Artifacts of Death
by Rich Curtin
Strange events which took place in 1938 lead to the present-day cold-blooded killing of a ranch hand in the remote canyon country near Moab, Utah. The only clue besides a 9-mm bullet in the victim's head is an ancient-Indian potsherd stuck into his chest.
Deputy Sheriff Manny Rivera is assigned the case and judges it's related to a drug deal gone bad. But he's actually up against an intelligent and cunning adversary driven by greed who's discovered a long-forgotten cave containing a collection of rare museum-quality Indian artifacts.
Local politicians and merchants are exerting strong pressure on the sheriff for a quick resolution to the case as the killing is threatening to disrupt the upcoming tourist season, Moab's sole source of economic activity. After all, who would want to explore the backcountry with a killer on the loose out there?
In the end, Rivera faces an ethical dilemma: Should he enforce the letter of the law or serve the cause of justice? And a woman learns the answer to a question that's been haunting her for seventy years.
