Dark Moon Crossing (2 page)

“Where
is our handsome cowboy, anyway?‌” Ginger asked, scooping up the bowls.

“He
said he’d be late. Some kind of trouble at the ranch.”

“Not
problems with his Ma again?‌”

I
grimaced. “No, thank goodness, it’s not Ruth this time. I don’t know. It has
something to do with a couple of his ranch hands. What about Doug?‌” I
inquired, referring to her current companion. “Why isn’t he here?‌”

“He’s
bartending at a private party over at the tennis ranch.”

“Too
bad, we could have used an extra hand,” I remarked, tossing empty tortilla chip
bags into the trash.

She
rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it.”

We set the last of the munchies on the table, greeted all the guests
and then helped ourselves to margaritas before collapsing into the lawn
chairs. Brian had made up a WELCOME, WALTER sign on his computer and it
flapped in the balmy breeze as a dazzling array of stars sparkled overhead.
Everyone had told me the Hunter’s moonrise this time of year would be
spectacular and they weren’t kidding. Little by little the horizon began to
glow like a second sunrise, snuffing out the stars, and suddenly there it was,
climbing majestically above the crest of Castle Rock like a giant cantaloupe-colored
disk. The effect was spellbinding and murmurs of awe rose from the small
gathering. I knew it was just an optical illusion but the sheer enormity of it
seemed unreal, dwarfing the peaks below.

More people streamed through the door, filling the small back yard.
“Ready for the hot-seat again?‌” I remarked to Morton Tuggs as he and his wife,
Mary, settled into lawn chairs next to me. “You sure you’re going to be up to
it?‌”

“Oh, yeah. I’m feeling fit as a fiddle,” he said, patting his paunch.
He really did seem vastly improved since his ulcer surgery. “Anyway, it’s
going to be a whole lot easier with Walter here taking up the slack while you
and Tally are gone.”

“I’ll second that.” I raised my glass. “Attention, everybody! My
esteemed co-editor and I would like to propose a toast to officially welcome
our new man on the street, Mr. Walter Zipp.”

There was applause and a rousing chorus of agreement from the staff
while another round of margaritas was poured. Brian re-filled my glass and
Ginger leaned in to whisper, “You sure Lupe’s coming?‌ It’s a quarter past
seven.” Her worried gaze roamed over the crowd gathering around the buffet
table, picking at the chips and dip. We had a cauldron of refried beans
simmering inside, but that hardly constituted dinner.

“We’ll just ply them with more appetizers till she gets here,” I
assured her, trying to quell my escalating uncertainty. It was long past the
time she should have arrived.

To keep everyone’s mind off the fact that the main course had not yet
materialized, I suggested we all share the funniest or most bizarre story we’d
ever covered. Tugg entertained us with several gems from his early days as a
cub reporter and Jim had us all in stitches as he repeated his golden toilets
along the freeway story. I, of course, shared my last two big assignments and
then we urged Walter to tell us all a little about himself and his last job in
Sierra Vista. He hoisted his bulky frame from the chair and gave us a lopsided
grin. “I’m happy as a pig in shit to be here,” he slurred, running a hand
through his short-cropped brown hair, “cuz there’s big trouble brewing down
south.”

Oh. Good opening. The mothers of some of the younger kids exchanged
startled glances, so I quickly interjected, “Well, we’re all equally happy to
have you here but trouble sounds like a
good
story opportunity to me.’

“Not if you live and work there now, it isn’t. I’ll tell you what,” he
said, hitching up his pants with one hand. “The ranchers and just plain
everyday God-loving Americans living near those border towns have about had it
with those damned illegals. They’re pouring across like cockroaches and are
just about as easy to catch. And, I’ll tell you what, if you add the growing
number of White separatist groups springing up to that equation…well, you mark
my words, people, there’s going to be bloodshed before this is all over. I’m
glad to be out of it. Real glad.”

Bleary-eyed, Jim piped up. “Hey, man, there’s nothing funny or weird
about that story.”

Walter edged him a look of mild annoyance. “Oh, yeah?‌ Well, try this
on for size. The last piece I was working on before I left, and this is just
one among several other strange stories, concerned a particular jumper they
caught in Morita.”

“What’s Morita?‌” Ginger asked, casting a pensive eye at her watch.

“A ghost town about half a mile or so from the Mexican border. Not much
left but the mine and a half a dozen buildings. Anyhow, the caretaker cornered
this wetback hiding in a shack and turned him over to the Border Patrol.”

“Why does a ghost town need a caretaker?‌” I asked.

“Cause it’s on private property and there was an accident there last
year, but that’s another story,” he said with an impatient swipe of his hand.
“So anyway, this Mexican claimed….”

“Hate to tell you, Walter,” Jim cut in, “but this still ain’t funny and
it sure ain’t weird.” He turned to all of us and said, “Let me tell you guys
the one about the lady who kept a cow in her bedroom.”

Walter put up a hand. “Keep your pants on, Jimbo. I intend to win this
contest under the most
bizarre
heading if you’ll just let me finish.”

Jim continued to look skeptical while everyone else leaned forward a
few inches.

“The guy claimed—and I don’t know what the hell he’d been drinking or
smoking before they nabbed him, but get this, he said he’d been hunkered down
in some bushes the night before and witnessed a whole van load of people
getting waylaid by aliens.”

Jim’s face twisted in disbelief. “What the hell does that mean?‌ He
is
an alien.”

“No, dummy. He didn’t mean illegal aliens. He was talking about space
aliens. Little green men from Mars.”

The amazed silence that followed his remark seemed to emphasize the
strangled gasp. We all turned around in time to see the glass casserole dish
fall from Lupe’s hands and shatter on the concrete patio. Her dark eyes glassy
with horror, she muffled a cry with her hand and fled.

Seconds later, Tally appeared in the doorway and, like the rest of us,
stared in shocked dismay at the remains of our enchilada dinner. He looked up
and shrugged. “Was it something I said?‌”

I hadn’t realized just how hungry I was until dinner evaporated before
my eyes. My stomach rumbling in protest, I pulled my eyes away from the tomato
and cheese covered lumps to meet Tally’s quizzical stare. “No,” I said
quietly, “we can thank Walter here for frightening Lupe with his UFO story.”

“Shame on you, Walter!” Ginger wailed, jumping to her feet. “You’ve
gone and ruined supper for everyone. Now what am I gonna do?‌”

He drew back, looking defensive. “Well, gee whiz. How could I know
that was gonna scare her?‌ Geez, I’m glad I didn’t mention anything about the
other weird part of the story concerning the cattle…”

Nona’s terrified scream aborted his words and everyone froze. “Stop
her!” she shrieked, pointing to Suzie, who was eagerly wolfing down large bites
of enchilada casserole. “She might swallow a piece of glass!”

“Suzie, come!” Brian shouted, making a grab for her. The dog artfully
sidestepped him, snatched another mouthful and then executed a forward roll
through the sauce. Brian lunged for her again, but slipped in the gooey mess
and would have fallen if Tally hadn’t grabbed the back of his shirt. When
Churchill suddenly appeared from out of nowhere, Suzie took off after him,
barking madly. Suddenly, everything looked like a scene from an old Marx
Brothers comedy. Some of the kids, shrieking with laughter, joined in the chase
while the adults cursed and tried to hang onto their drinks and food as chairs
flew in all directions. I tried, but couldn’t suppress a shout of laughter as
the dog wove in and out among the startled guests, anointing everyone she
touched with enchilada sauce.

Above the mayhem, I heard the sound of a car engine starting and
glanced over the fence in time to see headlights flash on. The laughter died
in my throat. Oh man. It must be Lupe. She was going to get away before I
discovered why Walter’s seemingly innocuous remark had caused such a violent
reaction. I sprinted for the side gate and ran out to the dimly-lit street,
yelling, “Lupe, wait a minute!”

In response to my shouts, she turned her head in my direction for a
second, then shoved the car into gear and floored it. Disappointment mingled
with anger as I watched her taillights vanish around the corner. Why had she
run away from me?‌ I made one of my instant decisions and swiveled around only
to collide with someone in the shadows. My heart contracted and I let out a
squeak of fright as arms closed around me. “Whoa!” came Tally’s soothing
voice, “what’s with all the drama tonight?‌”

When I recovered my breath, I said, “Jesus, Tally, you scared the crap
out of me.”

“Sorry. Where are you going in such a hurry?‌”

“To get my car keys and go after Lupe.”

“Why?‌”

“Why?‌” I stared up at his finely-chiseled features outlined in the
moonlight. “Ginger’s party is in complete shambles and you’re not the least
bit curious to find out what caused it?‌”

He shrugged. “Well, I gather something Walter said spooked her, but is
it really necessary for you to go chasing after her right this minute?‌”

“She lives ten minutes away. I can be back in a flash.” I started to
draw away, but his hands tightened on my shoulders.

“Kendall, for the life of me, I don’t know if I’ll ever understand why
you feel the need to dash off half-cocked at the slightest provocation. You might
want to think about working on your overly-impulsive behavior.”

I smiled sweetly. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

His weary sigh spoke volumes. “Okay, then, how do you think Ginger’s
going to feel about you skating out in the middle of her party?‌”

“She’ll be pissed.”

“Then why do it?‌

“But, what about Lupe?‌”

“What about her?‌”

I swallowed my agitation and pulled away from his grasp. “All right, I
won’t go right now. But, you saw her. She was in a total panic. Something
set her off and I’d wager it’s more than just a story about UFOs.”

He folded his arms and regarded me with skepticism. “I don’t suppose
you’d buy into the notion that the dish just slipped out of her hands and she
left out of plain old embarrassment?‌”

He had a point, but it was more of an adrenaline boost to believe
otherwise. “I suppose it’s possible, but Ginger said she’s been acting kind of
weird all week, and today she got a phone call that sent her tearing out of the
office right after I left. I really had to lean on her to come here tonight.
Nope. Something’s definitely wrong.”

He looked away from me and for a few seconds there were no sounds
except for the echoes of conversation from Ginger’s back yard and an owl
hooting from a nearby saguaro. I could tell by his rigid posture that
something else was on his mind. Unlike me, he was very capable of keeping his
emotions in check and his mouth shut.

I tilted my head to one side. “What’s wrong at the ranch?‌”

He didn’t answer.

“Come on, Tally, I can tell something’s bothering you.”

He lifted his hat and raked his fingers through his thick hair. “Damned
INS is on my back again. They’re claiming some of my hands are undocumented,
but as far as I could tell they checked out okay. I got a Notice of Intent
this afternoon that I’m going to have to deal with.”

“What’s that?‌”

“I’ve got 72 hours to show evidence that they’re here legally.”

“I see. Are you sure that’s all?‌”

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Um…you
are
coming to
California with me next week, aren’t you?‌”

“Of course I’m going with you, silly. I’ve been looking forward to this
trip for weeks. Don’t worry, I’ll be ready to leave Tuesday at the crack of
dawn just like we planned.”

“Uh-huh.”

“What does uh-huh mean?‌”

He blew out a protracted sigh. “I know you well enough to recognize
all the signs.”

I bristled. “What signs?‌”

“It’s been about two months since your last adrenaline fix.”

I laughed. “Oh, come on. Who’s being dramatic now?‌”

“I mean it, Kendall. You’re like a bloodhound and it’s going to bug
you to no end if you don’t find out what’s going on with Lupe. Am I right?‌”

I linked my elbow through his and pulled him towards the house. “Well,
Mr. Know-it-all, I’m afraid you’re wrong this time. Nothing is going to stop
me from going with you and that’s a promise.”

He edged a dubious look at me. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

There was no mistaking his solemn tone. He was right, of course. I was
burning with curiosity about her strange behavior, and if he hadn’t intervened,
I would already be at her place. But I certainly had no intention of altering
my vacation plans. And anyway, we weren’t leaving for three whole days. That
should be plenty of time to ferret out the answer.

We’d just set foot on Ginger’s front porch when the screen door flew
open to reveal our pressman, Harry, and his family tromping out one by one
followed by Al Robertson and his wife.

“Hey! Where’s everybody going?‌” I asked, stepping aside to allow
Harry’s three small children to scoot past. “The party’s not over already, is
it?‌”

“It is for us,” Harry replied gruffly. “The kids are starving and if we
hurry we can make it to Angelina’s before they close. I don’t know about you
guys, but I don’t feel like lapping my dinner up off the patio.”

“Oh, dear,” I said under my breath. Ginger must be having a major cow.
How could I have even entertained the thought of chasing down Lupe?‌ What kind
of a friend was I anyway?‌

I left Tally standing there talking to Al and headed for the back yard,
dodging the tide of people streaming towards the front door. On my way through
the kitchen, I spotted the two bags of ice Lupe had brought, melting in the
sink. I stuffed them into Ginger’s freezer and went outside once again. Brian
stood among the jumble of overturned chairs grasping the wayward Suzie against
his sauce-streaked shirt while Ginger knelt on the patio sopping up the mess
with a wad of paper towels. “Well, I beg your pardon,” she griped to Walter,
who was still seated in his chair, looking befuddled, “if you hadn’t scared the
bejesus out of her we’d all be eatin’ supper right now instead of wearing it.”

He exchanged a look of pure frustration with Jim and then turned to
face her. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry as hell. What do you want me to do about
it?‌”

As more and more people jostled past me, grumbling their goodnights, my
heart went out to my generous, fun-loving friend. Without thinking, I blurted
out, “I have an idea. Why don’t we
all
go over to Angelina’s for
Mexican food and…and…well, dinner’s on me!”

Ginger sat back on her heels and stared at me, her eyes shiny with
tears. “I can’t let you do that, sugar.”

I waved away her protest. “Of course you can.”

“Nope,” Walter exclaimed, rising from his chair. “Ginger’s right,
Kendall. This fiasco was my fault.
I’m
buying dinner for everyone.”

Jim hiccupped loudly. “Walter, my man, you are one cool dude.”

Ginger pushed to her feet with a grunt and threw the soggy towels into
a trash bag. “Well, gee, that’s real nice of you.”

Walter nodded. “It’s settled then.”

Jim staggered when he rose from the chair and Walter grabbed his arm.
“Steady there, Jimbo, I’ll do the driving.”

I was really curious to hear the second part of Walter’s story that had
been aborted by Suzie’s shenanigans, but now didn’t seem the time. Later,
definitely later.

The news of the free dinner spread like wildfire and within minutes,
cars roared out of the driveway and a curtain of dust hung in the air as the
caravan disappeared down the dirt road towards the south end of town. It
suddenly occurred to me that Angelina’s was only a mile or so from Lupe’s house
and a plan began to percolate in my mind. I pulled Ginger aside, whispering,
“I need you to do me a favor.”

She listened intently as I explained my strategy. “So, if all of you
ride with him, then we’ll have to take separate cars. I’ll scoot over there,
check things out and then join you at the restaurant.”

Her honey-colored eyes sparkled with mirth. “Ain’t you the sneaky
one?‌”

“I prefer to think of it as surreptitious.”

“Tally ain’t dumb.”

“Look, you told me yourself that your car keeps dying. Just explain to
him that it would be better for everyone to ride with him. He can put Nona’s
wheelchair in the back of the pickup.”

“Bet you a dollar to a donut, he ain’t gonna buy it.”

“Tally’s too much of a gentleman to refuse, trust me.”

She shook her head in disapproval. “You’re bad. Can’t this wait ‘til
tomorrow?‌”

I set my jaw. “Ginger, I don’t know if this will even develop into a
story, but I haven’t taken an interesting assignment for over two months! I
mean, Tally’s really happy with things just sailing along at an even keel, but
I need…I need, I don’t know…something. Just to satisfy my own curiosity, I
want to follow up on this. Please.”

An unreadable light glowing in her eyes, she stared at me long and hard
before heaving a conciliatory sigh. “Give me a minute to clue in Brian and
Nona.”

“Thank you.” I gave her a quick hug, but she looked unusually agitated
as we parted. I busied myself at the kitchen sink and within minutes I heard
her corner Tally in the living room. I glanced up at his reflection in the
window as she explained her transportation dilemma and noticed his expression
of polite interest turn decidedly dubious. Doubt assailed me. Was this thing
with Lupe a big enough deal to risk antagonizing him?‌ I was the first to admit
that Tally was the best thing that ever happened to me, even though Ginger
described our relationship as fire and ice. His steady, easy-going disposition
had a definite grounding effect on my volatile one. So, why was I doing this?‌
Was it my way of rebelling against his overprotective behavior, or was I shying
away from his recent overture that we take our relationship to a new level of
commitment?‌ Even though he hadn’t voiced it aloud, I knew his vision for our
future together didn’t include my career. Was I ready to settle into ranch
life?‌

“Not yet,” I muttered to myself when I heard Tally graciously agree to
drive Ginger’s family to Angelina’s. My heart fluttered when I heard the click
of his boots on the tile floor behind me and I could barely make eye contact
when I looked around.

“Guess you heard I’ll be chauffeuring Ginger’s family with me.” It was
a statement, not a question.

“Yeah, yeah. That’s really nice of you. I’ll…be along just as soon as
I finish up here,” I said, plunging my hands into the soapy water. The glint
of speculation in his dark eyes made me cringe inside, but he didn’t say
another word, just turned and walked out.

I closed my eyes and sighed. He
had
to know and I felt like a
naughty schoolgirl caught smoking in the bathroom. The instant his truck left,
I was out the door and in my car heading towards the Hispanic community located
south of the railroad tracks. I kicked around the idea of phoning Lupe but
dismissed it. The element of surprise might yield better results. As I
entered the narrow labyrinth of streets crowded with bars, rundown shacks and
boarded up buildings, bright moonbeams filtering through the tall tamarisk
trees illuminated the occasional shadowy figure ambling by. My shoulders
tensed. On second thought, this might not be the safest place in town for a
single Anglo woman. Oh well.

I’d been to Lupe’s place only once before, but that had been during the
day. Now all of the ramshackle trailer parks looked alike and I couldn’t
remember the name of hers. Rats! Without the benefit of streetlights, I had
to rely solely on the full moon as I drove along the unpaved roads looking for
something familiar. I was close to kicking myself in defeat when I spotted the
water tower. Of course! It stood near the entrance to her park. I turned into
the entrance marked Shady Grove, cruising slowly, until I saw her car adjacent
to the dimpled silver Airstream trailer at the end of the second row.