Red Mesa

by Aimée

  Clifford’s eyes narrowed in disapproval, but Loretta turned without looking at him and walked away toward the children.

  “Come into the hogan and we’ll begin,” Clifford told Ella.

  Ella looked at Dawn and Julian, wondering if she should leave her daughter in Loretta’s care now.

  “Don’t worry. My wife is angry at me, not at them. She loves the children.”

  Ella watched Loretta sit down on the ground and begin a game of rolling the ball back and forth. Seeing how well the kids responded to her, Ella relaxed.

  “Your wife does have a legitimate complaint, brother.”

  “This, I know. But for now, I can’t slow down. There are a lot of older people getting sick now that the weather is turning colder. They worked too hard getting ready for winter, and have become worn down. I’m one of the few medicine men who still know most of the Sings and healing ways.”

  Ella followed her brother inside the hogan, sitting on the south side as was customary. Clifford was a good teacher. He placed the different herbs he’d collected on a blanket, making her identify each and explaining where on the reservation they could be found. Then they discussed how to make different infusions with the medicinal herbs. Instead of letting her write things down, Clifford kept quizzing her until she could repeat it back to him.

  The hour passed quickly, and before Ella knew it, it was time for her to go. “I’ve got to get back to Mom. She was really looking tired today. Dawn is almost too much for her sometimes.”

  “And she still won’t let you hire anyone?”

  Ella shook her head. “I’ll keep hammering at her, and hopefully I’ll wear her down eventually.” She paused, then continued. “By the way, there’s something I want you to think about. I really appreciate these classes on herbs. It’s an interest I’m eager to pursue. But I think we should rethink our plans to give lectures together to youth organizations and at the college.”

  “Does this have something to do with what my wife has been telling you?”

  “This isn’t about her, it’s about you. You’re running yourself ragged. You’re trying to be all things to all people, and before you realize it, years will have gone by and you’ll have missed your son’s childhood. He’s going to grow up not having the chance to know you very well. This may have been okay if your brother-in-law was around. The wife’s brother plays a large role in a child’s life. But since he’s not, that puts a different slant on things. Your boy needs time to know you, his father, and you need to be there for him.”

  “I think this may be more of a reaction to what’s missing in your family’s life than what’s wrong with mine,” he said gently.

  The blunt observation took her aback for a moment, but she considered it, then spoke. “No, that’s not true. I really don’t want Kevin to have a larger part in Dawn’s life. He’s not ready to be a full-time dad, and forcing it would be a mistake. I’d just hate to see you miss out on the best part of your son’s life. They grow up fast, and one day you’re going to look around and see that the boy is gone and it’s too late to make up for lost time.”

  Ella walked outside with Clifford and picked up her daughter from where she was playing. After having Dawn say good-bye to her cousin and aunt, Ella carried her back to the car. Clifford watched as she placed her in the car seat. “Don’t miss out on being a parent,” she reiterated. “Nothing will ever mean more in the long run.”

  “I’ll give what you’ve told me some serious thought.”

  As Ella slipped behind the driver’s seat, Clifford leaned inside the open driver’s-side window. “I’ve heard some rumors that there’s serious trouble between you and our second cousin,” he said, avoiding using Justine’s name. “Is that true?”

  She sighed. “It is.”

  “Did you also know that some of the traditionalists are saying that it’s just another sign that you’re turning to evil?”

  She scowled. “I should have known they’d come up with something like that. Heck, face it, these days if I so much as sneeze, somebody will suggest it’s an omen. Who told you, by the way, about my assistant and me? I know you don’t like to use names because they have power, but I need to know.”

  “Jeremiah Manyfarms. You met him here, with our professor friend.”

  “Besides teaching at the college, what do you know about him?” Ella asked.

  “I heard that he was a medic in the army, but now he’s learning about traditional medicine. I treated him just the other day for a sudden headache,” Clifford explained. “But getting back to the trouble between you and our cousin. Can you mend the relationship?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. But she’s acting really weird. I’m not sure about her anymore—and that’s something I never thought I’d be saying about her.”

  “I’ve also heard that she’s taken up with someone who won’t do her any good. He used to be in a gang, and he’s nothing but trouble. And that, by the way, didn’t come from our friend’s co-worker at the college.”

  “I know who you mean,” she said, realizing her brother was referring to Paul Natoni. “But she won’t listen to me on that.”

  “He’s like a fat snake putting on a new skin. Did you know that he’s one of the New Traditionalists?”

  Ella cringed at the term. The New Traditionalists were a direct product of a tribe caught between two worlds, and either reflected the best of two cultures or the worst.

  Clifford shook his head. “He’s like many of the others in that group—opinionated and trying to force his beliefs down everyone’s throats. He wears a headband to link himself to our heritage, and I understand that he’s got Indian art all over his house. He’s even trying to learn to speak our language.”

  “Are you telling me that he’s no longer the rotten piece of garbage he used to be?”

  “No, not at all. The changes are all on the outside, not in his heart. But then again, I have no love for the New Traditionalists. In my opinion, they’re all show and no substance. They draw the line at leading the traditional life they claim to love when it means giving up their air conditioning and cable TV. They’re part-time Navajos.”

  Ella laughed. “You’re too harsh a critic.”

  Clifford shrugged. “I find the whole thing irritating. And knowing that their numbers are growing doesn’t do much to endear them to me. They’re gaining power and influence among The People, and I think that’s a dangerous trend. They’ve even got that half-Navajo, Branch, using his radio program to support the group. The New Traditionalists, you see, intend on using technology to promote the tribe’s interest and culture.”

  “Any association with Branch is bound to result in a disaster. I know the man well enough to see he’s got his own agenda.”

  “He sure gets people talking about his radio show, and I guess that makes his advertisers happy. Freedom of speech can be an impressive moneymaker even in misguided hands.” Clifford shrugged.

  “But we can’t do anything about it except wait until the Dineh finally see the truth for themselves,” Ella said, switching on the ignition.

  “Tell Mom that I’ll stop by and visit with her soon, sister.”

  “She’d like that, but she knows how busy you are, and won’t really be expecting it.”

  “So I’ll surprise her.”

  After Ella left Clifford’s, she thought for a while about the New Traditionalists. If there was any truth to the conspiracy she’d been warned about, maybe that group was at the heart of it. Or maybe not. The more she thought about the alleged conspiracy, the more far-fetched it seemed. There was absolutely no evidence to support it. It had the earmarks of a hoax, or maybe it was just someone’s idea of a good joke to play on her. She knew Joseph Neskahi, for one, would think it incredibly funny to drive her nuts looking for something that simply didn’t exist.

  Of course, if it was he, she’d have him directing traffic for a month.

  Ella took Dawn inside her mother’s house and put the sleepy child down to bed, re
ading her a story, as was their custom. Then she returned to the living room, where Rose was crocheting. “I’ve got to run one more errand, Mom. Can you check in on her, and maybe feed her some dinner if she wakes up, or are you still pretty tired?”

  “No, I slept some more while you were gone, and I’m feeling better. I just haven’t been resting well at night.” She walked with her daughter to the door. “Where are you off to now? More police business?”

  “Not really. I got a note from my second cousin asking me to meet her at Beautiful Mesa. I’m hoping that she’ll finally tell me what’s been bothering her, and we can settle our differences.”

  “She’s a good woman. Give her a chance.”

  “She’s always been my favorite cousin, Mom. But she’s really been a pain in the neck lately.”

  “Be patient. I know she thinks the world of you, down inside. I’m certain that you two can work things out.”

  Ten minutes later, Ella was on the way down the highway. Turning off toward Beautiful Mesa, she drove over a small hill, then as she reached the cliffs of the mesa, saw a small fire burning. Expecting to find Justine there, she drove her Jeep off the path toward it.

  The terrain was pretty solid, and a short time later, Ella stood by the abandoned campfire, composed of juniper branches. From the smell, it appeared someone had used gasoline to start the wood burning, and it was pretty hot, though in no danger of spreading unless the wind came up.

  She looked around, but didn’t see anyone in the area, so Ella brought the shovel from her car and quickly smothered the burning wood with sand. As she was about to return to her patrol unit, she heard footsteps and Justine walked up.

  “What’s going on?” Justine asked.

  Ella filled her in. “Maybe someone passing through got cold and dragged some dead branches from a few junipers. I didn’t see anyone around, and since the wind sometimes picks up after midnight and sparks could ignite the nearby brush, I thought I’d better put it out.”

  Ella walked with Justine back to where both their vehicles were parked, about fifty feet from the dirt road. “I’m glad we were able to meet like this. It’s private out here and we’ll cheat all the gossips.” She paused, then added, “I’ve really hated the tension between us, Justine.”

  Justine nodded. “I’m sorry, Ella. I feel as if I’ve been wound up in knots. Every morning when I get to work I’m already so tense I just explode. I know that the chief was ordered to do away with Harry’s position, but carrying his load of work and mine is really hard. And it’s not fair. I can never catch up these days. When I make progress, the best I can say is that I’m less behind than I was. I hate that.”

  Ella nodded. “I wish we’d had this talk sooner, but rest assured I’ll talk to Big Ed. We can’t hire someone new, but I may be able to have someone else transferred over to our team, maybe even part-time. Sergeant Neskahi has always been available in a pinch for investigations, but to be honest, we’re spread pretty thin all over the department. The sergeant just doesn’t have the training Harry and you have for specialized forensic work, so I haven’t got a clue as to who might be available to take some of the weight off you in the lab. But I apologize for my part in the misunderstanding with Big Ed on the robbery at the convenience store. I should have gotten to him first with a report.”

  “It probably wouldn’t have mattered. Regardless of how it was explained, the fact remains that I was the one who screwed up. I’m going to do my best to try and get a full eight hours sleep and to keep a lid on my temper. I can’t let things keep getting to me like they have.”

  “And I’ll try to butt out of your personal life, too, Justine. I was over the line on that one. You were right. I apologize.”

  “Apology accepted,” Justine said, then smiled. “I’m really glad I got your note, Ella. We needed this talk away from work, here on neutral ground and away from distractions.”

  Ella gave her a quick look. She hadn’t sent Justine a note. Her cousin had sent one to her. Ella started to say something, but Justine continued, going on to something else. Intending to bring it up later, she didn’t interrupt. Silently Ella wondered if one of the other officers had set this up, hoping things would work out somehow.

  Justine stopped by Ella’s car as she put the shovel in the back compartment. “Sometimes your life seems so organized and well planned in comparison to mine, Ella.”

  “Believe me, it’s not. I just have more responsibilities these days that determine what I do and when, giving me a de facto schedule.”

  Justine mulled it over for a moment. “That makes sense.”

  “What about you?” Ella asked gently. “Now that you’ve lived the life for a while, do you regret having become a cop?”

  Justine shook her head. “No, but it does carry a price, as you often said in the past. Sometimes it seems that work is at the center of everything I do and think.”

  A vehicle passed them on the road, slowing down briefly, then speeding up. Justine, like Ella, never took her eyes away from it, tensing for a moment, then relaxing after it went by.

  “For a moment I thought it was Big Ed,” Justine said. “He has a dark pickup like that.”

  “Yeah, I thought it was him, too, but if it had been the chief, he would have stopped. It was just someone curious about two women talking by the side of the road after dark.”

  “Yeah, well, now that you put it that way,” Justine said.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Ella said, wondering if the person who’d set up the meeting by leaving the notes had come by to check and see if the plan had worked. Tomorrow, when they had a spare moment, she’d tell Justine what she suspected, and maybe together they could figure out who to thank.

  “See you at the office bright and early. And, Ella?” She paused for a moment as if uncertain how to word what she wanted to say. “I’m glad things are back on track between us.”

  “So am I.” Ella watched her drive away, then started her own vehicle. She was ill at ease out here all of a sudden. Checking the rearview mirror every few minutes, she drove around until she was certain no one was tailing her. At long last, telling herself that this time her instincts had to be wrong, she drove home.

  ELEVEN

  Ella had been in her office for almost an hour when Joseph Neskahi knocked on the door.

  “Hey, Ella. Do you know if Justine’s coming in today? She’s not in her office or the lab, and I haven’t seen her around.”

  “As far as I know, she hasn’t phoned in sick,” Ella said. “Let me have a look, and check with the front desk.”

  The same uneasiness that had plagued her all night long began to gnaw at her again. She asked the duty officer, looked around the station, in Justine’s office and the lab, and even checked the rest rooms, but there was no sign of her cousin.

  Not seeing Justine’s police vehicle in the parking lot, Ella returned to her office and called Justine’s home. Angela answered the phone.

  “I was just wondering if Justine’s sick today,” Ella said, making sure her voice remained calm and steady. She didn’t want to alarm her cousin Angela.

  “She’s not with you?” Angela’s voice tensed. “I know she came home yesterday, told us she’d received a note from you, and then went out to meet you later in the evening. As far as I know, she never came back. I thought she might have spent the night at your mom’s place. What’s going on?”

  “She did meet me last night, but I never left a note for her. Actually, I received one that I thought was from her, and that’s how we both ended up meeting at Beautiful Mesa. By any chance, did you see the note she got?”

  “I think it’s on her dresser. Wait, let me go check.” Angela came back. “No, it’s not here. She must have taken it with her. Is my daughter all right?” Fear tainted Angela’s clear voice.

  “I’m sure she is. Please don’t worry. She probably went to see a friend after we talked, and spent the night,” Ella said, thinking of Natoni.

  She heard Angela’s
long sigh. “That may be. My daughter wouldn’t necessarily check in with me. We just don’t talk much lately. She’s so tense all the time, I try not to ask her any questions that will make her angry, and she seldom volunteers anything. It hasn’t been easy.”

  “I’ll call you as soon as I find her,” Ella said, sensing how worried her cousin was.

  “Do that, please. All I know for sure is that she went to meet with you, hoping to work out that problem you two have been having at work.”

  Ella remembered the pickup that had driven by that reminded her of the chief’s truck. For the first time she was forced to consider the possibility that whoever had sent the notes hadn’t had good intentions at all. There was the chance they’d been set up somehow. Instinct told her that Justine’s failure to show up was no coincidence. Something was wrong, and there was no time to lose.

  Ella went out into the “pigpen,” the office three of the sergeants shared, and found Joseph Neskahi. “Are you free right now?” she asked him.

  “If you need me, I am,” he replied.

  “I’d like you to ride along with me,” she said, then filled him in as they headed to her unit. “I can’t find Justine. Apparently she didn’t come home last night or call in sick this morning either. Nobody has heard from her since yesterday. I know she’s been acting strange lately, but Justine’s never been this irresponsible. I have a feeling something’s happened to her.”

  Ella drove in silence, not ready to tell Joseph the details of her meeting with Justine last night. As she glanced over at him, she realized that the veteran officer knew there was more going on than she’d said, but hadn’t breached her silence out of respect.

  “We’re going to Beautiful Mesa,” she said at last, and filled him in on her meeting with Justine the night before.

  “Do you have the note that Justine supposedly sent you?”

  She nodded. “It looked like her handwriting. I would have noticed it otherwise.”