Condor Moon, A Romantic Suspense Novel

By Tanna Thornburg

Wanting to shake up her boring routine life, ecologist Rima Larkin makes a risky move. She quits her government job and goes into business for herself as an environmental consultant. She hopes the change will bring new challenges, and with any luck, a little romance into her mundane world. What she doesn't expect is sabotage. Or someone trying to kill her. Her first job is supposed to be a simple inventory of the plants and animals in a remote canyon in the Arizona desert, but it quickly spirals Rima into a dangerous vortex of deception, fraud and environmental intrigue. She finds the challenge she wants, but it may prove too much for her when she becomes the target of an unknown sniper. As she delves deeper into the mystery her job has become, she must make a choice. Does she trust a stranger who says he is trying to save her or is he the one who is trying to kill her?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tanna Thornburg
• Release date: May 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310163043

Tanna Thornburg

After a satisfying career in the renewable natural resources field, Tanna Thornburg happily retired and found a new career: writing novels. And of course, her first book, featuring environmental consultant Rima Larkin, has a strong environmental theme. There are good guys to root for and bad guys to boo, and just to keep it interesting, she also provides us with a mystery to solve and a romance to enjoy.Tanna has lived in Arizona for most of her life and has explored nearly all of it, either through her work or her personal time. She is currently writing another mystery for Rima Larkin, and her family and friends, to solve. And don't worry, Rima will also have another romantic adventure. Look for two more novels in the Rima Larkin series in the near future.Visit her website, www.tannathornburg.com to keep up with the latest in the Rima Larkin series or to see what else Tanna is working on. You can send her an email at [e-mail].

Book preview

When it began, Rima had been quietly playing on the tiled floor of the living room with her collection of stuffed animals. Her mother and father were in the kitchen talking, their voices pitched at a low level, but there was an edge to their tone. As their conversation went on, their voices got louder. Disturbed by the commotion, Rima kept glancing up from the carefully staged parade of animals she had lined up from the biggest down to the smallest.

Rima didn’t know why her parents were talking so loudly; she just knew she didn’t like it when they spoke that way to each other. Her mother seemed to be angry at her father and her father was getting angry, too, which was unusual. Rima knew she didn’t like to be yelled at, but she really didn’t like it when her parents did it to each other, as they were doing now.

Their voices got so loud and furious that Rima had to be sure they were all right. She crept over to the arch that led into the kitchen and peered around the corner. Her mother and father were standing so close to each other, their noses almost touched. Her father was silent and motionless, his arms down at his sides, but his hands were clenched into fists. Her mother was shifting from one foot to the other, her arms a blur of action waving about as she yelled.

But what was most obvious to young Rima and what bothered her greatly was the angry cluster of colors that swirled around both her parents.

Rima had always been able to see colors around people. She thought everybody could see them. Usually her mother had a constant gentle glow of emerald green that seemed to cling to her body, head to toe. Sometimes, she also had a bright pink or silver halo. Her mother was beautiful, tall and slim, and the colors that floated around her made her look like one of the fairies in Rima’s favorite books. Her father’s colors were very different, but Rima delighted in how they changed from a clear true red that eddied about his lower half to a soft blue that outlined his chest and head. And sometimes, there was a swirl of pale yellow that hovered just a little ways out from the red and blue. Her father’s primary colors were strong and safe feeling, and her mother’s were soft and comforting.

But right now, her parents’ colors were anything but safe or comforting. What Rima saw swirling around both her parents were dark, muddy hues. Their colors looked like scary demons that whirled about their heads and bodies and seemed to attack her mother and father. The louder their voices got, the murkier and more violent the colors became. It was frightening to a little five-year old girl who loved her parents more than anything else in the world.

Unable to take the noise and tension anymore, Rima rushed into the kitchen, screaming at them to stop fighting. She was careful not to get too close to her parents, fearful of the dark menacing cloud that surrounded them. As she yelled at her mother and father, they turned toward her and the swirling cloud followed, seeming to reach out to grab her.

Frightened, Rima dashed past them and yanked the screen door open, running out into the backyard. She raced to the far end of the grassy yard and crawled underneath a hedge of dense oleanders. It was quiet and dark under the bushes, and she wrapped her arms around her little body as she sobbed.

Soon, her mother came out and spied her in her hiding place or maybe she heard Rima’s fearful cries. She knelt down and reached into the bushes, gently touching Rima’s trembling back. Come here, darling. Come sit on my lap, she crooned.

Rima shook her head and refused to look at her mother. From her hidey hole, she yelled, I hate it! I hate it when you and Daddy fight.

I know, dear. We’ve stopped, though, and you can come out now, her mother entreated.

Rima hiccupped several times as her sobs commandeered her voice. No! Not when your colors are all yucky and scary. Her little body was shaking, and her fear was palpable.

Colors? her mother said, not quite a question. Rima, do you see colors around Daddy and me?

Rima nodded, wondering why her mother would ask her that. Didn’t everyone see them, she thought.

It’s okay, baby. Please come out. It’s going to be all right. Her mother’s voice was soft and low, just like normal.

Still crying a little, Rima glanced out from under the bushes and looked at her mother. She saw her loving face framed by a shimmering halo of silver, her chest aglow with a clear green. Her mother’s arms were held open, waiting. Relieved, Rima crawled out from under the shrubs and collapsed onto her mother’s lap.

Tucking the distraught little girl against her, she whispered, Everything’s going to be all right, sweetheart. She wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her tightly, rocking back and forth. They sat that way for a while, her mother softly stroking Rima’s back until she stopped crying. When Rima was calm, her mother placed a finger under Rima’s chin and lifted her face until their eyes met.

Look at me now, darling. What do you see? What colors do you see around me? her mother quietly asked.

Rima studied her mother and said, You’re all green again, without the scary brown stuff.

Her mother smiled and hugged her. It was going to be all right. She would make sure of it. But Rima would always remember that day.

In the months and years that followed, her mother explained that she too saw the colors around people and taught her how to interpret them. She told Rima that her grandmother could also see the colors and her mother before her. It seemed to be a family thing, and Rima had inherited the ability. Her mother told her they were called auras. She explained what an aura was and what it meant: that the changing colors were evidence of a person’s mood, energy, and well-being. She told her daughter how special she was and that being able to see a person’s aura was a gift.

Rima soon learned it was also a curse, because most people couldn’t see the colors and thought anyone who could was crazy. Young Rima learned to keep her mouth shut. In time, the auras she saw didn’t even register on a conscious level. They just were.

CHAPTER 1

Rima pushed her way through the tangle of branches, letting the tree’s hundreds of aromatic needles brush softly against her face and shoulders. Wisps of her straight brown hair had come undone from her ponytail and were pasted to her sweaty forehead. It wasn’t very hot that day, but Rima was getting quite the workout as she climbed steadily upward. The lightweight cotton top she was wearing was plastered, front and back, to her heavily perspiring body.

A fashion plate she wasn’t, but when one worked in the outdoors as she did, looking like a Vogue cover model just wasn’t in the cards. Even when she wasn’t working, Rima accepted the fact that she’d never be mistaken for a supermodel. At 32, she was too old, a half-foot too short and 20 pounds too heavy to ever make it as a model. And her choice of clothes was certainly not high fashion. A baggy t-shirt and a pair of well-worn jeans was her preferred ensemble.

Grunting with the effort, Rima slowly pulled herself up to the next large branch. As she rested against the spongy bark of the enormous tree trunk, flashes of early childhood flitted through her mind – memories of a much younger Rima and her older brother scrambling up the huge cottonwood trees lining the canal that ran by their family’s Phoenix home.

Climbing trees was a childhood rite of passage but not something most adults indulged in. Today, however, Rima was enjoying her time in the trees immensely. The chance to climb to the top of a giant redwood was too exciting an opportunity to pass up. She was glad she’d accepted Steve’s offer to join his field crew and spend two weeks in Big Sur climbing the mammoth redwoods, Sequoia sempervirens.

At the thought of her old friend, Rima glanced over at the next tree and caught Steve’s eye. He was slightly below her, but with a few quick climbing moves he pulled up level with her. He pushed his hair out of his face and flashed a big grin at her. He hadn’t changed a bit since graduate school. Maybe he was a little heavier, certainly more muscular, but he’d been quite skinny when they first met. His blond hair was too long to stay out of his eyes but too short to slick back into a ponytail. He was dressed in khaki cargo shorts, a navy blue t-shirt and Redwing boots, and he looked like he belonged dangling from tree branches. Her blond Tarzan.

Hey, Rima Deema, Steve called out across the expanse between them. I see you haven’t forgotten all I’ve taught you about climbing.

Rima couldn’t help but grin back. Rima Deema had been her brother’s pet name for her and, over the years, several of her boyfriends had picked up the habit of calling her that, Steve being one of them. She’d hated it when Ross had called her that as a kid, but she’d give anything to hear him call her that now.

In retort, she threw back, Ha! I was climbing long before I met you, Tarzan Boy. And Ross taught me how to climb, not you! He taught me to climb mountains, not piddly little trees.

With a start, Rima realized that the mere mention of Ross’s name no longer sent her into a deep funk and, with that welcome insight, she let out a long exhale of relief. She wanted to be able to smile again, even laugh, as she remembered all the wonderful memories she had of her big brother. Time may not have healed all her wounds, but if it gave her back even a little bit of Ross, she was thankful.

Steve gazed thoughtfully at Rima and then he suggested, Maybe we can head over to Indian Rock Park this weekend, and you can teach me a thing or two about rock climbing. Steve’s grin stretched as he continued, But it’ll never be as much fun as tree climbing, at least when we’re both in the same tree. Rima’s cheeks reddened at Steve’s reminder of a certain day spent high in the trees, when she and Steve were a little younger, a little more impetuous.

Then Steve’s expression changed from one of wicked humor to one of mock umbrage as he gestured at the towering trees around them. "Piddly? You call these monsters piddly? We’re talking about giant redwoods! We’re over 300 feet in the air, dangling from one of the greatest living creations in nature. They’re amazing kings of the forest!"

That was what she liked about Steve: his passion for his work, his love for everything concerning his beloved redwoods. It matched her passion for the natural world. He gave her a stern look and wagged his finger at her. Don’t make me come over there and tickle you until you show the proper respect.

I’d like to see you try, Rima boldly challenged, but she was glad none of the other field crews were close enough to hear their flirtatious banter. They were supposed to be working and Steve was her boss, albeit only for two weeks.

Maybe I will… later tonight, he responded, his grin widening into a full-on smile.

Rima turned away, a smile plastered to her face, too. It had been a few years since her last serious relationship, and she missed the closeness, the intimacy of having one special man in her life. Flirting with Steve today, no matter how innocent, brought back memories, good ones.

When she’d accepted this field assignment as a favor to Steve, she wondered how they would get along. They hadn’t seen each other in years. Steve Farrell had been her dendrology professor when she was a graduate student at Berkeley, spending long and delightful hours with her as they labored over hundreds of samples of tree branches and leaves, memorizing each tree’s scientific name and species characteristics. They had developed a strong friendship over their fondness of trees and home-brewed beer. But that was back when she was in graduate school. A lot had happened in their lives, including marriage and divorce – from other people – for both of them.

However, from the moment she’d arrived in San Francisco two weeks ago, she and Steve had swung into the easy friendship they’d started over a decade ago. Maybe if she moved permanently to northern California, she and Steve might try to rekindle their college romance?

Images of tangled sweaty limbs – human limbs, not tree limbs – flashed through her mind, sparking a flicker of warmth deep within her belly. The last time she and Steve had been… together… had been in a tree very much like the ones they were in right now. They had both been in the same tree and had gotten very creative in working around the tree branches and the tight climbing harnesses they wore. It had been an exciting romantic encounter, but that had been many years ago. Rima began to look forward to seeing if the spark was still there. But right now, there was work to be done.

With her butt planted against the trunk of the tree, Rima pulled the rope up and secured it to the branch above her. Before she climbed any higher, she plucked a few samples of the redwood’s needles and carefully stashed them in one of the specimen bags that filled the fanny pack wrapped around her waist. Later, lab techs at the Humboldt Institute for Redwood Ecology would study the needles to determine the tree’s health and ability to withstand changes in the environment.

After zipping the bag up, Rima took time to appreciate the view and just how far up she had climbed. Looking down made her head spin. Steve was right. The forest floor, littered with bright green ferns, had to be at least 300 feet below her. She quickly lifted her head up to dispel her dizziness and focused her gaze west toward the horizon. At this height, the views were spectacular. Through the forest canopy, she could see whitecaps breaking in the Pacific Ocean. A sense of contentment filled her. There was no more beautiful place on earth than Big Sur.

Rima looked around at the towering green forest and endless blue ocean and spoke in a soft, low voice, You’d love Big Sur, Ross. It’s so beautiful. I don’t think you ever got this far north, did you? It’s different from the Sonoran Desert. I love both of them, but they pull at my heart in discrete ways. I bet you could have climbed this redwood in no time flat. I don’t think there’s anything you couldn’t do. She smiled at the many memories she had of her fearless big brother. Thank you for giving me the courage to try things that normally would have brought me to my knees. You were always so patient with me when we were rock climbing, soothing my fears when I froze up and couldn’t see how to get over a hump or ledge. What I wouldn’t give… She wiped away a tear that spilled down her cheek, and then dropped her head. God, I miss you!

As she recovered from her emotional moment, a shadow from above temporarily blotted out the sun. Instinctively, Rima crouched down and watched in awe as a pair of California condors glided silently overhead. They were magnificent creatures and Rima’s heart beat faster as the enormous birds flew past her tenuous perch a second time. They were huge with a wingspan that had to be at least nine feet across. She knew that decades ago, condors had almost become extinct, but now the birds were making a comeback, though they were still on the Endangered Species list. To be able to see such impressive birds up close and in the wild was incredibly exciting, and she kept swiveling her head to keep the giant birds in sight.

A huge smile creased Rima’s face, and she let out a contented sigh. She gave a silent thanks to her good fortune to be part of the Redwood research team and be paid to spend her time in such a beautiful setting. It reaffirmed her decision to quit her job as a research ecologist with the National Park Service and go freelance as an environmental consultant. Her former job had been interesting, but isolating, and her personal life had tunneled into a lonely, monotonous rut. Rima was looking forward to meeting new people and having exciting adventures in exotic locales like the one she was in now. She’d already been asked to bid on a couple of consulting jobs back home in Arizona, but she had her hopes set on living in northern California. This redwood job was a temporary gig, but she intended to make the most of it. Plus, she was getting paid to spend some quality time in a gorgeous setting with her old friend, Steve.

That was more than she could say for her last actual dating attempt, which had provided no quality time with a man at all. While on their first date, the guy got a phone call telling him he’d been chosen to head up a biological research team in Brazil, a project that would keep him in South America for at least two years. He was so excited about the new job opportunity, he abruptly ended their date, and Rima didn’t even get a goodnight kiss out of him. Maybe, if she played her cards right over the next few days, she could at least get that from Steve.

A quick glance showed that Steve was following the flight of the condors, too, as he anchored himself in the redwood tree across from her. He glanced over at her and their eyes met, a look of shared awe and appreciation of the impressive avian spectacle and the splendor of the day passing between them. Rima had to laugh at herself. She wasn’t normally into such warm and fuzzy feelings, but she had to admit it was nice to share the experience with someone who felt the same way she did. It had been quite a while since she’d felt this good.

Suddenly, the dulcet melody of the Eagles’ Best of My Love broke the silence of the forest. Damn! She’d forgotten to turn off her cell phone. It rang again as she pulled it out of her fanny pack. She didn’t recognize the number, but it had a 928 area code. Northern or western Arizona. Reluctantly, she took the call.

CHAPTER 2

Ms. Larkin? Ms. Rima Larkin? asked the person on the other end of the phone. The caller was a woman, and she spoke in a brusque, no-nonsense matter.

Yes, this is Rima Larkin.

I’m a nurse at Wickenburg Community Hospital. Your father, Hix Larkin, was admitted this morning. He’s had a heart attack. You are listed as his next of kin.

It felt as if a cold hand had grabbed Rima’s heart, and her perch against the tree slipped a little as she heard the words. Heart attack.

My father? He’s had a heart attack? How is he? Is he OK? Her own heart threatened to burst out of her chest. Her father had seemed fine the last time she’d seen him, which had been a few months ago, and he had no history of heart disease.

The woman answered, He’s resting at the moment. We won’t know the extent of the damage to his heart until a few more tests are run.

The nurse’s words sent a chill down Rima’s spine, and her heart sped up. She interrupted, Damage? What kind of damage? She tried to imagine her father lying in a bed, an invalid for the rest of his life, but she just couldn’t picture it. Not her father.

Your father had a myocardial infarction, which occurs when not enough blood flow reaches the heart muscle. The heart needs oxygen to survive and it’s the coronary arteries that bring oxygen-rich blood to the heart, unless they become blocked. Without oxygen the heart muscle weakens and parts of it can die.

Oh my god! Rima cried, her heart pounding even faster. Does that mean he needs surgery? Is he… is he going to…

The nurse read into her panic and tried to explain. He’s lucky to be alive, but right now we don’t know much more about his prognosis. One thing’s for sure. He’s not happy about being in the hospital. The woman paused for a moment. Ms. Larkin, this is a wake-up call for your father, but he seems to be ignoring it. He is scheduled for an angiography and an echocardiogram this afternoon, but he is fighting us on it. Those tests are necessary and will tell us a lot more about his condition and need for treatment.

Rima blurted out, My father has insurance. Good insurance. Whatever he needs, please, please do it.

The nurse continued, It isn’t the insurance that’s the problem. It’s your father’s attitude. The cardiologist has explained to him that he needs these tests and that he should stay overnight for observation, but he’s demanding to go home. I understand your father is a widower and lives alone in an extremely remote area. If he has a relapse or a second heart attack, the time delay in getting proper treatment could prove fatal.

Rima didn’t answer immediately. She was still in a panic about her father having had a heart attack, and now having to think about forcing him to leave his reclusive existence. Just the thought of that alone was sending her into even more of a panic. She focused her attention back to the phone call.

You said my father is resisting the tests he needs? You have to convince him to take them. And you can’t let him go home, she pleaded.

We can’t force him to stay, the nurse told her. "He is refusing to eat his meals, and he’s demanding the type of food that is not conducive to maintaining a healthy life. With his disability, he’s not

Reviews for Condor Moon, A Romantic Suspense Novel

[tammydewhirst · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Despite a very slow start, Thornburg’s passion for nature and knowledge of the job that her character performs shines. As the author returns Rima to Arizona from California and settles her into a world and job the author clearly knows very well, she becomes more comfortable in her subject and that comfort reflects in her narrative flow. The magic of nature shines in Thornburg’s writing and the reader has the sense that the author shares her character’s awe in its beauty. There is a visceral sense in the depiction of Arizona for the reader. An introduction of a love as deep as any other Rima or the author might experience in the space, wildlife and unique features of the state. The evil in “Condor Moon” is very specific and very clear from the start. As with most series novels, the first is a very personal case and while the “eco-monster” of “Condor Moon” may have a name, the feeling of the text is that this is what people in Rima’s situation face corruption and deceit everyday and we as caretakers of the planet must protect endangered plants and animals. While Iris Johansen tends to write murder mysteries with protagonists in forensic fields, Thornburg’s “Condor Moon” shares a spirit of activism with the more prolific novelist. “Condor Moon” was as much about the journey as the end and when this reader arrived at that final page, I wanted to read on. What is Rima doing next? I enjoyed “Condor Moon” immensely and look forward to seeing where Tanna Thornburg takes the Rima Larkin series.