Tracking Bear

by Thurlo, David

  “Was he talkative with anyone else that you know of?”

  Wilson shook his head. “Sorry. We never spoke about topics outside my work or his planned lectures. He was very professional, but not personable. He came to do a job, and he did it very well, but except for answering student questions, he didn’t get involved in anything outside the lessons. He always seemed moody and detached when he wasn’t actually teaching.”

  Ella checked her watch. “Okay, thanks for your time. I better get going.”

  Wilson insisted on walking Ella to her tribal police unit, claiming he needed fresh air, but she could sense that he had something else on his mind.

  Halfway there, he finally broke the silence between them. “You know, I’m beginning to have doubts that Justine and I are going to be able to make things work between us. What she needs and what I need are just too different.”

  “I’d hate to see you break each other’s hearts,” Ella said honestly. “If you’re asking what I think, I’d have to suggest that no matter what, don’t give up. Some things are worth fighting for.”

  Wilson took a deep breath, then let it out again, leaning against the side of her car and looking down at the pavement. “There’s a difference between fighting for something you really want and trying to force something that wasn’t meant to be.”

  Ella nodded, thinking about Harry and herself. “You have to decide what you want, and what you’re willing to give up to get it, but it’s something both of you have to work out on your own. Just keep the lines of communication open. That’s all I have to add.”

  “I’ll try,” Wilson said, then, with a weak smile, walked away.

  Ella left the campus quickly, her thoughts focused on the case. She tried Kee’s home number again and got his voice mail. Leaving yet another message, she continued to the station, hoping to see if Justine had been able to complete her forensic work. But before she could get there, her cell phone rang.

  Rose’s voice was taut. “Can you come home soon, daughter?”

  Something in her tone made a shiver race up her spine. “What’s wrong, Mom?”

  “Can you come home soon, daughter? Your daughter is fine, and everyone’s safe, but there’s a small matter—actually a large one, you’ll need to handle. Get home before nightfall if you can.”

  Ella tried to get more information from her mother, but Rose refused to talk about it on the phone.

  By the time she arrived at the station ten minutes later, Ella’s insides were turning into knots. She decided to check in with Justine, then go home and see what was happening. Knowing that it was precisely what her mother had hoped she’d do irritated Ella even more.

  Ella stopped by Justine’s office and found her working on a report.

  “Anything I can use?” Ella asked.

  “Yeah.” Justine never looked up from the computer screen. “The pistol round the Farmington lab tech extracted from the wall in Kee’s house was fired from the same weapon used to kill Officer Franklin and Councilman Redhouse. It’s also a match for the ones we dug out of the wall in Wilson’s storeroom. And, based upon a comparison already done with the Whitesheep bullet by the county, which managed to get the bullet back early, it’s a hundred percent. The same gun, and shooter, is responsible for nearly all of the crimes we’ve been investigating lately.”

  Ella leaned against the wall, lost in thought. “I’ve been wondering what direction to take if it turned out this way. Okay, now that we know it’s the same guy, all we have to figure out is what he’s looking for, and why. We have to find the common thread.”

  “I don’t suppose different people have been getting the same person to commit all these crimes, but for their own reasons. Maybe there is a hired gun out there?” Justine shrugged. “I know it seems far-fetched.”

  “Too far-fetched.”

  “One more bit of news, or maybe not, at this particular moment,” Justine added. “I got a fax from Sheriff Taylor. Guess whose fingerprints were on that stash of cash Whitesheep had hidden in his car—besides his own,” Justine said.

  “Billy Redhouse’s?”

  “Exactly. So we might be able to connect the Anglo man, Whitesheep, and Redhouse—if the Anglo man was paying Billy to vote a particular way on the NEED issue. The problem now is to determine the Anglo man’s identity,” Justine said.

  “I have a feeling he’ll turn up soon.” Ella shrugged. “But I have this little matter that’s been bugging me.”

  “What’s that?” Justine asked.

  Ella took a deep breath. “I’m going to go over to the garage where Jason was killed. Mrs. Grayhorse said Kee kept something there, though he all but denied it. I want to find out the truth.”

  “Ella, do you think Jason knew exactly what his father was storing in there?” Justine asked.

  “I’m beginning to think so now—and that would explain why he was keeping an eye on the place.”

  “Give me a few minutes to finish this report for FPD, then I’ll drive you to the garage.”

  Ella shook her head. “It’ll be better if I just meet you there. I have to stop by home first.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes and no. There’s some sort of crisis brewing that Mom insists I come and take a look at myself. She wouldn’t say anything over the phone, and you know how mothers are when they want you to do something. Rather than speculate all afternoon on what’s happening, I’m going over right now.”

  “Okay—we’ll meet at the garage. I’ll get the key from the case file.”

  As Ella drove home tension began to build inside her. She hated to take off in the middle of the day for a personal matter, but there was no way she was going to be able to concentrate on anything until this was all settled.

  The one thing she knew about her mother was that she wouldn’t have made the call if she hadn’t thought it was necessary. Her mother was only manipulative when she felt it was important. Fortunately, it had been less than forty-five minutes since her mother had called, so she’d be able to deal with it relatively soon.

  When Ella came up the driveway, she discovered a large pickup with a horse trailer hitched behind it parked in the spot she normally used for her own vehicle. Ella parked beside her mother’s truck and walked around to the side of the house to see what was going on. As she approached, she saw Rose inside the old corral speaking to a Navajo man Ella had never seen before. He was holding a lead rope attached to the halter of a beautiful deep chestnut Shetland pony with a long, flaxen mane. Dawn was standing beside it, petting the animal.

  Seeing Ella opening the corral gate, Dawn ran over and launched herself into her arms. “Please, Mommy, please, can I keep it? Can I?”

  No other words could have made Ella’s stomach plummet as fast. “Just whose pony is it?”

  “Surprise! Your child’s father sent it to her,” Rose said, with a look that spoke volumes.

  For a brief moment all Ella could think of was of finding Kevin and throttling him until his head squeezed right off his neck.

  “Shimá, he’s so pretty! Can we take him in the house? He can stay in my room.”

  Ella managed to find her voice. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry. We can’t possibly keep him.”

  Dawn’s lip came out in a pout, and tears began flowing. “Please?”

  “I was told to assure you that the councilman would pay all the bills for the animal’s upkeep,” the elderly Navajo man said, “including cleaning out the corral and hauling away the manure.”

  “See? Daddy will help!”

  Rose hadn’t said a word. She stared at Ella and shrugged.

  “Sweetie, we don’t even have a stall or a shed big enough for the little guy when the weather is bad,” Ella said.

  “He can sleep with me! Two’s in the house!”

  “It’s not the same thing.” Ella thought about their already strained budget. She’d have to go to Kevin each time the animal needed a vet visit, or horseshoes, or any of the myriad things that an animal
that size was bound to need.

  “It’s traditional for our children to know how to ride and handle horses,” the elderly Navajo man said, looking at Rose, then at Ella. “This pony is full-grown, has a very stable temperament, and is small enough for a preschooler to ride as long as an adult is there to supervise.”

  “This is ‘Atsidii,” Rose introduced using the man’s nickname.

  Ella searched her memory for the word. “Smithy, right?”

  Rose sighed. “The young ones don’t always know our language.”

  Ella stared at the look on her daughter’s face as she petted the pony and considered her options. Unfortunately, hog-tying Kevin and dragging him across the mesa behind a galloping pony wasn’t an option.

  “Your father and I will have to talk about this,” Ella said, crouching to look her daughter in the eyes. “But I don’t think we can keep him.”

  Dawn’s eyes filled with tears. “But it’s my present!”

  “I’m not the previous owner, and wasn’t paid to take the pony back. My job was to bring it here, along with ten bales of alfalfa hay, saddle and tack, a water trough, and a trace mineral block. I’ve done that. If you decide not to keep the pony, you’ll have to make arrangements for someone to pick it up,” Smithy said, then handed her a business card. “If you want me to do that, I will be available tomorrow afternoon, maybe. I wrote the name of the person who sold the horse to the councilman on the back of my business card. Now I have to go pick up some calves in Cortez to deliver to a man in Waterflow.”

  Without another word Smithy turned and walked out through the small gate, fastening it with three small sections of rope, then continued back to his pickup. Ella stood helpless as the man drove away with the horse trailer.

  “Mom, could you watch Dawn around the pony for a few moments? Don’t let her get behind it where she could get kicked, and warn her about getting stepped on or doing something that scares the animal. I’m going to go inside the house and make a personal call.”

  As soon as she was inside, Ella flipped open her cell phone and dialed Kevin’s private line. He answered on the first ring.

  Ella didn’t bother to introduce herself. “Have you lost your mind? She’s three years old. She can get hurt.”

  “I trust you and Rose to watch her, and I’ll pay for riding lessons. Tell me, did she like the pony?”

  “She loved it, you moron. What little girl wouldn’t? But what am I going to do with an animal that size?”

  “Didn’t Smithy tell you? I’ve already provided saddle, tack, and a water trough. There should be some hay and one of those salt blocks, too. I’ll pay for the upkeep and the riding lessons.”

  “But she’s a baby! She can’t ride that thing. She wants to keep it in her room! How dare you get her something like this without asking me first!”

  “She can sit on a horse already, I’m sure. She’ll just need some guidance. You are going to let her keep it, aren’t you, Ella? She’ll be heartbroken if you don’t.”

  “I’d like to break you—into tiny pieces. You’ve created a disaster here, and set me up as the bad guy if I say no.”

  “But she’s wanted a pony so badly. This little Shetland is a charmer. And you used to ride—it’s not like you’ve never been around horses. Most Navajo kids grow up around horses, often riding with an adult before they can even walk. They’re as much a part of our culture as dolls, footballs, and bicycles are to Anglo youngsters.”

  “I’ll grant you that. And I rode back in my teens, but I haven’t been on a horse in ages. But in our case it’s just not a good idea right now? I barely have enough time to spend with her, and now I’m going to have to share her with that pony.”

  “If you’re worried about her being around the horse all the time, set some ground rules.”

  Dawn came in, tears streaming down her face. “Shimasání says we don’t have enough money for a pony.”

  “That’s because it costs a lot of money to feed the pony, and if it gets sick, he has to go to a horse doctor.”

  “You don’t have to buy me toys anymore. Not ever.”

  “Ella, I really meant it. You don’t have to worry. I’ll cover all the bills,” Kevin, who’d heard Dawn, said. “I remember that the gate in the corral is just hanging there by some rope, and I’ve already hired someone to repair it, build a stall or loafing shed for the little guy, and arranged for someone to come by regularly and muck out the stall and corral. Rose can use the manure for her herb garden, too.” When Ella didn’t answer, he added, “Do you remember how badly you wanted a horse as a kid? Are you really ready to take that away from her?”

  Ella sighed, looking at her child’s rosy face, now streaked with tears. She would have had to have a heart made of pure steel to say no. “Kevin, I want you to get a written agreement with whoever you talked to about cleaning out the corral and building a stall. We’ll take care of feeding, watering, and grooming the pony, but I won’t have me or my mother cleaning out the manure.”

  “Hey, I’m a lawyer. I’ve already got it in writing, and you’ll be getting a copy in the mail. So is it a deal?”

  Dawn was looking right at her, her mouth open expectantly. “All right, Pumpkin, you can keep the pony, but only if you promise to follow all the rules of safety around him. We’ll go over those a little later.”

  Dawn, nodding already, launched herself into Ella’s arms, then demanded to speak to her daddy.

  Ella gave Dawn the phone, then went back outside to talk to Rose, who was checking the ropes holding the gate upright and in place. “I’m going to find my child’s father, then I’m going to kill him. I’ll go to prison for the rest of my life, but it’ll be worth it.”

  Rose gave her a wry smile. “He’s trying to buy her love, but he doesn’t realize that he has it already.”

  “I know. Do you think our sitter will be upset with this new development?”

  Rose shook her head. “No, not at all. She’s been riding horses since she could walk. ‘Atsidii was right. Riding is traditional for us, you know, even in this age where pickups are more plentiful than horses. It’s not a bad gift, it’s just that the timing is wrong. Your daughter will want to invite her little friends over, and they’ll have to be watched as well. Our sitter may need a raise.”

  “Fine. I’ll make sure the councilman understands and is willing to help out. He started this, and he’s going to see it through.”

  Dawn came running back, handed Ella the phone, then slipped under the fence and went to the pony’s side with an apple she’d taken from the refrigerator.

  In all fairness, Ella had to admit that the little animal seemed extremely gentle. And she’d never seen Dawn look happier. She put the phone back up to her ear. “I’m here.”

  “Girls and horses…there’s always been a special bond there,” Kevin said, though he couldn’t see Dawn. “Thank you for saying yes, Ella.”

  “I’ll talk to you later,” Ella said, then hung up.

  “She’s happy,” Rose said. “Console yourself with that.”

  Ella sighed. “Okay, I won’t kill him. I’ll just beat him unconscious.”

  Rose smiled as Dawn began speaking to the pony softly. She seemed a natural around the animal.

  “What else do we need for tonight?” Ella asked. “Smithy mentioned hay and other things.”

  “Smithy brought everything,” Rose said. “The water trough is over there, just inside the corral, and he’d just filled it from the garden hose when you arrived. He carried in ten bales of hay, too, and for now they’re in my gardening shed.”

  “I’m going to stay out here with him tonight, okay?” Dawn said.

  “No, not okay. But you can watch him through your window.”

  “The corral, overall, is big enough to serve as a riding arena, and is still in good shape,” Rose said, as Dawn shifted her attention back to the pony again. “It’ll hold him. Tomorrow we can get that gate fixed so we we’ll be able to open and close it a lot easier. In t
he meantime, the pony will settle in just fine as soon as we give him a flake of hay.”

  “It’s going to be a long night, Mom,” she said, looking at Dawn, who continued to pet the pony.

  “Yes, I think it will be.”

  “I better get back to work,” Ella said at last. She was glad she’d come. Knowing what was going on at home—even if it had the makings of a disaster—was preferable to not knowing. Now she could concentrate on her job.

  Ella managed to tear Dawn away from the pony long enough to get a hug, then walked back over to where she’d parked her tribal unit. Her daughter had a new best friend. That was all there was to it. And if they were all lucky, she wouldn’t do the same thing Ella had done at the age of six, bring the pony into the house during the first snowstorm.

  Justine was already at the garage, checking through boxes, when Ella finally arrived. “Sorry, Justine. That took a little longer than I expected,” she said, filling her partner in on the complications at home.

  Justine laughed out loud. “Oh, boy! That’s some present. I guess he’s trying to make up for the fact that he isn’t with her every day like you are.”

  “Frankly, I don’t think he could cope with that every morning and evening,” Ella said honestly. “Dawn can be very difficult at times.” She looked at all the boxes Justine had searched. “Any progress?”

  “No, not really. There’s nothing here that could be categorized as a physicist’s old equipment, research papers, or books. The closest to research papers I found were some essays Jason wrote when he took a course in criminalistics at the college.”

  “Maybe it’s time I called Belinda Johns.”

  Five minutes later, after Justine had returned to her own office, Ella managed to reach Belinda at her college office.

  “What’s going on, Investigator Clah?”

  “We need to track down Professor Franklin and ask him some questions related to our investigation. Do you have any idea where he goes camping or when he just wants to be by himself?”