Dominic, being the gentleman he was, helped her mother from the Jeep. Her mother stepped nimbly down, wearing a bright blue full skirt and espadrilles. She reminded Elena of the old movies she had seen of Loretta Young waltzing into a room, commanding everyone’s attention. Her mother was like that — vibrant, alive, captivating. No man had ever tamed her, least of all Elena’s father who had long ago married a sturdy Mexican woman who had given him lots of sons.
Susanna wore a pale blue gauzy scarf thrown Isadora Duncan-style across her shoulders even though the day was deathly close. She didn’t look wilted in the least. Her endless energy kept her looking ever fresh, and a facelift or two hadn’t hurt either.
“Darling,” she said as she glided toward Elena, “are you all right? I came as fast as I could when I heard about the dreadful events. One of my friends flew me to the little Copan airport. The dear.”
Elena wondered who the latest dear was. Her mother gathered dears by the boat load. It would be someone she could talk into anything.
They kissed European-style on both cheeks.
“Hello, Mother. I’m fine,” said Elena. “I’m losing myself in my work since everything is such a tangle. I see you’ve met Dominic.”
Her mother gave him a dazzling, red lipped smile. “Oh, yes, darling. What an extraordinary man. He was kind to offer to bring me to see you.”
Elena raised her eyebrows in Dominic’s direction, trying to judge where he was after the trip with her mother. He gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile.
“Thanks, Dominic. Were you able to get a word in edgewise?”
He laughed. “Your mother is a delightful woman who kept me amused the entire trip. She told me some interesting stories about you.”
“Oh, dear,” Elena said.
“Glory,” said her mother, fanning her face with her scarf, “it is excruciating this heat, isn’t it? Are you going to show me what you’re doing, before I totally expire?” She moved toward the Hieroglyphic Staircase ahead of Elena and Dominic.
Elena threw her hands up to Dominic. She thought maybe she should apologize for her mother, but since he seemed to be enjoying her company, she held off.
Under his breath Dominic said, “Don’t worry. She’s very charming and pretty. Just like you.”
He had bent to whisper the words in her ear, and Elena’s mother caught the gesture as she turned to see if they were coming.
“Ah,” she said and smiled. “I see you two are good friends.” She emphasized the word “good”.
“Mother, please,” said Elena. “I’ll show you what I was doing, and then we’d better be getting back.”
She explained how the steps had not been well built, had crumbled into a heap over the centuries and in the 1940s had been put back in place without regard to the original sequence. She was trying to figure out what that sequence had been, keying off the bottom fifteen steps or so that seemed to be in the correct order. The hieroglyphs appeared to be stating a litany of events.
Her mother’s attention span lasted ten minutes. She had a butterfly brain, one that flitted from subject to subject drawing a bit of sustenance from every flower she landed on.
“Fascinating,” said Susanna, interrupting Elena’s account. “Why don’t we all have dinner tonight at the Marina Copan where I’m staying? I understand the food is excellent.”
Leave it to her mother to choose the best hotel in town. Before Elena could protest, Dominic agreed.
“That’s a great idea. I’ll drive us back, and you can freshen up.”
Elena liked the idea of dinner with Dominic. But her mother’s presence in Copan made life more complicated than it already was. She loved her mother best when there was minimum 3,000 miles between them.
“I do hope we aren’t bothered by reporters,” said Susanna.
“Reporters?” said Elena. She hadn’t thought of them.
“Yes, we saw them outside the hotel when Dominic picked me up.”
Eleven
When Dominic pulled up in front of doña Carolita’s house, a TV news van was parked in front. The reporters had found her. A man with a mike rushed over and pulled Elena by the arm to a spot at the entrance to the house. “Hello, you are Elena Palomares, the woman who found the bodies, are you not? I’m Rodrigo Ramirez of Noticias Canal 6, San Pedro Sula. I’d like to interview you.”
Before Elena could say anything, he looked her over. “Might I suggest something a little more showy or slinky, if you will? That will pique the interest of our viewers to have a beautiful, sexy woman involved in these murders. And we can help you with some makeup to make your eyes come alive.”
Elena wriggled from his grasp. “Excuse me, but I’m granting no interviews. The investigation is ongoing, and I’m not at liberty to speak at this time.”
“Yes,” said Dominic, butting in, “so if you will excuse us.”
He took the ladies gently by the arms and hustled them through the iron gate and toward the door.
Doña Carolita had the door open. The three of them hurried inside. The reporter tried to follow, but doña Carolita put up her hand, traffic cop fashion, and closed the door in his face.
“Dios mío,” she said. “They have been here since early afternoon, pestering me about your whereabouts.
Elena tore off her hat and fanned herself. “I can’t believe that guy. Something slinky? This is turning into a circus sideshow, just what we didn’t want to happen.”
“Not only that,” said doña Carolita, “you had a call from the capital. The Minister of Antiquities wants you to call him.”
“What?” said Elena.
“Yes, the Minister of Antiquities wants to talk to you. Here is the number, and he said to have you call as soon as you return.”
“What’s going on?” Susanna said.
“I’m not sure,” Elena said. She introduced her mother to doña Carolita.
“We met earlier when she came to find you. That’s how she knew you were at the Archaeological Park.”
Elena took a moment to organize her thoughts. Events were gathering speed and tumbling over each other. What to do now?
Doña Carolita came to the rescue. “Why don’t I fix some coffee? Or would you like something cool to drink?” She looked around at them, waiting for a reply.
Elena said, “Thank you, doña Carolita. Would you fix something cool to drink while I call the minister?”
“It is my pleasure.” Doña Carolita whisked Susanna and Dominic into the kitchen while Elena hurried to her room. She got through to the minister on the first try.
“Hello, doctora Palomares, thank you for returning my call. This is Henrico Velasquez, the Minister of Antiquities. The reason I called is that there is difficulty in getting someone to Copan to serve in acting capacity for the unfortunate director, and we were wondering, could you fill in until we found someone? Just for a week, I think. To close the Museum is not good. It does not send the proper signal to the public. We need to maintain it open and since you are on site and have the necessary credentials, I’m asking you to serve as acting director for the moment.”
She had no time to think things over with the minister on the phone, demanding an immediate reply. She wanted to cooperate. This was a way she could help. After all, she had a contract, and it would only be for a week.
“I’ll be glad to help,” she said.
“Excellent. I will fax your authority papers to the Museum office. Unfortunately, I think the secretary seems to be overwrought and has not showed up for work. This is such a deplorable situation. We are sending extra police to help keep order. Anything you need, please contact my office. My assistant, Jaime, is exceptional so please speak with him. Can you report in the morning? I want to keep the Museum operating smoothly until we can get a replacement.”