The Cinco de Mayo Murder by Lee Harris Read Free Book Online Page B

it as we went by.”
    “Are you suggesting that the backpack wasn't there when we went up and someone put it there while we were coming down?” Mary Ann looked deeply concerned.
    “It's a possibility,” Joseph said. “Did the police ask you which way you were walking when you spotted the body?”
    “I don't remember,” Brad said, looking at Mary Ann.
    “I was awfully upset. I didn't go back up with them when the deputy came. I wasn't thinking too clearly. It was such an awful sight.”
    “So you may not have been asked,” Joseph said thoughtfully.
    “What are you getting at?” Brad asked. “They said it was an accident. It looked like an accident. You think it was something else?” He seemed reluctant to use the word that we were probably all thinking.
    “We can't say at this moment. Chris and I both read the file and neither of us noticed whether you were asked which direction you were hiking when you found the body. Maybe it didn't occur to the deputy to ask. It was twenty years ago; he was young and less experienced. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the first time he'd encountered a body.”
    “But what you're saying is important,” Brad said. “Everyone assumed this guy died by accident. You're saying it could have been murder.”
    “I'm not saying that. There are several possibilities. Perhaps some hiker reached the backpack before you and took it off the trail to a secluded place to see what was in it. Maybe he was interested in finding the owner.”
    “Or stealing what was in it,” Mary Ann said.
    “We can't exclude that. I just wanted to point out that the disappearance and reappearance of the backpack doesn't necessarily add up to murder.”
    “Sorry I jumped the gun,” Brad said. “I wish someone had thought of this twenty years ago. It's kind of late in the game to be discovering new facts.”
    “It's not too late,” I said. “This young man's mother wants to know what happened. If we can find out, we'll be doing her a service.”
    Brad looked at his watch. “Honey, we really have to go.” He turned to Joseph and me. “Will you let us know what happens? I mean, if you find out that there was some kind of foul play, we'd really like to know.”
    “I have your name and number,” I said. “You'll hear from me. It may be awhile.”
    “Hey, after twenty years, what's another couple of weeks?”
    We all shook hands, and they left. Joseph and I decided to have some lunch in the hotel as we were driving down to the San Xavier Mission that afternoon. Sitting at the table after we had ordered, we talked about this disquieting new piece of information.
    “Obviously,” Joseph said, “the original questioning of the Towers was deficient. It's interesting that neither of them thought anything was unusual about not seeing the backpack on the way up and finding it on the way down.”
    “They were upset. I'm sure they weren't thinking clearly. And no one had reason to suspect anything besides an accident.” I drank half a glass of ice water. “I wonder if Heinz had a car with him. The rangers must check the parking lots in the evening. If a car is left—”
    “It puts up a red flag. That didn't happen.”
    “He might have thumbed a ride from his starting point.”
    “That must have been the case.”
    I pulled my notebookout and made a note. If Heinz had rented a car, the company would have had Heinz's home address and would have contacted the Gruners when he didn't return it. Or the sheriff's department would have intervened. Thinking about it, I barely noticed when the food arrived.
    “It doesn't make sense that he drove,” I said, putting the notebook on the table. “Are you convinced that someone took the backpack and returned it, Joseph?”
    “I am. It's possible that the backpack was taken as early as May fifth and was returned on the seventh after the Towers passed the spot going up.”
    “Why would someone take it? Why would they return it?” “They took it to see if