David Cameron looked thoughtful, “If that is all there is to your afternoon activities, I can see why you’re worried, but really the only possible evidence would be circumstantial at best. I recommend we wait to hear further from Deputy Ramirez. If he calls about prints or other evidence, you’ll go in and make your statement—but only with counsel. I’m staying over through Wednesday; I called my partner this afternoon to arrange that. If they call you in after that, my classmate here in Tucson, Rich Lafferty, has agreed to represent you as my co-counsel.”
Chris nodded in appreciation. “That makes me feel a little better. I think I’m going in to call Marla. I called her from the jail before we left to let her know I was getting out, but we really didn’t have time to talk.”
“We’ll clean up from dinner here and then we should be going back to our place,” Lin said. “It’s been a long day.”
“And I need to get out and find a hotel room,” Dave Cameron said sheepishly, “I’m afraid I left in a hurry…”
“Nonsense,” Chris replied, “You’ll stay here with me. Most of these places are only one bedroom but this one has two. It’s small but fully furnished and it has a bath so you’re welcome.”
Cameron agreed it would be nice to stay and quieter for him to work—he’d brought his laptop so he could keep up with things back home while helping out here.
Neal and Lin walked quietly back to their place. The night air was comfortable, a light breeze was blowing; the stars were absolutely brilliant in the navy blue sky. They walked slowly hand in hand feeling more relaxed than before.
“I’m glad David is here to take charge of things,” Lin said, “But I’d hoped we’d have more time to talk about our next steps in learning more about what’s going on here.”
“Maybe tomorrow over breakfast,” Neal responded, “Cameron suggested they’d pick us up about seven and we’d go out. I think he doesn’t plan to spend the day sitting around.”
“That’s a good thing,” Lin replied, “because I, for one, plan to head out to the reservation first thing after we eat.”
Chapter 6
The sun beating down on the highway to Sells created a series of mirages as Lin and David Cameron headed out to the reservation to meet John Manuel. It was still early but the temperatures were already rising. A distant bank of clouds to the south offered the possibility of monsoon rains later in the day but currently everything was hot and dusty.
Lin was worried about how they might be received once they arrived. She hoped that with John’s help they might be able to talk to Mrs. Garcia and learn more about why she thought this Mendoza person was responsible for Mark’s death. Earlier, over breakfast, it had been decided that Lin and David would head out to begin gathering information while Chris and Neal went to the state museum to meet with Pete Tedder about how to proceed with the archeological work at the site now that the area was once again closed off as a crime scene. Neal hadn’t been too happy with the idea of Lin being involved in the investigation, but he had seemed to accept the fact that she had no intention of spending the day at home alone. Since David was accompanying her and John Manuel had agreed to meet with them, he really couldn’t find a reason to object. Lin felt that she’d had some rapport with Mark’s mother when they’d first talked, and with Manuel getting involved, she felt that they could gather some valuable information.
They arrived at the tribal headquarters a bit early for their meeting. Lin wasn’t surprised to see Doug Davison and a small group of demonstrators once more marching back and forth on the sidewalk in front of the offices. It seemed that there were fewer people, perhaps some had been discouraged or frightened by Dave Jennings murder, but Davison was just as loud in voicing their concerns. Lin suggested that they give them a wide berth, choosing to walk on the opposite side of the street and approach the entrance at a point beyond the picket line.
John Manuel was ready for the meeting and offered them a fresh cup of coffee before they gathered in the conference room to talk. He had questions, so Lin brought him up to date about what had happened to Jennings, about Chris being detained with the discovery of Jennings vehicle in the wash, and about the meeting taking place to decide how best to proceed with the repatriation of the burials from the site.
Nodding in understanding, Manuel seemed comfortable with the plans Chris and Neal were trying to make. “The important thing is to keep people safe,” he said. “Working at the site seems to be problematic at best. I don’t see that there would be any objections from the tribe to having the remains removed, properly of course, and taken to the museum until they can be catalogued and identified for reburial here. Tell Dr. Dawkins and Dr. Smith that I will work with them in any way that I can to help.”
Lin thanked him for his cooperation and support and then turned to the reason for their coming back to the reservation.
“Dr. Manuel, we are concerned that the authorities don’t seem to be pursuing all the angles of these cases. They seem to be rushing to conclusions about who might be guilty of the crimes. They detained Dr. Dawkins yesterday without substantial evidence, and I’m not convinced that Sam Stevens is the one who killed Mark Garcia either. I know Chris Dawkins wouldn’t commit such a crime as murder, and I really think that Sam Stevens is just a somewhat arrogant young man who cast suspicion on himself by making general threats against the Lancer project. He’s still being held, so far as we know, in the Garcia case, but he couldn’t possibly have killed Jennings. Ben Ramirez seems to be thinking that the killings aren’t related, that it’s just a coincidence both occurred at the construction site but that doesn’t make sense to us. It would be unusual at best. Also, what possible logic would say that Chris Dawkins would commit a crime that would further interrupt his own work at the site? Desert Digs will certainly lose money with these delays and problems.” Lin seemed to be getting a bit carried away in her efforts to convince Manuel of their position.
Manuel finally spoke up, “You don’t have to convince me, Ms. Hanna. I totally agree with your conclusions. There’s more to this story than has been revealed thus far.” He paused to listen to the chants of the demonstrators outside. “Actually, I’m not convinced that Doug Davison isn’t involved in some way here. I doubt that his followers would commit acts of violence. In fact, I’m not sure all of them even really support his cause, at least not to the extent it might appear. He seems to have some sort of sway over some of these folks. They don’t seem willing to oppose him.”
“I did notice that the group is smaller, today,” Lin replied.
“Yes, I think some of these people have decided to wait and see what the tribe can work out with Lancer regarding a possible museum here or some way of preserving and presenting this find. They have stepped away from Davison, but others still seem somewhat intimidated by him and I’m not sure why?” Manuel seemed genuinely concerned and puzzled.
David Cameron was making notes as Manuel spoke. He joined the conversation, “I can have someone in my office do a background check on Davison and see what we can learn about him. Perhaps that may reveal some of his motives in this overall situation. Now, Dr. Manuel, what can you tell us about the first victim here—what about Mark Garcia? Is there anything in his background that could’ve led to his being a victim? Anything beyond his work on the excavation?”
Manuel leaned back in his chair and was thoughtful for a moment, as if considering what he should say. Finally, he spoke. “I’m somewhat reluctant to bring this up because, for the past several years, Mark was a very valuable member of this office. He was dedicated to his work with cultural resources and he did a good job. As a youth, Mark did have some problems, like a lot of our young folks experience, I’m afraid. He got mixed up with a bad crowd, was drinking, and using drugs, all that stuff. Finally, he got arrested and even served a brief term in juvenile detention. His mother was very concerned about him. But Mark was a very intelligent young man and he finally realized that he was on a destructive path. When he was released he went b
ack to school and began to work at various positions for the tribe. He came to this office a couple of years ago when I had an open position and I’ve never regretted hiring him. He was well respected in this community.”
“So detention seemed to serve as rehabilitation for Mark,” David Cameron offered, “Unfortunately, for so many young folks that’s not the case—they simply go back to their earlier problems when they are released.”
“Well, for Mark it was different,” Manuel continued, “his nephew, Tim, lost his way also but Tim lost his life as a result. He was just 15 when he was killed—part of a drug deal gone bad I think. He was working for one of the local dealers—but I’m not sure of any details. Anyway, after Tim died, Mark seemed to turn completely around.”
“Was Tim’s killer ever brought to justice?” Lin asked.
“No, no one was ever arrested,” Manuel continued, “although there were rumors…”
“What kind of rumors?” Lin pressed on, “Did anyone ever talk about someone named Mendoza?”
“As a matter of fact, that name was mentioned, it often is when the subject of drugs in this community comes up,” Manuel responded,” but there was never any proof. As I said, there was no arrest.”
“Who is this Mendoza person?” Lin asked. “Mark’s mother seemed to think he was the one who’d been arrested in Mark’s murder.”
“I don’t know Mendoza,” Manuel continued, “As I said before, the name is often mentioned whenever the subject of drug dealing on the reservation comes up. The man himself has never appeared, at least to my knowledge, but folks say he’s behind the drug business around here. I wouldn’t know the man if he walked through this door right now, though. Sometimes, I’m not really sure he even exists. No one seems to know him.”
“I think someone has to know him,” Lin interjected. “Perhaps people are simply afraid to talk about him, afraid to admit that they know him. In fact, I think that Mrs. Garcia knows more about him. She was quick to assume that he was Mark’s killer but seemed surprised to think that he’d been arrested—at least she’d jumped to that conclusion. I’d like to talk with her more, see what she might be able to tell us.”
“We can drive out to see her, if you’d like,” Manuel replied. “It can’t do any harm, even if she doesn’t want to talk to us.”
As the three of them prepared to leave the office on this mission, Lin was deep in thought. How could they learn more about this Mendoza person? Then it hit her, Mendoza might not be publically known on the reservation, but he might be better known elsewhere. A good researcher might be able to track information about him, and she knew just the person who could do that. Even if Mendoza was a very common last name, given that and some general geographic parameters, Lin felt certain that if this man had ever made news, Sue Gray could find that information. Sue was a retired journalist and a close friend. In fact she and Lin had spent the earlier weeks of the summer together volunteering in the NC mountains. Lin determined she would call Sue as soon as they returned to Tucson and enlist her help.
***
The drive out to the Garcia residence took about twenty minutes. They pulled up in front of a doublewide mobile home and parked beside a dusty blue pick up truck. The home had a wide porch attached that afforded shade to the front. Mrs. Garcia was sitting there, a basket of beans in her lap. Grasping the basket to avoid a spill, she rose and acknowledged their arrival, indicating that they should join her.
When they had positioned themselves comfortably in the shade provided by the wide porch roof, Mrs. Garcia asked if they would like to have some iced tea. Following John Manuel’s lead, Lin and David accepted her offer of hospitality.
After the tea had been served and pleasantries had been exchanged, Mrs. Garcia surprised them by saying that she’d been expecting them and knew why they were there.
“You want to know more about my son, Mark. You want to know why I mentioned Mendoza,” she nodded toward Lin. “Well, I will tell you why.” She began to recount the story of Mark’s misspent youth, his getting into trouble and being sent to juvenile hall on drug charges. “Mark was a good boy, real smart too, but he got mixed up with a bad crowd and began to drink and do drugs. Finally, he was caught and sent away. I always blamed Jose Mendoza for all this. For Mark’s trouble and all the trouble really. He was the one who brought the drugs here. Everyone knows it but no one ever sees him—just the poor young men he traps into doing his dirty work.”
“Where does this Mendoza live?” Lin asked. “Why doesn’t anyone see him?”
“Mostly he lives down in Mexico,” Mrs. Garcia reported, “he works for the cartel. The Tohono O’odham nation crosses the border you know—our traditional lands lie on both sides. Crossing isn’t too difficult—especially in some places. There are lots of places where crossings can happen both on and off native land. It’s a big desert, hard to patrol—especially with the warning systems set up by the cartel.”
John Manuel explained, “One of the major problems around here—around all of southern Arizona borderlands actually—is the lookout system established by the cartel. They get young men who work for them as scouts. They give them provisions, sometimes even guns, and set them up to live in remote places—canyons and the like. They give them solar panels for energy, cell phones, even high tech radios. They have one job only—keep an eye on where the federal agents and other law enforcement folks are, where they are going. That helps the cartel know when and where to bring their stuff across. Mostly the scouts do it to support their own drug habits. It’s been going on for years.”
“That’s what happened to Tim, my grandson, my oldest daughter’s boy,” Mrs. Garcia seemed almost tearful as she recalled this part of the story. “It still makes me feel sad, even after so many years but especially now, after what happened to Mark. It seems like a cloud that will never leave my family.”
Lin felt a strong surge of sympathy for this strong woman who had faced so much tragedy. “I don’t want to pry, to make you talk about things you might wish to forget about,” Lin said gently, “but we would like to hear more of your story. It might help us to make sure the person who killed Mark is arrested—the right person.”
Mrs. Garcia nodded and continued her story, “ Mark was in juvenile detention when all this happened. Tim was younger than Mark but he was in trouble too. He quit going to school and got set up as a scout for the drug runners—lived way out away from here in a canyon near the border. For awhile no one heard from him then he showed up at home one day frightened—he said some of the drug runners killed a young park ranger over at Organ Pipe. They were angry with Tim because they said he should’ve warned them about the ranger’s patrols—that it was Tim’s fault they’d had to kill that ranger, and if Tim messed up again, didn’t give them all the right information about the feds they would kill him too. My daughter, Tim’s mother, tried to get him to stay with her, to leave his scout position, but he wouldn’t. He said they would just track him down and kill her too. He didn’t want to bring trouble to his family. He left and that was the last we ever saw of him. A couple of months later someone found his body, half eaten by coyotes and ravens out in the desert. That’s what finally turned Mark around. He was so upset about his nephew. He swore he was going to stay out of trouble—that he was going to make sure someone paid for Tim’s death, someday. Said he wasn’t sure how but he would find a way to make sure those people came to justice.”
That was the last of Mrs. Garcia’s story. They all sat in silence for a few moments reflecting on what they had learned. Wheels were turning in Lin’s head. Maybe Mark Garcia had found a way he thought would work to bring his nephew’s killers to justice, maybe he was trying to do just that and someone put an end to his efforts. Maybe his death had nothing to do with his work at Lancer’s at all—but, if that were the case, then how could the death of Dave Jennings be explained? Was it possible that Ramirez was right after all? Maybe Jennings was simply robbed. Lin couldn’t reconcile all they’d learned in her mi
nd. This was going to take a lot more searching. She felt confident that the information was out there somewhere and, if they couldn’t find it, innocent people like Chris Dawkins—maybe even Sam Stevens—were going to suffer.
***
It was early afternoon by the time Lin returned home. Neal and Chris had called; they’d been delayed in seeing Pete Tedder and wouldn’t be home until later. David wanted to spend some time catching up with things at his office, and Lin was eager to get in touch with Sue so they parted company. Cameron went to Chris’s place so he could work, first dropping Lin off at her casita. Now she poured herself a tall glass of iced tea, donned some shorts and a T-shirt, and settled herself at the makeshift desk they’d set up on the dining table for their computers.
She checked the clock. It was after five in North Carolina and she was reasonably sure Sue would be at home. She was still recovering from her very serious encounter with some seriously bad guys working along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Sue’s friend Ted Whitley answered the phone. “Hello, there Ms. Hanna, it’s about time you touched based with your North Carolina friends,” he greeted her in a teasing fashion, “ how’s the desert treating you and Neal?”
“We’re fine, but there’ve been some serious problems at the work site,” Lin responded. “I’m sorry I’ve not been in touch sooner but with all that’s happened…” She went on to bring Ted up to date on events, giving him the short version. “That’s why I need to speak to Sue. We need her help, yours too.” Lin remembered that Ted was a reporter also.
“I’ll have her get on the other phone,” Ted responded, “sounds like you’ve got a real mess on your hands. I hope we can help.”
When Sue joined the conversation, Lin tried to provide more detail about the deaths and arrests, including her own reservations about the efforts of the local deputies. Finally, she got to the information they’d gathered that morning during their visit with Mrs. Garcia.
Sonoran Sun Page 8
