“I didn’t really know Ricardo until he moved to Albuquerque in 1995. He worked as a day laborer, mostly construction. Did odd jobs for your great-aunt as well. He was a good man Gabe, even if he drank and gambled too much. I don’t think he knew any better.”
“And James McKenna’s secret got him killed.” I reached for my glass and slugged it down.
We fell silent, but my mind raced on. Maybe there was a way to pay back Chato and his son.
I refused Nai’ya’s offer of a refill. “Nai’ya…our families may have found the Lost Adams gold. You have to read James McKenna’s manuscript. It’s the story of your family, too.”
Nai’ya thought for a moment. “I heard about the gold when I was a young girl. I thought it was only a legend. Does it really exist? Where is it?”
“Nobody knows. It’s why I’m hiding out until the police capture Richard O’Connor and Carmen Flores. I have to let those two think I’m dead so I can keep looking.”
“I’m willing to help any way I can.” Pain surfaced in Nai’ya’s eyes. “My family has suffered as much as you have, Gabe.”
“Indeed.” I leaned back against the couch; I felt totally drained.
She noticed. “Let me go put my car in the garage. I’ll be back in a minute and get some bedding for you. This couch opens up, and I’m told it’s comfortable. How do you like your coffee in the morning?”
“Black.” I stared long enough to fluster her.
Nai’ya looked away for a moment and then stood up. She grabbed her car keys from her purse. “The second bathroom is down the hall to your left.” She hurried out the front door.
I walked to the bathroom and washed my face in cold water, startled by my pale reflection in the mirror. When I returned to the living room, Nai’ya had already transformed the sofa into my bed. She wouldn’t leave until I laid down, then bent over and kissed my forehead. As she turned to go, I held onto her arm and kissed her hand.
“I’ll be quiet in the morning.” Her hand trembled along my cheek. “My first class isn’t until eleven-thirty. Sleep as late as you want.”
I rested my head against the pillow.
She disappeared down the hall.
Dog-tired as I was, I lay there and tried to remember everything I could about those days a quarter century ago when we’d first met.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
April 19
The next morning was the best I’d spent since my arrival in New Mexico. I woke up to the smell of brewing coffee and enjoyed my first cup with Nai’ya.
“You slept nearly twelve hours.” Her smile added to the sunshine. “I guess the sofa bed wasn’t too uncomfortable.”
“It was fine. I’m very grateful that you put me up. If there’s anything I can do to repay you—”
“That’s not necessary.”
“I need to find a long-term solution. I won’t stay here. The last thing I want is to put you in danger. I can’t go home while I’m supposed to be dead. Maybe some out-of-the-way motel—”
“Wait,” Nai’ya interrupted. “I had time to think before you woke up. How long since you’ve spent any time on the rez?”
“What?”
“I have a small apartment next to my office on Laguna Pueblo. Believe me, it’s nothing fancy. But there’s a bed, a small stove, internet and telephone. You could stay there until O’Connor and Flores are in custody.”
“You sure no one would object?”
“I won’t let them.”
“I don’t have any clothes with me. And my cat needs to be fed. My mail—”
“You can’t go back to your house, but I can. I have a friend who runs a domestic cleaning service. We’ll use one of his cars with the Casa Cleaners logo on the side. I’ll put on some work clothes and pretend I’m a maid. Give me your house key. I’ll feed your cat and get whatever things you need before we drive out to Laguna.”
A take-charge woman, I thought. “I’ll make a list of things I need. Do we have time for a quick run to my bank before your class starts?” The digital clock on her kitchen counter read 10:02 A.M.
“Sure. Why?”
“I need to get some things from my safe deposit box. It’s not far from here. On Lomas, over by the courthouse.”
“Okay. But if we’re late, I’ll make you sit through my class.”
Ten minutes later, Nai’ya parked at a meter and waited in the car while I walked into the bank. A Mr. Burns asked me to wait after I showed him my photo ID. He nodded toward a guard who moved behind my chair. Burns’ face twitched while he dialed his phone. When his call went through, he turned away from me.
Breathless words tumbled from his mouth, “Lieutenant, I have a man here who claims to be Gabriel McKenna…Yes, he did.” He looked at the sling on my arm. “As a matter of fact, he does. Hold on…” He extended the phone to me. “Lieutenant Archuleta wants to speak with you.”
“Sam, any news on O’Connor and Carmen?”
“Not a trace, but we’re watching his home and office 24/7, the APB is still on, and the state lines are being watched. Airports, bus, and train stations have been notified. Be patient.”
“Do I have any choice?”
“Damn it, Gabe, you know you just screwed up our plans? We’ve got your bank staked out in case O’Connor shows there. At some point he may figure out that key you gave him is a safety deposit key. The bank personnel have been instructed to let him in and get out of the way.”
“Look, I don’t think this plan of yours will work. I won’t walk around with some fool disguise. I refuse to hide from any man. Sorry if I messed up your plans. I needed to get some things from my box.”
“Just clear out as soon as you get them. You found a safe place to stay for a while?”
“So safe, I’m not even going to tell you where it is.”
“Fine. Just don’t stay at that teacher’s house more than another night or two.”
“What?” There was a click on the line.
I handed the phone back to Burns.
We proceeded into the vault; the guard hustled over and stood by the door. When I’d rented my safe deposit box, I’d paid extra for a second key. It took less than a minute to open the box and empty it of all its contents. Signing for the transaction, I left.
Nai’ya looked worried when I arrived back at her car. “I think we’re being followed,” she said.
“That must be a cop. Archuleta knew I stayed at your house last night.”
“He’s in that white Camry on the other side of the street. See him there?” She nodded her head to the left. “He got out of his car a few minutes ago and walked across the street right in front of me. He paused for a moment. I think he was checking my license plate. Then he walked down to the end of the block and crossed back over to his car. He made a call on his cellphone.”
“Let’s check him out.” I climbed out of the front seat, snuck in back behind Nai’ya, and ducked down as far as I could in order to still see out the window. “Pull out and slow down as you pass by his car.”
I took out my cellphone and turned on its camera. As Nai’ya crawled past the Camry, I snapped a quick shot of him. He was looking out the open driver’s side window at Nai’ya’s car. I got a full-face shot of the guy.
“I have to get to class, Gabe.” Nai’ya sounded concerned.
“Drop me at UNM hospital on your way, okay?”
“My parking lot is right across the street from there. You can walk. Is that arm causing you any pain?”
“It feels better today, except when the stitches pull.”
“Then why do you want to go back to the hospital?”
“I want to see how Rebecca Turner is doing. After that, I’ll make a list of what I need from my place. I’ll have it done by the time your class is over.”
“That should be around 12:45. Meet me at my car.” She found a rare parking spot in the shade, and we walked away in opposite directions.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
A pink-cheeked wo
man at the hospital information desk studied my face. “Rebecca Turner is in a third floor private room. I’m afraid no one is allowed to see her without clearance from the police.”
I rang Archuleta from the lobby. “Sam, I just want to talk to her for a little while. Can you have the guard wave me through?”
“I’ll call in your request. But remember, she’s still under observation. You upset her and she’ll be in the hospital even longer.”
“I’ll be careful. Listen, I have one other favor to ask. Can you take your tail off Nai’ya Alonso-Riley?”
“What tail?”
“The guy I just photo’d with my cellphone. He’s not very good. Even Nai’ya spotted him.”
“We don’t have a tail on her.”
“Then how did you know where I stayed last night?”
“I had you followed just to seek out where you were headed. Called that guy off the minute he phoned in, about six-thirty last night.”
“Shit. Listen, I’m gonna send you the shot I just took of this guy. See if you can identify him.”
“You sure he was on your tail?”
“As sure as I’m on the phone with you now.”
“Send it along. I’ll call if we get anything.”
I took the precaution of riding the elevator to the fifth floor and walked down two flights of stairs. The cop outside Rebecca’s room stopped me at the door. “Name?”
“Gabriel McKenna.”
“Prove it.”
I pulled out my New York driver’s license and gave it to him.
“New York, eh? Ever been to Yankee Stadium?”
“Yes. Everybody has. Can I see Rebecca Turner?”
“I’m a Red Sox fan myself. Don’t like their chances much this season. Not enough pitching. You can’t win without pitching.”
“Officer, if you don’t mind—”
“You the guy Lieutenant Archuleta told me about?”
I nodded.
“Well, he got clearance from the docs for you to talk with her, but only for ten minutes. That’s all. Ten minutes, understand?”
This wasn’t what I had in mind. “Be right back, Officer.” I rode the elevator down to the cafeteria. I picked up a tray, filled two cups with coffee, and grabbed a piece of chocolate cake for Rebecca. When I returned to her room, I winked at the cop. “None for you.”
“Wise guy. All you Yankee fans are wise guys.” But he opened the door.
Rebecca sat in a bedside chair, dressed in light blue hospital garb. She wore her hair back in a ponytail and cradled a dog-eared copy of People magazine in her hands. If she’d been crying lately, it didn’t show. She stood and smiled when I entered. The magazine slipped to the floor.
I put the tray on a small table next to her bed. “How are you?” I gave her an awkward one-armed hug, and stepped back.
“I’m feeling better now. I want to go home.”
“It shouldn’t be long. The chocolate cake is for you.”
“How kind. Thank you.” Rebecca rolled the small table between us and sat back down on her chair. I lifted the cake and cups off the tray and set them in front of her, then pulled the visitor’s chair up and sat across the table. She took a healthy bite of cake, forked up some extra frosting, and washed it down with her coffee. “Mmmm.” She looked more rested than I felt. The difference, I guess, between fifty-four and twenty-five.
“Rebecca—or should I call you Beryl from now on?”
“Rebecca. I’m used to it. People have called me Rebecca Turner for years.”
“I want to talk about what you’ll do when you get out of here.”
She looked puzzled. “Do you want to take care of me now?” She averted her eyes and ran the index finger of her right hand along her lips.
“No. I want to help you take care of yourself.”
“I can’t go back to the firm.”
“No, you can’t. How are you fixed financially?”
“Richard was very generous.” She still wouldn’t look at me. She began to rearrange the cups and plate on the table.
I took a deep breath. “I could use a good secretary. Someone I can count on. You’ve shown me I can count on you.”
She lifted her eyes and a touch of color came to her cheeks. “I’d like that, Professor.”
“You don’t need to call me professor anymore. I’m Gabe. Just Gabe, okay?”
She reached out and touched my hand.
“Take your time,” I said. “Get healthy. Feet on the ground. If you need money, I can help. You need to put some distance between yourself and all that’s happened.”
“I hope I can . . . I promise I’ll try.” Her voice trailed off. She scraped the last bit of frosting off her plate.
“Well.” I stirred my cup and wondered how deep the damage ran. Maybe I should leave her alone, but she’d helped save my life. She had no one to look out for her. I don’t know how long I spent on these thoughts, but she snapped me back.
“Gabe? Gabe? You’re not listening. I bet you don’t even know the last words I said to you.”
“I guess I drifted off there, sorry. What did you say?”
Her voice took on a sharper tone. “I said, ‘You didn’t pay attention to my last words.’”
My mind flashed. There it was. Right in front of me.
“Rebecca! You’re beautiful! Say that once again.”
Her face glowed beet red. “Okay. You didn’t pay attention to my last words.”
I reached into my jacket pocket and took out one of the papers from the safe deposit box. I spread it out on her bed and took out the pen O’Connor had given me.
“What are you doing?” She inched closer.
“Solving part of a nineteenth century mystery, I hope.”
“What’s the paper?”
“A photocopy of the last letter my great-grand uncle wrote to his niece—my great-aunt Nellie—just before he died. The last words he said to her.”
She pulled her chair closer and leaned her elbow on the table. “What does it say?”
I turned the letter around so that she could see it:
My Dear Nellie Mae, I
appreciate the fact that you took
me in. I know I was an old man and it
must not have been easy for you. Moving from
New Mexico to St. Petersburg at the
age of eighty-nine was a trial, but your hearth
and home were such a comfort to me! My love and
gratitude are yours always. I ask you to put
me at the top of your prayer list as I face the end. It
was a long and dangerous time for me out in
New Mexico, especially when I almost died in the
recent devastating and tragic winter fire
at Holy Cross Sanatorium. Guess I was lucky and
could’ve done worse. At least I didn’t slip on the ice!
Uncle Jimmy
St. Petersburg, Florida
November 6, 1941
P.S. Remember my last words to you!
“The last words of James McKenna, as he cryptically passed his secret on to my family. The secret of the Lost Adams gold, or that part of it he and Jose Ramos actually found.”
“I don’t get it,” Rebecca said.
“His last words—the last words of each line of his note. That’s the key.” I took my pen and underlined the last word in each line of the strangely formatted note. I underlined the postscript as well.
“I-took-it-from-the-hearth-and-put-it-in-the-fire-and-ice.” I looked up. “It refers to his gold, the gold found under the hearthstone of a burnt-out cabin in Catron County—on the property he left to great-aunt Nellie, which she left to me.”
“So the gold is in fire and ice? What does that mean?” she said.
“I have a pretty good idea. I intend to check it out tomorrow.”
My cellphone rang. Archuleta. “Bad news. Sit down.”
“Now what?”
“The guy who followed you is no cop, no
t by a long shot. He’s Spider Martin, a very hard case. Last served time for armed robbery. Prior convictions for spousal abuse and two DWIs. Released from the New Mexico Pen eighteen months ago. Since then he’s been quiet. Until now.”
“Anything else?” I said.
“Yeah, and you won’t like this either—he and Jason Damien were cellmates during Damien’s last stretch.”
“Shit. O’Connor probably knows I’m still alive, everywhere I’ve been, and everyone I’ve been with, too.”
“Looks like.”
“Sam, I’m going back to my house. Your ruse hasn’t worked, and I didn’t feel right hiding anyway. Give me back my gun.”
“No can do. It’s evidence in an ongoing investigation. I’ll keep the watch on your house. Patrol car out front round the clock. That’s the best I can do.”
“Yeah. Okay, thanks.” I hung up.
“What’s the matter, Gabe?” Rebecca sat childlike and uncomprehending.
“Nothing you need to worry about. Stay here and get better. I was told they still have some follow-up to do with you. Cooperate. Do what they tell you. Take care of yourself and remember what I said about your future. I’ll stop by again in a day or two. Call or text me if they release you before then. I’ll come get you.”
I picked up the People magazine from the floor and gave it to Rebecca. I touched her shoulder. She didn’t flinch. “See you soon.”
“Bye, Gabe.”
I hustled back to Nai’ya’s car. No reason to make that list for her now.
She wasn’t there. I called C.J. and brought him up to speed.
“Can I stop by with Nai’ya?” I said. “I’d like her to meet you.”
“I’ll have a table waiting.”
My phone beeped. Another caller on the line. No caller ID, but I left C.J. and punched it in anyway.
“How’s the old professor doing today?”
“O’Connor.” My stomach lurched.
“I see you didn’t entirely lose your mind when you died. Tell Archuleta his stupid plan didn’t fool me for a minute. Knew about it right away. I have eyes everywhere.”
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