Earthcrack: A Lin Hanna Mystery

by Sharon Canipe

  The young man put aside the boxes he was packing and moved to the front of the store. Silently, he positioned himself on a stool behind the counter. He watched as Tso put up the jewelry and then left with the Chinese gentleman. He hated working here but he had no choice. He still owed Tso a lot of money and he had no other way to repay him. He still had scars from the beating he received a year ago when he could not pay and he had no desire to repeat that experience so he cooperated and came in several days a week to work off his debt. If only his uncle had not disappeared last year, abandoning his truck on some remote ranchland. He had promised to help him but then, when the appointed day arrived, he hadn’t shown up and he hadn’t been seen or heard from since. Michael thought about last week when the deputy from Flagstaff had arrived to report that Cullen was dead. His remains had been found and it looked like he had fallen and hit his head.

  Michael was stuck between a rock and a hard place. With no money to pay, he had to do whatever Tso wanted or face another beating. He feared he would never be free of this debt. Besides, Tso refused to let him, or the others who worked under similar circumstances, see the ledger where he supposedly recorded their payments.

  Michael knew that some of the items he packed up for shipment were stolen from homes and gravesites on the reservation. He had even gone out on the reservation with some of the other young men to search for artifacts and other valuables to sell. Sometimes they found nothing but, on other occasions, they had been lucky enough to locate some small items. He knew this was not legitimate business; he also knew that to refuse this work or to report this to anyone would only bring suffering to him and more suffering for his family so he cooperated and kept his mouth shut.

  Now he watched in silence as Raymond Tso left the shop with his visitor heading for the diner next door.

  ***

  Entering the restaurant, Tso pointed his guest toward a booth in the far back corner where they could have privacy. The waitress quickly brought water and asked if they would like some iced tea while they perused the menu. Chou said nothing while they made their lunch choices. While they were waiting for their food, he introduced himself—after all, their only previous contact was by telephone.

  “I am happy to meet you Mr. Tso, I understand you are in the art and artifact business.”

  “I handle a few small sales,” Raymond responded, “pretty small time I’m afraid, but I have a good network of associates with ties to the reservation and I’m eager to expand my markets. Perhaps we have something to offer each other.”

  “Perhaps,” Chou responded. He pulled out the hand drawn map of the Lomaki area and placed it before Tso, “are you familiar with this place?”

  “Where did you get this?” Tso asked. “ Yes, I know the place, but why do you ask?”

  “Let’s just say I got this from a former business associate—someone I believe you know also.”

  “ You must mean Darren Steele, my cousin. He once mentioned doing business with you. That was a year ago and Darren disappeared shortly afterward. Frankly, I assumed he was cutting me out of the deal,” Tso shifted uneasily in his seat.

  “ You are right, he disappeared. I did no business with him and I don’t expect to do any in the future. You have not heard from him?”

  Tso nodded in agreement, “No contact in more than a year and I have had folks looking for him with no luck. Frankly, I think he may be dead —or hiding out somewhere on the Rez.”

  “Who knows?” Chou smiled. “He gave me this map about a week ago, wanting to do business with me, but I have had no contact with him since then. He seems to have dropped out of sight again. I just have not had time to follow through until now. I don’t know where he might be, but I’m interested in finding out where the pottery he told me about is. That is where I hope you can help.”

  Tso grew excited. This could be the break he was after. Association with this man Chou could be profitable indeed. In fact, Darren had mentioned he was a big time dealer who was going to market the pottery Darren told him about. It seemed that Chou was ready to cut Darren out of the picture. He wasn’t dependable anyway. Tso could do business for himself.

  He pulled the crude map toward him. “I know this place and, if the pottery is there it can be found. It will be a costly operation I’m afraid though,” he smiled at Chou. “This is park land so one can’t work openly. My associates will have to enter after hours, maybe even at night and work secretly. There is risk involved…”

  “I am well aware of the risks, Mr. Tso and I will certainly make it worth your while.” Chou took a roll of bills from his pocket and peeled off several big ones, handing them to Tso while glancing around to be sure no one was watching them. “There will be substantially more coming when the goods are delivered.”

  Tso eagerly grabbed the bills and shoved them into his pocket; “ I should have something for you by the end of next week.”

  “See that you do, Mr. Tso,” Chou stared at him directly, “I’m a serious businessman and I do not treat kindly those who try to cheat me.”

  “I do not either,” Tso responded.

  The food arrived and both men eagerly dug in. When their meal was finished they left the restaurant together. Shaking hands, they parted company in front of Tso’s shop with Michael Honeyestewa looking on from inside behind the counter.

  “I will call you next week, Mr. Chou,” Raymond nodded.

  “Till then Mr. Tso, good luck.” Chou walked back to his car and soon was driving out of town on his way back to Santa Fe. It would be quite late when he returned but hopefully this trip would turn out to have been worth his time.

  Michael tried to look away as Tso entered the pawnshop. He thoroughly hated this man and was afraid to look directly at him for fear he would reveal his contempt with his look. Besides, looking directly at someone was frowned upon in most native cultures, often seen as rudeness on the part of a young person. No matter, he tried to appear to be busy by sorting through some merchandise. Truth was only a couple of people had entered the shop and they were just “lookers”. No sales had been made.

  Tso walked up to the counter and spoke, “Michael, did you do any business while I was out?”

  “Just lookers, nobody bought anything,” Michael responded as he turned to go back to the workshop in the rear of the store, “I’ll get back to packing that order I was working on.”

  “ Yes, do that,” Tso said thoughtfully, “and when you finish come to my office—you and Teddy also—we might have something to talk about—something that might help you actually finish paying off your debt.”

  Michael perked up and almost smiled. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard; he really did not trust Tso, but he really wanted out of all of this. He wanted to go back to school, get a good job, and be a real help to his family. If there was a way to do that…

  An hour later Michael sat in Raymond Tso’s office. Teddy Begay, another young man in Tso’s grip, sat beside him. Both boys were nervous but eager to hear what was going to be presented to them.

  “Michael, Teddy, I think I have a job for the two of you. It is risky and could be difficult but if you succeed it could prove valuable. Perhaps valuable enough to clear your remaining debt to me.” Tso smiled at the boys.

  “Are you saying that if we do this job we won’t have to work here any more?” Teddy was incredulous.

  “Only if you want to. Who knows, after this my business may grow and you may actually want to be part of it—a regular employee, free of debt and earning money.”

  Teddy broke into an eager grin but Michael still seemed wary. He didn’t think he would ever want to work for Tso, if he could find a way out of it; however, he said nothing afraid to appear negative and ruin his chances of getting out of debt.

  Tso pushed the crudely drawn map across the desk. “ I have reason to believe that there is some very valuable, antique pottery hidden somewhere in this area—perhaps in the spot actually marked, perhaps not but nearby I feel certain. Find it, b
ring it to me intact and without getting caught, and your debts will be canceled. You will be free to go on your own way, if you wish, so long as you say nothing to anyone about what you found. If you wish to continue working with me, you will actually be paid for any future finds you may make—you’ll be a partner in my business,” he grinned but then, suddenly, turned serious, “I should not have to remind you of the consequences should you talk to anyone or betray my trust in you in anyway.”

  The boys nodded seriously. Teddy looked at Michael and then spoke, “ We can handle this, I know. We are the guys for this job.”

  Michael felt less sure but he nodded in agreement and, finally, he spoke. “I recognize this map. This is Lomaki ruin and the box canyon near it. This is parkland; we’ll have to find a way to sneak in to look for the stuff. I know the area. It’s near the site where my uncle used to collect eaglets and eagle feathers for our clan ceremonies. I have been there with him,” he boasted. That was actually not true. He had been in the park, but his uncle had never actually let him go all the way to the site; however, Teddy and Tso, being Navajo, wouldn’t know about that.

  Michael wanted to be free of his debt so badly. He did not really trust Tso but he felt he had to take this chance, “ We can do this,” he agreed as he folded the map and prepared to leave the office.

  “You need to get to work soon; I want the job finished by next week,” Tso spoke with a stern look. “You do not have to come into the shop while you are working on this but call me every day to report your progress.”

  “Yes, sir,” Teddy smiled.

  The boys left the shop together. Teddy turned to Michael and asked, “You really know where this stuff might be?”

  “Well, yes, in general,” Michael shared. “I think I can figure it out. I have been there. We are going to need a truck and maybe some tools to dig with. I notice Mr. Tso didn’t offer his vehicle or any equipment. No money up front for any expenses either.” He was discouraged because he didn’t know how he might overcome these obstacles.

  “Well, we’ll just have to see what we can come up with,” Teddy seemed more confident than Michael felt. “There has to be a way.”

  The boys parted company and headed for their respective homes on foot, agreeing to meet at the Tuba City McDonald’s the next morning to see what they had come up with. Teddy’s house was close by but Michael had a bit further to walk. He lived on the other side of the highway that bisected the town and formed a boundary between Tuba City and the Hopi community of Moenkopi.

  ****

  Tso sat back at his desk and thought about the prospects if this deal went through. He could actually make some real money without having to mess with all the locals and their never-ending debts. He could find another niche; one that promised greater rewards in the future. There was one shadow hanging in his thoughts; what was going on with Darren? Raymond had more or less assumed that Darren was either dead or had left the area altogether when he disappeared last year. He had failed in this pottery deal and was afraid to show himself. Tso had assumed he had moved far away or had, perhaps, met with some unfortunate accident. Now he apparently had resurfaced and he would, no doubt, expect a share of Raymond’s money if this deal came through. Tso was tired of Darren’s lack of dependability. He drank too much and couldn’t be counted on when it came to business. Raymond wanted to make sure Darren did not resurface to spoil this new deal with Chou. He needed to find out where he was and what he was doing.

  Picking up the phone, Raymond dialed the number of his most “dependable” loan customer. This fellow managed to pay his debts, but he enjoyed the casinos in New Mexico too much so he was always coming back for more.

  When the man answered the phone, Raymond asked, “ Do you know my cousin, Darren Steele?”

  “Sure, the guy who disappeared last year,” the man replied.

  “So, I thought,” Raymond responded, “but apparently he has been seen around recently. I need to know where he is staying and what he is doing.”

  “Not a problem, I can look around, make a few inquiries. I’ll call you in a couple of days.”

  “Thanks, I’ll make it worth your while.” Raymond smiled as he hung up the phone. Soon he would be a dealer in art and artifacts. He was coming up in the world and no one was going to stand in his way.

  Chapter 10

  The hot shower and glass of wine had worked their wonders for relaxation and Lin awoke the next day feeling refreshed from a good night’s sleep. She was looking forward to hearing from Sue later and making plans to visit the Honeyestewa family soon. First and foremost, she felt that this family deserved to know that their loved one was remembered and that not everyone was totally accepting of the idea that his death had been an accident. She also hoped that they might have some information to share about this person that would help her to find some answers to the mystery that was his disappearance and death—whatever the cause.

  Lin reported to the visitor center on time and was soon busy. There was another school group this morning. Toby was handling the talk at the ruins but the visitor center was full of both students and tourists for most of the morning—viewing exhibits, asking questions, buying souvenirs—Lin barely had time for a brief mid-morning break.

  At midday Lin returned to her apartment for lunch. She made herself a sandwich and took it outside to eat. It was a beautiful spring day and she enjoyed being out of doors when it was this nice. She sat back in her chair and allowed her thoughts to roam freely. She found herself coming back to Neal Smith. She had to admit that she did like him a lot. He was a very attractive and intelligent man—someone whose company she had come to enjoy. She realized that she looked forward to seeing him in the park with his students and she looked forward to the possibility of having dinner with him soon, as he had mentioned. She mentally cautioned herself not to become too interested until she knew more about him. Better stick to business—for now anyway.

  Having finished her lunch, Lin took her plate back to her kitchen, tidied up a bit, and headed back to the visitor center. When she arrived she learned that Sue Gray had called and left a message for her. She still had a few minutes before she was due to talk to another group so she went back to the staff office to return the call. Fortunately she reached Sue right away.

  “We’re on for Sunday,” Sue reported eagerly, “I was able to switch weekend days with one of the staff members who wanted to be off on Saturday anyway, so things worked out for us both.”

  “Great,” Lin responded, “Why don’t you come up here first thing Sunday morning. We can leave early and stop for breakfast at the Cameron Trading post before going on up to Moenkopi. I haven’t been there yet and everyone says it’s a must.”

  “ It is a great place,” Sue was enthusiastic, “of course, their specialty is Navajo tacos, which are hardly breakfast fare, but I’m sure that breakfast will be good also. They have a wonderful shop with lots of beautiful crafts—plenty of tourist stuff, but some really nice things also.”

  “It will be a fun day,” Lin replied, “We can mix pleasure with business so to speak. I’ll bring a copy of the police report to share with the family. Hopefully, they will be at home. I have no way of reaching them—just a street—no house number though.”

  “ We’ll find them,” Sue seemed confident, “ See you Sunday.”

  Lin felt a new sense of purpose now that she was finally taking some concrete steps to learn more about the death of this man. It had only been about ten days since the remains were discovered and yet, the case had already been closed and no one in authority seemed interested in finding out anything more. Well, hopefully, she could find some answers. She was certainly determined to try.

  ***

  Friday and Saturday passed uneventfully and rather quickly. It was a beautiful spring weekend, sunny and warm but comfortable. The park had many visitors both from out of town and from the local surrounding communities. Lin was kept busy assisting in several areas so the time passed quickly. She didn’t ha
ve much time to read about archeology nor did she have much time to think about what she was going to do or say on Sunday if she found the Honeyestewa family at home. She did manage to make a copy of the police report late Saturday afternoon just before closing. She had brought it over in the folder of articles and found a moment, when the other folks on duty were busy with visitors, to slip back to the office and make a copy. Now she was ready for the next step.

  ***

  Sunday was yet another beautiful day. Sue arrived on time and soon they were off to the reservation. They had told others they were going north for a day of exploring and playing tourist. Shortly after eight-thirty they pulled into the parking lot at the Cameron Trading Post. This historic business had been here for a long time and was still quite active as a popular stop for visitors to the area.

  Soon they were seated in the beautiful dining room. Broad windows offered a view of the Little Colorado River gorge behind the building; a huge stone fireplace dominated the room that was beautifully paneled with a punched tin ceiling. Exquisite Navajo rugs, worth thousands of dollars, decorated the walls. Sue had visited the place before and was able to explain some of the traditional designs to Lin.

  They delighted in breakfast burritos made with Navajo fry bread. As they settled back to enjoy a second cup of coffee, Lin brought up the purpose of their trip.

  “I really am not sure what to say to this family,” she wondered, “ I’m not sure about proper etiquette in such a situation. I know that they might be distrustful and not want to talk to us.”

  Sue was thoughtful. “ I did a volunteer stint in this area a couple of years ago—with one of the schools. I found that Hopi families are a bit more open and easy going than most of the Navajo. While they are often wary of strangers, it’s in their nature to be hospitable. They have lived together in close villages for hundreds of years while the Navajo were more nomadic and more likely to live apart from other people. I think if we approach courteously they will welcome us.”