by Sue Hardesty
And something else from long ago. Loni heard her granddad chanting. His beautiful high voice sent shivers through her as she listened. She heard ringing as he tapped a beat with a spoon against his coffee cup. Then he tapped something else she couldn't identify. Sitting at the kitchen table, he started singing to her a "get up in the morning" song with enough sound effects to wake the banty rooster. Grateful that her grandparents accommodated her turned around hours, she knew it was time for her to get ready for work and her grandparents ready for bed. Loni felt her eyes tear, so thankful for the love and warmth she felt as she took the cup of coffee from her grandma.
Groaning, Loni rubbed the wet out of her eyes and pretended to complain, "Damn, Shiichoo. Don't take long to stay all night at your house."
"Watch that mouth, child. Can't help it if you go to bed three hours before it's time to get up."
Struggling to work her way out of the sinkhole in the couch made by years of butts dropping into it, Loni gratefully sipped the coffee as she stared, unseeing, at the cup until it came into focus. It read, "To err is human; to forgive is not my policy." Loni snorted. It was a cup she had given Shiichoo years ago.
The caffeine jolt moved Loni down the hall to the bathroom. Closing the door, she inspected the tired room. Everything she saw was faded and peeling. Vacated blobs of red and white-striped wallpaper around the wash bowl revealed the original pink paint beneath it. While she peed, she reached with closed eyes for the toilet paper which wasn't there. She opened her eyes and finally found it on a shelf behind her, stacked so high that when she pulled a roll out, the rest toppled all over the floor. Exasperated, she rolled her eyes toward the ceiling only to find Geronimo's stoic portrait looking down at her. Crap.
Rust stains streaked the washbowl, toilet bowl, and bathtub. She pushed aside the yellowed, cracked shower curtain, turned the water to cold, and stepped in, wondering if the cracks she felt on the bottom of her feet were leaking, dry rotting everything underneath. Better fix it, she decided, as soon as she had time. The sour smelling, discolored, lukewarm water was as cold as it was going to get. Maybe she should ask when the water tank was last cleaned. Maybe not. She didn't stay long. No need to bother with a towel. By the time she started dressing, her body was dry.
Dressing seemed impossible. She couldn't get the images of the disgusting things that had crawled into the water tank out of her head. First she put her pants on backwards. Then she forgot about socks. It was a minute before she figured out why her walking boots wouldn't pull on. Her gun belt felt heavier than usual. Hoping things would get better when she got on patrol, she grabbed a piece of fried chicken out of the fridge and headed out the door to her truck.
Climbing in, she heard a bark behind her. "Oops, I forgot Coco!" Rushing back to the sagging screen door, she apologized over and over, "Sorry, sorry, sorry." Coco circled the yard a few times, peed on a dead patch of dried up six week grass, and bounded to the truck. Once in the truck, she waited, motionless as a frozen rabbit, with her nose stuck up against the crack in the passenger window all the way to work.
CHAPTER 10
July 10, 5:42 a.m.
THE RISING SUN finally broke into the endless night. Not a cloud anywhere. It was not long before Loni's arm started to burn from a direct hit from the sun through her open window. "Shit!" She wished for the umpteenth time for a uniform with a long sleeved cotton shirt. Time for more aloe vera on her arm's perpetual burn. She could hear Chief saying, "Good thing you drive at night, girly." Yah, right!
Loni eased her SUV off the road in behind a battered red Mazda with black smoke pouring out of the engine. A teen aged girl dressed in yellow shorts and a skimpy orange halter stormed around the car kicking at the tires, her long, straight blond hair swirling around her head. She was swearing at the top of her lungs, some words Loni had never heard before.
Loni watched as the girl opened the back door to the car and got out a huge purse. She started to pound the car with it, wildly swinging it and bringing it down with a whap. Shrieking, she banged on windows and doors. Getting out of her SUV, Loni leaned against the SUV's fender, waiting. The grin stayed on her face as she considered arresting her for assault and battery. With all the smoke coming out of the hood, the car was probably totaled. When the girl headed for the trunk, Loni decided it was time to stop her. Stepping forward, she held the trunk lid down, forcing the girl to look at her.
"Enough!" Loni held the lid against the girl's pull. "Enough."
The girl sagged as the crazy leached off her face, and she collapsed on the hot earth. She folded her arms across her bare knees and hid her face, sobbing hysterically. Loni left her alone a few minutes while she lifted the hood, making sure there were no flames in the engine. She walked back to the girl and pulled on her arm. "Come on," she said gently. "I'll take you home." Loni helped her into the SUV. Coco licked at her tears as the girl hugged her.
"What's your name?"
"Fairy Mae."
Don't laugh, Loni told herself, don't laugh. "Where do you live?"
"Down behind the seed store," she said in a tiny depressed voice. "I can show you."
Loni handed her a tissue, and Fairy Mae blew her nose. "I don't know what happened. “The girl wiped her eyes. "I spent the night at my girlfriend's. You know the Spencers?"
"Sure. They have one of the farms back there."
"I promised my dad I'd be home before school."
"Do you need to call him?" They were nearing the town, houses starting to fill up both sides of the highway.
"No, thanks. I already did when I left." She shed a few more tears. "I don't know what happened."
"Looks like you ran out of oil. When's the last time you checked the stick?"
"Why should I?" the girl objected. "It came with oil!"
"Silly me. You're right." Loni nodded, trying to stay expressionless. "Whatever was I thinking? Of course it came with oil."
At the girl's house, her father was standing in the driveway. Whey Fairy Mae saw her father, she let out a wail equal to Loni's siren. The big, burly man opened the door and pulled her out. As he enveloped her in a hug, the wail ratcheted up a few more notches. Nodding a solemn goodbye to the father, Loni pulled away and turned a corner before she howled in laughter.
* * *
Carrying a large box, Loni struggled awkwardly through the heavy door of the police station and plopped it on Lola's counter.
Lola shook her head, "Don't tell me you found more evidence."
"Nope," Loni replied. "Stuff for my desk."
"Chief left a note for you." Lola handed it to her.
Loni read it with amazement, "Do you know what's in this?"
Lola waved her arm, bracelets jangling. "I can imagine Tully wants you to do his work. Again."
"He wants me to arrest Terrence Willard for assault. Does he still weigh 400 pounds?"
"Yep," Lola said.
Loni read the note again. "Guess I'm screwed, huh."
"Just about." Lola laughed as she studied Loni. "Long night? You’re asleep standing."
"Nights aren't bad. It's the day work that's killing me."
"Which reminds me." Lola opened a drawer and picked up a small paper sack. "Your drugs."
"Hey, thanks." Loni took the sack as she stepped out of Chui's way.
"Fucking bulldyke," he muttered as he walked by.
"Jesus, Chui," Lola said. "Tell us how you really feel!"
Without turning around, Chui flipped Lola the bird.
"I'm sorry," Lola said. "How come Chui hates you so much?"
"Other than I'm Indian and gay? And he's macho Mexican male and thinks you and I have a thing going. Besides that?"
"Besides that," Lola said with a laugh at Loni.
"Oh, what the hell," Loni shrugged. "One day after school, he pulled me into a classroom and tried to rape me. I hurt him getting away. But not bad enough."
"Chui might as well join the Taliban."
"Nah. He was a good Catholic altar boy.
"
Lola handed Loni a phone message. "I nearly forgot. From Jenny O'Neal. You're supposed to meet her at the Greasy Spoon. Said she was running late." Lola wiggled her eyebrows at Loni. "Two-timing me already?"
"No." Loni grinned, stretching the word out into a full sentence. "Not yet." Lola rolled her eyes at Loni as she picked up her box and walked into the bullpen. She set it on the desk Carl had pointed to and began to pull things out of it. Coco crawled under the desk and went to sleep.
Before long, she had dragons everywhere. Dragon pen and pencil holder. Dragon envelope opener. Dragon stapler. Ends of pencils. She stuck a row of tiny dragons on top of the computer.
Following Loni to the desk, Lola laughed as she picked up a paperweight with a baby dragon climbing out of an egg. "How cute," Lola exclaimed, turning it over in her hand. She sat the paperweight down. "Is there a reason you're into dragons?" She pointed at the rest of the desk.
"It's the whimsy. I love things that make me smile." Loni showed Lola the cup circled with playful purple dragons. "How could you not feel good if you look at this?" She pulled a sack of candy out of the box and poured the cup full of malted balls.
"Cool." Lola grabbed a handful. "My favorites!"
"They were mine too before you took them all." Loni refilled the cup. Pulling another paperweight out of the box, she handed it to Lola. "I brought this one for you." A baby dragon was curled up asleep with its thumb in its mouth.
"I love it! It's so darling! Thank you, thank you." Lola carried the paperweight back to her desk and gently set it down.
"Makes a good weapon, too," Loni said to her back.
The candy cup was joined by a dragon cup filled with dragon pencils, its handle formed into a tail. A calendar and desk mat with dragons crossing the pages now had a home. Loni added a dragon clock and, last but not least, three photos with dragon frames. One with her grandparents, and another with Roanie. Her favorite was Maria with Coco. Loni was finally ready for the task force meeting.
Joining the group, she sat scanning the hostile faces. Chief was absent, and nobody else wanted to be here. She turned to Tully and handed him back the note. "Tully, I don't have time for your crap today."
Tully started to object, but Carl cut him off. "Okay people, let's get started." He stood up. "I'll report first. Tox report says Todd died of ricin mixed with meth, like the three others in Phoenix. He partied up on the Butte at his assistant football coach's house. Found the coach and his wife dead last night."
Loni's head jerked up in astonishment.
Carl continued. "Looks like same poison. Enough meth to feed a factory for days. Also pot, ecstasy, and other unknowns. Could be he's a major dealer, especially to school kids, which is what we need to find out." Carl reeled this information off with no inflection. He lifted his head and nervously pulled on his red tie. He seemed overwhelmed. Carl turned to Loni. "Anything on the lockers at school?"
"Lots of drugs, but none mixed with ricin."
"We'll inform the school of the drugs. Did you find anything in Todd's house?"
"No. It was as clean as it could get."
"We had a report a camp trailer has been seen around that might be a meth lab." Carl's forehead wrinkled in thought. "It was last seen on Harper Road, but I drove out there yesterday and it's not there now. Don't have a license plate number. It's white, square, and small. I need you all to look out for it." In the silence, Carl stared each person in the eye and waited for a response. "This is important, people!" At last he turned to James. "Anything on Rene's plane and flight plans?"
James checked his notes. "CSI went through the plane. Loni pretty much got what was there. I can tell you the drug residue was cocaine, like she said. No meth or ricin. All Rene's flight plans were to larger cities in Southwest states." James looked around, rubbing his face. Loni could hear the scratching of his bristle.
The room stayed quiet. James went on. "On his last flight, he was booked for San Diego, but he never got there. Called in to report he was having problems with stomach flu and was flying back home. He dropped off the radar, but nobody said anything because he showed up a few hours later. You know how that ended." James shuffled some papers and rubbed at his face again. "Anyway, it did give him enough time for a trip across the border."
"Thought you said yesterday he arrived in San Diego?"
James got nasty. "You know what, Carl? I don't think Rene has anything to do with the poisoned meth."
"Somebody must or they wouldn't be shooting at Loni." Carl snarled back. "You got a better idea where to start?"
"Well, I still don't see the connection." James argued.
"Because there was also cocaine at the assistant coach's house and I don't believe in coincidences. How about finding the connection?" James kept his head down as Carl turned to Tully. "I want you to check with State on that notebook."
"Did. They won't release it." Tully leaned back, his chair nearly falling over. Jerking forward, he hit the floor with a loud thunk.
"Damn." Carl said. "Tully —"
"Carl," Loni interrupted. "I made copies. I think the lists in Rene's notebook could be names, banks, and deposit numbers. I've got a copy of it at my desk."
"Give it to Tully." Carl thought a few seconds. "Seems to me Rosie could tell us more. Chui? Anything?"
"She's still not talkin'. Keeps sayin' she doesn't know nothin'."
"Keep at her. Heard any border chatter about a bad meth shipment?"
"Just that it's on the streets in Phoenix. They swear it didn't come over the border."
"Okay. Drive down to the border and talk to them about the cocaine. Maybe cross over into Sonoyta? Make damn sure they aren't responsible for the meth." Carl waited for Chui to nod his head in agreement. "Tully, Rene's wife have anything to add about Rene?"
"Not really. She says she doesn't know anything about the drugs. Never even been in his plane. She hated to fly. Said she attacked Jenny O'Neal at the funeral because she was having an affair with Rene."
"What's the problem?" James interrupted. "Everybody knew that. He did it all the time."
"Apparently he asked for a divorce this time."
"Anything else?" Carl looked around the group.
"Yes," Loni said. "I was up on Montezuma and saw lights for a runway in the distance. It was over east, but I couldn't tell where. Anybody know anything about it?" There was no response.
Carl frowned. "What does that have to do with the case?"
"I don't know yet if it does. Just looking for anything out of place."
"Okay." Carl looked down at his notes. "I want you to call all medical and warn them."
"Lola already did that."
"Just do it, Loni." Carl snapped. "That's it for today then." He ignored her as he walked out.
Loni followed Tully out of the conference room, picked up a folder from her desk, and slipped a paper from it. She caught him as he was walking out the main door and handed him the paper. "The phone numbers from his cell phone are on the back."
Staring at her, Tully wadded the paper up and dropped it at her feet.
Totally disgusted, Loni turned away. Fuck him, she decided. She was tired of trying. Lola had turned the radio on, and the fast Mexican music cheered her up as she did an improvised mariachi step and bounced by Lola's counter back to her desk.
"Where you learn?" Lola asked.
"You sound like my friend, Willie."
"A Pima taught you to dance like that?"
Loni laughed. "No. Willie is always saying 'Where you learn'm!' when he's making fun of me. You know Willie?"
Lola patted Loni's cheek, setting off her bracelets. "He's been through here a time or two."
Loni cringed. "I was afraid of that."
"I think your granddad got him out the last time. Bob, is it?"
Smiling, Loni corrected Lola. "It's Bahb, actually. That's granddad in Papago."
"What's his real name then?"
Shaking her head, Loni admitted, "I don't know. Every
time I asked him he would say 'Long as no one knows name I can't be harmed.'"
"Makes sense, I think." Lola sounded unsure.
Loni didn't want to talk about Willie in jail. Or Bahb's faith. "Friend in LA made me learn a bunch of dance steps."
"Oh?" Lola said with a smug expression.
Loni frowned, remembering Maria's natural grace as she laughed at Loni stumbling through the steps.
"Oh, shit, I'm sorry."