halfway there, her phone chirped. “Brett. He’s asking me to check the mail room for a letter.”
“The school has a mail room?”
She nodded, her back to him as she led the way down the hall. “All my father’s offices have one. His business does a lot of shipping and receiving with crates and all. A mailroom is pretty standard.”
They walked into a back room with a large loading door for receiving shipments.
While Lara searched the desk for Brett’s letter, Alex moved to the back. In one dark corner, he found several wooden crates. They were empty and all shipping labels had been carefully removed, but as Alex stepped closer, something gritted beneath his shoes.
Using the light of his cell phone, he crouched to examine the floor. Dirt. The mailroom was clean everywhere except here, near these crates. He held the cell phone inside the crate and found a pile in one corner. He pinched some of the material between his fingertips. More dirt. Good, red, Southwest dirt. Could it have come from a shipment of ancient Chaco pottery looted from a priceless archaeological site?
“Is there a shipping manifest?” He called to Lara across the room.
“Usually, yes. Packing and shipping is a big deal. It’s kind of an important position in my father’s company.”
“So they wouldn’t hire a local?”
“Not likely.” Lara continued her search of the desk. “They would want someone with experience, someone they trained.”
Alex brushed the dirt off his fingertips as he walked to the desk.
“Here’s the manifest.” Lara handed him a clipboard.
The list contained shipments for the previous month. Most of the listings were for art equipment and supplies. Only four entries were blank. No weight, contents, or prices were listed. The crates could have contained anything…including illegal Chaco pottery.
At the height of the Anasazi craze, pothunters destroyed valuable sites that might have revealed more information about the ancient Chaco people. Pothunters even desecrated Native American gravesites in search of perfect pieces of fifteen hundred-year-old pottery. Laws were enacted to protect and preserve not only the artifacts, but to prevent the desecration of sacred Native American lands. The laws specifically prohibited the removal and sale of Chaco artifacts from public or Native American lands.
Could this be the threat hanging over Troy’s head? Use Fallon Enterprises’ resources to ship the illegally obtained artifacts out of the country or they would hurt his daughter. Did Brett know and if he did, how far up the company chain did the knowledge go…all the way to Lara’s father? Had Daniel Fallon purposely removed himself from the school for his own protection?
Alex almost didn’t want to know the answers. He forced himself to scan the list again, then he looked at the labeled numbers on the backs of the crates across the room…the only numbers with no shipping details.
“I need to know the name of the man in charge of this mailroom.” Alex struggled to keep his tone low. “Can you get it for me?”
12
“Alan Chang.” Alex tilted his cell phone closer to his mouth and spelled the last name of the mailroom clerk for clarification. Lara had texted the name to him early this morning and he, in turn, had called Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent in Charge, Jason Bowman.
An international advisory and reporting agency, UNESCO had no legal or judicial powers. Alex’s usual course of action when working was to liaison with the legal authorities of the country. In the U.S., I.C.E. was the authority, specifically Agent Bowman.
“I’ll do a background check on Chang ASAP,” Bowman said. “Did you happen to take photos of the crates?”
“No. I didn’t want to alert Ms. Fallon. Besides, something bothers me about those crates.”
“What do you mean?”
“Too obvious. The crates were sitting right out in the open with the numbers on the back and the manifest on the desk. These criminals have been clever…too clever to leave a trail that obvious. And then there’s the anonymous tip.”
Bowman was silent for a moment. “Are you thinking it’s some kind of a setup?”
“It might be. I’m actually beginning to think the Fallon folks are innocent.” Or at least some of them.
“You could be right. Let me see what I can find on this Chang, and I’ll get back to you.”
“Did you run the check on the license plate number I gave you?”
“Yeah, the black SUV is registered to an Arizona company called Far Sites. An offshore company owns it, but the CEO is a man by the name of Louis Ferone. No priors. No record. But he’s considered an expert in Southwest pottery, ancient and modern.”
“Sounds like the connection we’re looking for.”
“Could be. We’re checking into it now. In the meantime, be careful. I
don’t like the attack, especially since it involved the Madrigal child. It’s my job to protect antiquities and civilians. That includes you, my friend. If anything else happens, I’ll call a halt to the investigation and bring them all in for questioning.”
“If you do, you’ll destroy the Fallon School of Art’s opening and maybe its chances of success.”
“If it prevents someone from being hurt, that’s a price we’ll have to pay. Be careful.” Bowman said. “We’ll talk later.” He clicked off.
Alex stared into space. He wasn’t so sure he was willing to let the school fail, especially since it would destroy Lara. In fact, it would salve his conscience a great deal if he could find a way to make the school a success.
A day, Lord. Just give me another day to make it right.
A noise at the open glass door of the guesthouse broke Alex’s prayerful reverie. The small patio outside was empty, but the shadow of a man flickered across the steps. Leaping out the door, Alex crossed the patio and saw Carlos stalking toward the main house.
“How much did you hear?” Alex called out.
Carlos froze and turned slowly. His face was dark red with barely contained emotion. “Enough to know you’ve returned to your activities with UNESCO.”
Alex folded his arms. “Returned? I never stopped.”
Carlos’s lips thinned into a tight, thin white line. “I assumed you stopped after the incident in Istanbul.”
“You assumed wrong.”
Alex’s efforts in the Turkish capital had resulted in a collection of stolen Syrian antiquities being repatriated to the Syrian government. The angry collector, a Syrian national, attempted to sell the artifacts for arms to support his cause.
Caught by the authorities based on information Alex provided, the Syrian turned on Alex. An army of agents pounced before the culprit was able to inflict any real harm. The incident had little effect on Alex, but apparently had made a big impression on Carlos. Lately, Carlos had been inserting himself in all of Alex’s business, and his tolerance was near its breaking point.
“All right, then.” Carlos threw his arms out in exasperation. “I hoped you would stop putting yourself in danger and focus more on our music.”
“Our music?” Anger coiled tightly inside Alex. “I wasn’t aware you had written any of the pieces we perform. In fact, in spite of my constant encouragement and suggestions, you have failed to create any of your own work.”
The deep red color of Carlos’s face drained, leaving him pale.
In that moment, Alex recognized the truth. He had never met a musician who didn’t play around with music a little, creating his own compositions, or at least bits of songs. Carlos had none. His blanched features confirmed a suspicion that had been growing in Alex’s mind for a long while.
Carlos performed not for his love of music, but for a love of fame. He’d attached himself to Alex and had taken an acute interest in all his actions…even to the point of spying and listening to his conversations.
Alex could not permit the situation to continue. “This is a conversation we’ve had far too frequently to repeat again, Carlos. You need to develop as an artist. I will see to it that you have time.”
“What…what do you mean?”
“After this engagement, our association will be at an end. I will contact my lawyers immediately and have them draw up the papers to end our partnership.” Without another word, he spun and walked back into the guesthouse.
~*~
The long-awaited morning of horseback riding finally arrived. Lara rose early to ask Brett the name of the mailroom clerk. When she texted the info to Alex, he replied that he would not be able to ride with them, due to some business. Disappointed, and determined not to do the same to Christy, Lara headed up to the main house.
The car ride to the stables wound its way through a narrow, twisting canyon. It reminded Lara of the earlier incident. She was relieved when they turned off the road into a dirt driveway.
The driver parked in front of a sprawling ranch house.
Two young people with sandy-colored hair came out. The girl appeared to be around sixteen, the boy closer to Christy’s age. He went to the back of the limo and walked around it, but the girl headed straight for them.
“Hi. I’m Melissa Holt, and this is my brother, Tommy. Are you Christy?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Great!” The girl smiled. “We’ve been waiting for you.” She gestured to the house. “My dad’s in the office. By the time you’ve finished signing the papers, we’ll have the horses ready.”
Dan Holt had the same sandy hair and healthy outdoor look of his children. As Lara paid and signed the waivers, Dan chatted about the trail and informed them his children would be their guides. Within minutes, they were back outside.
Four horses were tied to the corral railings. Tommy walked around them, tugging cinches and testing saddles.
“So are we ready?” Melissa asked.
“All set.” Lara guided Christy to the first horse.
“Have you ever ridden before?” Melissa addressed Christy.
“I used to ride all the time, but I’ve been sick for a while.”
Tommy murmured under his breath and rolled his eyes.
Melissa sent him a piercing glare. “Ignore him.” She spoke directly to Christy as if Tommy and Lara had disappeared. “He’s into cars, right now. He thinks he wants to be a race car driver, but my dad makes him work here when he’s out of school, so he acts like a jerk and tries to make the rest of us miserable, too.”
Christy glanced his way. “He can be as big a jerk as he wants as he long as he lets me ride.”
Melissa laughed. “I like your attitude, Christy. We’re going to have a great time today.” She winked as she helped Christy mount.
Watching the two girls made Lara smile.
They took a trail that wound into the mountains before it began to climb. They entered a narrow canyon with high, sandy cliffs on each side. Melissa took the lead with Christy following, then Lara, and Tommy in the rear. The girls talked, Melissa pointing out land features, and Christy responding in kind, although she glanced back often with smiles for Lara.
The narrow confines of the canyon made Lara uncomfortable. Especially after shadows fell across the trail from above. She chalked it up to a case of nerves.
A while later, Tommy called out. “Hang on a minute.”
They brought their horses to a halt and looked back.
Tommy’s gaze trailed along the rim of the cliffs.
“What is it?” Melissa asked.
“Don’t know. For a minute, I thought someone was up there.”
Shivers rippled down Lara’s spine. So it wasn’t just her imagination! She studied the cliffs and the trail ahead. If someone were up there, what were they planning? Pinned as the four of them were in this narrow canyon, someone could easily shove boulders or rocks down on them—even swoop down and snatch Christy right out of her hands. How would she stop them? What could she do?
“I guess I was wrong,” Tommy said. “There’s nothing there. Let’s move on.”
Someone was up there, stalking them, waiting for the right moment. Lara’s gaze swept continually over the trail ahead and back to the edges. She pulled out her cell phone to call Alex, but she had no reception.
By the time the trail became an open space, Lara was a bundle of nerves. Now that they were clear of the cliffs, she could see the ranch house ahead. Some of her tension eased. But she was more than ready for the ride to end. Trying not to convey her concerns to the young people, she took several long breaths.
When they finally reached the ranch house, Daniel Holt was waiting for them. “How was the ride?”
Christy responded enthusiastically. She and Melissa made plans for a return visit.
Lara looked back at the path and the mountain, wondering if she’d let her fears get the best of her.
“What do you think, Lara? Would it be all right?”
�
��I—we’ll see,” she replied with a quick smile, covering her lack of attention.
“If Lara can’t make it next week, maybe my mom can. She loves to ride too,” Christy said.
“Great. I’ll put it in the books.” Melissa waved and headed to the office while Tommy led the horses towards the corral. He didn’t say a word, but Lara wasn’t so worried that she missed the quick glance he sent back in Christy’s direction.
Christy didn’t miss it either, and Lara’s smile slipped out, sneaking right past her worries. Everything she’d hoped would happen in this outing had come true. Christy had discovered she could still be physical. She’d had fun and even met some kids close to her age. Lara wanted to be pleased, but her suspicions took the shine off her happiness. Thankfully, Christy seemed completely unaware.
In the limo, Christy started to chatter. Still pumped up, she carried on and on about the horses, the beautiful trail, so different from the trails in New York and Central Park. Melissa was wonderful and Tommy was a jerk, but her voice held a certain tone that Lara couldn’t miss.
“I’ve never really been into car races,” Christy said. “If it’s so interesting, maybe I should check it out.”
Lara couldn’t help smiling again and eased back into her seat. Had she let her emotions get the best of her?
An SUV came alongside on the left and slowed, pacing the limo.
“Hey,” Christy called out. “That looks like the car that almost ran us off the mountain!”
The SUV shot ahead of them. When it was a couple of car lengths in front, it signaled, and pulled over to the side.
“Wow.” Christy’s voice was low. “That was weird. Why do you suppose they had to get in front of us and then pulled over to the side? It was almost like they wanted to make sure we noticed them.”
“Oh, they probably just had a problem and had to turn off.” But Lara was convinced Christy spoke the truth. The men in the car wanted to make sure Lara knew they’d been followed all the way from the trail.
~*~
Lara left Christy to relate their adventure to Eliza and slipped away with a wave. She was desperate to talk to Alex but preferred to do it from the security of her own room. Almost running down the path to her bungalow, she pushed open the door and stopped. Suitcases sat in the doorway, and her dad stood in the center of the room. Argument and differences forgotten, Lara flew into his arms.
