Curiosity Killed The Crow

Chapter 4

Feeling like he’d slapped me, I turned to Kay. 

“Don’t mind Collin.  He’s got a lot on him mind,” she said.

“College?” I asked.  I knew how that felt.  Leaving my mom after all those years of just the two of us was hard.  I worried about her.  She had been so proud as my acceptance letters rolled in but I knew she really wanted me to stay close.  She never said a word though as I pondered my options.

“Sort of, but there’s a lot going on at…work right now,” Kay answered. 

“Oh?  Where does he work?”  I found it easier to ask Kay questions about Collin rather than him directly.  Kay glanced around the room as though it might give her an answer.

“He works for the tribe, doing this or that for them.”

I got the definite feeling that wasn’t the full story but it really wasn’t any of my business. 

“So did he go to work?” I asked.  I still had to get back to school and had no idea if I could get a taxi to come all the way out here to pick me up.  I also needed to call a tow truck to take care of my car.  I searched the room for a phone but didn’t see one.  Surely they had some way of calling out.

“Oh, no,” Kay said, smiling.  “He went to go find your car and see if he can get it running again.  Do you have any idea what’s wrong with it?”

I gaped at her, shocked at the kindness these complete strangers were showing me.  “It’s just a flat tire.  I actually got two.  I changed it the first time but then the spare went flat too.”

“Oh good.  That’ll be an easy fix then.”  Kay stood and began to clear the table.  As she filled the sink with soapy water I got up to help.  It was the least I could do after everything they’d done. 

“Go sit back down young lady.  I’m not the one who got sun sick,” Kay said, shooing me away.  I sat back down at the table and watched, feeling like a complete slacker.  She bustled around the tiny kitchen, her plump form never seemed to pause; wiping a counter here, washing a glass there.  Once she was done, she sat beside me again.

I opened my mouth to ask what she did but before I could say anything the front door slammed open and Collin stormed in.  His lips twisted into a scowl and his eyes were stormy as he rushed to the table.  He held something gray and rectangular in his hands which he shoved in my face.

“Where did you get this?”  Collin’s voice hissed through gritted teeth.  I blinked, backing up, and looked at the item.  It was my class binder.  Everyone in the program had an identical one.  It was opened to the section of recovered artifacts.

“My professor.  He gave all of us one,” I finally answered.  I peered up at him and flinched as he threw the binder on the table.  Though anger was on the surface I caught a hint of fear in his eyes.  His fists shook at his sides. 

“Why?”  I asked, not sure I really wanted to know.  His reaction scared me.  It was just a book.

He ignored my question and flipped the binder open.  “Where did you find this?”  He pointed to picture of an intricately painted, black and white jar. 

“I didn’t.  Someone else did.”  I said.  My pulse began to race and I felt cold trickle down my spine.  I recognized the piece in the picture.  I should…I’d broken it the day before.  Trying to keep my face blank, I pointed to the annotation below the photo.  “See, it says here that it was found in room 297 at Chaco Canyon a few weeks ago.”

I wanted to ask why he was so interested in it but was terrified it would come out that I had done something to it.

He jabbed an accusing finger at the photo.  “Was it broken?”