Read Online LC 02 - Questionable Remains by Beverly Connor - Free Book Online
Authors: Beverly Connor
Tags: Fiction, General, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Police Procedural, Georgia, Women forensic anthropologists, Excavations (Archaeology), Women archaeologists, Chamberlain; Lindsay (Fictitious character)
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calls."
"You've had some calls from reporters. I told them you're
on vacation."
"That's fine. I'm surprised this case keeps recycling to the
front burner of the news. I guess not much else is going on."
"I think what started it up again was a news story that the
police were holding Denny Ferguson in North Carolina, but
it turned out to be a false lead."
Lindsay walked the short distance from her Land Rover
to Sally's tent. Sally sat cross-legged on her cot, reading. Her
blonde hair hung forward, shading her face. "How are
things with Derrick?" she asked.
"Great," said Lindsay. "His site is going well. He's fine.
Some strange stuff going on at home, though. Susan has
been getting several unpleasant phone calls about Denny
Ferguson's trial."
Sally looked up from her book and wrinkled her brow.
"Still? I'll bet it's that Kelley person. She's sure a poor loser.
Did she and Ferguson have something going?"
"I don't think so." Lindsay shivered at the thought. "She
has a boyfriend-a doctor, pediatrician, to be exact-that
she seems fond of. Besides, Ferguson is hardly her type."
Sally went back to her book. "It'll be all blown over by the
time you get home at the end of summer."
"Probably." Lindsay dug in her book bag and pulled out
a mystery.
Sensing that Gerri was indeed sensitive about the burials,
Lindsay stayed away from them and confined her work to
helping Sally excavate a refuse pit filled with animal bones.
The excavation was done in six-inch vertical layers. She drew
the bones in situ, then called Brian to photograph them, after
which they removed them and placed them in carefully
labeled boxes. Sally had been working on the pit for two days
and had gone two layers-twelve inches-into the pit. By the
end of Lindsay's first day, she and Sally had excavated another two levels and had reached the bottom of the pit.
Lindsay made a cursory inventory of the bones as she
excavated and quickly identified deer, rabbit, fish, and
turkey mingled in the dark soil with what looked to be
many more species.
"They had a pretty good diet," commented Sally.
"Seems so. How does this oldest layer compare with the
most recent?" asked Lindsay.
"I haven't noticed much difference, maybe more fish in
the first level, but I'm not sure. . . ." Sally stopped talking.
Lindsay watched her gaze follow a green pickup truck
pulling into the parking lot of the site. Then Brian, followed
by Gerri, headed toward the lot.
"Uh-oh," whispered Sally. "Brian may need your help.
Gerri's not the most diplomatic person in the world."
"What-?" Lindsay began, but she saw the Native
Americans get out of the truck, and she guessed. "I'll see what I can do." She rose and walked across the site, her eyes on the
parking lot. There were three of them, an elder, a woman
about Lindsay's age, and a man who looked to be in his thirties. All of them had long hair, black, except for the elder,
whose hair had turned gray. They wore jeans; the woman had
on a white blouse, the men, short-sleeved, plaid shirts.
As Lindsay grew closer she heard Brian interrupting
Gerri, no doubt trying to be a buffer for what Sally referred
to as Gerri's lack of diplomacy. Lindsay introduced herself
and shook hands with their visitors. Brian looked relieved
that she was there. The elder introduced himself as George
West. The younger man was his son, John West. The woman
was his daughter, Emily West.
The elder looked Lindsay in the eye. "We object to what
you are doing here," he said quietly.
"I told them that there is simply no proof that the inhabitants of this site were the ancestors of these people . . . ,"
began Gerri, then stopped suddenly. Out of the corner of
her eye Lindsay saw Brian grip Gerri's upper arm and step
back with her.
Lindsay looked back at the elder. "I know. And we are
sorry. We mean no disrespect. We take great care in the way
we handle all the remains."
"You mean no disrespect," said John West, "but you give
"You've had some calls from reporters. I told them you're
on vacation."
"That's fine. I'm surprised this case keeps recycling to the
front burner of the news. I guess not much else is going on."
"I think what started it up again was a news story that the
police were holding Denny Ferguson in North Carolina, but
it turned out to be a false lead."
Lindsay walked the short distance from her Land Rover
to Sally's tent. Sally sat cross-legged on her cot, reading. Her
blonde hair hung forward, shading her face. "How are
things with Derrick?" she asked.
"Great," said Lindsay. "His site is going well. He's fine.
Some strange stuff going on at home, though. Susan has
been getting several unpleasant phone calls about Denny
Ferguson's trial."
Sally looked up from her book and wrinkled her brow.
"Still? I'll bet it's that Kelley person. She's sure a poor loser.
Did she and Ferguson have something going?"
"I don't think so." Lindsay shivered at the thought. "She
has a boyfriend-a doctor, pediatrician, to be exact-that
she seems fond of. Besides, Ferguson is hardly her type."
Sally went back to her book. "It'll be all blown over by the
time you get home at the end of summer."
"Probably." Lindsay dug in her book bag and pulled out
a mystery.
Sensing that Gerri was indeed sensitive about the burials,
Lindsay stayed away from them and confined her work to
helping Sally excavate a refuse pit filled with animal bones.
The excavation was done in six-inch vertical layers. She drew
the bones in situ, then called Brian to photograph them, after
which they removed them and placed them in carefully
labeled boxes. Sally had been working on the pit for two days
and had gone two layers-twelve inches-into the pit. By the
end of Lindsay's first day, she and Sally had excavated another two levels and had reached the bottom of the pit.
Lindsay made a cursory inventory of the bones as she
excavated and quickly identified deer, rabbit, fish, and
turkey mingled in the dark soil with what looked to be
many more species.
"They had a pretty good diet," commented Sally.
"Seems so. How does this oldest layer compare with the
most recent?" asked Lindsay.
"I haven't noticed much difference, maybe more fish in
the first level, but I'm not sure. . . ." Sally stopped talking.
Lindsay watched her gaze follow a green pickup truck
pulling into the parking lot of the site. Then Brian, followed
by Gerri, headed toward the lot.
"Uh-oh," whispered Sally. "Brian may need your help.
Gerri's not the most diplomatic person in the world."
"What-?" Lindsay began, but she saw the Native
Americans get out of the truck, and she guessed. "I'll see what I can do." She rose and walked across the site, her eyes on the
parking lot. There were three of them, an elder, a woman
about Lindsay's age, and a man who looked to be in his thirties. All of them had long hair, black, except for the elder,
whose hair had turned gray. They wore jeans; the woman had
on a white blouse, the men, short-sleeved, plaid shirts.
As Lindsay grew closer she heard Brian interrupting
Gerri, no doubt trying to be a buffer for what Sally referred
to as Gerri's lack of diplomacy. Lindsay introduced herself
and shook hands with their visitors. Brian looked relieved
that she was there. The elder introduced himself as George
West. The younger man was his son, John West. The woman
was his daughter, Emily West.
The elder looked Lindsay in the eye. "We object to what
you are doing here," he said quietly.
"I told them that there is simply no proof that the inhabitants of this site were the ancestors of these people . . . ,"
began Gerri, then stopped suddenly. Out of the corner of
her eye Lindsay saw Brian grip Gerri's upper arm and step
back with her.
Lindsay looked back at the elder. "I know. And we are
sorry. We mean no disrespect. We take great care in the way
we handle all the remains."
"You mean no disrespect," said John West, "but you give
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