by Aimée Thurlo
“It’s old, the paint is fading and the siding is starting to warp. I have a feeling there’s not much to see, but let’s go take a look inside anyway,” Kim suggested.
“Hang on a minute.” Rick’s gaze took in the area. “I’m getting some bad vibes here.” He called Daniel again. “I’m going to check inside the barn,” he told his brother after filling him in, “but I want you to call me if it turns out that vehicle ended up heading in this direction. Something still feels off to me.”
“Okay. Preston and Gene are on their way to the lab with the remains, but I’ll ask Paul to head in this direction. Kyle’s monitoring the ranch.”
Kim waited till he’d ended the call. “If someone’s out there, wouldn’t they have done something by now, like shoot at us?” Kim challenged. “They did before.”
“If it were me, I’d lay low and wait until the target got real close. Patience can be a reliable weapon.”
They went up to the barn doors, but before going inside Rick looked around one more time. Nothing seemed out of place, and there were no footprints, yet the feeling that they were being watched persisted. “We’ll take a quick look inside, then walk down the old road leading from here to meet up with my brothers.”
They went in just as a gust of cold wind slammed against the side of the barn. The entire building seemed to groan. His uneasiness increased.
“It seems sturdy enough,” Kim said, looking around. There were two stalls against one wall, an area with pallets for storing hay, and a crude rack with wooden pegs that held a rake with missing tines and a rusty shovel with a third of the handle gone.
As another hard gust hit the building, the door slammed shut.
“Those gusts are making my skin crawl,” she said.
“Wind’s said to have power to carry news. Whether it’s good or bad, that’s for someone else to say.”
He studied the wooden walls, full of gaps where the planks had warped and twisted. “At least we don’t need the flashlight to find our way around.”
The wind had generated a combination of dust and plant debris in the air, and Kim sneezed. “There’s nothing in here anymore. Let’s leave before my allergies start to kick up,” she said.
Rick pushed against the entrance doors, but they refused to yield.
“Is it stuck?” she asked, coming over to give him a hand.
Stepping back, Rick looked through the crack between the barn doors and quickly identified the problem. “The bar that keeps the door shut must have dropped down into place somehow. I’ll need something sturdy and slim to slip through the gap and lift it up and out of the way.”
“That gap is too narrow for the rake or shovel handle. If we could find a piece of wire, maybe we can wrap it around the bar and lift up.”
He sniffed the air. Something else was wrong. “Do you smell it?”
“Dust and moldy hay that’s making me sneeze. Is that what you mean?”
He glanced around in the dimly lit interior and by the time he brought the flashlight from his backpack, smoke was visible against the north wall.
“Someone set the outside of the barn on fire.” He tossed her the phone. “Get Dan. We need him here in a hurry. I’ll grab the shovel and try to lift the bar using the blade.”
Through the gaps between the boards, he could see the stack of dead tumbleweeds piled up against the side of the barn. Each ignited one after the other into white smoke and flame.
Kim made the call, then ran over to Rick. “Daniel’s on his way, but it’ll take him several minutes to get here.”
Rick picked up the shovel, but the blade was curved like a scoop. He tried to make it work, but there was no way he could angle it through the opening to raise the bar.
As he turned his head to check the progress of the fire, smoke was flowing up the wall, entering through the gaps between the boards. Flames were visible in places and the tumbleweeds burning outside crackled loudly as they were consumed.
“Daniel won’t get here in time, will he?” she asked, her voice shaky.
He didn’t answer. “Look for a weak spot in the wall. I’m going to make our own door.”
Kim coughed as the white smoke became thicker and the sharp scent of burning wood began to penetrate her lungs.
“Put something over your nose and mouth, or pull up your shirt and breathe through the fabric,” Rick directed, leaning against the wall, looking for a place to smash through.
“This is a weak point,” Rick said. “Some of the planks are split.” Using the blade of the shovel as a spear, he began to work. After the third jab, the plank broke in two, leaving an eight-inch, waist-high gap.
The next plank was tougher, but in four jabs he’d knocked it loose from the uprights and it fell to the ground outside.
“One more plank and we can crawl out,” she yelled, her voice raspy now as she gasped for air.
The wind and smoke picked up quickly, intensifying the fire, which was crackling louder than ever.
Coughing, he pulled Kim to her knees close to the hole he’d made in the side of the barn.
There was a loud whoosh across the barn. The opposite wall was a sheet of flames leading from floor to roof. “We’ve got to get out of here now!”
He dropped the shovel, lowered his shoulder and charged the gap he’d made in the side.
The building shook as he hit the wall, and several planks snapped from the impact as he broke out into the open, nearly falling to the ground.
Turning his head, he saw Kim stumble out through the gap. Catching her with both arms, he brought her up against him.
“We’re okay now,” he reassured her, kissing her forehead tenderly.
Hearing running footsteps, Rick pushed her behind him and aimed his gun at the far corner of the barn. Had the firebug come back to finish them off?
As Paul and Daniel came into view, Rick lowered his weapon.
“Easy, bro,” Daniel said. “We’re the good guys.”
* * *
DETECTIVE BIDTAH ARRIVED a half hour later, finding them quickly thanks to the black smoke rising from the smoldering wreckage of the barn. He was not happy to see them, judging from the first words he spoke after climbing out of his SUV. “You’re investigating on my turf but you didn’t call me till now?”
“We weren’t sure this was a police matter, so we gave you plausible deniability,” Rick said. He quickly explained that the purpose of the removal of Hosteen Silver’s body was to try to determine the cause of death.
“If the death proves suspicious, it’s my case,” Bidtah reminded him. “Now tell me more about you and Ms. Nelson being locked inside this barn.”
“Here’s how it went down,” Rick said, then explained.
“There are lots of footprints around,” Bidtah said after Rick had finished. “At a guess, I’d say most belong to you two or your brothers,” he added, looking at their boots. “There’s a strong scent of charcoal lighter here, too. That must be what the arsonist used to ignite the tumbleweeds.”
Rick nodded. “I can smell it now.”
“Any of you find anything else I can use?” Bidtah asked, looking from Kim to the brothers.
They shook their heads. “The cave where we found the body is about fifty feet up the south wall of the canyon,” Rick told him. “You’ll be able to spot it from our tracks.”
“Not looking forward to it,” Bidtah said. “Your dad was a good man. You let me know as soon as you hear from the lab,” Bidtah ordered. “And email me all the photos you took of the scene.”
“Absolutely,” Rick replied.
“The murder of a highly regarded medicine man is going to send ripples through our community,” Bidtah said, rubbing his chin pensively.
“Probably, but it’ll be up to you to determine how much you want
to divulge to the public,” Rick noted.
“It’s hard to keep secrets on the Rez,” the detective commented.
Rick nodded slowly. “I know.”
Bidtah glanced over to where the mobile home had once stood. “I’ll have to speak to Angelina Curley as soon as possible. Like your place, this land belongs to the tribe, and if she’s not occupying it, the land should go to another Navajo family,” Bidtah said. “I also intend to ask why she chose to move away. If she was running from something, I want to know.”
* * *
THEY WERE BACK at Daniel’s a short while later, but a somber mood had settled over them.
“How soon will we hear from the medical investigator?” Kyle asked.
“That depends,” Preston answered. “All they’ve got to work with is hair, bones, bone marrow and a few viable tissue samples. Jack’s given it top priority, however.”
“While we wait for results, we need to find out more about Angelina’s niece and her homemade burritos,” Rick said. “That’s the only possible vector for the poison we know about right now.”
Paul, who was at the computer, spoke up. “The woman’s name is Bonnie Herder. She’s a single mom with three kids. She owns her own small business, has a catering truck and usually parks by the public high school in Shiprock.”
“School lets out in less than an hour. I’m going to go talk to her,” Rick declared.
“I can’t question her because she’s out of my jurisdiction,” Preston said. “If I try, I’m going to stir up a real hornet’s nest. The way things stand, Bidtah would take it as an affront.”
“You shouldn’t go, either, Rick, because she’s bound to know exactly who you are,” Kyle said.
“Let me talk to her,” Kim offered. “I’ll just pretend I’m a substitute teacher on a break. I’ll get further if it doesn’t look like an interrogation.”
“Kim just might get away with that,” Preston agreed with a nod. “But you’ll need to stay out of sight, Rick, or you’ll blow it for her.”
“I’m not happy with this plan,” Rick said.
“Why?” Kim countered. “I can handle this. By keeping it friendly, we may get the information we need without her realizing it could be a problem for her aunt.”
“I agree with Kim,” Daniel said.
Rick shook his head. “We’re after a killer. Kim will be unarmed as well, so she runs double the risk.”
“Not if you’re close by, backing her up,” Preston said. “She’s not likely to get violent that close to so many potential witnesses anyway.”
* * *
TWENTY MINUTES LATER, wearing a change of clothes so she wouldn’t smell like smoke, Rick and Kim set out in one of Level One’s SUVs.
“Have you ever met Bonnie?” she asked him.
“Not that I recall. But a single mother with three kids and a business has a lot to lose. If she knows anything or if she’s involved, she’ll be on her guard. Be careful how you ask your questions and don’t target Angelina specifically. Find out if Bonnie’s family helps her prepare the food or if she has regular helpers, and so on.”
“I’ve got this, trust me,” she said.
“I do, but I still hate having you take point.”
“You won’t be far. Why are you worried?”
He kept his gaze focused on the road ahead. “You’re more important to me than anything else, including this case. Do you understand me?”
“No. Are you saying that you think I can’t handle this or that you’re afraid you can’t?” she added with a tiny smile.
“Maybe both. I love you, Kim,” he said. Pulling over onto the side of the road, he hauled her into his arms.
Before she had the chance to react, he kissed her hard, moving his mouth over hers until her lips parted.
He was rough, desperate for more, but with a groan, released her. “No matter what happens, I’ll have your back,” he said, putting the SUV back in gear.
Dazed, happy, her heart pounding overtime in her ears, she nodded, not trusting her voice. He loved her! He’d shown her in countless ways and now he’d actually said the words.
She smiled. No matter what happened from this point on, she’d always have this.
Chapter Twenty-One
“I shouldn’t have told you that, Kim, not right now,” he said, cutting into her thoughts less than a mile later. “We have to focus on one thing—survival.”
“But I feel the same way about you, Rick. I—”
“No. Don’t say anything else, not until the danger’s past. Do this for me. For us.”
She wasn’t sure if he thought he’d change his mind after the dust cleared or whether he thought she might. Either way, she wouldn’t press him. Trying to hide her disappointment, she nodded. “Okay.”
Twenty minutes later they reached the high school south of the main highway. “School hasn’t let out yet, so she probably won’t be surrounded by students,” he said, passing by without slowing. “There’s the catering truck parked just down the road.”
“Good. That’ll make my work easier,” Kim said, not looking directly as they passed the truck, which now had the sliding panel up and counter out, ready for customers.
“Listen to me carefully, Kim. If you sense trouble, cut it short and head back to the SUV.”
“Sure, but remember I’m not going to confront her. I’m going to talk to her—one working woman to another.”
“All right. I’ll park here, out of sight.” He turned into a big empty lot a few hundred yards farther down.
* * *
KIM TOOK A deep breath, smiled and went up to the catering truck’s window. “I’m starving. What do you have that I can eat fast?”
The young woman smiled. “Lucky you’re going to just beat the after-school rush.”
“Which means I’ve got to hurry. What can you recommend?” Kim asked.
“My bestseller is the green chili burger on homemade tortillas.”
“Sounds good. I’ll have one,” she said. “Mild.”
As the woman assembled the burger, Kim introduced herself.
“I’m Bonnie,” the woman answered. “You’re new around here, aren’t you?”
“At this high school here, yes. I’m substituting today. But I grew up in Hartley.”
“Half an hour drive. That’s not too bad,” Bonnie said.
Kim rubbed the back of her neck with one hand and made sure the woman saw the gesture. “I’ve been sitting at the desk way too long. Time for stretching exercises. I just wish I could find something to ease the sore muscles. The over-the-counter pills give me stomach problems and the ointments smell like a locker room.”
“Have you considered herbs? Our medicine men are very knowledgeable about things like that.”
“That’s what I’ve heard. Can you recommend someone?”
“No, not really. The one I knew isn’t around anymore,” she said, placing the snack-size burger in a small microwave oven as she spoke.
“My friend got a cream from a local medicine man, Mr....something. Ruby swore by it, but I can’t remember the man’s name.”
“Hosteen Silver?” Bonnie asked. Seeing Kim nod, she smiled sadly and continued. “He was really nice, and a great healer. My aunt would take him some of my freshly made breakfast burritos every morning. She was his apprentice for a time.” Bonnie took the warmed burger out of the microwave and placed it on the counter.
“Your aunt is a medicine woman?” Kim asked, paying for the food.
“No, she didn’t want to spend half her life in training. She got married instead.”
“This burger’s excellent,” Kim said after taking a bite. “When the kids are out, like for lunch, I’m sure business is nonstop. Do you have any helpers?”
“My aunt used to help me get the naniscaadas ready each morning, but now she has her own business.”
Hearing a bell, Kim turned toward the high school’s main building. “I better get back to my room before I get run down by the fleeing kids,” Kim said.
She left quickly and within a minute was surrounded by teens hurrying toward the food truck. Kim reversed course and walked back to the SUV, this time passing behind the food truck and staying out of view.
She ate the last bite as she slipped inside the SUV. “Now we have confirmation that Sandoval was telling the truth. Angelina used to help Bonnie make the naniscaada, then would take freshly made breakfast burritos over to your foster father every morning.”
“Let me call Preston. This doesn’t constitute proof, but it’s something to work from.”
Preston answered on the first ring and Rick put his phone on speaker. “I’m at the medical investigator’s lab now,” Preston announced. “The preliminary tests run on tissue samples drew a blank. One of the lab techs found a dried leaf in his shirt pocket, however. At first it looked like parsley, but the botanist recognized it as Aethusa cynapium, known commonly as fool’s parsley or, get this, garden hemlock.”
“Hemlock is deadly, remember Socrates?” Kim commented.
“Exactly,” Preston responded. “According to what I was told, death can take anywhere from hours to days. If that’s what killed him, Hosteen Silver might have known what was coming. The problem is that it’s hard to prove it is the cause of death, because the only postmortem sign of hemlock is asphyxia. That can’t be established, not now.”
“That leaf didn’t end up in his pocket by accident. In his last hours he must have suspected the source and kept that leaf for someone—maybe us—to find,” Rick said.
“Problem is, we can’t prove who put that poison in his food, or even if that’s what killed him,” Preston pointed out.
“If you come up with any ideas, let me know. I’ll do the same.” Rick ended the call.
Pulling to the side of the road, Rick stopped the SUV and turned to look at Kim. “Looks like we have to force the issue. Angelina’s easily angered, so I think it’s time to push her and see what happens.”
