Dog Gone Lies (Pacheco & Chino Mysteries Book 1)

by Ted Clifton

  “You gotta be shittin’ me—you really believe that?”

  “Yes. I can’t explain it, but yes, I really believe it.”

  There were days when Ray thought Tyee might be a genius and then there were days when he thought he was an idiot. While Ray thought most of what Tyee was saying sounded stupid, he was going to follow his friend’s advice to the letter. Tyee might be stupid, but Ray wasn’t and he was going to do exactly what Tyee said. Indian knows fishing.

  They continued to discuss strategy, including the fact that it was important for Ray to avoid attracting the other fishermen to his area. Tyee had several methods for concealing the fact that you were getting good results from the other competitors. Several times Ray wondered how grown men could get so involved in the silliest things.

  Ray noticed someone coming toward them. Shielding his eyes from the sun, he saw that it was Deputy Clayton.

  “Hey, Deputy. I was expecting you to call back not drive out.”

  “Well, I wanted to talk to you about this in person.”

  “Sure, pull up a bucket and have a seat.”

  Clayton found one of the old fishing buckets, turned it over, and sat down.

  “Well, it’s her. Ms. Jackson is alive and in Cloudcroft—has been for over a week. Betty Adams is with her. She’s very nervous that someone’s trying to kill her because they think she has her son’s money. Mostly Ray, she wants someone to tell her what to do next. I think this gets out of my league pretty quick. Plus, if Martinez finds out I have no idea what he might do. So I told her about you. Told her you had talked to her husband and knew a lot more about the whole thing than I did. I hope you’re okay with this, but I told her you could be there tomorrow and talk to her. Can you do that?”

  “I can. That’s great news she’s alive. There have been several times that I thought the only likely outcome was that she was dead. Tomorrow will work—I’ve got some things to take care of today and I’ll head out first thing in the morning.”

  “Also Ray, I want to thank you, Tyee, and Big Jack. I actually think I have a chance of winning and it’s all because of you guys.”

  “Well, Deputy Dan Clayton, you have more to do with this than we do. We’re just helping. The people are responding to you and to what they sense about how you’ll run the department. You should never forget that this is a tough job. Right after you’re elected one of the people who voted for you will ask for a favor and you’ll say no. That guy will think you are an ungrateful jerk, but how you run this department after you are elected will determine if you are elected again—it’s all on you.”

  “Man, you’re a hard guy to thank.”

  Ray smiled and shook the deputy’s hand. “I know. We’re glad that you appreciate the things we’ve done—but we’re doing this because we live here and you’ll make it a better place to live.”

  Ray said he had some calls to make and disappeared back into the store. Tyee looked at Clayton and grinned. “You better win Dan, or Ray will be real pissed.” Clayton nodded his head—he knew.

  Ray called Agent Crawford in Washington D.C. The number Crawford had given him went right through to his direct line. He left a message saying that he needed to talk about some issues related to Crawford’s offer. He left his new phone number.

  While Ray was sitting there thinking about what to do next, the phone rang.

  “Hello, this is Ray Pacheco.”

  “Ray, this is Agent Ben Crawford, what can I do for you?”

  Ray told Crawford the entire story, leaving nothing out. He’d told Big Jack that maybe he could find something out without giving the FBI his actual name and information, but he’d rethought that approach, deciding that if they were going to work together they needed to be honest. And if they weren’t going to work together, Ray still wanted the contact with the FBI. So he revealed everything he knew about Big Jack, aka Philip Duncan, and about Tyee Chino.

  “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way Agent Crawford, but I’ve decided I can’t enter into an agreement with the FBI without these people on my team. For one thing, we work well together and have diverse skills, and beyond that I need their energy and support to be able to do what I think you’ll want from us. So even though I’ve only known them both a short time, they’ve become important to me and necessary for this venture to have a chance at success.”

  “Ray, I understand. You have to have people around you that you can trust. Sounds like there’ll be no issues with Tyee. Not sure about Big Jack. Let me do some preliminary checking and I’ll see what we can do. No matter what happens with the contractor deal, I’ll try and help Big Jack with regard to the problems in L.A. Give me a couple of days and I’ll give you a call.”

  “Thanks, Agent Crawford. That sounds more than fair.”

  “Ray, unless we’re in a meeting with other FBI types, why don’t you call me Ben.”

  “I’ll do that, Ben. And I’ll wait for your call.”

  Ray thought that if there was any way to make this work, Ben Crawford was the guy to make it happen. If it didn’t work out with the FBI, they could pursue other work. Ray was convinced that he could spend a few weeks on the phone and place the name Pacheco and Chino, Private Investigators in front of a lot of law enforcement people. They’d start getting referrals pretty quickly—he wasn’t worried.

  Ray went back out on the dock. Tyee was still going over some lake data he’d found by accessing a government database. Clayton had left.

  “Interested in riding along over to Cloudcroft tomorrow morning?”

  “Sure. Don’t think I might spook the ladies?”

  “Well, I guess it would depend on how you act. Are you going to be in your Indian getup with war paint?”

  “You know, I could be offended by such backward comments.”

  “Yes, you could. You can bunk over in the guest room if you want.”

  “Okay, apology accepted.”

  Tuesday, Cloudcroft

  A straight shot from T or C to Alamogordo would be about eighty miles, but that wasn’t possible. There were no direct roads because of the White Sands Missile Range. Even if you had a plane you couldn’t fly directly, because it was restricted airspace. The fastest option was to go to Las Cruces and then cross White Sands. This involved going south to Cruces and then northeast to Alamogordo, a trip of about 150 miles. From Alamogordo to Cloudcroft wasn’t far—it was just all uphill, going up the mountain. And just to complicate things further, when the military was firing missiles the road across the white sands area was closed, creating hour-long delays. Ray, Tyee, and Happy got an early start, but even so it would be late morning before they arrived.

  Ray and Tyee chatted about fishing and the upcoming tournament. They both felt that Ray was ready, although Ray was less sure than Tyee was. They also talked about the business and what might happen in the future, and on that front Ray was more confident about the future success of the business than Tyee.

  Soon they found themselves in Alamogordo. They located the turnoff to Cloudcroft. There was a noticeable change in the trees as they climbed the mountain, and the temperature cooled. They rolled down the windows and took advantage of the refreshing air. Happy was most pleased and hung his head out the window to maximize his pleasure.

  When they approached the Lodge, they were both impressed by the beautiful building and the lush landscaping. Ray had been to the Lodge on several occasions to attend law enforcement gatherings and had always found it beautiful.

  They parked, then let Happy run about for a while before they entered the hotel. They went to the desk and asked if the staff would let Monica Smith know that Ray Pacheco was there to see her. Monica had shared her alias with Clayton. The woman at the desk dialed the room and told the person who answered that Ray Pacheco was downstairs. Ray and Tyee walked into the lobby area and took a seat. Very shortly they were joined by two women in their sixties.

  “Mr. Pacheco, I’m Monica Jackson. Oh my goodness, it’s Bruce.”

 
; Happy, also known as Bruce, hurried excitedly over to greet Monica. She hugged the dog and began to cry. After a while she laughed.

  “I thought I’d never see him again. How was he found? This is so wonderful!”

  “Actually, Ms. Jackson, he’s the reason I got involved. You see, I live in the area where Mrs. Richards’ body was found, and that evening your dog turned up on my porch. He’s been with me ever since. I call him Happy.”

  “Oh that’s is so wonderful. I just knew he had died out there. He looks wonderful—thank you so much for taking care of him.” Monica continued to rub and pet the dog, and Bruce wagged his tail as fast as it would go.

  After a while Monica and Bruce settled down.

  “I appreciate you seeing me,” Ray said. “I know it may be a little confusing that Deputy Clayton isn’t here, but I’ll explain. First, I’d like to introduce you to my associate and business partner, Tyee Chino.”

  Tyee was pleased with the introduction and stepped forward to shake Monica’s hand.

  “Nice to meet you Mr. Chino. This is my friend, Betty Adams.” Everyone exchanged greetings and they took seats in the casual dining area. A waitress came by to take drink orders.

  “First, I should explain why Deputy Clayton isn’t here. While there’s no question that a crime took place in Sierra County, and that would mean that the sheriff’s office has jurisdiction, there are some reasons that we thought it might be best if I met with you before the officers stepped in officially. One consideration is that I’ve met with your ex-husband and he asked me to try to find you.

  “Another element in the decision is that Deputy Clayton has made a judgment regarding the current sheriff. They’re both running for the sheriff’s job, with the election in just a few days. Deputy Clayton was concerned that the current sheriff might not be too diligent about pursuing this matter at this time. There’s no evidence linking you to the discovery of Mrs. Richards’ body, so as of right now you’re a missing person. Since you’re an adult, being missing isn’t a crime. There are a lot of unanswered questions regarding what happened, how you were involved, why you left your belongings behind, including your car, and why you haven’t contacted anyone until now. I believe Deputy Clayton thought we might be able to get some answers quicker if we didn’t officially involve the sheriff’s department just yet.”

  Ray paused to collect his thoughts. Everyone was listening but Ms. Jackson hadn’t offered any comments.

  “Ms. Jackson, you may not be aware that Mike is staying with Luke. I don’t know if you’ve been trying to call him or not, but I know he wants to talk to you.”

  “Has his health gotten worse—why is he staying with Luke?”

  “Ms. Jackson, I’m deeply sorry to have to tell you this. Your son Ed was killed. He was shot about a week ago in Albuquerque. The police there can only say that it appears to be a professional hit, and they have few if any clues. That’s why Mike is with Luke.”

  Monica sat stunned and said nothing. Soon she started to cry. Betty came over and held her for a moment. Bruce put his head in Monica’s lap.

  “I’m so sorry Ms. Jackson. If you’d like to wait for a while, we can talk later.”

  Monica shook her head. “Let me go to the ladies room. I’ll be back in a little bit.” She and Betty left.

  Ray and Tyee sipped their coffee and waited.

  The women returned and Monica seemed more composed.

  “I’m not completely surprised, Mr. Pacheco. I talked to my son before the incident with Mrs. Richards and he had told me he was in danger. He also told me that I was in danger.”

  Monica related everything that had happened from the time she checked into the Hot Springs Inn until the meeting with Ray and Tyee. Ray had some clarifying questions which she answered as completely as she could. When she was done, she seemed to slump and she looked very tired.

  “Monica, I know you probably need to rest a little before we talk about what to do next, but there’s something you need to do—you need to call Mike. I know he’s incredibly worried and I haven’t told him that we had heard from you. I wanted to talk to you first and see what was going on. Could you call him now?”

  “Yes. You’re right. Could we meet here in about an hour?”

  They agreed on a spot to meet and then Monica and Betty went upstairs accompanied by Bruce. Ray and Tyee had lunch before taking a walk along the path by the golf course.

  “Do you believe everything she said?” Tyee asked after a while.

  “I do. It all rings true and it lines up with the facts we already have. I suppose she could have been involved in the bad stuff with her son, but that doesn’t make a lot of sense. That would almost have to include her ex-husband and I’m a hundred percent sure that he’s not involved in anything.”

  “How about the reference to ‘Chief’. Do you think that’s someone in Albuquerque?”

  “Don’t know. They were obviously working for someone, and my guess is it was someone local. Of course, that person could’ve been taking orders from L.A. No way of knowing.”

  Tyee added his own thoughts.

  “Ed Jackson’s suggested to his mother that he knew who was in charge—that sounds like maybe it’s not just some goons. His actions and his reluctance to tell his mother because it would put her at risk suggest something—I’m just not sure what. But he had to know something if they were going to take such drastic measures to shut him up.”

  “You’re right, Tyee. If he’d just failed to pay them then it would’ve made more sense to hurt him some and then make him pay the money back by fronting for them with no cut. Or use him in some way that involved a risk in visibility they could not take. Now they have to find a new front man.”

  They both thought about the implications and realized they were getting ready to step into a big dark hole with no idea what might happen.

  They returned to the lunch area and ordered iced tea as they waited for Monica and Betty.

  When the women returned, Monica looked worse. Betty helped her walk into the room and take a seat, with Bruce following behind.

  “I talked to Mike. He seems to be in a bad way—I think I need to be there and help him. He said I could trust you completely. He was very complimentary about you, Ray. I’m thankful that you’ve helped him the way you have. He also said that Bruce should stay with you until we get things sorted out—he said he thinks the dog has adopted you. I agreed that made sense if you would agree. Other than that, just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

  The trauma of dealing with the loss of a child must be one of the most horrible things a parent could experience, and Ray could see the toll it was taking on Monica.

  “Monica, I think you should go and be with Mike. Betty, I think you should go home to your daughter. This isn’t over by a long shot, and there’ll be more that each of you will have to deal with, but for now you should be with your families. And Monica, you’ll have to have protection. I know you have no reason to trust law enforcement people right now, but I recommend that you let me contact some people I know in the FBI. I’ll fill them in on what’s happened and what we think may be going on—if that’s okay?”

  “I’ll do whatever you say.” Monica seemed defeated, wanting only that Ray would tell her what to do. Betty nodded, looking very sad. Reality had found them and their adventure was over.

  “Regarding Happy, I know he’s your dog. I’ll be pleased to keep him until things quiet down, but then he can go with you—that’s his home.”

  They formulated a plan. Ray suggested that Betty call her daughter to let her know she was okay and that she’d be coming home. Monica would go with Ray and Tyee back to T or C. Then, the next day, Monica and Tyee would go to Albuquerque and see Mike. Tyee would stay in Albuquerque until Ray could make other arrangements regarding security.

  “One last question Monica. When we talked to the police in Albuquerque they said that Ed had said something to the FBI about you having the facts, and that once he got them he wo
uld fix everything. Does that mean anything to you?”

  “Not at all. He told me he couldn’t tell me anything because then I’d be in worse danger. What do you think it means?”

  “Not sure. Maybe nothing—he might not have even said exactly that. I think it’s time we get moving.”

  The women departed, leaving Happy with Ray. They needed to make calls, pack, and check out of their room. Betty called her daughter, who was ecstatic to hear from her mother and said she would fly to El Paso to get Betty and drive back to Dallas with her. Betty called and made a reservation near the El Paso airport for herself and her daughter. Betty and Monica took some time saying goodbye, and it was apparent they were each worried about the other.

  After checking out and saying goodbye to nearly every staff member at the hotel, they loaded the cars and left.

  Monica sat in the back, petting Bruce and talking sweetly to him. Soon they were both asleep.

  “Hope I didn’t step out of line saying you’d stay with Monica for security—security was never part of our discussions about this business. I can understand it if that might make you a little nervous.” Ray was speaking softly in order not to disturb Monica.

  “It’s okay, Ray. Figured all along it would come up some time. I don’t have your training solving crimes, but I was a boxing champion on the reservation and I’m a black belt in karate. Plus, I’m loaded with charm. So if the bad guys show up, I can beat ‘em up or try and talk them into being nice.”

  That got a chuckle out of Ray.

  They arrived back at Ray’s cabin in the late evening. Monica had slept most of the way. They unloaded everything and got Monica settled into the guest bedroom.

  Tyee said he would return in the morning, but needed to head home and check on some things.

  Ray fixed a small dinner for himself and Monica. They enjoyed the quiet surroundings and let the tension ease a little. Finally, Monica couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. She expressed her gratitude for everything Ray was doing and then she headed off to bed. Ray stayed up trying to decide what to do next. He knew this could be dangerous; for everyone.