by Aimée
“Or maybe they completed what they set out to do faster than they’d anticipated,” Justine said.
Ella remembered the terrorist angle and the bacteria culture chamber, and felt a stab of fear. As Justine walked out, she placed one hand over her stomach and closed her eyes. Slowly, an inexplicable peace came over her, and when she opened her eyes again, she knew that her child was going to be all right.
Ella shook her head. Superstitious nonsense. She couldn’t possibly know anything with that degree of certainty. Remembering the stories about Bunstein and his stillborn littermates, she shuddered.
Ella stood up and began to pace. It was pointless to give into fear now. She had to trust what her heart was telling her. The connection she felt to the baby was real. Her child would be all right. Every feminine instinct she possessed assured her of it.
Holding on to that thought, she returned to her desk and, before she could sit down, her phone rang. Ella grabbed the receiver and identified herself.
“Hello, Officer Clah. This is Barbara Sanchez. I’m the bartender at the Palomino Lounge. You spoke to me about Tom LaPoint, remember?”
“Hello, Barbara. Yes, I know who you are. Did you remember something about the man you knew as Tom LaPoint that might help us?” Ella replied, hoping that was the case. Witnesses seldom called unless they’d thought of something new to add.
“It’s not about Tom, or whatever his name was, it’s about the man he met that one time, the one with the cowboy hat. I just remembered something about him that may help.” Barbara said.
“What is it?” Ella responded.
“The man had a long scar on his arm, like from a bad cut.” Barbara recalled. “I remember seeing it when he turned to leave. It was on his left arm, I think.”
Ella recalled the scar on Morgan’s left arm. “Do you happen to remember if the man wore boots as well?”
“You know, I think he did. I always notice men who have western hats but shoes instead of boots because I think that looks dumb, and I didn’t get that impression. I don’t remember the style or color, though.”
“That’s okay, I think what you did recall will be very useful. If you think of anything else, call immediately.”
As she hung up and sat down again, Kevin Tolino walked into her office, wearing a serious expression instead of his usual smile.
“I saw your grandmother watching our house again this morning,” she said slowly, wishing she had something more pleasant to discuss with him.
“That’s one of the reasons I came to talk to you. Don’t worry, she won’t be doing that anymore.”
She said nothing for a long moment, measuring her words carefully before speaking. “So, it’s over? Or does that mean I’m just getting a new watcher?”
The expression on his face told her everything. “Let me guess. It’s you.”
He hesitated, then nodded. “It was the only way I could insure that they’d stay out of your way. And I honestly think that you’ll be better off with me, Ella. I won’t let anyone pose a threat to the baby. You’ve got to believe that.”
“I do, but I don’t need help protecting the baby.”
“You’re stubborn and independent, but things aren’t that simple anymore. There are threats everywhere now, and we’ll need each other.”
“There’s no safety in numbers, Kevin, not in this case. Even if we stay together, we may not be able to counter everything that’ll affect this baby,” she said slowly.
“I know what you’re talking about,” he said somberly. “I’ve been thinking about the possibility you mentioned of a radiation leak LabKote could be covering up, and it really worries me, Ella. I remember you talking about the animal show weeks ago. You were there.” His expression grew hard and his eyes burned with anger as he added, “If LabKote is responsible for a radiation leak or for doing anything that could have harmed you, our baby, or The People, I want the ones responsible to pay.”
“So do I, and I will get them.”
“If you need any help, call me.”
“There is something you can do. You have access to many tribal records. I want you to see if you can find a clear paper trail that links Yellowhair, Ben, and LabKote. If they’re in league with LabKote, we need evidence to prove it.”
“All right. I’ll get on that right away. Anything else?”
“I’m going to want to do an extensive background check on Ben and Yellowhair that’ll include accessing their bank accounts.”
“You won’t have any problem with that. Get Judge Chase to give you a court order. The bank won’t fight it because the two are already part of an investigation involving the FBI. Considering the circumstances, you should be able to get the paperwork in record time.”
“I also want to see George Branch’s banking records, and those of Avery Blueeyes.”
“That’s trickier. Let me see what I can do for you. Judge Chase and I go back a ways, so he’ll cut me some slack. But Branch will scream like a wounded pig, claiming government interference in his privacy.”
“I know, but I need to look for discrepancies that might reveal how he’s getting his tips, like the one about Judge Chase about to be kidnapped. I nearly got barbecued on that call. Literally.”
“I’ll get you the court orders, or find a way around them.”
As he left, Ella remained seated at her desk, trying to figure out her next move. Everything was in the works, and she had more possible links to Morgan, but until the paperwork gave them the authorization, she couldn’t take the next step.
Ella went to Big Ed’s office, and updated him on everything that was going on.
“You still have nothing concrete, Shorty, but at least you’re on your way to getting it.” He nodded slowly. “Once you get the bank records you need, I want Blalock, Justine, and Tolino here. We’ll all work on this, including me. If LabKote really is planning on shutting down and leaving before anyone notices, we’ve got to move fast. I’m also going to put people around that place so that nothing will go in or out without our knowing.”
“I don’t think we should. If they have Ben and Yellowhair somewhere on the premises, the last thing we want to do is let them know we’re on to them.”
“All right. You’re in charge of this one. But your head will be the first to roll if this blows up in our faces.”
“Understood.”
* * *
It was close to ten that night when they all sat in the conference room adjacent to Big Ed’s office.
“Branch has no financial connections to anyone other than his station and station sponsors,” the accountant Blalock had brought in said. “He’s not a wealthy man. He’s got a good middle-class income, but his financial records are pretty straightforward. He owes money, but not a lot, and he inherited that house.”
Tolino then placed several documents on the table. “These are tribal records pertaining to LabKote. It looks like Ben and Yellowhair were critical in helping LabKote cut through the red tape. The checks that should have been done on the machinery and so on were signed, but not dated. They may have never happened. We just don’t know. Engineers hired by the tribe were supposed to check out the facility, but LabKote was able to get waivers in order to open on a certain date. There are no records anywhere that the engineers actually made those checks afterwards either.”
“There are also some very large deposits made into the accounts of both those politicians the day after LabKote opened,” Blalock said, looking at the accountant, who nodded. “The money transfers that came in were from out of state banks, using a corporate name that is hard to trace. Both amounts were deposited on the same day.”
“Avery Blueeyes doesn’t seem to play a part in any of this. Blueeyes is very nearly broke,” Big Ed said. “His accounts are in shambles. I don’t have to be an accountant to understand that.”
Big Ed regarded them thoughtfully, then continued. “So what we have are bank records suggesting that bribes were paid to two men who were later kidnappe
d. There are also phone records linking Hansen to Yellowhair and Ben, then those two to Morgan.”
“It’s still not enough to raid LabKote,” Kevin said. “We have nothing against LabKote itself. The only thing our evidence really proves is that, at one point, Yellowhair and Ben both spoke to Morgan. That’s not a criminal offense. We can’t prove that the deposits were bribes, and we don’t have access to either man’s tax records.”
“What about the lab equipment being shipped out?” Ella asked.
“It could have gone out for repairs, routine maintenance, or been returned at the end of a lease agreement. For all we know, other shipments have come in with new machines.”
There was a knock at the door, and Big Ed’s secretary poked her head inside. “Something for Agent Blalock, Chief.” She held out a packet from a courier service.
Justine, closest to the door, took the packet and passed it over to Blalock, and the secretary left, closing the door.
Everyone watched Blalock as he opened the packet. “It’s the Marine Corps file on Walter Morgan. I asked that it be delivered here as soon as it came in.” Blalock placed the faxed documents on the table in front of him so he could see them all at once. He picked up a photo and handed it to Ella. “So, this is what Morgan looks like?”
Ella looked at the photo and did a double take. “Damn!”
“What is it, Ella?” Justine strained to see.
“That’s not Morgan. Either the marines made a mistake, or our Morgan has stolen this man’s identity.”
“Are your sure? Here’s another photo, glued to his service record.” Blalock slid another paper over.
Justine stood and looked over Ella’s shoulder. “The birth dates and social security numbers are correct, but I’ve seen the man at LabKote, and this is not him. A fingerprint check would just confirm it.”
Big Ed took a look, cleared his throat, and turned to Blalock. “I’m thinking of the terrorist possibility now, as I think you all are.” He looked around the table, and the others nodded. “Can the FBI check to see if Interpol or the CIA might be able to put a name next to our Walter Morgan’s face?”
“We don’t have a photo of him, do we?” Justine asked.
“We can get one. Dwayne, can you ask the local media to give you a print of all the LabKote employees they filmed at the demonstration by the Fierce Ones? I bet Morgan was in some of those shots, and Justine or I can point him out to you,” Ella said. “Both Channel Four and Thirteen were there.”
“Can do. I’ll get on it as soon as we leave.”
Justine’s cell phone rang, and she left the room for a moment. When she returned, she gave Ella a satisfied smile. “We have even more. Electric company records show that there was a significant spike of short duration in the sector that incorporates LabKote’s facility on the day in question. Because their electrical demands are so high, LabKote is virtually by itself on that part of the system.”
“That’s still circumstantial,” Kevin said. “We have no proof anything actually went wrong, and the person at LabKote who could best answer our questions about that is dead. The only solid evidence we have now is that Morgan has stolen someone else’s identity.”
Ella was about to argue that they could still get damning toxicology reports from Elisa Brownhat’s autopsy, backed up with Martha Gene’s testimony, when her cell phone rang. Hearing Loretta’s voice surprised her and sent a cold chill through her. She knew one thing—her sister-in-law had never called her at work without a major reason. Excusing herself quickly, she stepped out of the room.
“I don’t know what to do,” Loretta said, panic in her voice.
“Calm down and tell me what’s wrong,” Ella said, using her most reassuring voice, though she was getting more alarmed by the minute. She’d never heard Loretta panic except when her family was in danger.
“My husband spent the day in the medicine hogan working and wanted to be left alone. I did as he asked, but since he hadn’t eaten all day, I decided to take some dinner out to him.” She cleared her throat, then continued in a shaky voice. “When I went inside, he was gone, and everything was in shambles. The pots with his healing herbs were all shattered, and there was blood on the sheepskin he sits on. There was a terrible fight in there, Sister-in-law, and someone was hurt.”
“That doesn’t mean it was Clifford. He’s very good at taking care of himself.”
“I don’t know how many men stood against him.”
“Less than came in,” Ella said. “Now try to stay calm and don’t touch anything. I’ll be right over.”
“But you can’t tell anyone what’s happened. The ones who took my husband left a note for you. They don’t want the police involved. If you disobey, they’ll kill him. There’s more, but you can read it for yourself when you come.”
She heard Loretta’s voice harden. Though no one knew the whole story yet, Ella knew she was being blamed for what had happened to her brother. “Read the note to me now,” she said firmly.
Loretta cleared her throat, but she wasn’t totally successful in keeping her tone steady. “Investigator Clah, if you want to see your brother alive again, disappear for a few days and don’t tell the department why. If the police get involved in a search for your brother, he’ll be left on your doorstep in pieces.”
Fear pried into her, hard and fast. She had no doubt who had taken Clifford. Worst of all, if her hunch was right, he was being held inside LabKote. Inside their well-guarded perimeter, LabKote was nearly impregnable and the law, at least for now, protected the criminals and stood against her.
From this point on she was on her own. If her brother was to stay alive, she’d have to win using her own rules.
TWENTY-THREE
Ella went back into the room where the others were meeting. They’d made no progress. Legally, except for what they had on Morgan, their hands were tied until they had enough evidence to get a warrant to search the whole facility. If they went to pick up Morgan now, Landreth would still be free to cover up anything illegal that was going on. She considered telling the others what had happened to her brother, but then decided against it. She knew what she had to do and the fewer people who knew, the less interference she’d get.
“I want you to pressure them, Ella,” Big Ed said. “Go over there, question them, harass them a bit. I want to rattle the cage. Let’s see what happens.”
She smiled. It wasn’t exactly what she had in mind, but it was close. “Consider it done.”
Ella stood up as their conference ended. As she walked to the door, Kevin accompanied her. “What was that call all about? You looked troubled when you got back.”
“It’s a family matter, nothing for you to be concerned about.”
He gave her a long look. “Are you sure?”
“Kevin, you’re going to have to cut me some slack, okay? I’ve been single for a long time, and it can be nothing short of irritating to have someone watching over my shoulder all the time.” She paused, knowing that if she made him suspicious now, he’d never let her out of his sight. “How would you like it if, all of a sudden, I was there every time you turned around? I know you like your privacy as much as I do.”
He nodded slowly. “Yeah, I understand what you’re saying. I didn’t mean to crowd you.”
“We’ll talk again soon, but right now I need to get back to work.”
Ella returned to her office alone. The situation with the kidnappings had cut all her options. There was only one way out. Her brother’s life hung in the balance, and it was up to her to take the next step.
She took off her badge, and placed it in her drawer. What she had to do now broke every rule she’d ever followed, but, for the next few hours, she wouldn’t be a cop. It was the only way.
Ella drove out of the station and headed to Loretta’s. She checked her rearview mirror often, and although she couldn’t see anyone tailing her, she had a feeling that whoever had written the note wouldn’t be far away.
The minute she
arrived at her brother’s home, Loretta came out the front door. Julian tried to come out, too, but Loretta forced him back inside the house.
“I’m not staying here,” Loretta said, meeting Ella outside. “I’m afraid for Julian. I’m going to my mother’s.”
“Good idea. You’ll be safer with your family now.” They would protect her and the boy and it would be one less thing for her to worry about. “I’m going to take a look inside the medicine hogan.” Ella started walking off, then stopped in mid stride and looked back at Loretta. “I will bring my brother back to you and his son.”
Loretta met her gaze and held it. “Yes, but at what cost to all of us? What have you dragged him into?”
She started to answer, then changed her mind. It wouldn’t do any good to argue now. “Have you told Mom about this?”
Loretta shook her head. “I knew it would frighten her and I was afraid she’d get sick. What about you? Have you told the other cops you work with what’s happened?”
“No one knows—except you and me. Let’s keep it that way for now.”
As Loretta walked away, Ella sighed. She shouldn’t have expected anything different, but it still hurt. At a time when she needed her family’s support most, there was no one she could turn to.
Ella entered the hogan, flashlight in hand, and, as she looked around, understood the fear that had gripped Loretta. The interior was in chaos. Her brother’s medicine pouch was on the ground, slashed open, and the sheepskin pelt he used as a blanket and cushion was spotted heavily with fresh blood.
Clifford had clearly gone up against a knife-wielding opponent but, without tests, there was no way for her to verify whose blood had been shed. As the last rays of the fading sun found their way inside the hogan, a sliver of light played over something metallic on the ground.
Ella picked it up carefully. It was a lighter. The initials “K. H.” were engraved on it. Anger filled her as she realized it was Kyle Hansen’s missing lighter, and that her brother could have been implicated in his murder if she hadn’t come alone.