Tom was fading from my suspect list. His motive didnt seem so good after all. And despite his skill with snakes, and the accident at the cliff, he seemed like a nice enough guy. My instincts told me he was all right which meant I was on the wrong track.
It took only fifteen minutes to retrace our steps. Bess and George were still at work. Tom paused to talk to Kyle. I crossed the clearing and put the rock hammer back with the other tools.
I turned to study the clearing. Everybody was still there, and seemed caught up in their work. How could I make the best use of my time?
I called George and Bess to join me for a water break. We gathered out of earshot of the others.
So, how was your hike with Tom? Bess asked.
I told them about the rock fall and the claw drag marks. Im starting to believe Tom is all right, though I cant be one hundred percent sure.
The jury is out on this whole bunch, George said. Theyre all suspects, as far as I can see.
I took off my hat and ran my fingers through my hair. So, what are we going to do next?
Drink more water, for one thing, George said. She peered into Besss face. Are you all right?
Besss skin glistened with sweat. She looked droopy and Bess never looks droopy.
I have a headache, Bess said. Its just the heat. Ive been drinking, really I have. But its so hot out here.
Maybe you should rest for a while, I said.
George nodded. You dont want to get heatstroke. Keep cool, and keep drinking, but just a little at a time. We should have brought out a sports drink, for the salt and electrolytes.
Why dont you go back to camp? I said. Have a cold drink, and sit in the shade.
One of us should walk back with you, in case you feel faint, George said.
Bess smiled. How about I ask Kyle to take me back? I can pump him for information on the way.
George and I laughed. I guess youre not feeling too bad, I said. All right, see if you can get your handsome escort.
When Kyle saw how Bess looked, he quickly agreed to walk back with her. Its time to stop, anyway, he said. Hey, everyone! Lets start cleaning up. Im sure Felix will be waiting for us.
Kyle and Bess started back for camp, while the rest of us put away tools and made sure everything was secure for the night. I took a long look at the valuable fossil. It couldnt be moved yet, because the plaster was still damp. But now that it was out of the ground and completely covered, it was more a target for thieves than ever.
I turned to George. I have a hunch this is going to be an interesting night.
Laws and Outlaws
Nobody talked much on the way back. I tried to strike up a conversation with Steffi, hoping I could lead it around to Jimmy, but she gave only one-word answers. Everyone looked hot and tired.
A surprise awaited us at camp. Erlinda was there, talking to Kyle. George and I grabbed sodas from the cooler, then joined Bess in the shade.
Whats up? I asked.
Its like watching a play, Bess said. Erlinda was talking to Felix when we got here. Shes being really friendly now. She even started asking Kyle all these questions about fossils. How valuable they are, where you find them, things like that. And Kyle is trying hard not to tell her anything useful!
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Poor Kyle, I said. He must think everyone is out to get his fossils.
George smirked. Speaking of poor Kyle, how was your walk back?
Fine. Hes really nice.
I could tell from Besss tone that she no longer saw him as a hunky potential date. She went on. Its not just this dig that is getting him down. He and Steffi are togethertheyre getting married soon. But they cant afford a down payment on a house on his salary and her graduate student stipend. Hes afraid theyll be in a tiny apartment forever.
That explained why Bess was no longer interested in Kyle. Shed never try to steal another girls boyfriend. Thats too bad, I said. Unfortunately, it also gives Kyle and Steffi a motive for stealing the fossil, if they need the money.
Bess shook her head. I just cant believe they would do something like that. I spent a lot of time with Steffi today. She works hard, and Im sure shes honest. Kyle is a sweetheart too. I like them both.
I do too, actually, I said. They seem nice, and so sincere about their work.
I like them, George said. But dont forget that scene at Steffis tent last night.
I sighed. Thats right. It seems like whenever Im ready to decide someone cant be a suspect, I remember something that says they still are. We need to investigate Jimmy, anyway. Hes our number one suspect now.
So what is Erlinda doing here? George asked. If she and Jimmy are involved in the fossil theft, isnt she just calling attention to herself?
Erlinda walked past us without glancing our way. I called out to her. Hello, Erlinda. Hows Jimmy?
She turned and glared at me. You leave him alone! I dont need any more snooty city girls giving him bad ideas. She stormed off, following the road back toward her house.
Okaaay, George said. I think we can forget about getting a dinner invitation.
Besss forehead wrinkled. Is her behavior suspicious, or is she just unfriendly?
Shes up to something now, I said, but shes not a good candidate for last nights theft. That would be fast work, if she learned that fossils are valuable only yesterday evening. Could Jimmy be the thief, and his mother doesnt know it?
George grinned. Sounds like we get a field trip to the ranch tonight.
Felix called us to dinner an enormous pot of chili, plus a long loaf of garlic bread. We all ate like we hadnt been fed in days. Its amazing how hungry you get working outside or solving mysteries.
I called across the fire to Kyle. So, what did Erlinda want anyway?
She wants to find a million-dollar fossil on her land. But like most Western ranchers, she only owns a small fraction of the land her cattle use. She leases the rest from the state. He gave a wry smile. Of course, most ranchers think of all the land they use as theirs, even if it isnt legally. In any case, the land she owns is higher. Its not the same geologic era as our spot, unfortunately for her.
She must be annoyed at that, I said. Do you think shed try to dig here?
Kyles smile turned to a scowl. I dont know. But so far, she doesnt know enough to do any damage. She hardly knows what a fossil looks like, and I certainly wasnt helping her.
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She couldnt legally dig here, right? I asked. What exactly is the law?
Basically, you cant take vertebrate fossils from government land. That means dinosaurs, mammals, and anything else with a backbone. Its considered stealing government property.
But its legal to dig on private land, isnt it? George said. Why dont people just do that?
First of all, in these Western states, the federal government owns a lot of the wild land, and obviously you cant do much in cities or suburbs, Kyle said. Second, ranchers who have a lot of fossils on their land know theyre worth money. They might charge thousands of dollars to let someone dig, and take a percentage of whatever is found.
Steffi broke in. Once you take a bone out of the ground, no one can tell where it came from. So why would you pay a lot of money, if you can just sneak in and take the fossils for free?
Um, maybe because youre honest? George said.
Steffi smiled. Sometimes people dont even know theyre committing a crime. You wouldnt believe the people who get caught doing illegal digs! Graduate students, school groups, scouting troops, youth groups. Hey, its fun and educational! She shook her head. I guess they just dont think.
Kyle nodded. Anyone might pick up a bone or two while theyre out on a hike. Its still illegal, and it can cause trouble if we want to excavate that site. Maybe you would have had a whole skeleton, but now you have only part of it. It does damage.
He turned and glared in the direction of the dig. But the professional thieves are the real problem. One study found that about a third of all fossil sites in Western grasslands showed signs of poaching.
After one day on a dig, stealing fossils seemed like a lot of work. And people can really make enough money to make it worthwhile?
Grayson broke in. A few years back, thieves dug up a site in Badlands National Park. They got eighteen skulls worth five thousand dollars each. Some kind of rhinoceros, right?
Kyle nodded. They were titanothere skulls. A mammal sort of like a rhinoceros. Thirty million years old.
A museum at the University of Michigan also lost some rhino fossils, Grayson added. The thieves actually took apart the exhibit, took a skull and a leg bone, and then put the case back together.
Abby shook her head and made a tsking sound. Such foolish human vanity. The pure of spirit know that fortune is merely a distraction in the search for truth.
Russell snorted. Is that why youre here? You think youll find some kind of truth?
What does truth look like, Abby? Grayson asked. Will you point it out to me when you find it? Maybe I can take some home. I can always use a little more truth.
I could tell they were teasing her, but she took it seriously. One must put aside the self, and open oneself to the divine guidance of spiritual beings. We have lessons to learn in this life.
Russell rolled his eyes. What lessons do you get from a dinosaur dig?
Positive creative activity is part of our work to heal ourselves, each other, and mother earth.
George leaned over to me and whispered, So long as the activity doesnt involve any heavy lifting.
Felix served brownies for dessert, then we helped clean. I was tying up a garbage bag when George waved Bess and me away from the others. Someone is hiding behind that truck, George said. I saw movement, but he ducked back. Its not someone from camp. I counted everyone.
Great work, I said. Lets spread out and see if we can get another look. He was behind that blue SUV?
Right, George said. Thats Russells, but hes building up the campfire.
We split up and walked casually around the clearing. I didnt look at the SUV directly but kept it in the edge of my vision.
A head bobbed up. I kept walking slowly, not directly toward him. He lifted a hand for a second, then ducked back down.
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I changed direction and joined George. Its Jimmy. His mother comes here openly, but he sneaks around. Interesting. I dont think he knows I saw him.
So now what? George said as Bess came over. Wait there he goes. Do we follow?
Of course!
We wanted to give him a head start, so he wouldnt know we were following. Thats when we saw someone else start down the road.
Whats Steffi doing? I murmured.
It looks like shes following Jimmy, George said.
It could be a coincidence, Bess said. Her tents over there.
Steffi paused and looked toward camp. We could see her through the SUV windows, but I doubt she could tell we were watching. She gave the campsite a long look, then hurried after Jimmy.
George, Bess, and I exchanged curious glances, then followed. Jimmy was already out of sight. If Steffi just went to her tent, we could hurry ahead and try to pick up his trail.
We darted between low trees and bushes. Steffi hurried straight for her tent, without glancing back.
See? Bess whispered. Shes probably just getting her jacket or something.
Wait! I hissed. Not such a coincidence after all.
Jimmy stood up from behind the tent. Steffi greeted him without surprise. She unzipped her tent and the two ducked inside.
Lets go closer, I said. I want to know what theyre saying. I pointed to the top of the rock outcropping next to the tent and we crept up the side.
We stretched out on top and looked down at Steffis tent. We were only about ten feet away, but if they came out, we could duck back. Unfortunately, we could hear only snatches of conversation.
You dont know my mother, Jimmy said.
Forget about her, Steffi said. You have to do this for you.
You know I want to, more than anything.
Their voices dropped, and I heard only a few words. A couple of minutes later, they crawled out of the tent. Jimmy held a brown paper bag. I wished I had X-ray vision and could look inside!
Just keep those hidden, and it will be all right, Steffi said. Ill see you tomorrow.
Jimmy nodded and scurried off toward his house. Steffi strode back to camp.
That was interesting, I whispered. I just wish I knew what it meant.
Could it be a romance? George asked.
No way, Bess said promptly. She wouldnt choose Jimmy over Kyle.
You wouldnt, I said. But that doesnt mean no one would.
Bess looked worried. Do you think we should tell Kyle?
No. Not yet, anyway. If it is a romance, its none of our business. If theyre involved with the fossil theft, thats different. But we need proof. I glanced at Steffi as she disappeared back toward camp. Come on, I said, lets take a walk. Its time we found out more about Jimmy.
George looked at her watch. We have about half an hour until sunset, and then half an hour of dusk until its really dark. Should we get our lights?
I hesitated. Id rather not go back to camp, and maybe attract attention. The moon will still be nearly full.
Walking along the road was easier than driving had been, and we made good time. I was just glad we had on long-sleeved shirts and pants. They gave us some protection against the mosquitoes that were starting to attack.
The crickets began chirping and somewhere an owl hooted. Something darted past our heads. I watched the small dark shape flying erratically. Just a bat, going after the mosquitoes.
We need a flock of them, George said, waving her hands around her face. Ill take one for each shoulder as bug guards.
After wed gone about a mile, George pointed. There I see lights. As we got closer, we could see a house.
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Its still light out, Bess said. Do you think theyll see us?
If we want to see what theyre doing, we cant wait too long, I said. Ill bet ranchers go to bed early. At least the windows arent facing directly this way. But lets keep that barn, or whatever it is, between us and the house as long as we can.
We left the road and cut across the desert. The sunset reached all around the horizon. In the west the sun was sinking below the distant mountains in a blaze of pink and gold. The few wispy clouds looked like glowing cotton candy. In the east the distant hills glowed a rosy red.
An eerie howl pierced the air. My skin prickled. Bess jumped and said, What was that? A coyote?
Relax, George said gruffly, though I noticed her glancing all around. Coyotes dont attack people, remember? Your average pet dog is probably more dangerous.
Bess nodded, but moved closer. She gasped when another bat flew past. I think we all felt better when we reached the barn. Even if it wasnt actually safer, it felt more familiar and civilized.
Well have to sneak around toward the house now, I whispered. Keep close to the barn. Were less likely to be spotted.
I led the way to the corner and peered around at the house about a hundred feet away. I studied the windows, looking for any sign of movement. Everything seemed still.
I glanced back at Bess and George. Get ready to run for it. They nodded.
I stepped around the corner of the barn. A door swung open in my face.
I stifled a gasp and pressed myself against the wall. Jimmy stepped out of the barn and pushed the door closed behind him. I was only a few feet away; he would spot me with a glance.
He trotted toward the house without turning his head. I held my breath and listened to my heart pound. I was afraid he would look back at any moment, but I was afraid to move, too, in case I attracted his attention. Finally he went through the door, calling out, Ma!
I slumped back against the wood for a moment. That was close, Bess whispered.
I nodded and took a deep breath. At least now we know where Jimmy is, and it sounds like his mother is inside too.
But we dont know if Jimmy has brothers and sisters, Bess said. And what about his father?
Well have to risk it, I said, but it might be better if we dont all go up to the house. Why dont you two search the barn. If Jimmy has been stealing fossils, maybe hes hiding them in there.
When they had closed the barn door behind them, I dashed toward the house. I tiptoed along the wall. Through one window I saw a small bedroom with shabby furniture. The next room was probably Jimmys. Mens clothes lay across the bed, and farm equipment catalogs covered the desk.
I glanced through the next window at the kitchen. Erlinda was washing dishes at the sink. A flickering glow from the next room suggested a TV. I pressed against the wall out of sight and listened.
Several minutes passed with no noise besides the splashing of water, the clinking of dishes, and the murmur of the TV The air had cooled rapidly with the sun going down, and I shivered. I glanced at the barn, a darker shape in the gathering dusk, and wondered how Bess and George were doing. It would be even darker inside the barn, and they wouldnt want to risk turning on a light.
Finally I heard a creak and Jimmys voice. All right, Ma, Im going to look at the new issue of Ranch and Range before bed.
Erlinda grunted and Jimmys steps moved away. I slid back along the house to Jimmys window and peeked in. Jimmy was backing out of the closet with a brown paper parcel in his hands. The same one Steffi had given him?
He took a step toward his door, opened it, and looked down the hallway. Then he closed the door, sat at the desk, and started unwrapping the parcel. It was a grocery bag folded over and taped down. Jimmy withdrew a book.
Steffi was giving Jimmy books? That didnt seem so suspicious, but I craned my neck to read the title. Jimmy flipped it open before I could tell.
I stepped back and thought about what to do next. Then I got an eerie feeling that someone was watching me. I froze and scanned my senses, trying to figure out what sight, sound, or smell had warned me. My nose twitched. What was that musty stink?
A growl rose behind me.
I whipped around so fast I lost my balance and sat down hard. When the world stopped spinning, I looked up into a pair of yellow eyes. Sharp teeth glistened in the fading light.
Behind Closed Doors
The animal let out two loud barks. It was just a dog.
I remembered what George had said about dogs being more dangerous than coyotes. I swallowed hard and croaked, Nice doggie.
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The dog some kind of shepherd and rottweiler mix, from the looks of it growled again and let out a series of barks that made my eardrums throb. Its hot breath stung my eyes.
I heard the window above me slide open. Sugar, be quiet. Sit down.
The dog sat down and whined.
Steffi, is that you? Jimmy whispered out the window.
Erlindas voice came from somewhere in the house. Jimmy called out, Yeah, Ma, Ill take a look. I tore my eyes away from the dog and looked up as Jimmy leaned out the window. Its all right, you can get up now. He offered his hand, and I was glad to take it. My legs were shaky. He stared at me as the light from inside fell on my face. You?
Nancy, I reminded him. Id like to talk to you for a minute.
He glanced back at the door of his room. All right, but youd better come in through the window. I scrambled in, and he whispered, Stay right here.
He slipped out the door and closed it behind him. I stepped toward the desk. Jimmy had covered the book with a magazine. I lifted it and saw the book title, Dinosaurs of the Cretaceous. I took a quick peek in the paper bag and saw two more paleontology textbooks.
Voices came down the hall. Jimmy said, But Im still reading it.
Erlinda answered, I just want to get that response card.
I grabbed the dinosaur books and ducked into the closet, leaving the door open a crack so I could look out.
I heard the room door open, and saw Erlinda cross to the desk. Jimmy hovered behind her. As she flipped through the magazine, he glanced around the room. Erlinda pulled something from the magazine and walked out of my field of vision. I heard the door close.
The closet door slowly opened. Jimmy smiled at me, and looked at the book in my hands. Thanks, he whispered. Did Steffi send you?
I hadnt had time to cook up a story, so I said, No, she didnt. I took a deep breath. Actually, I was spying on you.
Jimmys mouth dropped open. You did my mother He glanced toward the door and lowered his voice. She wouldnt do that. She wouldnt ask you.
I smiled. Your mother will barely speak to me. No, this is about the fossil thefts at the dig. Did you know about those?
He shook his head. Ma doesnt like me going over there during the digs. Ive hardly had a chance to talk to Steffi.
But she gave you these books. I handed him Dinosaurs of the Cretaceous and he hugged it to his chest.
I got interested in the dig last year. I want to become a paleontologist, but Ma dont hold with that. Steffis been helping me get into college. Only, Ma will flip if she finds out. Steffi promised she wouldnt tell anyone but Kyle, just to make sure no one mentioned it to Ma.
But your mother is interested in paleontology now that she knows bones can be worth something, I said.
He hesitated. She might let me volunteer on a dig to learn how to find stuff, but I want to be a real paleontologist, not just dig up things and sell them without understanding what they are. Anyway, she doesnt have the money to help pay for it. He sighed. Steffi is amazing, but I dont know how much she can help. I dont have the money for college.
How about a scholarship?
He shook his head. My grades werent that good. I wasnt interested in school before.
I put a hand on his arm. Keep trying. Something might turn up. Im sorry I suspected you. I moved toward the window. Id better go. Is that dog all right now?
He came to the window with me and leaned out. Here, Sugar. This is Nancy. You be a good girl and dont give her no trouble.
I held out my hand for the dog to sniff, and swung a leg over the windowsill. Her name is Sugar? I asked.
Jimmy grinned. She was awfully sweet as a puppy.
I smiled at him, then headed back toward the barn. As I got close, I heard a whisper. Nancy! Over here.
I went around the corner of the barn and found Bess and George. Are you all right? We saw you in there!
I quickly explained what had happened.
So Jimmys all right, and so is Steffi, Bess said. Im glad of that, anyway.
I nodded. Unfortunately, it doesnt leave us with many suspects left. Wed better get back to camp before we miss something.
We started back toward the road. The last glow of dusk faded. Wheres that moon you promised? Bess asked.
I dont know. But come to think of it, the moon doesnt always rise at the same time.
Can you believe how dark it is? George said. No city lights at all.
I tipped my head back and gazed up at the stars I couldnt believe how many stars! I could actually see the sweep of the Milky Way. A shooting star flared briefly.
The air was cool and clear, and just thin enough to remind me that we were at over six thousand feet elevation. The breeze raised goose bumps on my arms, but I warmed up as we walked. We stumbled a few times in the dark, and George got a chunk of cactus stuck to her leg. Finally we made it to the road.
Now the moon comes up, George muttered. We stopped and watched it rise, a huge pale globe. It sent long shadows along the road. Unfortunately it was behind us, so our own shadows hid the road in front of us. But eventually we made it back to camp.
Steffi called to us as we got closer. Everything all right? We were starting to wonder about you.
We just went for a walk, I said. What an amazing night sky!
We grabbed our jackets and joined the others for mugs of hot cocoa. We chatted for a while, but everyone looked tired. Abby was the first to get up. I know its early, but Im wiped out. Good night, everyone. She headed to her tent.
Soon others started drifting away. George, Bess, and I went to my car. We popped the trunk, got a jug of water for rinsing, and brushed our teeth. I watched the other volunteers crawl into their tents or get things from their cars.
Are you guys totally exhausted? I asked Bess and George.
Not a bit, George said.
Actually, I feel better now that its cooler, Bess said. What did you have in mind?
I grinned at my friends. How about another moonlight stroll? I know the perfect spot.
George glanced around the camp. We dont want to be obvious, though. We want people to think weve gone to bed.
Good point, I said. All right, Bess and I will crawl into the tent and make some noise. You slip away and wait for us around the first corner of the path. Then Bess can come out as if shes heading to the bathroom. Ill follow a few minutes later. If anyone notices one of us, that person will just come back and wait a little longer.
Great, George said. Make sure you have your hat and gloves its going to get colder.
The plan worked perfectly. When I slipped out, I saw lights in a couple of the tents. The moon was rising but was still low enough that I could stay to the shadows.
I joined George and Bess. They were staring toward a hill. I followed their gaze and saw a figure standing there.
Its Russell, George said. Hes talking on his cell phone.
We listened, and sure enough, I could hear a few words drift down. I caught something about buying and selling, and the word tomorrow, but that was it. Then Russell pocketed his phone and headed back to camp.
We started walking toward the dig site. We had flashlights, but we didnt want to attract attention. Fortunately, we didnt need them since the path was visible, especially as the moon got higher.
I was a few feet in the lead. I glanced up at the sky, hoping for another meteor, but the moonlight was washing out the stars.
As I brought a foot forward, my ankle caught on something. I windmilled my arms but couldnt stop myself from flying forward. I landed with a grunt, sprawled out on the ground.
Nancy! Bess gasped. Are you all right?
Now the stars were in my head. I blinked a few times to clear my vision. Then I wished I hadnt. A dark, hairy shape loomed inches from my face and I heard a soft hissing.
I almost went cross-eyed trying to focus on it. The thing, as big as my outstretched hand, reared up. The moonlight shone on its furry body and thick furry legs. Please tell me thats not a tarantula, I whispered.
You know I dont like to lie to you, George said. Just stay still.
The tarantula didnt move, except to bob up and down. If the movement was supposed to be intimidating, it was working. I have nothing against tarantulas at a distance. But having one six inches from my face made me break out in a sweat.
George found a stick and nudged the tarantula away. I edged backward and sat up, catching my breath. Bess was sitting on a rock with her hands covering her face. Is it gone? she asked.
Thats funny, George said. Its on a leash. I stared at her. Look, she said. Its attached to this string, and the string was tied around that rock.
So maybe this was planned, I said slowly. I searched the ground. Sure enough, heres what tripped me. Somebody strung a wire across the path.
And left our little buddy here as an extra surprise, George said. Nice. But what do we do about the poor thing? We cant leave it tied up. Bess moaned.
I said, People have them as pets, right? They cant be too dangerous.
We still didnt want to take any chances. I wrapped my scarf around one glove and gently held the tarantula down. Prickles ran along my skin, but I kept telling myself it was just an innocent creature.
George worked her penknife under the string and it loosened. Someone just dropped a noose over its head, with a slipknot, she said. There you go, fella, all free.
We hurried away, leaving the tarantula to its own devices. We walked more carefully after that. First a rattlesnake, and now a tarantula, George said. Someone doesnt like us getting nosy. But are they trying to hurt us, or just scare us?
