Page 30 of Badlands

“It was a typical field school. Professor Oskarbi would identify a site in the area he wanted to excavate, and we’d pack in, set up a camp, and dig for a couple of weeks.”

“When was this?”

“Four summers. Fifteen to twelve years ago. Then the professor left. Most of us disbanded after that, going our separate ways. We finished our dissertations, got jobs in the field, or went on to do other things, like Molly.”

Corrie leaned forward, notebook out. “When was the last time you saw Molly?”

A pause. “Twelve years ago.”

“Did she show any signs of psychological issues? Depression, suicidal thoughts?”

“Not at all.”

“What was she like? Her personality, I mean—interests, social life, that sort of thing.”

Bellagamba shrugged. “Normal.”

“‘Normal’ doesn’t tell me much. Can you be more specific?”

“Well-adjusted. Nice. Smart. A good field worker.”

“Boyfriend?”

“Not that I knew of.”

“Was she sleeping with the professor?”

At this, Bellagamba straightened up in her chair. “I find that question offensive.”

“My apologies,” Corrie replied with an edge to her voice, “but we’re conducting an investigation and asking offensive questions is sometimes necessary.”

“The answer is no,” said Bellagamba, her own voice a few degrees above zero. “The professor was very correct with his students, and nothing like that ever happened.”

“That you know of,” said Corrie.

Bellagamba said nothing.

After a chilly silence, Nora resumed her own questions. “Are you familiar with lightning stones?”

“Of course.”

“Molly’s remains were found with two of them. Rare green prasiolites. Any idea what she was doing with those?”

“No.”

“The only other two prasiolite stones came from Gallina,” said Nora. “Is that where Molly might have gotten them?”

“It’s possible. But in our field seasons, we never found anything like that.”

“Could she have picked them up and not told anybody?”

“Highly unlikely. It wasn’t like summer camp—everythingwas done by the book. You don’t just pocket artifacts. It would be a gross violation of ethics.”

“So where were these excavations, exactly?” Nora asked. “Is there anything published on them?”

“As I said, the professor left for Mexico before publishing.”

At this, Corrie broke in again. Nora could hear the suppressed impatience in her voice. “Dr. Bellagamba, we at the FBI would like to get a list of Oskarbi’s graduate students during that period, 2010 to 2013. We also would appreciate more specific information on these field excavations—what sites were dug and where. Can you provide us with that information?”

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