Murder at

more than 30,000 archaeological sites, most of

which were yet to be discovered. Under normal

Yellowstone circumstances, archaeologists were working

every moment they could during good weather.

Chapter One: Learning Curve
When winter arrived, it would be impossible to

dig beneath the feet of snow that would arrive

in the valleys, burying plants, prehistoric evi-

dence, and anyone foolish enough to get left

Kitty growled softly under her breath. The
behind.
sound echoed back to her from inside her hel-
The project was underfunded, to put it
met. She pushed up the visor and took a deep
kindly. Kitty knew her salary was drawing the
breath to steady herself.
majority of the grant money that had been
“Ok, ignition, neutral, choke, then we turn
awarded to the Yellowstone Archaeological Re-
this thing on….”
search Project, or YARP as they were calling it–
She walked through the steps of start-
and she wasn’t sorry. The life of the wandering,
ing the stalled motorcycle, her legs bracing the
not-quite-homeless archaeologist might look
weight of the machine so it would stand steady
romantic to an outsider, but living like a “shovel
as her left hand gripped the throttle to prevent
bum” and sleeping rough for lack of any other
it from rolling backward on the hill. The added
options wasn’t that great past the age of 30.
weight of the sidecar wasn’t helping, she knew,
And Kitty was well past the age of 30,
but how else would she get these samples back to
much to her liking.
the lab?
Over the years that Kitty Campbell had
Kitty Campbell had arrived in Wyoming six
worked professionally as an archaeobotanist–
weeks before. She’s been recruited to work on a
an archaeologist specializing in the prehistoric
project inside Yellowstone national Park, assisting
relationship between humans and plants–she’d
the Park Ranger‘s with their analysis of botanical
slept on woven mats, and in tiny tents, and
samples that might be relevant to the archaeo-
in rented motel rooms in very sketchy parts
logical work taking place. Yellowstone, America’s
of town. She’d done surveys along proposed
first national park and most famous, housed
highway sites to confirm no evidence of prior
The Murder Mystery Quilt: Murder on the High Seas 1 Chapter 13: Love Hurts
(c) Deborah Moebes, all rights reserved
 human occupation sponsored by various Depart- to travel by motorcycle the way she would have

ments of Transportation, and she’d done private expected.

projects funded by very wealthy individuals on Indiana Jones makes it look so easy, she

their own land which resulted in some shady arti- thought. All that gallivanting.

fact deals that left a bad taste in Kitty’s mouth. Never mind that Indiana Jones was a

Working for YARP allowed her the best terrible, irresponsible scientist. A grave robber,

of both worlds, as she saw it: a grant was fund- more like.

ing her work to collect samples of living flora As she slowly let off the clutch and rolled

from throughout Yellowstone which could be onto the throttle, Kitty allowed herself to indulge

catalogued and compared to archaeological in Indy-bashing, her favorite soothing pastime.

specimens recovered from past and current ex- He was the archaeologist that REAL archaeolo-

cavations, all of it very scientific and wonderfully gists loved to love AND hate. A film paradox.

ethical and above-board; it also paid for her to As she gained momentum, she took a

stay in one of the less desirable rooms at the his- deep breath and thought about how heavenly

toric Lake Yellowstone Hotel, a building so won- this project really was. The landscape. The

derfully vintage that it was butter yellow on the colors. Even the air was incredible here. The

outside and overlooked the frigid waters of Lake motorcycle was a small price to pay for so much

Yellowstone like a nanny dressed as a birthday paradise.

cake. Yellowstone National Park was paradise

Kitty felt she was in heaven. to a lot of people, not just to Kitty, as she had

She fussed with the choke again, hit the learned over the weeks she’d been in residence.

starter on her only-a-little-post-World-War-2 With well over four million visitors a year from

motorcycle, and flushed with relief as it sputtered every corner of the globe, it was a destination

to life. She considered tightening the neck strap that many dreamed of their entire lives. The

on her helmet, but then she’d need to take her stories of Old Faithful or of the salt formations

hands off the brake and clutch, which she wasn’t of Mammoth Hot Springs, the incredible ar-

willing to do. This trip north from the lake was ray of wildlife in the Lamar Valley, every one

a twice-daily event on the motorbike, but Kitty of those would draw anyone–but in the age of

was surprised to discover that she wasn’t taking Instagram and the internet, Yellowstone offered
The Murder Mystery Quilt: Murder on the High Seas 2 Chapter 13: Love Hurts
(c) Deborah Moebes, all rights reserved
a backdrop that few could resist. could see the buildings housing the Visitor’s

Kitty twisted the throttle slightly, then Center and, obviously, the three gift shops.

shifted into third gear. The bike lurched a bit, There was a big building for emergency ser-

and she felt her torso pressed backward by vices, reminding everyone that accidents can

the force, forcing her to adjust her seat to stay and do happen at Yellowstone. And at the very

on the machine. That moment was her LEAST back of the parking lot, furthest from the paved

favorite of riding this thing, that sense that she area surrounding Old Faithful where crowds

might be the one at the controls, but she was would gather fifteen deep throughout the open

always a little in danger of falling off. season, sat the iconic Old Faithful Inn, looking

She shifted to fourth. Almost out of spite, like it had dropped into Wyoming straight from

quite frankly. No machine was going to tell her the Black Forest of Germany, all dark carved

when to feel safe and when to be scared. wood with Queen Anne-style finials and fili-

The sidecar bounced along next to her, grees. Another building disguised as a cake,

and she risked a quick glance down into its like eye candy.

seat. Stacked on top of one another were a Kitty didn’t stop. She’d visited Old Faith-

pile of pressed plant pages, bound in layers ful almost the minute she’d arrived, because

of cardboard and acid-free newsprint secured what said “Yellowstone” more clearly than that?

with massive rubber bands, each nearly an She figured she’d check the box, say she’d seen

inch wide, that Kitty refused to admit gave her it, and move along.

a secret thrill when she looked at them. Kitty’s Old Faithful, Kitty had to admit, over-de-

weakness was that she loved things either very, livered. The plume of steaming water shot into

very tiny or very, very large–disproportionate to the air, sputtered, then shot higher. She had felt

their purpose was the key. She imagined riding the heat of it as the wind blew over the geyser’s

this motorcycle along Route 66 and stopping opening and the molten center of the earth

to see the World’s Largest Ball of Twine, and a spewed frothy white clouds thirty, forty feet into

warm glow spread through her belly. the air. Dr. Campbell may have arrived at Yel-

She was grinning, even. lowstone for the job (and the paycheck), but the

Her route through the park was taking minute she watched Old Faithful keep its prom-

her past the main village, on her right. She ise, she was in love.
The Murder Mystery Quilt: Murder on the High Seas 3 Chapter 13: Love Hurts
(c) Deborah Moebes, all rights reserved
 Today, though, she was on the clock. Zip- at her and tell her to move along.

ping past the main village, Kitty moved through Kitty turned right and headed toward the

the intersection on the western side of the park, north entrance of the park, and Mammoth Hot

where she could turn left and head into West Springs. It was a pleasant ride, with canyon

Yellowstone, the town that straddled the state walls reaching up above her and a sky over-

line between Wyoming and Idaho–since Yellow- head that was an impossible shade of azure

stone is a park whose boundaries cover territory dotted with puffy white clouds. Everything about

in three American states, it was possible to cross Yellowstone made her feel she was in some kind

into and out of Wyoming a dozen times a day just of dream landscape, the kind you’d create when

in the course of normal activities. half-asleep and leave only reluctantly when
She didn’t need to go to West Yellowstone. someone shook your shoulder. A hawk flew by

There was a funny little pub there, the Slippery and the river flowed past on her left, and Kitty

Otter, that had some excellent local beers, but it shifted into fourth gear and coasted along the

was 10:30 am and Kitty needed to push this proj- road.

ect forward. There were only six people on the Three highways made travel inside Yel-

YARP team, and she hated slowing anyone down lowstone possible: one going north-south that

if she didn’t get her part of the puzzle completed. passed Old Faithful and ended at a completely

Kitty Campbell knew she was a lot of things, not different national park, Grand Teton, outside

all of them to everyone’s liking, but she was no Jackson, Wyoming; one going east-west that led

bottleneck. to the Lamar Valley where it was possible to see

OK, she thought. Through the stop sign, teeming herds of wildlife grazing each summer

shift all the way down, yeah, there’s first, now as they prepared for the dozens of feet of snow

second, a little more on the throttle… that would dump on the park once winter ar-

She was feeling pressure from the SUV be- rived; and a small branch off the north-south

hind her at the four-way stop, and a voice in her highway that headed east into the Wind River

head tempted her to stall out on purpose, just to Reservation, home to traditional Arapahoe tribe

make the guy wait. She decided to be the bigger members. There were only a couple smaller

person, just as he leaned out his window to holler roads open to visitors, like the one leading to

The Murder Mystery Quilt: Murder on the High Seas 4 Chapter 13: Love Hurts
(c) Deborah Moebes, all rights reserved
Canyon Village and its lodge on the easern she arrived that the water, even here at Mam-

edge of the park, but much of this national pre- moth where it flowed across exposed ground,

serve was inaccessible even in the best weath- was over 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and that

er. It made traveling to and from Kitty’s lab a tourists regularly had to be transported to the

single-route situation, one way in and one way local hospital for treatment of burns when they

out, so she was steeling herself to make friends “dipped their toes” into the steaming streams.

with the motorcycle one way or another. Kitty shook her head at the thought as

Mammoth Hot Springs appeared ahead she pulled up to another four-way intersec-

of her, white crusts of salt visible as the sun tion. This one was just beyond Mammoth Hot

bounced off the bizarre formations. They Springs, and indicated that she’d nearly arrived
seemed like a castle, an organic and irregular at her lab.

castle, not like the historic inns of Yellowstone Here at the north entrance to the park,

but like a relic of a lost time. The spires of salt just before the park boundary and the entrance

suddenly appeared out of the ground as she to Gardiner, Montana where many visitors slept

biked next to them, and the scale was enor- overnight, Kitty had her lab. The whole village

mous. It would have been easy to think she was on this end of the park had originally been a

looking at a sand castle built from white grains, US military encampment during World War II

but the movement on top–which looked like called Fort Yellowstone, but the buildings had

tiny black ants–she knew was tourists climbing been converted to administrative offices and

the boardwalks that criss-crossed the salt crust park operations–and a sweet little ice cream
left behind by water escaping the Earth’s core, shop where Kitty got her morning coffees. At

boardwalks that led them over the steaming the very back of one parking lot, overlooking

rivulets of dripping, hot water to prevent Mrs. the exit to the park and the curve in the river

Schumacher from Chicago or Sally Mae from heading to Montana, was an old mail carriers’

South Carolina from scalding their feet. cabin.

Which, every year, someone did when This was Kitty’s lab.

they assumed they knew better how much heat She adored the little building. Con-

they could handle. Kitty had been warned when structed of rough-hewn logs in 1895, this had

The Murder Mystery Quilt: Murder on the High Seas 5 Chapter 13: Love Hurts
(c) Deborah Moebes, all rights reserved
 been a real home to the most essential work- provided Kitty each time she snapped them

ers in early Yellowstone history, the mail route against the paper) were a bit on the sticky side

acting as the only link for over 100 miles to the and grabbed at her sleeves as she tipped the

outside world for miners and park residents. pile onto the large wooden table that took up

The building was set aside for historic preserva- most of the one-room cabin.

tion, but because of its small size wasn’t open Stacked on top of the pressed samples

to visitors. The folks at park headquarters had were three small metal tins, each of them with

agreed to allow YARP to use the cabin for the a lid that had a transparent window cut into it.

duration of their grant as an on-site lab, with Through those small apertures Kitty could see

the proviso that it remain undamaged and no her excavated samples from one of the YARP
one was allowed to sleep in it overnight. digs, down at Lake Yellowstone, soil samples

Kitty thought that last part was a little from a human settlement that Kitty had been

odd, so she’d asked why that was a rule. asked to analyze for seeds and evidence of

“Because it’s haunted,” was the reply. human activity. They were heavier than they

She laughed it off as a joke, but saw that looked, and she did a little dance trying to

she was the only one laughing. carry everything inside and set it down without

“Wait, really?” jostling the samples too much.

The park official had nodded, with a sol- She placed the samples down and slid

emn expression and lips tightly pressed togeth- her arm out from beneath them, then stretched

er. “I know what you must be thinking, but… and sighed a little. The cabin was cozy and
well, welcome to Yellowstone.” homey, and she was happy here.

That was six weeks ago. She glanced at the wall clock above the

Kitty closed the door behind her, leaving tiny desk in the corner, then did a double-take.

the motorcycle keys on a hook next to the door It was eleven am, and she groaned to herself.

and struggling a bit with the samples in her Just that moment, and exactly on time,

arms. Each of the cardboard pressing pages of course, a knock came at the door.

measured nearly 30” square, and the massive Kitty stopped, her shoulders slumped,

rubber bands (despite how much delight they and wondered what would happen if, just this

The Murder Mystery Quilt: Murder on the High Seas 6 Chapter 13: Love Hurts
(c) Deborah Moebes, all rights reserved
 once, she didn’t open the door. the voice of a teacher’s pet.

What’s she gonna do? Kitty thought to There was a moment of silence as the

herself. Stand out there all day? How long two women looked at one another. Kitty was

WILL she wait if I just….don’t….answer? dressed in her field gear and had just ridden

Another knock, and somehow, this one six miles on a vintage motorcycle. Her auburn

communicated imperious irritation in a way that braid had come loose from the elastic, there

honestly Kitty kind of admired. How does one was dust on her jeans, and she’d tied the hem

send such telegraphic signals with just a knock, of her button-front field shirt loosely over a con-

she wondered. cert tee so it didn’t flap against her back as she

Taking a deep breath in and letting it out rode.

with a slow count of eight, Kitty walked to the Every time she was face-to-face with

door and opened it. Wendy, Kitty felt like it was the opening montage

Wendy Ashford looked every inch the of a Disney film illustrating how different two

Perfect Scout. Her khaki pants were pressed people could be.

and crisp, her boots were leather and polished, “So, how’s it going?” Kitty asked her

her French braid was mahogany dark and lightly. Her tone was friendly, but she stayed in

shone in the sun as if it, too, had been pol- the doorway.

ished. Her smooth skin made it clear she never “May I come in, please?” Wendy said.

neglected to apply sunscreen, liberally. And She didn’t sound like she was really asking.

her hands, manicured and lotioned, gripped “Totally!” Kitty replied with enthusiasm.
the straps of an Army surplus backpack which “Coffee?”

appeared to be perfectly balanced and brushed “None for me,” Wendy responded.

until spotless. “I was asking if you’d brought any, actu-

“Good morning, Wendy,” Kitty said with ally, I’m fresh out,” Kitty said with a smile.

a laconic smile, leaning a little to block the door “Dr. Campbell, I realize you and I don’t

frame. She knew this drove Wendy wild with always get along…” Wendy began.

annoyance, and took pleasure in it. Don’t get along?” Kitty said with mock

“Dr. Campbell,” Wendy said. She had surprise. “Why, Dr. Ashford! I am shocked you

The Murder Mystery Quilt: Murder on the High Seas 7 Chapter 13: Love Hurts
(c) Deborah Moebes, all rights reserved
 would say that. You tried to cut my salary in half about science.”

after I arrived here, lobbied the park adminis- Wendy sneezed.

tration to give you this cabin as an office while “Bless you,” Kitty said.

I worked…what was it? From the lobby of the Wendy glared at her and waved her off.

visitor center behind a rope so tourists could… Kitty put her hands up in mock surren-

hang on, let me get it right…” der, then moved to the desk in the corner and

Kitty paused with her finger on her chin, took a seat.

pretending to think. She crossed her legs and asked, “What

“Oh, yeah!” She snapped her fingers. would you like to review in today’s 11 am

“So tourists could ‘see their tax dollars at work.’ check in, Wendy?”

Wasn’t that it? So for half the pay you wanted Wendy sneezed again and then pulled a

me to perform for city folks? And please, please handkerchief from her pocket that was folded

don’t let me forget that you ALSO told the YARP in half and appeared to have been starched.

crew they would be working weekends with no She delicately dabbed her nose, and Kitty could

days off AND that you planned to move the see Wendy’s foundation makeup was smudged

deadline up by shortening the season. Did I when the handkerchief pulled away.

miss anything?” “Say, why DO you wear makeup out

“My proposals have always been in the here, huh? I’ve wondered that since the day I

very best interest of the project as a whole,” met you,” Kitty asked her with genuine curiosity.

Wendy started to say. Her shoulders were tense, Wendy pursed her lips and re-folded

and she was leaning closer to Kitty as she spoke– the handkerchief, which she placed back in her

which wasn’t hard, since the space inside the pocket before smoothing the front of her spot-

cabin was tight. less shirt.

Kitty gave a sigh. “Listen, I get it. You “I represent this project to anyone at Yel-

want them to keep you on staff, so you tell the lowstone and outside it, Dr. Campbell. I take

grant board what you think they want to hear. that responsibility very seriously, twenty-four

All your proposals, they’re about YOU, Wendy, hours a day.”

they’re not about Yellowstone and they’re not “So…you sleep in makeup?” Kitty asked.

The Murder Mystery Quilt: Murder on the High Seas 8 Chapter 13: Love Hurts
(c) Deborah Moebes, all rights reserved
 “I maintain my appearance in a manner search Project.”

I believe reflects my position,” Wendy snapped. “I’m aware of that,” Kitty told her, with

“Right,” Kitty said. “But, Wendy. There’s some hesitation.

no one here but us, you know that, right?” Wendy sniffed again and blinked three

Wendy just looked at her. Rather than a times, rapidly. She reached into the backpack

reply, she removed her backpack and pulled out where it rested on the table and pulled out a

a clipboard. Kitty groaned. bottle of eye drops. She leaned her head back

Wendy glanced up at the groan, and and put three precise drops in each eye before

then squared her shoulders. closing the bottle and returning it to her back-

“As you’re aware, some of your…com- pack.

plaints were relayed to the grant board,” Wendy She reached into her pocket and pulled

said, looking at her clipboard and removing a out her handkerchief. Dabbing each eye twice,

pen from her breast pocket. “Your salary has she dried them and put the handkerchief away.

been approved.” Kitty could see mascara on the white fabric as it

“Nice,” Kitty said, and cocked her head disappeared into Wendy’s pocket.

to one side. “Especially since I signed a con- “And do you know how you’re evaluated

tract before I got here and it was guaranteed, on your performance?” Wendy asked her.

you know. Before you tried to negate that.” Kitty looked back and frowned.

Wendy sniffed. “Also, this lab will remain “By me,” Wendy told her. “I am respon-

your workspace unless or until your contract is sible for determining if you are doing the work

renegotiated.” you’ve been contracted to do. And replacing

“Is that a possibility?” Kitty said. Her you if you do not.”

voice had gone slightly colder. “Are you threatening me, Wendy?” Kitty

Wendy looked her directly in the eye. asked, and her voice was like ice.

“You’ll recall, Dr. Campbell, that there is a “I am informing you that it is my role

clause in your contract requiring that certain here to ensure that every standard is met,” Wen-

performance standards be met throughout your dy hissed at her. “And that you will only stay in

tenure with the Yellowstone Archaeological Re- Yellowstone if I determine you belong here.”

The Murder Mystery Quilt: Murder on the High Seas 9 Chapter 13: Love Hurts
(c) Deborah Moebes, all rights reserved
 Kitty stood quickly and walked to Wendy. She was stunned by Wendy’s behav-

Her heart was pounding. After only six weeks, ior, but she was more stunned by how much

Kitty adored this place. She loved the buildings passion had risen in her gut at the thought of

and the landscape and the sky. She loved every leaving. Kitty had been searching for peace,

plant she’d collected and the other members of and she was finding it in Yellowstone, yes, even

the YARP team. on that stupid motorcycle.

“I’m not leaving, Wendy.” She wasn’t going to leave without a

Wendy smirked at her and shouldered fight.

her backpack again. “I’m sure you think that,

Dr. Campbell. But I make the rules here, not

you. And I decide when you’ve broken them.”

“What just because you want to?” Kit-

ty said, exasperated. “Wendy, what is that all

about? Don’t you want this project to succeed?”

Wendy took a fast step toward Kitty and

got in her face. “I want ME to succeed, Kitty,

I don’t care where it happens. Yellowstone is

a step for me, one small step to get closer to

where I want to be, and you will not get in my

way.”

She pivoted on her heel and walked to

the door. Turning back to Kitty she said, “I’m

leaving a list of duties with you. I’ll be back

tomorrow at 11 am to check on your..progress.”

Kitty saw the clipboard on the table. It

had at least six pages on it. Single-spaced.

Wendy closed the door behind her and

Kitty stood, stunned.

The Murder Mystery Quilt: Murder on the High Seas 10 Chapter 13: Love Hurts
(c) Deborah Moebes, all rights reserved