Skeleton Canyon

Joanna sighed. With no certain confirmation from the autopsy, it was still way too early to discuss the possibility that Bree’s death might prove to be a homicide rather than an accident. Still, as long as Frankie Stoddard continued to monitor all departmental radio transmissions, it wouldn’t be a secret for long. Joanna nonetheless decided to try.

“The truck ran off a cliff out in the Peloncillos,” she said. “It turned over several times. It looks as though Brianna was thrown clear. When the truck finally came to rest, she was crushed underneath it. Under the cab.^”

Katherine closed her eyes. “She died instantly, then?”

Joanna shook her head. “I don^’t know,” she said. “Dr. Winfield is the only one who can answer those kinds of questions. That’s why he needs time to collect evidence.”

“Yes,” Katherine said. “Of course.”

“Tell me something,” Joanna said. “Yesterday, when your husband wanted me to notify the FBI, he raised the issue of a possible kidnapping. Is there anything in your husband’s business dealings that would lend itself to that kind of scenario?”

The change in Katherine’s demeanor was abrupt. “What exactly do you mean by that?” she demanded. “And what does a question like that have to do with my daughter driving her truck off a cliff?”

She’s doing it again, Joanna thought, watching in fascination as Katherine O’Brien seemed to collect herself and make an almost instant transformation into a tigress defending her young or den. It was the same kind of almost schizophrenic behavior she had exhibited the day before when Ernie and Joanna had been interviewing her. One moment she had been falling apart. The next, in a daunting display of willpower, she had pulled herself together and assumed the role of gracious hostess. This time she came out swinging in her absent husband’s defense.

“It’s just curiosity more than anything,” Joanna assured her quickly. “Obviously, your husband has made a good deal of money over the years…”

“He was in real estate,” Katherine returned. “Real estate and construction both. He was a major player in the development of Paradise Valley up in Phoenix. Over the years, he diversified enough so that when it was time to sell out and come down here, he was able to make a good deal of money-funds that are still coming in, by the way. If you’re asking me whether or not my husband hangs out with lowlifes who would do this kind of thing-a kidnapping, I mean-I’ll tell you right here and now that he doesn’t. David O’Brien may be a little overbearing at times, even unreasonable occasionally. But my husband is a highly principled man. If you don’t believe me, there are any number of people you could ask. Wally, for instance.^”

“Wally?”

“Wally Hickman,” Katherine O’Brien said. “Years ago, before Wally went into politics, he and my husband were business partners.”

Joanna took a deep breath. “You mean Governor Hickman,” she asked.

Katherine O’Brien nodded. “You know him., don’t you?”

“Not personally.”

“Well, I do, and so does David. Wally and his wife, Abby, are good friends of ours.”

Sheriff Joanna Brady suddenly had visions of this tragic but seemingly obscure little incident in the Peloncillos taking on statewide proportions. I’ll have to get hold of Frank Montoya and bring him up to speed, she told herself in a mental note. Montoya, her chief deputy for administration, also doubled as her department’s public information officer. Not if but when the case turned into yet another media hot potato, Frank would be the one who had to handle it.

Joanna decided to back away from the kidnapping line of inquiry. “You said a moment ago that your husband can be unreasonable at times. If you’ll pardon my saying so, I did happen to notice some evidence of that yesterday when Detective Carpenter and I were at the house talking to you.”

“So?” Katherine asked defensively. “There are lots of unreasonable people in the world. If you think of all that’s happened to David over the years, I believe he has more grounds than most for being difficult.”

“He made that quite clear himself,” Joanna said. “But considering his attitude toward Hispanics, what do you think he would have done had he known his daughter was secretly involved with someone like Ignacio Ybarra?”

“What any right-thinking parent of a rebellious teenager would have done, Sheriff Brady. He would have grounded her for the rest of her life.^”

Before Joanna could think of another question, George Winfield appeared in the doorway. “Mrs. O’Brien?” he said. “You can come in now.^”

Taking Katherine by the arm, he led the two women into a spotless lab. “I must apologize for having to show you your daughter in her current condition, but…”

Katherine swallowed hard. “That’s all right,” she said. “I understand.”

Having been away from the awful smell of decaying flesh long enough to clear her nostrils and lungs, Joanna once again had to fight to keep from gagging. The basket was gone. The hotly bag lay on a gurney. The bag was unzipped only far enough to allow an unobstructed view of the terribly mangled face.

Katherine walked forward far enough to glimpse it, then she stopped. Sagging against Doc Winfield, she nodded. “It’s her,” she whispered.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. I recognize the birthmark on her neck.”

“Very well.” Winfield went to the head of the table and covered the bag with a clean white sheet. “Wait,” Katherine said. “What about her jewelry? Along with the truck, her fa-Ihn’r gave her a diamond ring for her eighteenth birthday. I’m mire he’ll want to have that back, and her class ring as well.”

Winfield pulled out a form and consulted it. “I’ve inventoried both of those items on the personal effects form,” he said. “Along with her purse, wallet, watch, and the earring as well, hill for the time being, I’ll have to hold on to all of them. The watch we’ll most likely have to keep indefinitely.”

“Why’s that?”

“It might prove helpful in setting the time of death. Everything else you’ll get back, of course, once the investigation is complete, but-”

“What kind of earring?” Katherine interrupted.

“It’s a single pearl,” Winfield answered. “Looks to be of pretty good quality. The other one must have fallen off somewhere. The only reason this one wasn’t lost as well was that the post was smashed flat.”

“I don’t want it,” Katherine said at once. “The earring or the watch. Just give me the two rings. Those are all I care about.”

“But, Mrs. O’Brien-”

“The watch is a cheap Timex. It’s of no consequence whatever. The earring is different. Brianna had her ears pierced just a few weeks before school was out,” Katherine said. “It caused a good deal of heartache in our home because her father disapproves of pierced ears. On anyone, but most especially on his daughter. He forbade her to wear the earrings in the house. In fact, he gave her strict orders to get rid of them. It would hurt him terribly to learn that she had disobeyed him. His heart will be broken as it is.”

“You don’t understand, Mrs. O’Brien,” Winfield interjected. “once personal effects are no longer required for evidentiary reasons, I’m required to turn them over to victims’ families. If I were to keep any items that had appeared on inventory sheets, I would be in clear violation. If it was reported, I’d be out of a job.”

“Very well,” Katherine said. “If that’s the case, when the time comes, I’ll make sure I’m the one who collects Bree’s things. That way I can take care of it myself. You won’t have to have anything at all to do with it.” She backed toward the door. “Is that all? Can I go now?”

“Yes,” George said. ‘‘Thank you so much for your help. Please accept my condolences and extend them to your husband as well.”

Katherine nodded. “Thank you,” she said. “I will.”

Joanna followed Katherine from the lab as far as the outside door. “Mrs. O’Brien?”

“Yes.” Katherine O’Brien stopped with her hand on the doorknob. “You’ll have to forgive me, Sheriff Brady,” she said. “I can’t answer any more questions, not right now. Since it’s confirmed, I must go home and tell my