Earthcrack: A Lin Hanna Mystery (25 page)

Relieved that the deputy was in and had
so readily agreed to see her, Lin made her way back to the office.
 
Deputy Taylor was at his desk shuffling
through some papers.

“I just found the message you left
earlier,” he looked up at Lin smiling.
 
“I was going to call you just now.”

“I had to come into town anyway,” Lin
lied, but it was all in a good cause. “I decided to just stop by and see if you
were in.
 
I think I have some
important information which could have a bearing on your case.”

“Then by all means sit down and let’s
hear it.
 
We are about to wrap this
one up I think.
 
We have two prime
suspects in custody and they will probably be formally charged soon—just
have to get one or two more pieces of information,” the Deputy seemed pleased
with this quick outcome for his investigation.

“I’m afraid the information I need to
share may raise some additional questions for you concerning the young men you
have in custody,” Lin leaned forward in her chair, trying hard to be calm.
 
She didn’t want to appear to lack
confidence in the outcome of the deputy’s investigation—after all, he did
not yet have the information she wished to share.
 
She did want him to take her seriously.

“ Last Sunday I visited the Honeyestewa
family,” Lin noticed the Deputy raise his brows but he didn’t interrupt
her.
 
Lin proceeded to explain her
visit, “I knew that the family had questions about what had happened to Cullen
and I wanted to offer support and what comfort I could,” she continued to share
a bit about her own experience with loss and her knowledge that closure was
important in such cases. “I knew that the case was closed and the death was
ruled an accident, but the family felt that it was unlike Cullen to be so
careless in the back country and they also said he never was drunk—at
least not to their knowledge.
 
They
want to find out something more about why he might have been there and what he
might have been doing,” Lin paused—“anyway, that is why I was there—not
why I am here.
 
I’m aware that the
eagle-head belt buckle found with Cullen’s body was also found at this most
recent crime scene and that it had previously been returned to the family.”

“It is one of our most important pieces
of evidence,” Deputy Taylor broke in, “it provides a direct link to that family—along
with tire tracks identified as belonging to their pick up truck.
 
In fact, Mrs. Honeyestewa told us that
she gave the buckle to her grandson Michael and also allowed him and his friend
Teddy to use the truck for a trip to Flagstaff—supposedly to purchase a
new belt so Michael could wear the buckle.
 
She was certainly shocked to learn what actually happened.”

“I am sure she was,” Lin continued, “Did
she say when she gave the boys permission to take the truck and when she gave
Michael the buckle? I saw it in her possession on Sunday morning and Michael
was not at home; however, the truck was there.”

“ She said she gave him the belt buckle
on Sunday at dinner but that he did not take the truck to town until Monday;
however, I think she is probably trying to protect Michael—it’s only natural.
 
That is the story Michael told me and
she heard what he said.
 
She is
trying to support him but the evidence is what it is.”

“Have you located the murder weapon yet?”
 
Lin asked.

“You know, Ms. Hanna,” Deputy Taylor said
in a serious tone, “I really shouldn’t share details of the investigation with
you.
 
I do appreciate your giving me
this information and I shall consider it along with the other evidence; however,
I think it is best that you leave now as I have a lot more work to do.”

“I’ll be going then,” Lin rose to
leave,
 
“but one more question—does
Michael have legal representation yet?”
 

“ A public defender will be working with
him, now I really must get back to work,” Deputy Taylor rose and offered Lin
his hand,
 
“Thanks again for sharing
this information.”

Lin left the sheriff’s office and
returned to her car.
 
He doesn’t
have the weapon yet, she thought—maybe that is why formal charges haven’t
yet been filed.
 
She knew that there
had been no weapon evident at the scene when she had arrived with the students
and no one had mentioned it, if one had been found later.
 
It crossed her mind that, once again,
there could be a rush to judgment happening here.
 
Assumptions were being made concerning
Michael and his friend Teddy, but what could have been their motive?
 
Lin wondered what the boys had been
doing in the park. She did think that they were probably responsible for the
tire tracks and for the belt buckle being present at the scene but when and why
were still very much open to question—at least in her mind.
 

She felt that she had to discuss all this
with someone she could trust so before leaving the parking lot she phoned Sue
Gray.
 
Fortunately, her friend
answered her cell phone.

“What are you doing this evening?” Lin
asked, “I’m in town and am just leaving the sheriff’s department.
 
There have been some serious
developments in this most recent case and I really need to talk to you.”

“ Give me twenty minutes,” Sue
responded.
 
“I’ll meet you at the
Horseman’s Lodge where we had dinner with the group.
 
It’s Friday but it’s still early, so we
should have no trouble getting a table.”

Half an hour later Lin and Sue were
seated in a relatively private booth located near the back of the lodge’s
dining room and Lin was bringing Sue up to date on everything that had happened
since they last spoke.
 
She was
pretty worked up—feeling the need to share all of her feelings about this
case and how things were developing—she did omit the personal part about
her rocky relationship with Neal Smith; not that she didn’t feel she could
share this with Sue, but other things were more urgent at the moment.
 
Finally, she got to her conversation
with the deputy and her conviction that the murder weapon had not been found
and that there were serious doubts, at least in her mind, that Michael and
Teddy were the guilty parties.

“I’m just afraid that there will be a
rush to judgment in this case—just as there was when Cullen’s remains
were found,” Lin shared, “ I know that I have promised not to get involved in
this investigation and I don’t want to cause any problems for Danielle, but
neither do I want to see two innocent young people falsely accused of a crime!”

“I understand,” Sue offered, “ and I
certainly agree that there are some serious questions raised here, but you and
I are still outsiders and we must be careful not to appear to be interfering in
an official investigation.”

Lin noticed, with some degree of
satisfaction that Sue was including herself in this matter, and that she had
said, “appear”. “Does that mean that you think we should pursue this further—unofficially
and carefully, of course?”
 
Lin
asked.

Sue smiled, “ I think we have to—we’ve
come this far and we can’t turn back now.
 
Besides, I think these two cases are definitely connected in some
way.
 
Perhaps that should be our
approach—to see what the connections might be.
 
Meanwhile, maybe we can find out who is
going to defend these young men.
 
Perhaps their lawyer would be interested in what you have to share about
the evidence.
 
Now, I have some information
to share with you.”

The waitress had arrived with their
orders so Sue didn’t continue the conversation.
 
After they had both visited the generous
salad bar and were settled back at their table to enjoy their meal, Sue began
sharing what she had learned.

She related the basic information she had
learned regarding John Sessions’ business from the website—concluding
with the information regarding contacting the gallery for “special purchases.”

“That raised a bit of a red flag for me.”
Sue grabbed a warm yeast roll and spread it with butter as she talked, “ I’m
not sure what was meant by this offer.
 
My curiosity led me to do some more reading regarding the theft of art
and artifacts in the southwest.
 
If
the number of references I found just in one evening’s exploration is any
indication, this is a serious problem in this area.
 
I read about several cases and even
found general articles about the overall problem in several newspapers. Anyway,
I was curious enough to take my activity one step further.”

“What did you do?” Lin questioned.

“Well, I sent an inquiry to the address
Sessions had listed on the website for these special customers.
 
It was different from the one given for
the gallery itself.
 
Then later I also
called the phone number given, again a different listing.
 
I first reached only an answering
machine so I’m not sure where this number connected.
 
The recording asked that I leave my name
and contact information and indicated that someone would contact me.
 
Anyway, I’m afraid I made up a name and
identified myself as a
 
‘collector
of Native American art and artifacts’.
 
I used my cell phone and left that number because it is out of state.
 
I did that with the email as well.”

“Wow, that was a clever move.
 
I, myself, know nothing about collecting
art so I probably wouldn’t think to try anything like that!”
 
Lin nodded her appreciation of Sue’s
quick thinking.

“I don’t know anything about it either—but
I’d better read up on it and learn something quickly because Sessions called
back and I have an appointment with him tomorrow to discuss my interests.”
  
Sue added with a wink, “I’ve never
met him before so that should not present a problem.”

“ Well, I’m impressed by what you’ve
learned so far,” Lin offered, “I’m not sure how art thievery could be connected
to Cullen’s disappearance—or to these two most recent murders, but Cullen
did have Session’s business card so …”

“And,” Sue interjected, “you mentioned to
me earlier that Jimmy Chee thought he had heard one of the two murdered men
talking about searching for some pottery somewhere in the park area.
 
We both know that stealing pots has been
and could still be a big problem---maybe even a motive for murder.
 
I think we should pursue any information
we get—after all, motive has to be present in some fashion.”

“Right you are,” Lin agreed.
 
Shifting the subject a bit she mentioned
that she was pretty sure that Deputy Taylor hadn’t uncovered the murder weapon
as yet. “I wish I could get hold of a copy of the police report on this case
when it is completed,” she mused.

“That may be easier than you think,” Sue
offered.
 
“He gave Danielle a copy
of the report on Cullen’s case and he may do the same with this most recent
incident.
 
After all, the bodies
were found in the park.”

“I hope so,” Lin responded. “I know it is
not completed yet so I’ll just have to wait.
 
I’ll have to be careful because I did
promise not to get involved in this most recent situation.”

“Sure, you’ll need to be discreet but,
after all, I think that the connections between these two cases are becoming
more and more evident as time passes.
 
Certainly, the Honeyestewa family is connected to both and they are the
ones you are trying to help.”

“Yes, and I think the next step is to
talk to them again, if I can,” Lin spoke with assurance. “ I’m off tomorrow—all
day—so I think I’ll go back to the reservation.”

“Wish I could go with you but I have my
career as an art collector to consider!” Sue grinned as she spoke, “and I’d
best be going to do my homework before my meeting tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait to see what you learn—especially
if it might relate to these cases.” Lin rose and grabbed the check that had
been placed on the table, “and this one is on me—you have been so helpful.”

The two friends agreed to stay in touch
and try to get together on Sunday afternoon, when they both had some time off,
to share what they might learn.
 

As Lin drove back to Wupatki she thought
about how she should approach Michael Honeyestewa’s family.
 
She knew that they must be devastated by
his arrest—what else could happen to this family!
 
She decided that her only reasonable
approach to them was to offer comfort and support, which she sincerely wanted
to do.
 
She would simply tell them
that she had learned about what had happened and ask them if there was anything
she could do to help.
 
She would try
to let them take the lead.
 
She
wanted to find answers but she didn’t want to exceed appropriate
boundaries.
 
Above all, she wanted
this family to know that she was a friend who would respect their wishes and
one who wanted to help, if she could.

***

The next morning Lin was up early and
left for the reservation before others were stirring about the visitor
center.
 
She was glad to avoid any
curious questions about her plans for the day.

The drive north was a pleasant one—the
air was crisp and cool and the day promised to be sunny yet mild.
 
The scenery never ceased to fascinate
Lin.
 
How could broad open areas
dotted only with juniper and pinion be so beautiful?
 
The area seemed to glow in the morning
sunlight.

 
As the drier areas of the reservation became apparent, Lin noticed that
the same morning sun brought out the rich shades of red-orange, yellow, and
even pink.
 
She was coming to
appreciate the unique beauty of this part of northern Arizona more with each
trip she made across the often barren landscape.

Arriving in Tuba City, Lin realized that
it was probably too early still to go calling on the family.
 
Seeking something more than a fast food
breakfast, she passed up McDonalds and chose the small restaurant attached to
the local Quality Inn.
 
It proved a
wise choice. Soon she was facing a generous serving of Huevos Rancheros along
with a steaming cup of savory coffee.
 
The meal proved a bit too generous as she found herself feeling quite
full after downing only half of what was on her plate.
 
She did accept a second cup of the
excellent coffee though, and sat back to enjoy it.

Lin thought about her upcoming visit and
about the way things were developing in her search for more information about
the death of Cullen Honeyestewa.
 
She decided it was time to organize what she knew and what questions
remained to be answered.
 
She
extracted a small spiral bound notepad and a ballpoint pen from her purse and
began her list.

Known
Facts

All
3 dead men were Native Americans dressed in typical western wear—jeans/boots/shirts/hats

All
died near Lomaki ruin in Wupatki National Monument—Although a year
separated the two events

The
first death was ruled an accident. Supposedly the victim fell, hitting his head
on a rock

At
least one of the last two victims had been shot (Lin did not recall seeing
evidence of how the other man died

A
unique eagle-head belt buckle belonging to Cullen Honeyestewa (the first to
die) was found at both scenes

Cullen’s
pick up truck had been on the road at the second scene

One
of the most recent victims was a Hopi who, like Cullen, had been allowed to
search for eaglets and eagle feathers for ceremonies near the scene

The
other recent victim was a Navajo who had been overheard talking about looking
for pottery in the area (albeit he was drunk at the time!). He had walked to
the scene if his death as his truck was found on a nearby road

As she continued to make notes, Lin began
to realize that there were many elements that seemed to connect the two
incidents.
 
She was questioning even
more strongly whether Cullen’s death had been the accident it seemed to be.

She began her list of questions yet to be
answered but then realized that her coffee had grown cold and the hour was late
enough to proceed on her visit.
 
I’ll
get back to this later, she thought.
 
Perhaps I’ll know more answers after talking to the Honeyestewas.

A short while later she pulled up at the
modest home of the Honeyestewa family.
 
There was no sign of Cullen’s truck, still in police impound Lin
thought, but it was evident that the other family vehicle, also a truck but an
older model, was parked toward the back of the home.

The only person in view was Michael’s
mother, Sophie, who was sitting on the porch shelling beans in a tin pan.
 
Something about her reminded Lin of her
own Mother who often spent her Saturday mornings similarly engaged.
 
She remembered to wait to be invited in
before exiting her vehicle.
 
Actually, Sophie rose and walked toward her right away.

As she left her car and approached the
porch Lin spoke, “I’m so sorry to learn about Michael and his friend being
arrested.
 
I wanted to come by and
let you know I was concerned and to ask if there was anything I could do to
help you at this time.”
 
By this
time Michael’s mother had led her to a seat on the porch where she sat down to
resume her work.

“I doubt if there is anything anyone can
do at this point,” Sophie spoke in solemn tones. “I believe Michael and Teddy
are going to be charged and convicted of this crime.
 
They will leave here for a very long
time—their lives are over now.”

“Try not to lose hope,” Lin offered, “there
are still facts which aren’t known about this case—I don’t believe the
sheriff’s men have found the murder weapon yet—and I know that it wasn’t
found at the crime scene.
 
The
investigation is not yet over.”

“But that belt buckle and those tire
tracks were found,” Michael’s mother spoke with a catch in her voice.
 
“Michael had that buckle and he drove
that truck to Flagstaff last Monday—Teddy went with him.”

“That’s just it,” Lin tried to sound
hopeful, “You and I both know that the belt buckle was here with your Mother
and Father on Sunday when I visited with my friend.
 
These dead men were probably killed on
Saturday—Sunday at the latest—so Michael couldn’t have dropped the
belt buckle on either of those days.”

“ The sheriff’s men do not believe us
about Michael not going out until Monday.
 
They think that Michael has told us to say that to protect him.”

“What does Michael say?” Lin asked.

“He won’t talk at all—he didn’t
talk to the deputy when he came and he would not talk to me or to my parents
either when we went to see him at the jail on Friday afternoon.
 
He hasn’t explained how he came to be in
that place—even if it was on Monday.
 
My mother is so upset she will not come out of her room.
 
She blames herself because she gave him
the buckle and Dad let him use the truck.
 
Now he is in trouble—big trouble.”
 
The tears welled in Sophie’s eyes. “I
know my son,” she was weeping openly now. “ He has been in some trouble here on
the reservation—kid stuff, drinking sometimes, gambling, he has even been
guilty of some petty thefts, but he is not a killer.
 
He doesn’t even know how to handle a gun!”

“Michael has even stopped some of his old
habits lately.
 
He has been working
hard for Raymond Tso in the shop and doing other things—Teddy too.
 
The boys are both trying to straighten
up, I believe.
 
If they can work off
their debts they can go back to school.
 
I really believe that Michael wants to do this—I can’t think that
he is really mixed up in these killings in this way.
 
I just wish that I could talk to him.”
Sophie was clearly distraught.

“What about his attorney?”
 
Lin asked, “Maybe Michael will talk to
him.”

“He hasn’t so far,” Sophie seemed so down
and discouraged.
 
Lin wished she had
something more comforting to offer.