Secrets of the Anasazi

by Sky Whitehorse

  "I just wish I could be with you all the time," she said, "and wake up beside you."

  He pulled her close to his chest. "I want that too." He paused. "Actually, ever since the first night you came back I couldn't stop thinking about you. Your artwork is amazing, by the way. Every time I walk by the painting of Fearless I think about you."

  She planted a kiss on his lips, then laid her head on his shoulder. They continued star gazing until people started filing out of Brown Manor.

  Chantal came outside, looking tired. "Well, I had to spend the entire night playing guitar, but at least I made a little money." She flashed a wad of cash at them and stuck it in her pocket.

  Roy walked by, scowling at Warren, but didn’t saying anything to him as he walked to the rusty jalopy that was still staled in front of the house. He jumped through the window of Warren's car, leaving his feet out, and waited to be chauffeured.

  "What's wrong with him?" Chantal asked.

  "I'll tell you later," Maya whispered.

  "Let's go," Warren said, pulling the keys from his pocket.

  They piled into the car. Nobody spoke during the ride back to the hotel, and the tension stagnated as Roy glared at Warren from the passenger’s seat.

  25. The Clue

  Saturday 2:00 a.m.

  Warren wrapped his arms around Maya's abdomen as they shuffled their feet to room 111. There was no point hiding their affection from anyone now. The secret was out. Soon they would be going back home, so there was no threat to Warren being sent to the reservation with his relatives.

  Chantal walked ahead, casting disapproving glances over her shoulder. "Can you two tone it down?" she hissed as she unlocked the door.

  "Quit being your mom," Maya said.

  “Well maybe you should listen to my mom,” she countered with a feisty tone.

  “You first miss I like to vape.” Maya chuckled and pushed her back into Warren’s chest as they laced their fingers together.

  Chantal slumped and turned her back on them as they walked into the room. Warren flipped Maya around to kiss her deeper.

  "Warren!" Chantal scolded, pushing on him. "You need to go to bed."

  "She's feisty," he joked, shooting a glance in her direction.

  “Tell her not to get her panties in a bunch.” She pecked his lips twice more, but the smile fell from his face as he laid eyes on something behind them.

  Maya turned to see he was looking at the painting she had done of the woman wearing the same head wrap he had given to her. He let go of her like he had suddenly forgotten her and walked towards it, staring with his lips parted.

  Maya tried to understand his stunned expression. "Do you like it?"

  A single tear rolled down his cheek and he brushed it away.

  She placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him.

  He ran his hand over his face. She could see a knot in his throat as he tried to swallow, but his Adam’s apple stuck in mid swallow. "You're painting my mom?"

  Maya's stomach did a flip like it was an accusation. "Your mom?” her face flushed. How had she not put it together? She felt guilt rising in her like a glass being filled in the faucet. “I'm sorry, I didn't know who she was-"

  “She’s beautiful,” he whispered, "just the way I remember her."

  His words hung in the air. She rubbed her hand in a circle on his back as he admired it. Chantal sat on the bed, her eyes darting between the two of them in the awkward moment.

  "I want you to have it," Maya said, hoping to make amends. She had promised to paint something for him; after all, and with her other projects, she had run out of time for anything else.

  He pulled her to him in an aggressive hug, sniffling in her ear. "Thank you.” He turned and picked up the canvas, holding it out.

  Chantal linked arms with him and walked him to the door. "Good night, Warren." Her tone was sympathetic, but firm.

  Maya wished she could stay with him all night, but she supposed that was part of the reason she had been sharing Chantal’s room, and Roy sharing Warren’s.

  "Night." He took the canvas under his arm. Maya came to give him a final kiss as he backed out of the room and Chantal closed the door.

  "You could have mentioned I was painting his mother," Maya said with her hand on her hip.

  "I thought you knew," Chantal replied. "What was the deal with Warren and Roy tonight on the way back home?"

  Maya sighed and started changing into her pajamas. "Please don't ask."

  "Maya! Tell me," she begged.

  "It's too embarrassing."

  "Oh good, even better." She sat on the edge of the bed with a grin.

  Maya wiped her hands down her face. "Well, you're going to hear it from Paris anyway."

  "You're killing me with the suspense." She rested her chin on her palm.

  "Warren and I... Well, Warren and I..."

  "Oh my god! You made out with him?" she gasped. "At the party?"

  Maya turned three shades of red. "How did you know I was going to say that?"

  "It was obvious... your tousled hair, your wrinkled dress, your rubbed-off lipstick." Her mouth hung open like a goldfish. “Did you go all the way?”

  “No.”

  Chantal narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

  Maya sighed, knowing Chantal was not going to quit asking questions until she was satisfied. “Almost. We were interrupted.”

  “By who?”

  “Paris. Mindy. Kira… on Paris’s bed.”

  She gasped. “You sly little… I can’t believe you almost went all the way before me.”

  Maya laughed. "I didn't know it was a race, and what do you mean by that anyway?"

  "Well, I am older than you."

  Maya laughed and hit her with a pillow. "Only by six months. No, seriously, it just happened." Maya sat on the bed next to her cousin.

  “Paris probably went ballistic on you.”

  “It was tense,” Maya confirmed with a nod.

  "What was making out like?"

  "Chantal!" Maya rolled her eyes.

  "The smirk on your face says it all." Her eyebrow arched. "C'mon. I've never even been kissed. What’s it like?"

  "It was everything I ever imagined it would be." She rolled on her back, looking at the ceiling, and let out a breath.

  Chantal rolled next to her and stared.

  "Ok, it was amazing. I'm not giving any details, so you can just stop it!" She pulled the covers down and got into bed.

  Chantal grinned. "What happened with Roy and Warren?"

  "Paris found us under the bed and Paris told us to get out of her house. Roy punched Warren in the jaw."

  "I can't believe I missed the drama!" She stared into space like she had just missed the final moments of the Super Bowl.

  "Yeah, well, it wasn't my most spectacular moment, so I'd appreciate it if you never bring it up again." She shut off the lights and got under the covers.

  "So, did you two say the ‘L’ word?" Chantal asked.

  "What?"

  "Love, Maya. Did you say it?"

  "He said it to me, but I didn't say it back." She rolled onto her side to face Chantal.

  "Why not? Don't you love him? I mean, you almost did the deed, and I don’t think you would just do it with someone you didn’t care about. You’re not like Paris."

  "No, you’re right. I do love him, I just didn't say it back. I think he already knows."

  "He said it to you. He was probably waiting for you to say it back."

  "It didn't seem to matter, but you're right, now that you put it like that. I will tell him before I go home." Her eyelids were heavy. It had been a long night. She rolled over and fell asleep.

  ⭐⭐⭐

  Saturday 11:00 a.m.

  Maya awoke, hot and sweaty, with the morning sun draping across the bed.

  "Eleven o'clock! I overslept," she said.

  There was a knock at the door. "Girls, you have a lot of laundry to do. You need to get up," Aunt Roslyn said. H
er voice had a sharp ring to it, like there was urgency.

  They sat up, with drooping eyes, and necks lolling as they slowly got out of bed.

  Chantal opened the door, resting her head against the door-jam. "I'm up. Is something wrong?"

  Maya caught a glimpse of her aunt's face. Her eyes were red and puffy, as if she had been crying.

  "I’ve had a terrible morning. Nobody knows where Ahote is. He was scheduled to give tours for riding this morning and he never showed up, which isn't like him."

  Chantal gave her mom a hug and cast a suspicious look in Maya's direction. "Have you called the police to report him missing?"

  "I called, but they said I would have to wait 48 hours to make a report." She sniffled. "Besides, he occasionally heads to his tribal ceremony this time of year. He probably just up and left."

  Chantal shook her head. "That's not like him, and he promised us he would say goodbye before he left."

  "He probably just forgot," Aunt Roslyn said. "Anyway, Roy volunteered to do the tour while Warren went looking for him just in case he’s out on the property somewhere.” She lowered her head and paused. “Not only that, William and James packed their things and left their room key at the front desk with a note that said they would return when he was done with his work, but he didn't say goodbye to me." There was a sad ring in her voice, but she covered her emotions well.

  "I'm sure he'll be back just like he said," Chantal said, giving her a hug.

  She nodded but looked at her feet. "I have other things that require my attention right now. Please start on the laundry."

  "Ok, Mom. We will." Chantal shut the door and turned to Maya. "What do you think is going on?"

  "I don't know. I want to help search for Ahote."

  "Mom said we have to do laundry first."

  Maya sighed. "Fine. I just feel like something’s off."

  They hurried to get dressed and made it to the lobby. Just as they were about to go to the basement, they heard Roy talking to Roslyn at the front desk. He was back from the tour.

  "It’s just not like Ahote to take off. He’s never sick and he works hard."

  An unsettling feeling crept into Maya’s stomach.

  "Strange," Roslyn replied. The phone rang and she was forced to carry on with work. "Thank you for calling the Bed and Breakfast Escape. How may I help you?" She made eye contact with Chantal and motioned for her to get started in the basement.

  Roy stared at Roslyn looking irritated with her for answering the phone as he slumped and his face crumpled in frustration.

  Chantal sighed, heading down the cobble steps with Maya.

  "I really want to know what’s going on,” Maya said.

  “The faster we get this done, the faster we can help search for Ahote,” Chantal said as she picked up towels from the cart and threw them into the washer.

  Maya went through the guest laundry, checking pockets and putting things into the second washer. "Where do you think Ahote went?"

  "I'm willing to bet he followed Dr. Parker and James into the canyons." Chantal sprayed a stain on a shirt and slipped it into the washer.

  Chantal was brilliant. That fit the scenario perfectly.

  Chantal furrowed her brow. She grabbed Maya's wrist and closed her eyes. "Do you hear that?"

  Maya closed her eyes but didn’t hear anything. "Hear what?"

  "C'mon." She pulled Maya back up the stairs to the quiet lobby and darted up the staircase to the Dining Hall where they rounded the corner into the dark Grand Ballroom. Chantal flipped on the light.

  Grandma Oriel lay motionless, face down, on the floor next to the piano bench.

  "Grandma?" Maya sprinted to her and knelt beside her. "Are you okay?"

  There was no reply.

  Chantal placed her ear to Oriel's heart. "She has a pulse and, by the rise and fall of her chest, she's still breathing."

  "Grandma?" Maya said, grabbing her wrist. She didn't move.

  "I heard her playing piano moments ago," Chantal said, "and then she stopped suddenly and fell over! I could hear it. It hurt my head! I think she was trying to get my attention. She knew something was wrong."

  Oriel's head rolled and her pupil-less eyes opened. Maya stood up and backed away.

  Chantal didn't flinch. "She needs a doctor," Chantal said, looking up at Maya. With her thumbs, she closed Grandma's eyelids. "Get her help, I’ll stay with her."

  Maya ran to the lobby where Roslyn was returning from the bathroom. "Something is wrong with Grandma. She's passed out in the Grand Ballroom. I'm calling 911." She lifted the receiver from the cradle.

  Aunt Roslyn put her hand on her heart. "No. I can get her to the hospital faster than an ambulance can get here.” She took the receiver and hung it up. “I'll get the wheelchair we have for our guests. I'll need to borrow Roy’s car. Will you find him?"

  Maya hurried to the stables where she found Roy taking care of the horses by himself. He was carrying a bale of hay; sweat poured down his face.

  "Roy,” Maya yelled, trying to catch her breath.

  “I’m busy,” he scoffed, as he dropped the hay in one of the stables.

  “Roy, this is no time to give me grief. Aunt Roslyn needs to take Grandma to the hospital. She passed out. Can you bring the car around to the front doors? She needs to borrow it."

  "Is it a blue moon or something?" He looked exhausted and let out a breath. "Okay. I'm on my way."

  ⭐⭐⭐

  Saturday 8:30 p.m.

  Maya, Chantal, and Roy tried to manage the hotel the best they could while the adults and Warren were gone. Maya continued doing laundry while Chantal helped guests check into their rooms and answered phone calls.

  Chase was busy carrying luggage to the guest rooms, as usual.

  The maids came to get clean towels and sheets and brought dirty ones in exchange. Maya was barely keeping up with the demand, and she could hear angry guests raising their voices at Chantal upstairs.

  "The people in the room next to ours were talking loud last night. We couldn't sleep and there was no one at the front desk to complain to," a woman yelled.

  "I'm sorry," Chantal was saying. "Is there anything I can do to make up for it?"

  "Yes, you can refund us.” She pounded her fist on the desk. “This place is so run-down, I don't know how anyone can stay here. The view from our window was just a bunch of sand and rock. There were spiders in our room and it was sooo hot. I will never come here again, and I'm leaving a bad review on Google."

  "Please don't do that," Chantal replied calmly. "I understand we didn't meet your expectations, but to make up for your experience I will give you fifty percent off your room."