that would be petty and uncalled for. The truth was that he really did need to speak to someone in charge of the site. “But this is a police investigation, and that means I need to speak to all parties involved. I’d like to get some perspective on the pipeline site and see if they’ve had any other kind of trouble that hasn’t been reported.”
Her shoulders tensed and she stood, taking several steps away from the desk. Then she stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “Do you need me to drive, or are you taking the horse?”
He couldn’t stifle his laugh. “No, I’ve stabled Brenik for the night. The RCMP doesn’t use horses as often as you might think. I have a patrol car that can drive both of us. You should probably use your car as little as possible until you get the correct tires on there again.”
She didn’t protest as he led the way back out of the station and to his patrol vehicle, though the short drive to the office building where Gaida Industries had rented space was both silent and awkward. She stared out the window as he drove, and he searched for words that would bridge the decades-old gap between them—if only for the sake of the investigation. Beyond that, having as little contact and interaction with Kara as possible sounded as appealing to him as it clearly did to her.
At the office building, Sam kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, but at this point he feared more danger from the skies than he did from any person. Dark, angry clouds approached from the west, bringing nightfall early. He thought he saw a flash of lightning, but the storm was still a way off, making its intensity difficult to gauge. The strength of storms coming this far inland could also shift fairly quickly, so there was no need to batten down the hatches yet.
Kara marched past him into the building and leaned over reception. “I need to speak with the senior partner, Ed Tigh, immediately.” The receptionist, a small, middle-aged woman with dark circles under her eyes, stared up at Kara in confusion. “I don’t have time to wait, there’s a situation—”
Sam reached past her, flashing his badge. “RCMP. We’re here to speak with your boss.”
The woman blinked rapidly, then picked up her phone. Moments later, they were ushered into the office of an elderly, stocky gentleman wearing a gray suit. Ed Tigh stood to shake their hands, and Sam tried not to flinch at the contact. The man’s palm was warm and damp, and Sam couldn’t help but notice that his smile didn’t reach his eyes. Despite the outwardly friendly welcome, Ed’s body language indicated that this interaction was forced and unwelcome. Not that hostility toward law enforcement was something new for Sam—sometimes folks just didn’t like cops, regardless of whether or not they had anything to hide.
“To what do I owe this visit?” Ed sat back in his chair as Kara and Sam took their seats. “Something about a disturbance out at the site, I understand? I received a phone call about a half hour ago to tell me my foreman is at the med clinic recovering from a fight.”
“Not a fight,” Kara said, speaking before Sam could get a word in. “An attack.”
Ed ignored her, looking at Sam instead. “What happened, Officer?”
Something in the man’s tone, the way his gaze slipped right past Kara, rubbed Sam the wrong way. “Ms. Park just told you. There was an attack out at your pipeline site. She can tell you more about what happened to herself and Mr. Helfer, as I only arrived in time to chase off the culprits. They disappeared into the woods and may have taken Ms. Park’s camera. She’s not sure whether that was intentional—it’s entirely possible that the camera is in the bushes somewhere—but the fact is that your construction site is now a crime scene, and I’m wondering if you have any idea why.”
Ed folded his hands on the desk and sucked his teeth. “Absolutely not. I won’t deny that any pipeline project in Canada will attract opposition at the start, but Gaida Industries always follows protocol to reduce any potential...issues. We conduct the requisite surveys and background checks on the land.”
“Hence the hiring of Ms. Park, here.” Sam locked eyes with Kara, unsurprised to see frustration reflected there.
Ed’s gaze swung to Kara. “Why, yes, of course. We’re required by law to have archaeological surveys done on the land. It’s highly doubtful that there’s anything there, but you know how it is, bureaucratic nonsense—”
“I found possible markers of a burial, and I’m quite certain I saw a phalange in-situ.” Kara’s voice took on a matter-of-fact tone. Sam watched her take a deep breath and exhale, her shoulders visibly lowering as she engaged her professional side. “Officer Thrace is here to talk to you about the attack, yes, but I’m here to speak about the site. When Mike and I arrived, the site was...not right. It looked like the dirt had been disturbed and then haphazardly tamped down, like someone did a rushed survey of the top layers of soil and then dumped everything back into place. And what’s worse is that I’m certain I saw evidence of remains in the disturbed soil, like I said. I took several photographs to show you, but my camera disappeared during the attack.”
Ed frowned at her. “Remains? You mean bones?”
“Yes, but also the type of soil, lithic flakes...we’re going to need to hire private security to monitor the site, or at least install some kind of motion detection system, because—”
“You’re sure the bones weren’t from a squirrel? Or a rabbit? It’s highly unlikely otherwise.”
Kara coughed, and Sam resisted the urge to tap her arm in support. She could deal with it on her own. “You know that the land in this area is traditional First Nations territory, right? It’s highly likely that there would be artifacts on any given plot of land, as well as potential ancient burial sites. Surely your company is aware of that. This isn’t your first pipeline project.”
Ed nodded, and Sam almost relaxed at the man’s easy agreement—but it lasted only a moment before the man’s gaze snapped up and he leaned forward in his chair. “That would be rather convenient for you, wouldn’t it.” It wasn’t a question, but Sam didn’t understand why not. Kara stiffened beside him, but remained silent.
“What does he mean?” Sam asked her, but she shook her head, tight-lipped. “What do you mean, sir?”
Ed smirked at Sam. “Officer, I’m trying to run a legitimate business here. You understand, I’m sure. And you must also understand that as a businessman in an industry that’s often perceived as being financially sound, that occasionally there are individuals who try to take advantage of our success. Who might fabricate complaints or situations that benefit themselves in an effort to tip our pots in their direction, so to speak.”
“Don’t give me a verbal runaround, Mr. Tigh. If you’re accusing Ms. Park of something, I’m going to ask you to come right out and say it.”
Ed’s smirk vanished, replaced by a deep frown. “Fine. But I think you should ask Ms. Park what happens when an archaeologist finds a First Nations burial on a construction site.”
Sam swung his attention to Kara. She matched his gaze but kept her voice steady, despite the mounting anger he saw there. “Work stops until the burial is dealt with. A First Nations burial belongs to the deceased individual’s family, and the company’s project is put on hold indefinitely until we can determine their origin, contact the appropriate descendants and find a respectful way to move the remains. Initial investigations have to be conducted first to ensure that it is, in fact, an ancient burial and not recent.”
“Family? You’re going to find the family of a body from thousands of years ago?” Ed snorted in disbelief.
