Terra gasped. “It worked. I can’t believe it worked. This cabin is Jim’s, after all.”

“Or it belonged to someone else and he had a key he thought he kept hidden from his wife in his wallet.”

Terra started to step inside. He stretched out his arm to block her.

“Pauline gave me permission to look, but since she claimed not to know what the key was for, I can’t even be sure this cabin belongs to Jim and that she has the right to give that permission. I’m going to call about a warrant to cover my bases.”

“But what about probable cause?”

“These aren’t exigent circumstances. It isn’t so urgent to justify a warrantless search. We have time to get the warrant, so let’s make sure the evidence we find can’t be challenged in court.”

THIRTEEN

Terra followed Jack away from the cabin until he found a signal, then he made the call requesting a warrant. He eyed her the entire time he spoke into the cell.

He ended the call and tucked his cell away. “I need to stand here and wait for a call back. Or we could head back to our vehicles and wait there. You know, it could take ten minutes or hours.”

“You stand there, and I’ll look around to see if I come across any ‘anomalies,’ as you put it earlier.” But she’d already come across one.

“Or you could stay here and talk to me. Tell me what you’re thinking. You deal with this artifact business more often than I do. What can you tell me?”

She exhaled. The temps were starting to warm up, and she shrugged out of her pack and jacket. Terra grabbed water and tossed a bottle to Jack.

That storm had blown over without dumping rain on them. But thunder sounded in the distance.

“On my last assignment with the National Park Service, I worked undercover. We were working in the four corners—where Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona come together.”

“Anasazi. Native American pueblo people.” Jack flashed his dimpled grin.

Terra waited a few heartbeats, then said, “You know more than you let on, Jack Tanner.”

“I should be honest with you. Aunt Nadine has a book on her coffee table.”

Interesting. “People have taken arrowheads and more home for decades. We know that. Although depending on where and how the item was taken, it’s probably still illegal. Our sting operation had to do with things taken and sold on the black market. They were pilfering from historic ruins, selling to collectors.”

“And you think Jim could be involved in something similar?”

“I don’t know. It’s complicated.”

“That, I already know.” He swatted at an insect.