by Aimée Thurlo
“I only wish—” A radio call came in then interrupting him. Travis answered it and heard Koval on the other end.
“We have another lead,” Koval said. “Write up your report, then wait for me at the station.”
IT WAS CLOSE TO TWO in the morning when they finally met in Koval’s office.
“Here’s the latest,” Koval said as they took a seat. “The lab’s been trying to track the detonator that was used to set off the bomb under Laura’s rental car. Earlier this evening, they picked up a faxed report sent in by a local mining company. Three of their electrical detonators are missing. They have no video surveillance in their warehouse, so they aren’t sure how long they’ve been gone.”
“How was the theft discovered?” Laura asked.
“One of the foremen realized that his key no longer fit the padlock on the explosives locker. It seems the thief put on a new lock after cutting off the original during the break-in. Their best guess is that the theft happened sometime during the past month. That’s the last time the foreman accessed that locker.”
“That doesn’t help much,” Laura said.
“Yeah, but we’ve got something else that might. A short while ago another crime-lab report hit my desk. They’ve isolated the make and model of the cell phone used to trigger the detonator. It’s a cheap brand, but only one business around here sells those. If the store has security cameras, we may finally be able to get a look at this guy.”
Travis looked at his watch. “It’ll have to wait till morning.”
“You could wake the owner up,” Koval said.
Travis shook his head. “If we tackle this now when we’re exhausted we could end up missing something important. Morning’s better.”
“Yeah. You’ve got a point. Go home,” Koval said, motioning them out of his office.
As they headed down the hall, Laura glanced at Travis. “Maybe we should stay in town tonight. The ride to your place will cost us time, and, at best, we only have a few hours before daybreak.”
“Yeah, good thought. My brother’s house is the safest place I know, and he’s got room. Right now his wife’s down in Las Cruces at a library conference. He can use the company.”
Travis gave Nick a call. After picking up Crusher, who’d gone to sleep under Travis’s desk in the almost empty bullpen, they were under way.
“So how does your brother like living so close to the center of town?” Laura asked, trying to stifle a yawn.
“Though he’s closer to the station, he’s not used to living a stone’s throw away from his neighbors. He wants to build a home on our land once he’s got some money saved up.”
They arrived at a small cottage at the west end of a cul-de-sac fifteen minutes later. Remnants of an old apple orchard surrounded the house. The property butted up against a new high school, but the massive, block-long steel-and-stone structure was silent this time of night.
Nick met them at the door and waved an invitation for them to step inside. Crusher shot past Nick and went straight to the kitchen counter where Drew, Nick’s wife, kept dog biscuits for him.
Nick laughed and tossed him one. “Hey, guy.” Nick stood barefoot in jeans and T-shirt. He greeted the dog, then glanced at his brother and Laura. “Skinny—long time no see,” he said, giving her one of those grins that had melted the hearts of half the girls back in high school. Yet as far as she was concerned, it still didn’t pack half the wallop of Travis’s smile.
Nick glanced over at Travis. “How you holding up, bro?”
“Good. You?”
“Going strong,” Nick said with a shrug. “I’ve been keeping up with your case. From what I can see, you two could really use some shut-eye. I can stand guard and make sure everything’s okay while you rest.” Nick gestured down the hall. “Let me show you guys to the guest room.”
He led the way down the hall and then waved them inside a room decorated in soft blues. The handmade quilted bedspread was decorated with tiny embroidered flowers. The theme was repeated on embroidered pillows that accented an easy chair in the corner. The entire room had a wonderfully cozy feel.
“It’s beautiful,” Laura said. It was maybe just a little too girly-girl, but she still liked it.
“My wife’s work,” Nick said, his voice revealing unmistakable pride. He glanced at his brother. Giving him a quick half smile, he added, “You two can sleep here.”
“But with Crusher and your brother on the bed, there’ll be no room for me,” she joked.
Nick burst out laughing. “There’s also a couch in the den. I’ll just leave the sleeping arrangements to you, then,” he said and walked back down the hall.
“Here’s what makes the most sense to me,” Travis said. “You take the guest room and Crusher and I will sleep in the den. From there, we’ll have access to the front and the side, and Crusher will be able to protect the entry points.”
She nodded, stifling a yawn. “Fine. I just want to sleep.” As he started to leave, she added, “And for the record, you were always the better-looking Blacksheep brother.”
He gave her a slow, devastating smile. “I always thought so, too.”
She laughed. “On that note, I’m hitting the sack.”
Travis went down the hall and lay down on the couch. In a matter of minutes, he was sound asleep.
Travis wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he heard Crusher’s growl and felt the dog’s massive paw on his leg.
His years in a marine recon unit had made him a light sleeper, and Travis was instantly alert. After verifying the weight of the handgun still at his waist, he sat up and reached for his radio.
“Someone’s outside,” Travis whispered to his brother. “I don’t have a location yet.”
“I’m on the north side, going around the west wall to the rear,” Nick answered. “Crusher?”
“Yeah, he alerted me.”
“Then the intruder’s close,” Nick said. “I’m on it.”
Aided by the small nightlight on the other side, Travis went down the hall to check on Laura. The door was partially open and he could see her lying atop the covers.
He’d made no noise, but along the way, Crusher had grabbed a toy Nick’s wife had bought for him. Whenever he was excited, Crusher loved having something to chomp down on.
Unfortunately, the toy was squeaky and the sudden, loud, high-pitched sound woke Laura up with a start. She reached under the pillow for her weapon. Before she could bring it to bear, she saw Travis and Crusher standing by the door.
Travis held a finger to his lips, while signaling Crusher to drop the toy. The dog obeyed instantly.
Laura quickly met Travis in the hall and pointed to the back door then to the front, signaling that they should split up.
Travis shook his head.
As they passed through the den, Travis picked up his flashlight. With Nick moving around the back, it made tactical sense to cover the front, the east side, and meet his brother by going around to the south side. Hopefully that would drive the intruder ahead of them and cut off his escape route.
“Hunt!” Travis whispered to Crusher, keeping him on a loose lead as they stepped outside.
Crusher worked quickly, following a scent only he detected. He headed straight to the apple trees southeast of their current position, then stopped, head up, his gaze focused on a spot directly ahead.
Travis ordered Crusher to stay, then motioned for Laura to hold her position behind him.
Laura nodded, raising her pistol, ready to cover him if anyone came out.
Travis verified his brother’s position. Once they had eye contact, he released the dog with a one-word command. “Hunt.”
Travis aimed his flashlight into the trees, keeping the beam at arm’s length so as not to turn himself into a target.
Working as a team, Travis, Nick and Laura closed in from three different directions. They covered each other as they advanced, intending on outflanking anyone hiding in the orchard. If the intruder was nearby, he�
�d have to run like the wind or get caught in the trap.
Crusher dropped low to the ground and growled ferociously at something behind the stump of a felled apple tree.
Laura moved in slowly, checking the ground for any objects, traps or footprints. Without a flashlight, she was at a disadvantage, so she stopped and waited, backing up the dog but not proceeding any farther.
“He’s gone,” Travis called out seconds later. “There are fresh tracks here by the wall where he must have jumped over and I can see taillights down the street.” Travis headed back and met Laura and Nick.
“Let’s go take a look at what Crusher found. There’s something over there,” Travis said, looking at the dog who’d held his ground.
Travis approached the dog first, flashlight in hand, and illuminated the ground. “Whatcha got, guy?”
Careful not to disturb any evidence that might have been left behind, Laura stood behind Travis and Crusher.
Caught on the tough leafless branch of a dead apple tree, they could see part of a sleeve and traces of blood.
Chapter Twenty
“Looks like he caught his sleeve on that branch that’s sticking out. I’ll go get an evidence kit from my unit,” Travis said, then jogged around the side of the house.
Laura stood beside Nick, her hand on Crusher’s head, as they waited for Travis to return. “I read about what you did overseas, saving all those marines almost single-handedly,” she said. “That took an incredible amount of courage. You might not realize it, but you became an inspiration to a lot of us back home, including me,” she said. But she noticed he seemed uneasy.
“Just doing my job,” Nick mumbled.
“Travis was in the same unit, wasn’t he?”
Nick nodded.
“He’s never said a word about his tour of duty,” she said.
“He wouldn’t, but he did some really important work. Too bad he’ll never get any recognition for it,” Nick replied.
“Why is that?”
“The combat he saw, well, let’s just say it took place in an unnamed country where U.S. forces worked clandestinely. A medal would have been out of the question.”
“But you know,” Laura asked.
“Maybe, maybe not,” Nick grinned, looking over toward the house. “Here he comes. Forget we had this conversation.”
“Forget what?” Travis said, holding out a pair of gloves for each of them.
“I can’t remember,” Laura said, taking the offered latex gloves. “Want me to hold the flashlight?”
Travis took several photos of the bloody sleeve with his cell-phone camera, then studied the footprints. Without touching anything he went back and took a closer look at the torn portion of sleeve.
“That should match the blood from the Flagstaff scene,” Laura said. “If it does, we’ll finally have conclusive proof that the killer’s working this area and dogging our footsteps.”
“It’s also possible that we might be able to find out where he bought the shirt—if we can link it to a brand name, that is.”
“You think it could be high-end rather than department store off-the-rack?” she asked.
Travis nodded slowly. “I’m guessing he’s a high earner with a fancy wardrobe, the kind that would catch a woman’s eye. We know he travels and has enough time on his hands to be able to play these games with us. So he’s either got a good job with flexible hours—like a traveling sales rep—or is living off investments.”
Laura studied the ground. “Judging from those marks on the ground, he stayed here for some time, probably on his knees, watching the house.” She shook her head. “But this makes no sense. How could he have possibly known we’d be here?”
“He knew we’d be going to the station after the park incident, so maybe he stayed close by and waited for us to leave. He probably also knows where my brother lives, so when we drove in the opposite direction of my house, he passed by here and spotted the SUV.”
Laura nodded somberly.
Travis checked his watch. “It’s five in the morning. In another hour it’ll be daybreak. You could try and get a little more sleep,” he added, looking at Laura.
She shook her head. “We’ll need to debrief, and then we have a full day ahead.”
As they went back inside the house, Crusher stayed by Travis’s side.
“Hey, buddy, you done good,” Travis said, crouching to pet the huge dog.
As Laura watched man and dog, she felt a hollow ache inside her. She’d prided herself on having no attachments in her life. Yet that self-imposed isolation also meant having no one to share special moments with, no one to cry with and no one to cheer with when things went right. What had been meant to keep her safe had become a prison that didn’t protect as much as it trapped.
As her gaze fell on Travis, she slowly saw something else, a truth that had been there all along, though she’d refused to face it. Without her permission, love had made a place for itself in her heart. Travis’s name was carved there. Maybe it had always been that way. What she felt went so deep, was so strong and had stood the toughest test of all—time.
Yet his life was here in a town filled with memories she’d wanted to put behind her forever. She wouldn’t live in a community that had once branded her as trash. Those labels had left scars that would never fully heal.
The only thing she and Travis had to share was the present. Deep down, she’d known that all along. Yet, facing the fact squarely hurt more than she’d ever imagined possible. When the time came for her to go, she’d be leaving behind a piece of her heart.
Pushing back the heaviness inside her, Laura quickly gathered up the few things she’d brought with her and met Travis and Crusher by the door.
“I’m ready,” she said, then followed them to the SUV. “We didn’t get much sleep but I’m not tired. Are you?”
“We’re still charged up,” Travis said, adjusting his Stetson. “But like the Navajo Way teaches, everything’s got two sides. When the high wears off, we’ll crash.”
“I’m a great believer in strong coffee,” she said. “Let’s stop for some along the way.”
THEY ARRIVED AT THE STATION at five-thirty, and after a long meeting with Koval and Chief Wright, they filed their reports, then waited to see the crime-scene team’s preliminary findings.
Though they’d both hoped for a quick lead they could follow right away, they didn’t get lucky. The blood was the same type as the Flagstaff sample, but it couldn’t be considered a match until a DNA comparison was made, and that would take days. The sleeve was being shipped to the state crime lab for analysis.
It was shortly after nine by the time they set out to the store that sold the type of cell phone used to trigger the detonator.
“I remember the place we’re going to, Brown’s Bargain Basement,” she said. “Do you know it?”
“It’s been around for years, but I can’t recall ever going there,” he said.
“I worked at Brown’s for a few months my junior year in high school. I’d stock shelves and clean up after hours. I hated every single minute of it. Martin Brown treated me and my mom like dirt. We needed the money, so I stuck it out until I was able to get another job, then I quit.” She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Just another wonderful memory of my days living here.”
“Bad memories need to be released. It’s the only way you can start living again.”
“How did you deal with your memories after you came back from your combat tours?”
“I went to Long Mountain and found peace there. Members of my tribe use special ceremonies to help us let go of the past and make the most out of the present.”
“I’d like to know more about those ceremonies someday,” she said as he pulled into Brown’s parking lot.
As they went inside, a small bell over the door rang.
Laura glanced around and saw nothing much had changed except for the merchandise. In the far corner sat a small table with a coffeepot, where it always had
been. Brown had probably gone through several brewers since then, but the layout was the same.
She recalled the morning she’d dropped the pot, spilling coffee onto some Chinese-made Navajo look-alike rugs. Martin had called her a clumsy loser.
It was strange how life and time often served to equalize the old injustices. Here she was now, in a position to command his respect.
Martin Brown called out from the storeroom, “Be there in a second.”
As she recognized his voice, older but still gruff and distinctive, she tensed up. For a heartbeat she felt like the girl she’d once been, trying to do her best, though hemmed in by labels and prejudice.
“What can I do for you?” Martin said, approaching them wearing the phony, pasted-on smile that had always turned her stomach. As he glanced at the dog, he stiffened, but Travis flashed his badge.
Laura stood ramrod stiff and listened to Travis introduce her as a special consultant to the department.
Martin’s gaze took in the firearm she carried at her waist just beneath her coat, and then studied her face. “Do I know you?”
“I worked for you a long time ago,” she answered, her voice as brittle as ice.
“Oh yeah! I remember. Your mother was that…”
His voice trailed off but she heard the remainder of his thoughts as clearly as if he’d spoken them out loud. What surprised her most was that his attitude still stung.
She met his gaze with an icy look. “We need to ask you about merchandise from your store that was used in the commission of a crime.”
His expression changed instantly. Wariness and uneasiness were mirrored there and although it shouldn’t have made any difference to her, it gave her an undeniable sense of satisfaction. This time he wouldn’t be able to dismiss her.
Laura pointed to a camera in the corner. “We need to view your surveillance video.”
“I don’t know….”
“We can get a warrant,” Travis said with a shrug. “Of course, I hope you won’t mind if my dog hangs out here with us while we wait. He probably won’t slobber over your customers—not much anyway.”
