Harley fell silent, remembering the way Greg would sit with her and Kelly when their parents were fighting, feeding them stories to distract their minds. Not all of his stories had been scary onesin fact, most had been harmless. The scary ones, however, came most easily to mind, at least for Harley.

First I need you to answer something for me, Greg said.

"Okay," she replied, puzzled. What is it?

After a brief pause, he said, Why did you come back?

She blinked, surprised by the question. I came back because you called me, because you said Dad was in the hospital and didnt have much time left. She shrugged, though he couldnt see it. And maybe there was a part of me that wanted to reconnect with my roots, remember where it all began for me.

Greg's voice was patient but unrelenting. Come on, Harley. I know you better than that. Don't lie to me.

She stopped swinging, her neck flushing. I'm not lying, and frankly, it pisses me off that you would suggest that.

There was another long silence, long enough for Harley to measure the distance between them. It occurred to her that, despite how detached Greg had grown after Kellys disappearance, he had never stopped being there when she really needed him. And yet, she sensed he might be on the verge of refusing a simple request to help with an investigation. What was he not saying?

Okay, he finally said, a note of disappointment in his voice. You said the bodies were found in mine shafts. I assume you dont mean active mines?

Abandoned ones. She cleared her throat, trying to focus on the details of the case and stop thinking about what Greg had said earlier. Way out in the sticks.

Well, Id have to know the exact coordinates of the mines to give you any specific details, but I can tell you theres an extensive network of mines all across the state. New Mexico is one of the leading producers of uranium and potassium salts in the country. Then theres copper, gold, lead, molybdenumI could go on.

So what youre saying is, the whole state is basically a chunk of Swiss cheese?

Thats about accurate. There are hundreds of miles of tunnels. Some are mapped, but others have been completely forgotten.

Have you ever explored any of these old mines on your own time? Harley said.

As a kid, I poked around a little in the few I stumbled across. But as an adult? Hell, no. Those tunnels are dangerous. Theres no telling when the ceiling might cave in on your head, not to mention the animals you might stumble acrossrats, bats, snakes, javelinas.

Harley heard a door open. Greg shouted something before returning to the phone.

Sorry about that, he said. Anyway, my point is that if youre thinking of doing a little exploring on your own, dont. I wouldn't go into one of those for a winning lottery ticket."