Ella gave her a surprised look. Emily was a tall, beautiful blonde and men gravitated to her. “Are you sure about that? Think hard.”
“I’m positive. As far as I know, he’s never hit on any of the other female officers, either. Come to think of it, I remember him saying that he had a girlfriend at the college.”
“What else can you tell me about him?”
Emily considered it for several long moments. “Nothing, except that he stays to himself generally and isn’t much for small talk. Do you want me to nose around some more? Maybe see if anyone knows his girlfriend’s name?”
“Yeah, that would be great, but only if you can do it unofficially, and discreetly,” Ella said. “Under no circumstances do I want Whitefeather to find out we’re interested in him.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Emily replied. “And when you can, tell me what’s up.”
“I will.”
As Emily left the room, Ella stood and Justine followed her out the door. “Are we going to talk to Kim now?”
“I’d like to stop by my brother’s first. Then, afterwards, we’ll go,” Ella answered, leading the way. “Let’s take my unit and you drive. That way I can use the time to try and figure out some of the things that are bothering me about this case. You can pick up your wheels later.”
It was shortly after four when they set out. Clifford, like Rose, still refused to carry a cell phone so Ella couldn’t call ahead. Clifford had told her more than once that he didn’t want to be tied down to an electronic gadget, even if it was the Anglo world’s lifeline. Rose, on the other hand, hated the cell phone on principle. She didn’t want to be available all the time.
Ella’s mother and brother were cut from the same mold. They were two fiercely independent people who were determined to fight the intrusion of what most considered a modern-day necessity.
“What do you think is at the root of the threat against Ford—a terrorist cell or an angry husband?” Justine asked her.
“I honestly don’t know, partner. So far on this case, I don’t have even one clear answer. We’ll just have to work the leads as we get them. If the terrorists are worried that Ford will manage to expose them, then it’s also possible they’d come at him through surrogates.”
“If that’s what’s happening, then Whitefeather’s expertise and position as an officer might be worth a great deal to them,” Justine said.
“We’ve been told that Whitefeather lives on the Rez, so there’s bound to be someone who knows him. That’s why I’m going to get my brother’s and mother’s help on this. They’ll be able to find out more about him in a way that won’t point back to us.”
As they drove up the road leading to Clifford’s hogan, Ella spotted her brother chopping wood behind the house. “Good. He’s not with a patient. Do you want to come in with me?”
“Naw, I think I’ll call the hospital and see how Ralph’s doing,” Justine answered, taking out her cell phone.
“Good idea. I’ll be back in a few minutes, hopefully.”
Clifford, who’d seen the SUV coming, smiled as Ella stepped out of the vehicle and approached. “It’s good to see you! I’ve heard what’s been happening—the shooting at the gas station, then the problem you and FB-Eyes had over at your friend’s place. Are you okay?”
“Me? Sure. I’m fine. It’s all part of my job, brother.”
“Is there any way I can help you? I see your partner’s in the car, so I suspect you’re here on business.”
“You’re right,” Ella answered with a smile, and quickly told him what she needed.
“I’ve never met this deputy, but I’ll ask around. I should be able to get something for you fairly soon. Maybe even something about his woman.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.” As she looked at her brother, she realized that there was something else on his mind. Rather than returning to her unit, she waited.
Long minutes passed before he spoke. “I’m very worried about our mother’s husband,” he said at last, following tradition and avoiding the use of names.
“Why? What’s going on?” she asked instantly.
“My wife saw him visiting the heart specialist at the hospital.”
Ella’s blood ran cold. “Could he have been there with someone else?”
“It’s possible, but when I tried asking him about it, he told me I was mistaken, that he’d never been there. He made it clear, too, that he didn’t want to talk about it.”
“Could your wife have made a mistake?” Ella asked.
“No. My wife was at the hospital visiting a friend when she saw him coming out of the doctor’s office. They were less than ten feet apart, though our mother’s husband didn’t see her.”
Ella felt a shiver run up her spine. Rose had buried one husband, and Ella wasn’t sure that she was strong enough to go through that a second time. Herman was not only her husband, he was her best friend. Rose depended on Herman more than most people realized.
“I’ll see what I can find out,” Ella said. “But it’s going to be difficult. Doctor/patient confidentiality trumps my badge.”
“This doesn’t necessarily have to mean that it’s bad news, but I know he doesn’t like going to a doctor, so I thought it was worth checking into,” Clifford said.
Ella nodded in agreement. “Do you think Mom knows about this?”
“I have no idea.”
“All right. I’ll take it slow and see what I can find out.”
Worried about her old friend and stepfather, Ella returned to the car. Herman had created a place for himself in all their hearts.
“Hey, partner,” Ella said, climbing back into the car. “Help me brainstorm. Besides the obvious, why would a man who hates doctors go see a heart specialist?”
“To get information for someone else?”
The answer didn’t make her feel any better. It only made her worry about her mother as well.
“Is something wrong?” Justine asked.
“I don’t know,” she said, confiding her worries to Justine. “But don’t tell anyone. I need to find out more in my own way.”
“If there’s a problem, let me know, okay?”
Ella nodded, then changed the subject. “What did you find out about Tache?” she asked, hoping for good news.
“He’s out of intensive care, and apparently lung function has been completely restored because he’s off the ventilator. They’re giving him antibiotics to stave off infection and he’s improving steadily, but they still won’t allow any visitors except family.”
“I’m glad to hear he’s on the mend,” Ella said with heartfelt relief.
“Should we go see Kim Mike now?”
“No, not yet. Stop by my house first. I won’t be long.”
They pulled up at Ella’s house less than five minutes later. “I need to talk to Mom for a bit. While I’m in there, find out if Emily knows anything about Whitefeather’s schedule. It’s about time for a shift change, so if he’s just getting off, I’d like to risk trying to follow him home.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Ella went inside and found Rose in the kitchen, fixing a casserole for dinner.
“Tamale pie—your favorite,” Rose said. “I hope you can make it home at a decent hour and share a meal with us.”
“I can’t promise, but even if I come in late, I’ll be nuking myself a serving in the microwave.”
Rose sighed loudly. “What brings you home this early? It’s still afternoon.”
Mentioning Henderson Whitefeather by name, Ella told her what she needed. Although the use of names was generally avoided, certain situations made it a necessity. “The man’s supposed to live on the Rez somewhere.”
“I’ve never heard of him, but I’ll ask my friends and see if anyone knows him or his clan.”
“Where’s your husband?” Ella asked, looking around.
“He’s been wanting more time to himself lately,” Rose said, giving her a worried look. “Something’s bo
thering him, but he won’t talk about it. Men are strange that way. A woman will talk about whatever’s troubling her, but men . . . well, they’re different, aren’t they?”
Ella thought of Ford. “Men are always difficult to figure out, Mom,” she said with a thin smile. “It’s all part of the package.”
“But life’s sure a lot better with them,” Rose said, gazing out the window at Herman, who was outside grooming one of the horses.
“Then be happy you’re together and don’t worry about the details, Mom,” Ella said, placing a gentle hand on Rose’s shoulder.
Rose patted Ella’s hand. “I have a Plant Watchers meeting later this afternoon, daughter. I’ll ask around and see if anyone knows the man you spoke of.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Ella was back at the car moments later. As she slid into the passenger seat, Justine closed her cell phone. “Emily said that she’ll get us Whitefeather’s schedule if she can do it without raising questions. But she also said that she’s seen him at the Save More Grocery a few times, with a grocery bag in hand. She thinks that he probably stops there on his way home.”
Before Justine could say anything more, Ella’s phone rang. It was Agent Blalock.
“I’ve got some interesting news,” he said. “We need to go back to Valley Construction. Can you meet me at my office?”
“I’m with Justine right now, but she can drop me off.”
“Good. I’ll see you then,” he said.
“What’s going on?” Justine asked.
“Blalock’s found something of interest over at Valley Construction.”
“Guess that puts another hold on finding Kim Mike.” Seeing Ella nod, Justine continued. “I thought Anna checked them out. What’s the deal?”
“I don’t know.” She wouldn’t voice her suspicions—words had power and could bring things into being—but she couldn’t stop wondering if Anna’s friendship with Gary Ute had compromised her perspective. The problem was, she didn’t know Anna that well.
When they arrived at Blalock’s, Justine glanced at Ella. “Unless you have an objection I’d like to be in on this. I’ve trusted Anna to follow up on everything—from the original list of suspects, to processing evidence. If she’s dropping the ball, I need to know.”
Ella nodded. It was important for all of them to find out how much they could rely on the newest member of their team.
Blalock greeted them both amicably, offering them a seat when they stepped into his office. “I figured we needed to start exploring tangents and seeing where they led. With that in mind, I focused on the amount of explosives being purchased by appropriately licensed companies in the area. I started with Valley Construction, and discovered the volume of explosives they’ve purchased doesn’t mesh with the inventory figures they gave Anna.”
“Some were stolen,” Ella said. “We’ve established that.”
“That’s not it. They’ve been buying a lot more than can be accounted for with the jobs they do—a lot more. We need to pay Gary Ute another visit,” Blalock said. “He and his crew are working late up in the Glade, north of Farmington, on a road under construction between La Plata and Flora Vista.”
Justine looked at Ella. “While you go with Blalock, why don’t I go pay Betsy Dan a visit? She’s the owner of the Save More. I can ask her to give me a heads-up next time she sees Whitefeather.”
“Excellent idea,” Ella said. “Also, keep what we’re doing at Valley Construction confidential for now. I don’t want Anna to know we’re retracing her steps.”
They arrived at the site about forty-five minutes later. The gravel road they came in on was blocked off by orange barrels and sawhorses with flashing yellow and orange lights. A white Valley Construction pickup and several pieces of construction equipment, including a big bulldozer, were clustered just beyond the barrier. A man in a yellow vest and hard hat stepped forward, waving a red flag, and another worker with a handheld radio to his ear motioned for them to stop and park to one side. Blalock steered into the indicated spot and parked. A second later, a loud explosion went off, shaking the ground, and dust rose from a location about a quarter mile farther up a long hill.
Ella ducked instinctively and so did Blalock. “I hate that sound,” she said, remembering Tache and what had happened at the community college.
“I’m not big on explosions myself,” Blalock said. “Every instinct I have tells me to duck and draw my weapon.”
As they approached the road crew, Blalock flashed his badge, and Ella did the same, despite knowing she was out of her jurisdiction. “We need to talk to Gary Ute,” she said.
The man picked up the two-way radio that he’d reattached to his belt and spoke quickly. “He’s on his way here,” he said, moments later.
Gary Ute soon appeared, walking briskly out of the juniper forest bordering a dirt trail lined with red flagged wooden stakes that mapped out the future roadbed. He stepped between two sawhorses and joined them. “We’ve got a lot going on here,” he said brusquely, “and will be running out of light soon. What can I do for the FBI and the Navajo tribe?”
“It seems that there are certain things you forgot to mention when our investigator met with you,” Ella said. “First of all, there’s a considerable discrepancy between the amount of explosives your company orders and the number of charges you’ve actually set off.”
“What are you implying? That I’m stockpiling explosives, or juggling the books?” he challenged. “Either way, you’re way off base. I have a business reputation to maintain, and I can’t afford mistakes like that.”
“Then explain the discrepancy,” Blalock pressed.
“I can’t, not without looking at the books and checking out the explosives locker,” he answered. “Give me some time.”
“So you don’t actually purchase the explosives?” Ella asked, playing a hunch.
“No, not me. My foreman handles that.”
“Then that’s who we want to speak to. Where is he right now?” Ella said.
“Up the trail about a quarter mile. We’re loosening some stubborn bedrock from the right-of-way. Regulations require hard hats if you want to go beyond this barrier, so hang on while I go get some for you.” Gary went over to the truck, then returned with two blue hard hats. “Here you go,” he said, handing one to each of them. “Let’s go.”
As they approached the work area, Ella could see a second, larger bulldozer clearing away big chunks of rock that had been blasted loose from a large formation in the middle of the apparent new roadbed.
Ella glanced at Gary. “What’s your foreman’s name?”
“Ernest Haske. He’s over there, next to the guy with the clipboard. Haske’s the one with the metal box and the blue hard hat.” Gary let out a shrill whistle, then pointed his thumb at Blalock and Ella.
Haske turned his head, set down the metal box, and took a step back.
“Crap, he’s gonna bolt,” Blalock said just as Haske spun around and raced off, heading toward a steep ridge.
They both took off after him, but a chase uphill on rocky ground was tough. Ella paced herself, making sure her breathing stayed even. She’d lived in this country most of her life and still ran several miles a week when she wasn’t on a big case.
Blalock fell behind almost immediately, and she could hear his wheezy, labored breathing. “Clah, where’s he going, to the top of the hill so he can—what, fly off?”
“Go back to the four-wheel drive,” she called between breaths. “Make sure he can’t get to the highway.” For a man close to sixty, Blalock was in good shape, but this was no weekend run. The terrain was uphill and uneven. “I can outdistance him,” Ella added. “Keep him moving up while I circle around and cut him off.”
As she raced around the hill in an intercept course, she saw the suspect slowing down, looking around in a panic for a place to hide. The rocky hill was naked of vegetation higher than grass, however, and there were only a few rock formations big enough to provide any co
ver at all. She stopped and watched as he circled a big rock, then slipped down into a gap where the shade quickly hid him from view.
She waved to Blalock, who’d driven up, and pointed to the hiding place as she approached from above and behind.
For a minute she was reminded of a rattler seeking cover under a rock. If you reached in, or got too close, it would strike. Ella moved in cautiously, gun drawn, then peered down into the dark, narrow crevice. The split in the rocks extended to the far side of the hill, but it was clear there was no safe exit at that end. The only way out was to jump—more than a hundred feet straight down—onto a rock-covered slope.
Ella climbed around to the place where he’d dropped down, then stood there, blocking the exit, her pistol drawn. “Ernest Haske, I’m Special Investigator Clah of the Navajo Tribal Police. Give up and climb out,” she said. “Unless you can sprout wings, you’re not going anywhere.”
The man didn’t answer, looking back at the drop-off, desperately trying to find another option.
“You don’t have any way out of this, guy, except past me. Be reasonable and climb back up. Keep in mind that I can sit here and wait you out. There are others who would come up and spell me when I got tired or hungry, but you don’t have that choice.”
“Okay, I’m coming,” he said after a long pause. He was halfway up the crevice when he muttered a curse, grunted, and stopped.
“Don’t play games, Ernest. I’m not in the mood for this crap,” Ella said.
“I’m not playing with you, I’m stuck,” he said. “I had the two-way on my belt, and now I’m jammed tight.”
“So take your belt off,” Ella said.
“Yeah, yeah, okay.”
Two minutes later, Haske emerged. He held one hand up in the air, but his jeans had slid down around his hips and he was using his other hand to hold them up. “Let me go back for my belt. I’ve lost weight and these pants won’t stay up.”
“Stay where you are,” she ordered.
Blalock appeared just then, breathing hard, and slipped far enough into the crevice to grab the belt. Seconds later the man was handcuffed.
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