by Aimée Thurlo
“We believe your son is involved in the recent theft of the bowl. Would he have done that for you?” Gabriel asked.
The mayor looked at him in surprise. “You think Ted stole the bowl? That’s ridiculous! My boy has no need for money, and he doesn’t give a hoot about prestige. If you have evidence, I want to hear it.”
“I don’t have any concrete proof, but believe me, I’m only trying to help Ted,” Gabriel said. “I think he’s gotten himself involved in something that could cost him his life.”
“You mean someone might kill him if they, too, conclude he’s got the bowl?”
“That’s one possibility, but the bowl itself is also a danger,” Lanie said.
Bums nodded slowly. “I’ve heard bits and pieces of that legend recently. But surely you two don’t believe all that.”
“I can assure you that the bowl brings trouble regardless of what your beliefs are,” Gabriel said, avoiding a more direct answer..
The mayor looked at Lanie thoughtfully. “Ralph’s kept me up to date on everything. You’ve been through hell. Some bozo is trying to make the legend seem real at your expense.” His gaze stayed on her pensively. “But there’s more to it, isn’t there? It’s taking a physical toll on you.”
“Yes on both counts,” Lanie replied.
He took a deep breath. “What would you have me do to protect my son?”
“Help us,” Gabriel said. “We have to find the bowl, and if we work together, maybe we can keep everyone safe. Let me search Ted’s room.”
“You won’t find anything there,” the mayor said flatly.
“Let me search it, then,” Gabriel insisted.
“All right, but I want to be right there with you.”
“Agreed.” Gabriel went out to his Jeep and retrieved a handful of evidence pouches, which he placed in his jacket pocket.
He joined the mayor and Lanie a minute later. Together, they went upstairs. Gabriel took the boy’s room in at a glance. Then, following a hunch, he went directly to the trash.
Using his pen, Gabriel lifted a black ski mask from beneath an empty pizza box.
“The person who has attacked me twice wore a ski mask,” Lanie said, and drew closer. “In the struggle right before I was tossed into the well, I ripped the area around the eyes.” She pointed to the mask. “Like that.”
“The men who jumped Lucas and me also were wearing ski masks,” Gabriel added, glancing at the mayor.
He placed the mask inside an evidence pouch and continued his search wordlessly. Unable to locate the bowl or any other incriminating items, he turned to face the mayor. “This isn’t conclusive,” Gabriel informed him, “but Ted will have some serious questions to answer.”
The mayor’s face was as white as a sheet. “I don’t understand any of this.” He slumped down into the nearest chair.
“How has Ted been acting lately?” Gabriel asked.
Burns rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “He’s been in a very dark mood, losing his temper at the slightest provocation. But I can guarantee you it’s not drugs. I’ve searched the house carefully for any evidence of that.”
Burns stood up. “I’d like you to leave now. Next time I see my son, I’ll bring him in to talk to you, with an attorney.”
“That’s fine, but remember that at this point all I want is to ask him some questions,” Gabriel said.
Lanie walked with Gabriel to the door. Hopefully Ted would be the key that would unlock the mystery.
GABRIEL DROVE AWAY from the mayor’s home, silence stretching out between them. “I’ve got a plan that will get us inside Sally’s house, where I think we’ll find the mayor’s son. But I’m going to need Sally’s permission, and
I’m not sure how to get that.”
“I don’t know how much help I can be. Sally’s angry with me, too.” Lanie’s body went from hot to cold, and she shivered. She’d have to take more aspirins soon. “But maybe if I’m completely honest with her, she’ll be more inclined to cooperate with us.”
“You want to tell her how the bowl’s been affecting your life?”
She nodded. “If I can convince her that my back is to the wall on this, maybe I’ll get through to her. Of course, she may not believe that there’s any truth in the legend.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, people around here don’t discount things like that so easily. Besides, all she has to do is take a good look at you.” His gaze was filled with tenderness and concern. “Are you sure you’re up to this?” Gabriel reached out to her and brushed his knuckles against her cheek.
Lanie felt a wonderful warmth course through her. He could stir her senses so easily! “I can do whatever I have to do,” she said. “Don’t worry.”
“But I do. Can’t help it.”
She understood what was in Gabriel’s heart, knowing she’d feel the same if he were threatened in any way, and smiled gently at him. “I’ll be okay.”
It was three-thirty by the time they walked inside Sally’s diner. She was alone, sipping a cup of coffee. As they approached the counter, Lanie saw the pain in Sally’s eyes. It sliced right through her.
Lanie forced herself to hold the woman’s gaze. “Sally, you’ve got to listen to me,” Lanie said, then quickly explained everything she knew about the bowl. “Look at me, Sally. You’ll see I’m not lying. That bowl attracts evil, and Peter could be in real danger from other people who want it and will stop at nothing to get it.”
“It’s all true,” Gabriel said, then he told Sally about the ski mask they’d found in Ted’s room. “We know Ted’s got some kind of hold on Peter. Let us help you. Don’t let your fears endanger your son even more.”
Sally’s hands gripped the counter. “What can I do? Pete’s my son. My only son,” she added.
“Then fight for him. He can’t handle this alone,” Lanie said.
Sally leaned against the wall, one of her hands covering her face. “This all started when they heard about that bowl. Pete’s not blameless, but he’s not a bad boy. He’s just made some bad choices.”
“If he can’t back out of this on his own, you’ve got to take action yourself,” Gabriel pressed.
“You don’t understand. Ted’s gone crazy. He swore he’d shoot Pete and me if I told anyone or did anything to interfere. And there’s someone else in this with Ted, though I don’t really know who it is. Lately, usually after midnight, someone comes up to the house on foot. Ted’s careful, so neither of them can be seen, but the voice I’ve heard belongs to a woman, or a girl. It puzzled me because, as far as I know, Ted doesn’t have a girlfriend.”
“What we have to do first is get Peter safely away from Ted,” Gabriel explained.
“How? Lately Ted doesn’t let Pete out of his sight for more than a second or two.”
“I’ve got a plan,” Gabriel answered.
“I won’t do anything to endanger Peter.” Sally looked at them tearfully. “Neither of you have kids. You can’t possibly know how afraid I am of losing him. If anything happened to my boy…”
“I do know what it’s like to lose a kid to violence,” Lanie said, her voice taut as memories came rushing back. “A boy died once because I didn’t act when I needed to.” She told Sally the whole tragic story.
When she was done, Sally looked at Lanie as if seeing her for the first time. “Now I know what you’re running from.” She turned to Gabriel. “Will Lanie be included in your plan?”
“She’s an integral part of it.”
“Then I’ll place my trust in you, Sheriff, because of Lanie. She’ll do her best to avoid having to live with a second mistake.”
Gabriel looked from face to face. “We better get started, then.”
“Where are we going?” Sally asked, locking the diner doors as they stepped out onto the sidewalk.
“To the boardinghouse, then to your home,” Gabriel said. “To pull a successful con, we’re going to need some preparation time.”
Chapter Sixteen
Lanie looked at herself again in the car mirror. Gabriel was in the back seat, crouched below window level. Sally’s blond wig didn’t look completely out of place on Lanie, but her figure was fuller, her hips and bust more prominent than Sally’s.
“I’m not sure about this. Will I really pass for Sally even from a distance?” Lanie asked.
“Follow Sally’s pattern. Come in through the front door and make a loud noise when you slam it shut. Sally said the boys are always in Peter’s room and don’t come out to say hello. Once you’re in, go to the kitchen, open the back door for me, then duck out of sight.”
Lanie parked Sally’s car on the left side of the small driveway, just the way Sally did, and took a deep breath. “Well, it’s show time.”
“If one of the boys does happen to come downstairs, go into the bathroom just off the kitchen and make retching noises. They’ll leave you alone.”
“Wonderful. I haven’t practiced my retching noises since junior high.”
“Oh? I didn’t realize anyone practiced retching noises.”
“You would be surprised what you learn in Catholic school.”
Gabriel chuckled. “I stand corrected.”
Lanie nervously opened the car door. “Here we go.” Staring down at the pavement in case anyone was looking out the window, Lanie walked quickly to the front door.
Sally’s wig was a bit loose, and she prayed it wouldn’t fall off or spin around on her head.
Lanie unlocked the front door and slammed it behind her, then walked across the living room quickly, following Sally’s directions to the kitchen. She’d almost reached the doorway when Ted Burns came down the hall, holding an empty can of cola.
“Get me another one, Sal—” Eyes wide, he reached back and drew a small-caliber pistol from his waistband.
Lanie dove behind the couch just as Ted fired. Tufts of padding exploded outward, and a spring came bursting out of the back in the wake of a bullet.
Suddenly Peter came running into the room. “Stop it. She’s my mother.”
“Get out of here, Pete,” Ted snapped. “This isn’t your mother. Leave if you don’t want to see what’s going to happen to her.”
“No, you’re crazy. This stops right now!”
Lanie peered out and saw Peter launch himself at Ted. Then, with a thundering crash, the window on the other side of the room exploded inward. A figure that was nothing more than a blur hurdled into the room.
When Ted turned to shoot, Peter pushed him to one side. As the boys hit the floor, the gun went off. Peter’s cry of pain tore through Lanie. She dove forward, covering Peter with her own body as Ted raised his pistol again.
“Drop it, Burns, now!” Gabriel ordered from behind the doorway, his pistol out and ready.
Ted fired two rounds, forcing Gabriel back. Grabbing something from the bookshelf, Ted dove through the broken window. Gabriel’s single shot was a second too late.
After a quick glance to ensure that Peter and Lanie weren’t badly hit, Gabriel ran to the door and out after Ted. By the time he’d crossed the yard, Ted had disappeared into the woods.
“He’s gone for now, but I’ll get him,” Gabriel said as he returned, breathless. “How are you two?”
“I’m okay,” Lanie replied, “but Peter’s been shot in the upper arm. I’ll keep pressure on the wound, but he needs medical help.”
“I’ll radio my brother. Hang tight, Pete,” he said.
“I’ll be okay, Sheriff.” The moment Gabriel left the room, Peter gave Lanie a mournful look. “But it hurts like hell.”
“I bet it does, but Lucas will be here soon. He’ll patch you up.”
Peter nodded, sitting up, still clutching his upper arm. “You scared me half to death, you know. I thought you were my mother.”
Lanie smiled. “And you saved my life.”
“No, I just slowed Ted down enough for the sheriff to reach us. I knew he was out there. I’d seen him from my window.”
Gabriel returned again. “Lucas was at the aid station and will be here in a few minutes. The state police are setting up roadblocks. If Ted tries to get out of the county, he’s going to run right into their hands.”
“By the way, what did he grab from the shelf?” Lanie asked. “Was it the bowl?”
Peter nodded. “It’s making him crazy. That bowl is all he thinks about. He didn’t steal it for himself, but now he’s saying it’s meant for him.”
“Who did he steal it for?” Gabriel asked.
“Some woman who comes to meet with him at night. But once he had it, he refused to give it to her. He told me that he was going to make us both richer than we’d ever dreamed. Then he changed. He started saying that I was weak and couldn’t handle anything, though I always managed to get whatever he needed done. I stole Alma’s book and hid the page about the bowl in Marlee’s garage just like he ordered me. Ted was sure it would throw you off if you ever did find it.
“But as the days went by, he just acted crazier and crazier,” Peter continued. “Then he threatened my mom. When Mom stood up to him, he forced her to stay quiet by keeping me here and waving that gun of his around.”
As Lucas came in, Lanie stepped aside. Lucas talked to the boy quietly, calming him down at the same time as he bandaged him up. Lucas was ready to transport him when Sally came rushing through the door, her head covered by a fuzzy winter hat.
“Pete!” Sally ran to her son and fell to her knees beside him. “Oh, honey, what have they done?” She stared accusingly at Gabriel and Lanie. “You said you’d keep him safe!”
“Mom, stop fussing,” Peter said. “I’m okay.”
“He’s a hero, Sally,” Lanie said, explaining how he’d deflected Ted’s aim.
Sally’s eyes brimmed over with tears as she held her son’s face in her hands. “I’m so very proud of you.”
“Yeah, well. Now will you stop fussing?”
Sally laughed and tossed Gabriel a set of keys. “I borrowed your Jeep. I didn’t want to wait so far away, so I parked it just down the street.”
“You shouldn’t have, but I’m glad you brought it here,” Gabriel admitted. “I have to go over and talk to Mayor Burns and let him know what happened.”
“Why don’t you help Peter into my truck, Sally?” Lucas asked. “I’ll be there in a minute. He’s going to have to go to the hospital.”
As Sally led Peter out, Lucas took his brother and Lanie aside. “A cousin of ours tracked Joshua and Dad down. They’ve made camp just north of Cañoncito. Apparently Rudolph Harvey, the hataalii, is no longer living around Mount Taylor. That’s why I had such a hard time finding them. I’ll make sure Bob Burns gets word, if you want to go talk to Dad and Joshua right away. It shouldn’t take long. You can stay in radio contact with the state police, too, since you won’t be hitting mountain territory.”
“I’ll radio the state cops and ask them to stake out Burns’s house, while I’m heading over to their camp.”
“The hataalii wants to see the owner of the bowl, too.”
Lucas said, nodding to Lanie.
“Good, because there’s no way I’m staying behind,” Lanie said.
GABRIEL LOOKED OUT across a wide arroyo. The sandy floor was still discolored by the recent rains.
“The place Lucas mentioned is right over that low ridge,” he said, pointing by pursing his lips, Navajo style. As he glanced back at Lanie, his gut tightened. She looked even worse than when they’d left, despite the fact that they’d stopped for food and water. Maybe it was lack of sleep, but he thought it more likely that her weakened state was due to being farther away from the bowl now than she’d ever been. Determination and fear wound tightly inside him. He would not lose this woman. They’d come too far together to let anything take her from him.
“I’m really eager to talk to the hataalii,” she said, interrupting his thoughts, “though I’m surprised that he specifically asked to see me.”
So was he. It was an unusual request, particularly sinc
e Lanie was not Navajo. “We’ll be there shortly. Our questions will be answered then.”
They climbed out of the arroyo and drove across an outcrop of sandstone. At long last, they saw a camp ahead. Two white canvas-wall tents, the type used by shepherds, had been pitched in the middle of a clearing.
Gabriel parked well away from several horses that were grazing on the meager grasses, then approached on foot.
An elderly man, wearing jeans, an old faded shirt and a white bandanna sat near a small camp fire. He waved at them to approach. As he did, his large turquoise-and-silver ring captured the fire’s gleam, giving it an ethereal quality.
“Uncle, I’m here with the woman at your request,” Gabriel said. “I understand my father and brother are also with you.”
Suddenly Joshua came out of one of the tents, moving slowly and giving the impression of something that was being unfolded. He straightened his back, then with a grin, placed an arm on Gabriel’s shoulder, resting his weight on it. “You were always too close to the ground, big brother.”
“Easy there, Tree. I’m not made of stone.” Joshua’s size had earned him that nickname with his two older but smaller brothers.
Joshua laughed. “I hear you need to talk to us, Fuzz. I guess I better be careful. I don’t want to snap you into two before you get a chance to ask your questions.” He took his weight off Gabriel with exaggerated care.
“Nice to see you again, too, Tree.” He turned to introduce his brother to Lanie, who was watching wide-eyed. He guessed that Josh was probably one of the largest men she’d ever seen. Gabriel’s baby brother was six foot six, incredibly tall for a Navajo, and was built as sturdily as a gnarled oak. He worked at it, too, having lifted weights and kept himself in top physical shape for years.
“Hello,” she whispered.
Joshua smiled disarmingly, used to people’s reaction to his intimidating size. “Welcome,” he said in a voice as gentle as the breeze.
