Written in Stone (A Books by the Bay Mystery)

see you.” He nodded at the poodle. “And you too, Haviland.”
    Haviland, who clearly didn’t feel threatened, sniffed Harlan’s shoes and then sat back on his haunches and peered around. Seeing the poodle completely at ease gave Olivia pause. Haviland would have either uttered a low growl or kept his distance if he’d sensed the slightest bit of aggression coming from Harlan.
    “Are you all right?” she asked him. “I saw you watching the dancers and you seemed upset.”
    After a long pause, Harlan jerked a thumb at the stage. “There was a girl . . . she looked just like Munin. I swear—they’ve got to be related. And if that’s true, then Munin didn’t have to be alone. She had people. So why did they cut ties with her? They left her—to be found by strangers. To be in that stream for who knows how long. I—” He stopped abruptly and reined in his anger. “Sorry. Your friend’s going to think I’m crazy.”
    Olivia turned to Rawlings. “I’m sure he’s seen worse. This is Sawyer Rawlings, Oyster Bay’s chief of police.”
    Harlan shook the chief’s hand. “I thought I recognized you. I’ve seen your picture in the paper a time or two.”
    Rawlings inclined his head. “And I’ve heard about you too. From Olivia. But I also read the statement you provided the Craven County Sheriff’s Department.” He averted his eyes, feigning interest in a pair of Lumbee drummers who were laughing loudly at some private joke. “You don’t believe Munin died of a snakebite.”
    Harlan didn’t respond. He studied the chief and eventually nodded as if he’d come to a decision. “She lived among those snakes for decades. Made her own antivenom. And she was found by the riverbank. Not exactly eastern diamondback territory. It doesn’t sit right with me. Not at all.”
    “Then that makes three of us,” Rawlings confided.
    Harlan released a long, pent-up breath. He was obviously relieved that his opinion mattered to Rawlings. “What can be done?”
    The chief pointed at the stage. “The girl who bears a resemblance to Munin Cooper? Her name is Talley Locklear. Ever heard the name before?”
    “No.”
    “I see.” The chief looked pensive. “I’ve got to admit, Harlan, that with such an age gap between the two women, I’m a little amazed that you were so certain they were related.”
    Harlan’s shrugged. “There’s no mystery here, Chief. I’ve seen a picture of Munin from when she was young. She and this Talley girl could have been sisters.”
    Olivia couldn’t remain quiet a second longer. “What was Munin wearing in the photo? Was there anyone else with her? Did she tell you where or when it was taken?”
    “That old woman wouldn’t have given me a straight answer about that picture or anything else,” Harlan scoffed. “I gave up asking her questions years ago. I did things for her and I got paid for my work. We’d chat about her traps and what was in the paper sometimes, but neither one of us were big on talking. I suspect it’s one of the reasons we got along.”
    “So that’s all?” Olivia couldn’t mask her frustration and disappointment. “It was just a candid shot showing a young woman who looked like Talley?”
    Harlan’s eyes were sympathetic. “She wasn’t in tribal getup, if that’s what you were hoping. But if that girl is Lumbee, then so is Munin. At least part Lumbee anyway. I know she was a blend of races. Called herself a gypsy all the time and I don’t think she was referring just to her way of life. She said there was gypsy blood in her veins.”
    “But if she was Talley’s grandmother or great aunt or whatever, why would she choose to separate herself from her family?” Olivia was thinking aloud, but Rawlings answered her question.
    “To protect them. That’s the only theory I can come up with that would explain her living in isolation. Yet she was still close enough to keep tabs on folks through the local papers.”
    “That’s true enough,” said Harlan. “She had me pick up several of them every week. She read every word.”
    “Of course, we can only assume there’s a family connection between Munin and the Locklears,” Rawlings said. “We have no proof.”
    Olivia studied Harlan. He was clearly troubled by Munin’s death and his disappointment over having nothing useful to offer to help Rawlings discover what really happened to her was written all over his face.
    Harlan Scott posed no threat to the Locklears. Of that, she was certain.