NORA SAT IN her tent, using the last of the evening light to update her journal. It had, in its own way, been a momentous day. They had completed the excavation. And though Parkin’s skull was missing, they’d recovered Samantha Carville’s leg and could reunify it with the rest of her remains. While they hadn’t yet found the gold, they still had time during the wrapping-up period to search. Maybe, she thought, the cornice would give way in the storm forecast for the coming days. If not, they could always come back later, in the summer, after the snowfields disappeared from the high country.
“Champagne!” she heard Clive call from the kitchen area. “Come and get it!”
With a smile, she shut her notebook and exited her tent. Clive was standing by the fire, waving a bottle around. “Time to celebrate!”
“For God’s sake, man, don’t shake it up!” Burleson said, emerging from his own tent. The atmosphere in camp had improved considerably since the FBI agent had left. Morale was high, and even Maggie, who had been dour of late, was in a buoyant mood—perhaps because Nora had told her of the finding of Samantha Carville’s missing leg bone. She hovered over the fire, a pile of raw steaks and roasting ears ready to toss on the grill.
Clive worked off the cork with a pop. As it flew into the air, Wiggett snagged it with a deft one-handed catch.
“The man who makes the catch gets the first glass.” Wiggett stuck out his tin cup and Clive poured champagne into it, then went around the circle, opening a second bottle when the first was empty.
He raised his glass. “To the Donner Party—those who died and those who lived.”
“Hear, hear.”
Everyone drank and now a third bottle went around.
“So what’s the takeaway?” Burleson asked. “Give us a rundown on your discoveries.”
“In any archaeological excavation,” Nora said, “ninety percent of the real discoveries come in the lab. But we’ve already learned a lot.”
“We’re all ears.”
“It’s obvious the Lost Camp was the hardest hit of the three. We found many signs of the struggles they must have endured. They built a shelter, ate their oxen, ate their dogs. But they refrained from eating human flesh for a long time, except for one early moment of weakness when the two murderers, it seems, dug up Samantha Carville’s frozen body and began to eat her leg. But finally, in late February, when Albert Parkin died, most of the others finally broke down. That’s when the real cannibalism set in. Followed, according to Boardman’s account, by madness.”
“Why did they go nuts?” Maggie asked.
“Extreme starvation is known to cause neurological problems, including temporary derangement. Even the other two camps, which did not endure quite such extreme hardship, were affected—admittedly, to a lesser degree.”
“And how many of the dead have you identified so far?” asked Burleson.
“People’s remains were processed, boiled, gnawed on, and reboiled to extract every bit of nourishment—that’s how desperate they were, and that’s what will take the most lab time. So far, we’ve identified four individuals to a high degree of confidence: Samantha Carville, Spitzer and Reinhardt, and Albert Parkin.”
“And the gold?” Wiggett asked.
“I still believe we’ll find it.” She turned. “Clive, do you want to add anything?”
The historian took a sip of champagne, composing his thoughts. “I just want to say how grateful I am to everyone. Every single person here, in one way or another, did their part to make this possible. And I’m especially grateful to you, Nora. You know how strongly I felt about this, and you not only helped get the expedition on its feet—you were patient.” He paused. “Knowing what happened here matters. This is not just a story of cannibalism and death; I see this as a testimony to courage and survival.”
The fire had died into coals and Maggie began loading the steaks and corn on the grill, with an accompanying sizzle of roasting meat. Nora realized the discussion of cannibalism seemed to make that particular sound, and smell, a little repellent to her. But at least the corn looked appetizing.
* * *
They all went to bed rather jolly from the champagne. Nora drifted off to the scent of the campfire and the trilling of crickets—only to be awoken in the middle of the night by loud voices. She unzipped her tent as flashlight beams swung through the darkness and Maggie stood in the middle of everything, wearing her voluminous pajamas, talking loudly. It seemed she had had another nightmare.
Nora pulled on her jacket and came out. The night air was chilly. Nobody else had heard anything.
“I saw it—off in the trees,” Maggie was saying loudly. “A green light. Moving.”
“A flashlight?” Burleson asked.
“No. And then I swear I heard a voice. It sounded like someone trying to shout—a gurgling shout.”
Burleson put his hand on her shoulder. “Are you sure it wasn’t another nightmare?” he asked gently. “They found Samantha’s missing leg bone today. Is that on your mind?”
“I swear to God…” She broke down, sobbing loudly, shoulders heaving.
“There, it’s okay,” said Burleson, putting his arm around her.
“Where’s Wiggett?” Clive suddenly asked.
“He’s a hard sleeper,” Burleson said, and then after a moment: “Let me check.”
His flashlight went weaving off into the darkness. A moment later his voice came back: “He’s not in his tent.”
Burleson returned to the group. “His boots are gone, PJs tossed on the cot. He must have gotten dressed and gone out.”
There was a silence. “Maybe it was his voice I heard,” Maggie said. “It kind of sounded like it.”
Burleson shook his head with annoyance. “He may be looking in on the horses. I’m going to check the corral.”
“I’ll go with you,” said Nora.
But Wiggett was not at the corral. The two returned to find an anxious group waiting for them.
“All right,” said Burleson. “I think we’d better have a look around.”
“I’ll bet he was out there looking for the gold,” said Maggie. “You know, he wouldn’t stop talking about it when you all were away from camp.”
“Let’s all get dressed and meet back here in five.” Burleson looked around. “Everyone needs to pair up, and then we’ll do a quick search. Nobody goes anywhere alone.”
Clive turned to Nora. “You and me?”
She nodded.