Starlight Dunes by Vickie McKeehan

Author:Vickie McKeehan [McKeehan, Vickie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Beachdevils Press
Published: 2013-12-16T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Finding human remains always brought out the press. It had been a minor miracle they’d been able to stave off the blitz of reporters until now.

The Southwest Tribal Foundation, or more like River’s boss, Emilio Matias, believed it best to deal with the event head on. Because of that, he’d called a press conference for bright and early Monday morning and left it to River to handle the local television reporters.

They advanced on the site out of Santa Cruz, and as far away as San Francisco and Los Angeles. They fired questions at the project leader, intending to put River on the hot seat.

There was always one in the crowd, some persistent journalist like a dog with a bone, who wouldn’t let go of an issue, determined to hog the Q & A session. Today, a perky blonde out of Santa Cruz who identified herself as Tamara Davis just wouldn’t shut up.

“How do you respond to those people who say you and your crew are nothing more than tomb raiders?”

“I’d remind them that this site was not officially a tomb, none that we knew of anyway. No one had an inkling this type of settlement existed here until a mudslide revealed what was underneath. And learning about the past always helps us with the future.”

“What about the rumors that the site will be cursed after the removal of the bodies?”

“That’s a popular belief in Native American legends. But I should remind you that the Egyptians and Peruvians felt much the same way. There’s even one myth about the Ice Man found in the Alps that says disturbing the dead results in death for all those who participate in the removal.”

“Aren’t you scared of that?”

River smiled. “Not really.”

“What exactly are the kinds of things you’ve found so far other than the human bones?”

“Along with the canoe, which we have yet to fully extract, we’ve found various shell beads, bows, arrows, steatite used for carving the jewelry they wore, mostly serpentine pieces, and a good number of stone bowls. The list goes on and is really too numerous to mention in detail. The complete list appears in the media packet you were given.”

“Do you plan any trips down to Simi Valley to get a better feel for the painted caves there? Those belonged to the Chumash as well?”

The blonde had done her homework River decided as she pointed out, “You can’t go see Burro Flats without obtaining special permission. The land’s owned by Boeing. Even though I’ve put in a request to see the pictographs there, it isn’t likely me or any member of my team will be heading down there anytime soon.” Because of the way she’d spent her Sunday thanks to Brent, she’d already experienced the ultimate in cave dwellings anyway. So why leave the area? It wasn’t like Burro Flats could top “Starlight Dunes.”

“In your opinion do you think this site was used for human sacrifices?”

Ah, thought River, the opportunity to set the public straight on that score. She’d wondered when someone would get around to that leap of logic.

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