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May 4, 2023
Gil was so excited by the powder horn finding, that he and Lili drove right back to Greenfield the next morning. They met up with Detective Karen Tindall at the Greenfield Police Station. Karen said, “Katrina Ryu was taken into protective custody by Special Agent Davis from the Albany FBI. At this point, she isn’t a likely suspect for the killing of Paul Combs. The Crime Lab says she was probably in custody while he was being interred. She didn’t have any gunpowder residue on her hands or clothing, and her story about being pursued in New York checked out. The FBI is still looking for her cohort, Evan Melsty, who doesn’t seem to exist.”
Gil smiled and said, “I think I figured out what Kevin Clarion was searching for. Lili and I went to Fort William Henry at Lake George, where Kevin worked last summer. They have a powder horn at the fort’s museum. Its inscription describes a sack with gold figurines and jewelry from the Orient buried under a brook in Greenfield.” He showed Karen pictures of the powder horn and plaque. “It was dated from 1676, during Captain Turner’s massacre of the Indians at Turners Falls. The way it’s described, I think the sack might be buried in the area where Sergeant Phillips spotted someone searching, near Highland Pond. I’d like to take the robot and search in that area. The museum expert said that the artifacts would be an important historical find, and I think that could be why Kevin was searching for it. They also would be very valuable.”
“Wow. That certainly would be something, but I don’t think we could pay you to search for that. It isn’t really evidence for the mole-people case.”
Gil smiled. “Well, it was stolen from murdered Indians back in 1676, which, I think is definitely a crime. But, it doesn’t matter if you pay me. I’ll just go and search for it, anyway. It’s on town property.”
“City property. We’re a city now,” said Karen.
“Whatever,” shrugged Gil.
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AS THEY LEFT THE STATION, Gil said to Lili, “I’d like to go down to UMass to find out more about turtle stones, before I start searching.”
“Okay. Maybe I’ll go with you so I can stop by my house and pick up a few things. I’ll drive.” They got to the UMass campus and found the Morrill Science Center. An administrative assistant there found them a geologist to speak with.”
“Hi, I’m Kerry Izzo.”
“I’m Gil Novak and this is Lili D’Amico. Lili is an agent with the State Police and I’m a consultant for the Greenfield Police Department.” Lili showed her ID. “We’re researching an inscription on a powder horn from colonial times,” said Gil. “It mentions a brook in Greenfield that has ‘green turtle stones’ under the water. I’m trying to figure out what they may be, so I can find this brook. It’s connected to some unsolved crimes.” Lili showed Kerry a picture of the powder horn and plaque.
“Well, that all sounds very intriguing. There are several kinds of rocks called turtle stones. Kerry quickly typed on her keyboard and turned the monitor toward Gil and Lili. This type of rock looks like a turtle shell. It’s found in this area near water, with many types of stones. The turtle shell pattern is created when water erodes away what were veins of minerals that were more soluble than the surrounding strata. The rocks are usually gray in color, but I suppose you could have rocks that have a greenish tinge to them in your brook.”
She typed some more. “This is green turtle stone, the state gem of Michigan. Its a mineral called chlorastrolite. As you can see, it’s very green and has a turtle shell pattern. But, as far as I know, it’s only been found in Michigan, Canada, and the Isle of Skye in the UK.” She began typing again. “This here is called septaria, or turtle rock. It’s similar to the gray turtle stones I showed you, but the washed out veins have been filled with some colorful mineral deposits making the rocks look like turtle shells. These are sometimes found on the banks of rivers in New York State, but I haven’t heard of any around here.”
Kerry thought for a minute and typed some more. “This might be it. There’s a mineral called prehnite that’s found around here. It comes in a variety of forms, but one form is very rounded and could look like a small turtle under water. It’s also usually green in color. I actually have some samples in here.” She walked over to a cabinet, searched through several drawers, and pulled out a clear plastic box. She showed Gil and Lili some prehnite samples and, with a little imagination, they could look like the little jade turtles found in gift shops. “I think this could be what you’re looking for. You can find them around some of the rocky hills in western Massachusetts.” Gil thanked Kerry for her help.
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THEY GOT TO LILI’S house and went in. It was cool inside because Lili had turned down the thermostat before leaving. Lili went upstairs to pack a bag with some more clothing. Gil looked around the living room. There were quite a few framed pictures of Lili’s family and friends. He realized that he didn’t know much about any of them. He hadn’t spent much time there. There was an electric piano with a book of sheet music. Gil had never heard her play. There was a lot he didn’t know about her. Living together in Florida removed each of them from their normal lives. What would their living room look like if they shared a house?
The doorbell rang. Gil opened the inner door and saw a couple of young women with clipboards. He opened the storm door and said, “Hello, can I help you?”
One of the women said, “We’re wondering if you’d sign a petition. It’s about increasing transparency in the city council. We’re concerned that...”
Gil interrupted and said, “Sorry, I don’t live in Northampton. Let me get my girlfriend. Please come in.” He went to the bottom of the stairs and called, “Lili, you have a petition to sign.”
“Coming!”
Gil turned around and ZAP! A stun gun was pressed to the side of his rib cage. He collapsed, shaking, and his mind was scattered. He couldn’t speak. Lili came down the stairs and, as she turned at the bottom stair, ZAP! The stun gun was pushed into her neck. She went down shaking. A needle was plunged into her neck, sinking her into unconsciousness.
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GRADUALLY, GIL REGAINED awareness of his surroundings. He was lying on the floor. He had severe pain in his side where he had been stunned. He was shaking uncontrollably. Tears filled his eyes.
He looked around and realized he was in Lili’s house. “Uhh,” he croaked. “L-L-L-Lili! Lili!” His phone was in his pocket. He fumbled trying to hit the emergency call button, and then, 9-1-1.
“Northampton Emergency Dispatch. Do you need police, fire, or medical?”
“Police! Girlfriend...missing! I, uh, I was tased.”
“What is your location, sir?” He struggled to say the address. “I have police on the way. Are you hurt, sir?”
“Uh, Hurts all over. Hard to breathe. Lying on floor.”
“I have an ambulance on the way. What is your name, sir?”
“G-G-Gil. Novak.”
“Okay Gil. I show that you are in a house owned by Lili D’Amico. Is that your girlfriend who is missing?”
“Yes. She’s police. State police..”
“You’re saying she is a state police officer? Is that correct, sir?”
“Yes. Hear siren.”
“Is your door unlocked?”
“I think so.”
“Are the perpetrators still in the house?”
“I, I don’t know.”
“Are you armed, Gil? Do you have any weapons.”
“No. Lili does. Police are here.”