Forsaken Canyon. Margaret Daley

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      “I would if I knew the area like you and hadn’t already committed to an expedition this summer. Besides, I’m not a real archaeologist.”

      “You’re the best amateur I’ve seen. And don’t forget you’re used to fieldwork as an anthropologist.”

      “This is probably a piece of cake after our adventure last year. At least there are no people trying to kill her and get the information she has.”

      “If she keeps going around telling people about it, there will be.” Hawke curled his hands into fists, remembering vividly how close he, Zach and Maggie had come to dying last year. He’d never been concerned about his own life, just his cousin’s and Maggie’s.

      “She’s smart. She knows when to keep her mouth shut.”

      “What’s for dinner? I’m starved.”

      Chuckling, Zach threw his arms up in the air. “I won’t mention it again—tonight. Let’s go eat.”

      

      Kit stormed up to her porch and plopped down on the glider where she always liked to sit and work out her problems. The Guardian had been surprised when his GPS tracking device he’d planted under her car had indicated she was returning home. She hadn’t been gone long.

      Even in the dimming light, he could see her face clearly through the binoculars. Someone had made her angry. Who? The man who had come to her house earlier that evening. He’d left clearly displeased. Had he found Kit? Had he upset her?

      He would have to find out what was going on with her. He didn’t like her unhappy. Whatever it was, he could fix it. Although it was getting harder, years ago he had made it his purpose in life to protect her and give her what she needed. After all, he owed her.

      It was a shame, though; sometimes she didn’t know what was best for her.

      But that’s why I’m here.

      

      The following week the door to Hawke’s office crashed open. Kit filled the entrance in all her anger. She stormed toward him as if a tornado swept through the station and planted her fists on his desk, leaning across it.

      “What gives you the right to ruin my life?”

      He met her fury with calm, folding his hands on his calendar blotter with his fingers interlaced. “I thought we had this little discussion last Saturday at Zach’s.”

      “This isn’t about Lester.”

      “Then what’s it about?”

      “I hired James Harrison to be my guide, and now he has disappeared. No one has seen him. What did you do to make him leave town?”

      “Who is James Harrison? I don’t know anyone by that name at Santa Maria Pueblo.”

      “After Lester, I got smart. I looked elsewhere for my guide. So how did you find out about Mr. Harrison? I didn’t even say anything to Zach in case he let it slip to you.”

      “Where in the world did you find this Harrison?”

      She straightened, waving her hand in the air. “That’s not important. He lives in the area.”

      “He does? At the pueblo?”

      “Well, no. Albuquerque. He assured me he knew what he was doing. He had references.”

      “Ah, references are important.” Why hadn’t he noticed how cute she was when she was angry? Her full lips formed a perfect little pout, and her eyes sparked with blue fire. But she was definitely trouble. He had to remember that.

      “They are. He’s led several groups through various canyons in the state.”

      “Any to Desolation Canyon?”

      “No, but isn’t one canyon like another?”

      “No, not at all.” Hawke lounged back in his comfortably padded chair. The day had turned interesting after a rather dull start. “And if you have to ask me that, then you have no business going in there.”

      “You’re just saying that to keep me away.” She sank into the seat across from his desk.

      “To put your mind at rest, I did not say anything to Harrison because I didn’t know about him.” His elbows on the arms of his chair, he steepled his fingers. “Contrary to what you may be thinking, I’ve not been following you around to see who you’ll contact next. I’ll tell you, however, that I’ve let it be known I wouldn’t be too happy if someone from the pueblo was your guide.”

      “I don’t give up easily, especially now.” Her eyes narrowed.

      He knew he shouldn’t ask, but he did. “Especially now?”

      “I discovered some more collaborating evidence that I’m on the right track.”

      “What?”

      “Zach gave me a piece of advice I think I’ll take. Trust no one.”

      Hawke laughed. “That sounds like my cousin. And in this situation I have to agree. Although I don’t think there’s a City of Gold out there, just the mere mention of the word gold makes men do crazy things.”

      “That’s it.” She leaped from the chair, her features red with anger. “You’re going after it without me.” She stretched her upper body across his desk as if she were coming at him. “You won’t find it without my information.”

      “Aren’t you forgetting that I’m the one who discovered the ruins of the mission? Do you know where they are?”

      She settled back, a scowl slashing across her face. “In Desolation Canyon.”

      “It covers a lot of ground. Give it up, Dr. Sinclair. You have no business going there. You’re out of shape and in no condition to make the trek.” After picking up the folder closest to him, he flipped it open. “You may have time to travel all the way here on a whim, but I have work to do and don’t have any more time to chitchat.”

      Kit wanted to bang her hands on the desk to get his attention as he perused the papers in the folder. His nonchalant bearing conveyed he had not a care in the world. She wouldn’t bang his desk, but she would find a way around the man. He blocked her path to what she wanted. She’d found James Harrison, so she would come up with another escort, and this time she wouldn’t say anything to anyone, not even her neighbor who was her sounding board.

      After a few seconds of staring at the top of his head, she gathered her composure, calm beginning to seep back into her. “Thank you, Mr. Lonechief.”

      Outside in the bright, cloudless day, she examined the small town of San Angelo. Only twenty miles to the north lay the start of the canyon system that led to the place she wanted to go. She’d worked too hard on this theory to back down. She didn’t want the gold; she wanted the credit. She had to publish something this year if she was to stay on the faculty at Albuquerque City College and get her tenure. The history department СКАЧАТЬ