by Aimée
They looked around carefully. Following the most likely trajectory based on the location of the body, Ella soon found a bullet embedded in the hollow concrete block wall.
“It traveled between the stacks,” Ella said.
“Looks like a .38, or maybe nine-millimeter,” Justine said, coming up for a closer look. “It’s hard for me to tell for sure in this condition, but I’ll confirm it in the lab. If it’s a nine-millimeter, I’ll check to see if it might have come from Harry’s gun. It’s still missing, so you never know.”
“You’re saying that Harry’s killer kept the weapon and used it to kill O’Donnell?” Blalock asked, looking at Justine, then Ella.
“It’s only stupid if you get caught with it,” Justine said.
“With no shell casings around, though, I’m guessing this murder weapon was a .38,” Ella said.
“You’re probably right,” Blalock said. “Okay, then, moving on—what’s next? Top-to-bottom search?”
“Yeah. Once the crime scene team arrives, we need to go through all these boxes,” Ella said. “I think the evidence O’Donnell was offering to trade is still here someplace.”
When the sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene, along with the OMI investigator, Ella, Justine, and Blalock stood back while the newcomers unpacked their gear and set up a crime scene perimeter.
Blalock spoke to Sheriff Taylor on the phone, then joined Ella. “I’m working this crime in conjunction with county, so we have the go-ahead to search each box before it’s taken away. Plan on being here the rest of the night.”
Ella turned around, visually examining the storage unit. There were two small clusters of what looked like white gravel in front of the garage-type overhead door. She looked up.
“The killer came over the fence, onto the roof, then dropped down here right in front of the open door,” she said, pointing to the ground. “This is gravel from the fiberglass roofing.”
“It makes sense,” Justine said. “If he’d have come in via the front gate, the guard would have seen him, and had he chosen to enter by jumping over the back fence, he would have been seen by the couple working by their storage unit.”
“Exactly. He took O’Donnell by surprise, and when the vic tried to run, the killer shot him to keep him from getting away. His first shot missed, but the other brought O’Donnell down. When O’Donnell refused to hand over the evidence, the killer shot him at point-blank range,” Ella said. “By then, we were here, so he had to make a run for it.”
“Makes sense to me,” Blalock said.
“From what O’Donnell told me, the killer was someone he’d done business with, someone he said was crazy. Once the man showed up here, O’Donnell must have known that his options were limited. Protecting the evidence meant moving away from it.” Ella studied the immediate area. “Look at those boxes. They’ve been moved recently. See how the dust and sand beneath them has been disturbed?”
Justine opened the top box. “This one has ballistic vests, all with SJCSO labels.” Setting it aside, she looked inside the second box. “Office supplies in this one, everything from ink cartridges to external drives.” Justine tried to push the box at the bottom out of the way to make the most use of the limited light. “It’s heavy,” she said, then opened it where it was. “Handcuffs and belts.”
“A full box of them? Those would have been hard to steal without anyone noticing.” Ella joined her and shone her flashlight inside. “Wait a sec. There’s something taped to the side of the box.” Ella reached in carefully and pulled out a small flash drive. “I think this may be what we’re looking for.”
“If that’s the backup, where’s the original?” Justine said, thinking out loud. “Let me take a closer look at the other boxes.”
Justine first emptied the box with the office supplies. “There’s an ultra-thin laptop at the very bottom, beneath a layer of ink cartridges.” Justine pulled it out, then glanced at Ella. “No way this is surplus, it’s pretty new and top of the line. I’m guessing it was probably O’Donnell’s. I could turn it on and take a look at the files, but if they’re encrypted—”
“Do what you can, but don’t risk losing the data,” Ella said. “We don’t know for sure that the flash drive is a backup.”
No one rushed Justine, and she booted up the laptop immediately. As she worked, they searched the other containers. One was a wooden crate that had been carefully sealed.
“There’s something in here,” Blalock said, calling out to Ella. “It’s nailed shut, so we’re going to need something to pry it open.”
One of the crime scene people, a young Hispanic woman in her twenties, came over. “More than a big screwdriver?”
“Oh, yeah,” Blalock said.
The detective returned a moment later, holding a pry bar. Working carefully, they were able to pull away the lid. Inside were several Anasazi pots surrounded by a heavy layer of packing materials. Most of the protection came from foam peanuts and wadded-up newspaper, though there was also some straw present.
“Can we narrow down the location of the dig site by identifying the plant matter inside and around those pots?” Ella asked Justine.
Justine left the laptop and came over. “Not all the plants around the Rez are cataloged. We’ll need an expert.”
“Like Mom,” Ella said. “She’s spent years cataloging plants for the Plant Watchers and identifying where various species are generally found. I’ll talk to her as soon as possible.”
“I have access to the research she did for the tribe. It’s up in a digital database, including identification keys. If I can take some of these samples to the lab, I can start working on that right away,” Justine said.
“Let me get an okay from county. They’re handling the evidence.” Blalock moved away to speak to the ranking detective, then returned. “Take a few samples, but make sure you sign off on it, and make sure you don’t lose anything.”
“Did you get anywhere with the laptop?” Ella asked as Justine collected what she’d need.
“I need more time. Any chance I can take it to my lab and finish up?”
“I doubt it, but I’ll ask.” Blalock left to talk to the lead detective. He came back and shook his head. “No, they’ll handle that at the forensic lab in Aztec.”
“If they let me have a few hours with it, I could return it tomorrow morning, early.”
“No, sorry,” Blalock said.
Ella looked at Justine, puzzled by her insistence, but there was no time to ask her about it.
“Clah, I need your help with another crate,” Blalock said.
They continued working for two more hours, but found nothing else that tied in to Harry’s murder.
After checking with county and making sure she’d still be able to access the scene if necessary, Ella joined Blalock over by the crime scene van.
“I’m beat, Dwayne. Let’s call it a night. With luck, we may be able to get a few hours of sleep before we have to get going again,” Ella said, and waved to Justine, who was talking to one of the techs.
Blalock looked at his watch. “Yeah, I’m getting too old for this all-night crap.”
Ella smiled. “That’s attitude, not age.”
Blalock chuckled. “Maybe so, Clah, maybe so.”
Ten minutes later, Ella and Justine were on their way west toward Shiprock. “When are you planning to tell me what’s going on with that laptop?” Ella said, interrupting the long silence that had settled between them.
Justine gave her a sideways look. “How did you—?”
“You have too many ‘tells,’ like rubbing your forehead with your index finger, or tugging at a strand of your hair. I know them all,” Ella said. “What’s going on?”
Justine took a long deep breath, her eyes on the road. “I’ve got to tell you, Ella, I’ve never been so tempted to delete a file in all my life.”
Ella stared at Justine in surprise. “What on earth did you find?”
“A list of customers who bought Bil
ly’s stolen merchandise and the dates each sale was made. Some of it, like the construction equipment, went to legitimate buyers who are now going to take a loss and maybe face some bad publicity.”
“How can people not know this stuff is illegal when the serial numbers are altered?”
Justine almost winced.
“You recognized a name among the buyers, didn’t you?” Ella said, taking what she was sure was an accurate guess. She was starting to get a real bad feeling about this.
“Yeah, I did,” Justine said. “E. Atcitty Construction in Shiprock.”
Ella’s eyes widened. “Elroy Atcitty?”
“I don’t know of another one.”
Ella stared out the window. The endless expanse of darkness matched her mood. Elroy Atcitty was Big Ed’s brother.
“Gerald Bidtah has been gunning for Big Ed ever since he took over the tribal agency. If news of this gets out, the scandal and allegations could finish off the chief’s career,” Ella said. “If Elroy somehow manages to avoid jail time or a crippling fine, accusations will be made that Big Ed got him off. Even if Elroy goes to jail, the taint will remain, and pressure will build for Big Ed to resign.”
“I thought of deleting it, I really did. But if I did that, I don’t think I could have lived with myself.”
“We don’t withhold or hide evidence, cuz. That’s not our job,” Ella said.
“So what do we do next? Should we tell anyone, or just step back and let county figure things out on their own?” Justine asked.
“I’ll talk to Big Ed first thing tomorrow,” Ella said. “Right now it’s county’s business, so it’s out of our hands. Don’t speak about this to anyone.”
“Including Blalock?” Justine asked.
Ella nodded. “For now.”
NINETEEN
Ella didn’t have much to say at the breakfast table the following morning. She was still processing last night, but her daughter was talking and she realized she had to focus.
“Mom, I’ve been thinking of what college I’d like to go to, and there are so many choices. If I stay in the advanced placement classes, I can get a scholarship to practically anywhere,” Dawn said, “not just state colleges.”
“You’ll know what to do when the time comes,” Ella said, wondering why her daughter was in such a rush to decide. She was only fourteen, and there was lots of time.
“I wish I could be more like Bitsy. She knows exactly what she wants—which college and everything. She thinks we should both apply to Stanford.”
“California is so far from home,” Rose said.
Dawn nodded. “Sarah says that big-name colleges open more doors once you graduate, and that if I want to get into the FBI Academy, I’ve got to have top credentials.”
Ella choked on her coffee. “You want to do what?”
Rose silently slipped away from the table, making herself scarce.
“Mom, I want to join the FBI just like you did. I thought of going to Cal State, since they offer a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice. It’s supposed to be the best anywhere, but Bitsy says that a degree from a place like Stanford carries a lot more weight.”
“That’s true, but the impact a big-name college creates also depends on what career you choose,” Ella said, still trying wrap her head around Dawn’s new career plans.
“Yeah, maybe you’re right. At Stanford I’m going to need a lot more financial help, too.”
A car honked outside.
“Gotta go. That’s Bitsy’s mom. She’s taking us to Durango for the day, shopping and stuff. I’ll tell you all about it tonight.” Dawn kissed her good-bye and rushed out.
Ella stared at the empty chair where Dawn had been sitting, then glanced at Rose as she walked back into the kitchen. “Law enforcement? Did you know about that, Mom?”
“She admires you, daughter. She wants to do what you’ve done—only better,” Rose said, and smiled.
Ella laughed. “Yeah, that sounds like her.”
Rose brought Ella a piece of fry bread and a jar of honey.
“Eat something, daughter, and tell me what’s really bothering you.”
Ella smiled. Her mother’s favorite comfort had always been fry bread with honey. Considering that Rose’s recipe for fry bread was to die for, she heartily approved.
“Now, tell me what’s on your mind,” Rose pressed gently.
Ella lathered honey all over the bread and ate in silence for a while. “The department’s headed for some serious shake-ups, Mom,” she said at last.
“I’ve heard that some of the tribal leaders in Window Rock want you to work down there.” She gave Ella a long look. “But that’s not what’s worrying you, is it?”
“I can’t give you any details, it’s police business, but there might be some serious trouble ahead for some people at our station.”
“Including you?” Rose asked.
“No, I have my own problems, but it’s nothing like what’s facing some others. I’m talking about having reputations ruined and careers destroyed.”
“Is there anything you can do?”
Ella shook her head. “Not really.”
“Then let things work out on their own. Eventually harmony will be restored.”
Ella leaned back in her chair, idly glancing down at her hand. At least the cut was healed over now. “You’re right,” she finally said. “My focus has to remain on the case, and that brings me to a favor I’d like to ask you.” She told Rose about the unidentified Anasazi pottery.
“That’s somebody else’s history—their property. I don’t like to handle those things,” Rose said.
“You won’t have to, Mom, but no one knows the Plant People like you do. I need you to help my second cousin. Come down to the station and see if you can recognize the seeds and the bits of plant debris we found on the pots. That may help us figure out where those pots might have been dug up.”
Rose considered it in silence, then finally nodded. “Will it be okay if I come in later this morning?”
“That’ll be perfect.”
* * *
Ella headed to the station. The first thing she’d have to do this morning was speak to Big Ed. Although this was a meeting she would have preferred to avoid altogether, he had to know what was going on.
She reached the station’s parking lot just as Big Ed pulled into his assigned space near the front doors. She parked two rows behind him and went inside.
Seeing Big Ed striding down the hall, Ella jogged to catch up. “We need to talk, Chief.”
“My office,” he said with a nod.
Moments later, Ella sat across from Big Ed’s desk, searching her mind for the best way to give him the news.
“What happened?” Big Ed asked. He’d stopped rocking back and forth in his chair and was leaning forward. He’d obviously picked up on her mood. “What’s going on?”
Ella gave him the details. “County has the laptop in evidence, so it’s only a matter of time before they find the file.”
“Are you sure it was my brother’s firm?” He held up a hand before she could answer. “Of course it is.”
“Maybe you should ask your brother to come in and explain. It may be easier for both of you that way.”
He shook his head. “No special treatment. It’s up to county to follow up on this. If Elroy ends up facing charges, I’ll make sure he gets a good attorney. That’ll be the extent of my involvement.”
Ella went to her office, got on the phone, and called in her team. A half hour later, with everyone there, she started their briefing. By the time she finished, she could almost feel the somber cloud that had descended over all of them.
“Benny, Joe, check out E. Atcitty Construction,” Ella said, “but your sole objective will be finding any possible connection to Harry’s murder. The actual purchases of stolen goods aren’t part of our case unless they lead to uncovering the killer. What we want is to learn the identity of the man Elroy Atcitty dealt with, if not O’Donnel
l. Keep in mind that if it wasn’t Billy, this contact could be the same guy who killed O’Donnell—and our friend.”
“Before we even leave that construction company’s site, word will get out that we were questioning the chief’s brother,” Benny said. “Speculation will go wild, and Big Ed’s critics and the local press will eat him alive.”
Ella rolled her eyes. “We have no other choice. We’re working a homicide investigation.”
After Joe and Benny left her office, Ella looked at Justine. “You got here early, I saw your car when I pulled in. Anything new from the lab?”
“The bullet we recovered was from a .38, so that rules out Harry’s weapon,” Justine said.
“Okay. What about those plants?”
“I haven’t been able to narrow things down much. Plants just aren’t my field. I’m cross-referencing against some of the data I’ve got, but it’s slow going. The only thing I’ve identified is fresh straw—kind of obvious—and that could have come from anywhere.”
“You’re gonna get some help soon. Mom will be coming in this morning.”
“That’s great news!” Justine said, brightening up almost instantly. “I’ll leave word out front and ask the desk sergeant to bring her straight to my lab.”
“Take me there yourself,” a familiar voice said from behind Justine.
“Hi, Aunt!” Justine said, and smiled at Rose, who had her hair down and was wearing her baggy khaki garden slacks, a long-sleeved cotton blouse, and her favorite old chambray jacket with worn cuffs and a half dozen pockets. In Rose’s hand was a tablet computer Herman had bought for her on her last birthday.
“I see you brought your references,” Justine said, eyeing the computer. “Let me show you the way, and we can sort things out there.”
Ella watched them walk away and smiled. Justine adored Rose, and the feeling was mutual. Both would enjoy working together, and had spent several days earlier in the year scanning all her reference maps and charts into digital form, then onto the tablet so Rose could carry them out into the field.
Ella was glad that her mother had decided to help. Rose’s expertise when it came to the Plant People was second to none. For years she’d worked tirelessly for the tribe, locating and identifying native plants and cataloging the ones with special medicinal uses. She’d charted the location of hundreds of plant populations, and her research had also predicted other sites where particular species might be found.