[Desert Roses 03] - Beneath A Harvest Sky (9 page)
“Will we be leaving soon?” Jennetta questioned in a tone that suggested boredom. The look she offered Rainy seconded this emotion.
“Yes,” Rainy said, forcing a smile. “If you’ll all make your way down to the car, we’ll head out immediately.”
“Marvelous,” Phillip declared. “I can hardly wait to get to know you better.”
“I thought you were here for the desert and Indians,” Jennetta said, scowling at Rainy. “She doesn’t appear to be either one.”
Rainy immediately disliked the woman but put it aside.
Five days,
she told herself.
I only have to endure
them for five days
.
D
uncan immediately realized that the Driscolls and the Gordons shared some kind of past. Rainy particularly avoided the younger of the Driscoll men, while conducting herself in an overly formal manner with the elder Mr. Driscoll. Duncan couldn’t help but wonder what secrets the past held. Mr. Driscoll seemed to hold Rainy in some kind of contempt, while Chester appeared to go out of his way to speak in intimate whispers with her whenever the situation presented itself. Chester had put his hand on Rainy’s waist only to have her elbow him sharply. But it wasn’t the action so much as the look she gave him that left Duncan little doubt as to her disdain. Her glare could have frozen water at noon in the middle of the desert.
They reversed the order of their trip, spending the first night in Tuba City. Duncan, as always, helped to unload the luggage and didn’t see any suspicious packages or additional suitcases. He shared a room with Sonny and saw nothing in his demeanor or actions that suggested he was about the business of stealing artifacts.
Leaving Tuba City, Sonny turned the driving over to Duncan. He hesitated, knowing that he wasn’t truly interested in becoming a courier driver. Of course, he would have to at least pretend to be about the business of learning the route. The drive was a fairly easy one.
They took the Kayenta Road, and because the weather had been dry, the road was decent.
“You’ll want to take the lower road to the left,” Sonny said, leaning over Duncan’s shoulder.
“Yes, unless you want to put us in the sand, as Sonny delights in doing,” Rainy teased. Duncan nodded and maneuvered the car to the left while Rainy turned to her passengers. “The body of water you see is called Sheep Dip. After we cross a sandy stretch we’ll reach a lake called Red Lake. It’s called this because the sand at the bottom of the lake appears red.”
They passed the lake and headed on their way across the dry wasteland. At one point Rainy again turned to the guests and smiled. “This area of ruins is full of pottery and arrowheads. Little is known about the Indians who once lived here. There are several archaeologists who intend to study the area, but they feel confident the findings will prove the tribe to have been Navajo.” Duncan enjoyed her comments but could tell by the way she frowned whenever she turned back to face the road that she wasn’t happy at all. He couldn’t help but wonder what was making her so miserable.
At midday they paused to share a picnic lunch that had been packed for them back in Tuba. Duncan felt ravenous as he settled in beside Rainy to share in the sandwiches and fresh fruit. Rainy was nearly finished with her food, but helping Sonny resecure some loose luggage had delayed Duncan’s lunch.
“So how do you like driving the touring car?”
Rainy asked.
Duncan unwrapped a ham and cheese sandwich and shrugged. “It’s an adventure, I will say that much.”
“Are you sorry you gave up the museum?”
He felt a twinge of guilt. There was no way he could explain that he hadn’t given up the museum.
He couldn’t very well tell one of the prime suspects of the investigation that he was only along to spy on her and gather information.
“I don’t want to spend my life living in a museum,” he finally said. “I have other plans.”
“Truly? Maybe you could tell me about them sometime,” Rainy said, seeming quite interested in him.
“Miss Gordon,” Phillip Vance interrupted, “I wondered if you might take a walk with me and tell me about the landscape.”
Rainy smiled up at the handsome man. “Of course.” She quickly got to her feet and dusted off the backside of her skirt. “What would you like to know?”
They walked away with Phillip casually putting his hand on the small of Rainy’s back as they ascended a slight incline. Duncan couldn’t help but notice there was no sharp elbowing of Mr. Vance. On the contrary, Rainy seemed to enjoy Mr. Vance’s attention very much. Duncan wanted nothing more than to run after them and insist he join the walk, but his appetite was fierce, and besides, he knew he had no business interfering in the matter.
Why does it have to be so hard to wait, Lord? I feel as
though most of my life has been spent waiting for one thing
or another to happen. Rainy Gordon is a beautiful and exciting
woman, probably too much so for my simple life, but still
I find myself drawn to her in a way I can’t explain
.
“You don’t understand.”
Duncan perked up at the statement. The voice of a man speaking in low, hushed tones carried over from the other side of the rock where Duncan ate.
“I understand better than you think,” came another male voice. The second voice had to belong to Marshall Driscoll. It sounded much too refined and old to be his son’s. Since Chester Driscoll was the only other man on the trip, besides Phillip Vance, the other voice must belong to him, Duncan reasoned.
“But Rainy is still determined to see the truth come out about those artifacts.”
“Shut up,” Driscoll told his son. “This is not a matter for discussion.”
They moved away from the rock, leaving Duncan feeling rather ill. What did they know about Rainy and artifacts? The situation didn’t look at all good for Rainy. First the Office of Indian Affairs believed her a possible thief, and now Driscoll’s comment seemed to suggest there could be good reason to hold her accountable for the disappearing artifacts.
The sandwich settled heavily on his stomach. Swallowing hard, Duncan tried to figure out what he should do next. He could always take Chester aside and try to get the man to talk. It was doubtful he’d say anything, however. After all, the man didn’t know Duncan and would have no reason to confide in him.
Maybe I should talk to Rainy and just ask her up front
what his comment was about. But what if she is involved
with stealing from the Indians and my questions ruin the
investigation?
There seemed to be no easy answer.
————
That evening, after the work of pitching tents and setting up cots had been completed, Rainy was surprised to find Phillip Vance at her side once again.
“I wondered if we might walk together?” Phillip asked. “I know I monopolized your time at lunch, but I do have more questions for you.”
“Given the fact you were so willing to help us set up camp,” Rainy began, “it would be uncharitable of me not to at least share a walk with you.” She smiled and moved away from the gathering of tents. “So where would you like to walk? It’s growing dark and we shouldn’t go far. The desert is full of dangerous creatures.”
“I’m sure that’s wise counsel.” He joined her, matching her long-legged strides with equal pacing. “I wondered if you would tell me about the Hopi people we visited today—about your friend Istaqa and his wife, Una. I liked them.”
Rainy smiled. “They are wonderful people. Istaqa is one of the Indian police who keep law and order on the reservation. At first his people resented him, but they’ve come to discover over the years that they’d prefer to have another Hopi tell them what’s right and wrong rather than have a white man do the deed. Of course, the authorities really don’t hold him in very high regard, and they certainly would pull rank on him should they dislike his performance. Una is his wife of some fourteen years. They have three boys who attend the government school and do quite well.”
Phillip took hold of her elbow and guided her toward an outcropping of rock. “I cannot imagine living the life they live. Do they really enjoy living in the pueblos?”
Rainy laughed. “Where else would they live? You certainly don’t see any palatial mansions awaiting them, now, do you?”
Phillip appeared flushed in the fading light. Rainy realized she’d embarrassed him with her teasing. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I shouldn’t have answered in such a manner.” She noticed that he continued to hold on to her arm even though they’d stopped walking.
“It’s just that I feel people don’t take me seriously when I say I want to learn. My sister thought me mad when I suggested this trip. She had come to visit me in Los Angeles, and when she mentioned traveling through Indian country and that souvenirs and such were available . . . well, I knew I had to see it for myself.”
“And what do you think so far?” Rainy asked, warming under his intense scrutiny. The darkness robbed her of a chance to clearly see his expression, but she knew he had fixed his gaze on her.
“I’m deeply moved by the desert. It appears so harsh and lifeless, yet there is life out there. I look at the pueblos, so much like a natural outpouring of the earth, and marvel at the shapes and the sensibility of their creation. I see the people and know I shall never be as strong and worthy as they.”
Rainy thought his attitude and feelings a refreshing change from so many of the tourists. His comments suggested a depth of feeling that did him honor. “The Hopi are a proud people. They can date their existence here back to A.D. 1050. They are very much as their name suggests: good, peaceful, and wise.”
“I want to know everything,” he said, pulling Rainy closer. He didn’t even seem to notice what he’d done, yet Rainy was now only inches from him.
“Ah . . . well . . . they grow maize as a basic food.
It’s a type of corn. In fact, they raise over a dozen different kinds of corn—adding new varieties all the time.”
“I had no idea there were so many varieties.”
She found herself hesitant to speak. The words stuck in her throat. Here she was with a famous movie star. Her friends would have fainted dead away to be this close to Phillip Vance, and yet Rainy stood her ground—a bit light-headed, perhaps, but nevertheless, she was standing.
“What’s it like to play a character in the movies?” she asked without thinking.
Phillip laughed. “Harder than some might think.
It’s mostly an endless chore of lighting and scenery details or dealing with some incompetent who has forgotten half his equipment. I actually like the acting part, but it’s so different from the stage.
“But enough about me. I’m so glad you aren’t like those poor girls who lose their heads at the mere mention of a celebrity name. Sometimes I begin to find a woman halfway interesting and she swoons at my feet.
Terribly hard to discuss matters of importance when the other party is unconscious.”
Rainy laughed out loud at this and stepped away from Phillip. “I assure you I’m not one of those women. However, you must admit no matter where you go, someone is bound to recognize you and desire to share in your glory.”
He sighed and Rainy thought he sounded very sad when he replied, “Yes, it makes my life very difficult.
I’ve often wondered if it might be possible to find friends now who are truly interested in me as a person and not me as a star.”
Rainy thought about this for a moment. “You’re very personable, Mr. Vance.”
“Oh, please, call me Phillip,” he said, moving closer to her once again.
Rainy smiled. “All right, Phillip. You have a genteel quality that I find refreshing, and yet for all your fame and fortune, you seem quite down to earth.”
“Exactly!” he declared and once again took hold of her arm. As he began walking them back toward camp he added, “I knew you were different. I could see in your eyes that you understood my plight.”
Rainy stumbled on a rock, but Phillip easily kept her upright. He steadied her, then stopped Rainy and turned her toward him. By the light of the campfires, Rainy could see his expression had grown very somber.
She feared perhaps she’d made him overly morose.
“Rainy,” he said, then paused. “May I call you by your first name?”
“Of course.” She trembled slightly as he rubbed his fingers over her hands.
“Rainy, I find you the most delightful woman I’ve ever known. You are so very genuine and refreshing.
I’d like very much to know you better, and I hope that during my stay in Santa Fe, you’ll allow me to call on you.”
Rainy swallowed but the desert dust left her choked. “I . . .” She cleared her throat with a little cough. “Excuse me,” she apologized, then regained a bit of her composure. “I think it would be very nice to get to know you better, Mr. . . . Phillip. But after we return, I will be going to Albuquerque for two weeks.
You see, my parents live there and my brother and I plan to have an extended visit with them.”
“Oh, well . . . how unfortunate.”
Now he really sounded sad, and Rainy could hardly bear that she’d caused it. Especially when her heart continued to suggest that perhaps this was the man who would sweep her off her feet. Perhaps this was the very man she had nagged and pleaded with God to give her for a husband.