Grave Secrets

“Do you remember phoning me?”

She shook her head.

“Would you recognize the men?”

“It was dark. I never saw their faces.”

“Do you remember anything that was said?”

“Not much. Carlos said something like ‘mota, mota. ’”

I looked at Mateo.

“Bribe.”

She crooked an arm across her forehead, pushed back her hair. Her underarm looked pale as a fish belly

“One man kept telling the other to hurry.”

“Anything else?” I asked.

Down the hall, the elevator bonged.

Molly’s eyes flicked toward the door, back to me. When she resumed speaking, her voice was lower.

“My Spanish isn’t great, but I think one said something about an inspector. Do you suppose they were cops?”

Again, she checked the door. I thought of Galiano in the Gucumatz.

“Or soldiers involved in the Chupan Ya massacre?”

At that moment Nurse Dragon swept in and locked Mateo in an authoritative stare.

“This patient must rest.”

Mateo raised a hand to his mouth and whispered theatrically,

“Abort mission. We’ve been discovered.”

The dragon did not look amused.

“Five minutes?” I asked, smiling.

She looked at her watch.

“Five minutes. I will return.” Her face said she was ready to call in backup.

Molly watched the dragon leave, then lowered her arm and raised up on her elbows.

“There was one other thing. I didn’t mention it to the police. I don’t know why. I just didn’t.”

She looked from Mateo to me.

“I—” She swallowed. “A name.”

We waited.

“I could swear I heard one of the men say Brennan.”

I felt like I’d been thrown against a wall. Across the room I heard Mateo curse.

“Are you certain?” I stared at Molly, stunned.

“Yes. No. Yes. Oh, God, Tempe, I think so. Everything is such a jumble.” She dropped onto the pillows. The arm went back to her forehead, and tears filled her eyes.

I squeezed her hand.

“It’s O.K., Molly.” My mouth felt dry, the room suddenly smaller.

“What if they go after you now?” She was becoming agitated. “What if you’re their next target?”

I reached out with my free hand and stroked her head.

“It was dark. You were frightened. Everything was happening so fast. You probably misunderstood.”

“I couldn’t stand it if anyone else got hurt. Promise me you’ll be careful, Tempe!”

“Of course I’ll be careful.”

I smiled, but a sense of trepidation was settling over me.

After leaving the hospital, Mateo and I lunched at a comedor in the Hotel Paisaje, a block uphill from Solola’s central plaza. We discussed Molly’s story, decided it warranted a report.

Before heading back to Guatemala City, we dropped in at the police station. The detective in charge of the investigation had nothing new to tell us. He took down our statement, but it was clear he gave little credence to Molly’s recollection of hearing my name. We did not mention her suspicion about the reference to an inspector.

Throughout our return to Guatemala City, mist fell from a soft gray sky. The fog was so thick in the valleys it swallowed the world outside our Jeep. On the hilltops, it drifted across the road like sea spray.

As on the drive out, Mateo and I spoke little. Thoughts swirled in my brain, each ending with a question mark.