Black Raven's Pride

by Aimée Thurlo

  Nick turned to Eden. “I want to take a look around and make sure there isn’t someone hiding around here, waiting for him to return. Do you mind waiting?”

  “No, not at all. But, once we’re done here, I need to stop by the school. I have a conference this afternoon with one of the other teachers and a parent.”

  Nick walked around the property, then came back to where Eden stood with Thomas. “There are no signs of an intruder.”

  “You helped me today, nephew. There’s something I’d like to give you as thanks.” He led the way to a shed in the back. “The other two masks are here. You can have all three now to dispose of as you see fit.”

  As Thomas opened the door, Nick grabbed his arm, holding him back. “Someone broke in here. This place is a mess.”

  Thomas smiled and shook his head. “No, it always looks like this.” He walked to one corner, kicking some old tools out of his way, then pulled off a canvas tarp. There was nothing beneath or around it. “They were here someplace,” he muttered, continuing to search.

  Finally he walked to the other end of the shed, pulling a wool blanket off a large cardboard box. With a curse, he kicked the empty box aside. “Someone stole my stash! I had important things here, too.”

  “Did you have other pieces hidden here besides the ones you mentioned?” Nick’s voice was cold. “Think hard before you answer.”

  Thomas hesitated, then nodded. “I kept two small things for my religious society. They weren’t copies. They were the real thing and sacred.” He looked around shaking his head. “Everyone said that no thief would ever come here. I guess they were wrong.”

  “What’s missing, besides the copies of the masks?” Nick demanded.

  “A medicine bowl and pouch.”

  “When’s the last time you actually saw them?” Nick asked.

  Again, Thomas hesitated. “That’s a hard question, nephew. It wasn’t the kind of thing I checked regularly.”

  “Did you see them when you came here to get the mask you intended to sell today?” Eden asked, trying to help jog his memory.

  “I saw the two other masks, but not the bowl and the pouch,” he said. “I kept the real items below that blanket.”

  “We know you were being watched and followed earlier today, so someone must have discovered you were the one who placed the ad,” Eden said. “Once they saw you take the practice mask out of here, they must have decided to see what else you had.”

  “But there’s no way for us to prove when the real artifacts were taken,” Nick said, then looked at Thomas. “Who else knew that you had religious objects stored here?”

  Thomas shrugged. “The members of my society, of course.”

  “Who is in your society? I need names.”

  Thomas shook his head. “You know better than to ask me that. That’s something that you’ll have to put together on your own. Since some of us are the keepers of certain objects, our families generally know which group we belong to. But by and large, identities are kept secret.”

  Nick expelled his breath in a hiss. “You’re right. Forget the question.”

  After getting Thomas’s promise to stop by the station and make a statement, they left.

  Nick lapsed into a thoughtful silence, then continued speaking after a moment. “You realize that people will probably blame you when they learn that religious objects are missing again.”

  She nodded slowly. “The same thought occurred to me, but there’s nothing I can do about gossip. The only thing I can do now is stick to the truth and, eventually, things will bear me out.”

  The doubt in her voice wouldn’t have been evident to anyone who didn’t know her as well as he did. Hearing it made him want to find the ones who were doing this to her and break them into little pieces. But their enemy remained faceless and in the shadows. Frustration gnawed at him.

  He dropped her off by the front door of the school, and was almost out of the parking lot when he glanced in his rearview mirror and saw Mr. Puye, the principal, standing in the gravel and waving his arms, trying to flag him down.

  Nick circled around the parking area and pulled into a visitor’s slot. By then, the principal had walked over to meet him.

  “Deputy, if you don’t mind, we need you inside.”

  As Nick entered the building, he saw Eden standing in the hallway, her expression somber. Mr. Puye led him through Eden’s classroom, out a rear door, and into a small common storage area that separated her classroom from that of the next teacher’s.

  “This is the storage area the school designates for Ms. Maes and the teacher in the adjoining room. Ms. Maes’s substitute teacher was looking for some supplies earlier today when she came across this,” he said, then pointed to two crude leather masks and a small pouch inside an old-looking pottery bowl. “I don’t know if those are genuine or fakes, but I do know one thing—they don’t belong here.”

  Even without taking a closer look Nick knew where the artifacts had come from. He was looking at Thomas’s missing stash.

  EDEN SAT IN the interview room at the station, wondering how things had gone so wrong for her. The principal hadn’t been interested in the truth, or her theories. The school administration had been looking for a reason to run her out, and whoever was after her had handed it to them.

  Nick had been supportive, but Mora had taken over the interview, sending Nick away on investigative tasks.

  “If you’re absolutely sure you don’t want an attorney, let’s get started,” Mora said. “You claim you’ve never seen the items found in the storage room?”

  “I haven’t, but I’ll wager they’re the items that were stolen from Thomas Ray’s storage shed.”

  “Deputy Black Raven will verify that. He’s gone to show the pieces to Thomas right now.”

  Nick entered a moment later. “They’re my uncle’s, Captain.”

  “Any fingerprints that will give us a lead to the thief?” Mora asked.

  “I dusted the masks, the medicine bowl, and the pouch. I also took the substitute teacher’s prints for comparison and exclusion. There’s only one set of prints on those objects, and a quick match-up indicated they belong to the substitute teacher.”

  “But don’t you see?” Eden protested. “Had I stolen those items, I wouldn’t have put them in plain sight in an area frequented by at least one other teacher. And if I had hidden them in a place that would have easily incriminated me, why would I have bothered to wipe my fingerprints off them? What would be the point?”

  “It could have been a very smart thing to do—in case you got caught. You could argue your case from that exact standpoint.”

  “And you would believe me? You don’t sound like you do now, so it wouldn’t have been a very smart plan, would it? Face it, Captain. I’m being framed—just like my parents.”

  “If that’s true, then someone’s going to a lot of trouble to ruin you. Any idea who that might be?”

  At that moment Deputy Torres appeared in the doorway. Eden glanced over, but without saying a word, he shook his head, then walked away.

  “Several people have wanted me off the pueblo and others who believe I can find the artifacts probably want to make sure I need money badly enough to deal. What better way to create that need than to take away my only source of income?”

  “I want to know the names of the people who have threatened you.”

  She exhaled softly. “I only know of one for sure, but I gave him my word that the matter would stay between us as long as he stopped his harassment,” she answered. “And I believe he has, so far. But you might talk to Samuel Runningwater. He came to my house with two other politicians to warn me that people wanted me out, and I should leave for my own safety.”

  “He threatened you?” Nick asked suddenly.

  “No, it wasn’t like that. I was more like a statement of fact. The lieutenant governor and a tribal council member came over with him, so they were witnesses.”

  “The real problem is that we can’t na
rrow down who knew the artifacts were in my uncle’s shed,” Nick told Mora. “He thinks he may have mentioned it to Runningwater, but he’s not sure. He also can’t swear that he didn’t tell Theresa at one point or another.”

  “If we find out who framed my parents, I think we’ll find out who’s framing me,” Eden concluded.

  Mora stood. “These items will go back to the head of the appropriate religious society as soon as possible. In the meantime, Eden, I suggest you keep a low profile and let us look into this. After what happened today you’re going to be more of a target than ever. People will quickly condemn you based on the circumstantial evidence alone.”

  She nodded. “Am I free to leave?”

  “Yes. No charges were pressed against you. Thomas spoke to the people involved, and now that the items are back they’d rather forget the whole thing. As you know, our religion derives its power from the secrecy that surrounds it. So the last thing they want is to have their religious objects become part of a police investigation. Since everything’s back where it belongs, everyone’s eager to get back to business as usual.”

  Eden picked up her purse and with a nod, started toward the door. Without a job, things would get very difficult for her from this point on. Of course, now that the charges had been dropped, she could probably push the matter and get her suspension upgraded to “with pay.” But her future here as a teacher was gone. Her contract would never be renewed.

  It was early evening, about dinnertime for most, and the Plaza was nearly deserted. She got about twenty yards from the station when Nick called out her name and jogged up.

  “Wait a minute. I’d like to walk you home.”

  “Shouldn’t you be returning Rick’s truck? Oh, and that reminds me, tell him I’ll pay to fix the lock. I forced it open with a screwdriver to get inside.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I already told him what happened, and he thought it was funny. He said he was thinking of putting a better lock on it anyway, and you just convinced him it’s a good idea.”

  “I’d still like to cover his expenses. It’s important to me.”

  Nick nodded. “Are you going to be okay?”

  She shrugged. “The house is paid for, so I don’t have to worry about that, and I’ve got some savings. Providing I don’t have any large, unexpected expenses, I can hold out. But I’ll need to get to the truth of who framed my parents, and now me, quickly. Time isn’t on my side.”

  “I’ll do my best to help you, Eden, you know that.”

  “I trust you, Nick,” she said, “but I’ll keep digging on my own, too. The truth is that it’s really hard for me to let go and put myself in another person’s hands all the way.” She looked up at him. “But if anyone can understand that, it’s you. You don’t trust easily either. That’s why you’re so closed and no one can ever figure out what you’re thinking.”

  “That’s not true,” he said, surprised. “I take people at face value and I’m pretty open. That’s the one thing that makes me a good cop.”

  “You’re open only to a point. No one gets too close to you, Nick. There’s a barrier you won’t let anyone cross. You’ve always protected yourself well.”

  “Is that really the way you see me?” he asked, surprised.

  “It’s the truth. You work to solve crimes and help people, but you keep those very people at a distance. You keep a wall up that’s meant to protect you from any emotion that can cut you too deeply. I think everyone is that way to one extent or another, but you and I have perfected that art,” she said sadly. “We’ve taken it on the chin too many times not to put boundaries around our feelings.”

  He considered it for a long moment. “You may be right about me,” he admitted reluctantly.

  What she’d said was particularly true when it came to his feelings for her and Chris. He loved them, but he couldn’t quite let go and give his heart free rein. Deep down, he was afraid that what they had would never last.

  Nick knew he’d hurt Eden badly when he was forced out of his home at the age of eighteen and hadn’t taken her with him. Then she almost destroyed him when they reunited as adults. He wasn’t sure what the third time would bring, but he did know that if things didn’t work out this time, they’d both end up feeling the pain.

  AFTER LEAVING Christopher with Mrs. Chino, Eden spent the next morning at a meeting with the principal and members of the school board. She’d had to push the matter of suspension with pay because she hadn’t had a choice, but she’d never realized just how difficult the fight would become.

  They continued to press her, insisting that she was becoming a corrupting influence on the kids, and their assaults on her integrity were merciless, despite the lack of proof to back up their charges. The hours stretched out to eternity, but she tried to remain composed and not allow her temper to come to the surface.

  Then the school secretary knocked lightly on the door and came in. “Ms. Maes has an emergency call,” she said, looking at Mr. Puye, then at Eden.

  Only one person would have called her here with an emergency—Mrs. Chino. Suddenly the meeting and the outcome meant very little to her.

  She stood up, not caring about anything now except her son. “What phone should I use?”

  “The one on my desk,” the secretary said, pointing directly ahead. “Line one.”

  Eden’s hands were shaking as she picked up the receiver and identified herself.

  “I’m really sorry to call you at work, but I didn’t know what else to do,” Mrs. Chino said.

  “What’s wrong?” Eden managed through clenched teeth. She had to stop shaking. She had to be able to think clearly and control her fears.

  “I think two men are watching my house. I saw some figures behind a tree in the orchard across the street. They haven’t made any move against me or the kids, but I can just feel them out there.”

  “Why didn’t you call the police?”

  “I did, but there was a big accident on the road leading out of the pueblo and all of the available deputies are there. They’ll send someone as soon as they can, but it’ll be at least twenty minutes before they get here. I was hoping a couple of the male teachers could come by.”

  “No. They can’t leave their classes unattended.” Fear gnawed through her. There was no way for her to tell if this was a threat against her son, or something as simple as Mrs. Chino’s imagination working overtime. But she’d never known her to have flights of fancy. Mrs. Chino was the most down-to-earth, practical person Eden had ever met.

  “I’ll take care of this, one way or another.” Eden hung up, not taking time to explain. She had only one option now. Black Raven Ranch was just a few minutes away from Mrs. Chino’s—if someone took the shortcut.

  She called Nick and had her call patched through to his radio. “Nick, you’ve got to help us,” she said, explaining. “I don’t know why those men are there or if this has anything to do with Christopher, but I’m really scared.”

  “Hang tight. I’ll send my brother and the wranglers over right now, then I’ll join them as soon as I tell my boss.”

  A glimmer of hope warmed the coldness that had spread through her. Nick wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt Christopher or the other children.

  Her unfinished meeting with the principal and the board was suddenly a low priority. Without giving it another thought, she ran out of the office and got into her car.

  NICK CALLED his brother, then explained the situation to Captain Mora, who immediately released him from the accident scene. The injured had already been taken away, and there was no work left there at the site that Mora and Deputy Torres couldn’t finish.

  Nick raced down the main road, his hands tightly wrapped around the wheel. At the speed he was traveling, he would arrive before Jake did.

  Less than seven minutes later, he reached the small stucco home and, turning the corner, saw that a window in the back had been smashed. A thin wisp of white smoke was billowing out.

  Slamming on his brakes, he
jumped out of the Jeep and radioed the fire department on his handheld as he ran around back. He’d known fear before and he was sure he would again, but nothing in his experience prepared him for the cold hand he felt squeezing his heart now.

  Nick climbed through the damaged window into a bedroom, then moved forward quickly through the increasing haze. There were no sounds, and that was enough to fill him with dread. A house with children in it should not have been silent.

  As he opened the door into the hall, he saw two men wearing stocking masks standing in front of a closed door off the kitchen. They’d set a large trash can filled with paper on fire, and were trying to smoke out the ones behind the locked door.

  “We know you’re in there,” the tallest of the two yelled. “Open the door and give us the boy, or you’ll burn alive.” Then he started banging on the door with his gloved fist.

  The terrified cries of the children inside were the worst sounds he’d ever heard in his life.

  Nick ran forward, reluctant to draw his weapon with the children and Mrs. Chino somewhere around. “Get away from that door!”

  The men turned and the larger one picked up the fiery trash can and threw it directly at him. Nick tried to dodge, but the hall was too narrow, and the can struck him in the knees, knocking him down. Flaming debris flew out of the can in every direction.

  While Nick was still down, the other man threw a kitchen stepladder at him. Then, as Nick blocked it away with his arms, the pair ran into one of the bedrooms, closing the door behind them.

  Nick didn’t give chase. He had more important problems to take care of now. The pantry door and wood frame had caught fire, and the smoke had reduced visibility in the kitchen to almost zero. Mrs. Chino was yelling for help, and the rest of the children were either crying or yelling along with her.

  “It’s Nick Black Raven, Mrs. Chino,” he shouted, trying to be heard over their cries. “Can you open the door?”

  “I jammed it shut by wedging the bottom of the door.” She shouted back. “Now I can’t get it open and the door handle is too hot to touch.”