by Aimée Thurlo
Then her fear was replaced by a cold, dark anger, more intense than any she’d ever known. What if Dawn, her mother, or even one of the animals had ventured down this path instead of her?
Turning around completely, Ella noted that she was still quite alone. Stepping in her old prints, she walked back to the barn and grabbed a long bamboo pole from beside the shed.
“What did you find, Daughter?” Rose poked her head out the door.
“Keep everyone inside, Mother. Whoever set the poison out also set at least one big animal trap along the trail to the arroyo. I managed to avoid being caught, but barely.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Rose looked Ella up and down carefully. “Want me to call the station?” Rose’s face had turned pale.
“I’ll check it out first. If I find any more, we’ll call the station,” Ella said, weighing her options and trying to decide on the best course of action. “Wait, doesn’t Bizaadii have a metal detector?” Ella was referring to Herman Cloud.
Rose nodded. “It’s a good one, too. We’ve used it to help some of the Plant Watchers figure out where they could dig in their yards without hitting utility lines. I’ll give him a call. You be careful, Daughter.”
Ella nodded, then walked back toward where she’d set off the trap, probing the ground in front of her. She checked the area from where the tracks started all the way to the arroyo. From that point on, after the trail led down into the wash itself, the tracks disappeared across hard sandstone exposed by the elements. There would be no traps here.
Knowing there could be no traps where nobody had walked, she checked the ground carefully around the house, barn, and yard, searching for anything, from footprints to a cigarette or wad of gum, but she found nothing. Taking the trap, she handled it with gloves and placed it safely in the back of her unit. It would go to the station for examination.
By the time she came back inside, Boots had arrived and Ella learned that Herman Cloud was on his way. He’d check everywhere with the metal detector.
After cautioning everyone, including Dawn, to remain watchful of strangers, Ella took her mother aside. “It would be a really good idea for you to invite Bizaadii to visit on evenings when I work late. He’s still got a very sharp eye.”
“I’ll definitely do that. After the search for any more traps is completed, I’ll tether the pony closer to the house, too. If anyone harms that little animal your daughter would be heartbroken.”
Ella nodded. “Tether Wind near her window. She’ll love it. Plus, that little horse works as a good watch animal. Last time, between his whinnying and running around, he was the one who first let me know someone was outside.”
“That furry little gelding doesn’t like strangers. That’s true,” Rose agreed.
Ella left home in a black mood. She was more than willing to put herself on the line out in the field, but when her family was attacked her perspective went out the window. Knowing that anger would only hamper her ability to think clearly, she struggled to calm down.
As she reached the end of the gravel road that led to the highway, Ella decided on impulse to make one quick stop before going in to work. Turning, she headed toward Kevin’s home.
As she drove up several minutes later, Kevin came out onto the porch, then waved at her, inviting her to come inside. “Two days in a row! Am I part of your rounds now, and should I be honored or worried?”
Ella didn’t crack a smile. “Kev, I need your help.” She told him about the animal trap and contaminated meat they’d found. “I’m afraid that the reason someone’s trying to get rid of our dog is so they can sneak up on us at night. And that wolf trap could have killed our daughter or my mother. I’ve ordered extra patrols, but with our manpower shortages, I know it won’t be enough. What I’d like to do is hire some off-duty or retired cops to watch the place while we’re sleeping.”
Kevin’s face had turned red with anger when he heard about the steel trap, and his voice was shaking with barely suppressed rage. “If you need the funds to do that, you’ve got them.” He pulled out his checkbook. “Tell me how much to make it for, and you’ll be all set. You might also consider the men I’ve hired as my bodyguards in the past.”
“I don’t want a bodyguard. What I need is a sentry, someone to watch for intruders.”
“Fine. How much?” he asked again.
“I’ll find out later today,” she said, placing her hand over his. “And thanks. You know I wouldn’t ask you if I didn’t need it for Dawn’s sake.”
“You can ask me for anything—anytime.”
“Oh, I’m so glad you said that,” she said, a twinkle in her eye.
“I’ve got a feeling I’m going to regret having said that,” he countered with a smile, sensing her change of mood.
Ella told him about the Hollywood producer. “I really don’t know any of the terms he was throwing at me, so I’d like you to handle this. First, I need to make sure that it’s legal for me as a tribal cop to accept this type of offer, even though I wasn’t working at the time. If it is, find out if what he’s offering me is a fair deal and what he’ll expect from me in return. Get him to spell it out clearly. I don’t want any surprises.”
Kevin gazed at her speculatively for several moments. “You don’t really want to sign, do you?”
“No, but I will because I’d love to be able to set that money aside for Dawn in a trust fund, or something like that. Of course to get the big bucks, they actually have to film the thing.”
“One thing that occurs to me is that if one producer is interested, chances are others will be too. Shall I try to check that out? You might be able to get more money that way.”
“Go for it.”
“Give me some time to get up to speed on this. I need to talk to people who have dealt with Hollywood before and get some pointers from entertainment lawyers. I prefer to come at them informed and knowing exactly what’s common practice and what’s not.”
“Sounds like a good plan.”
“In the meantime, if they call you again tell them you’re interested and are looking for an attorney to negotiate any offers,” Kevin said. “By the way, if I can’t get them to increase their offer, do you still want me to accept it?”
“Yes, but look at everything they want me to agree to with a magnifying glass if you have to.”
“Of course.”
She was about to leave when she saw that Kevin had two of Mrs. Yazzie’s crispies.
“Forget it. Those are mine,” he said flatly. “I know how you like to pick at other people’s food. It may make you feel like you’re not eating as much, but the poor slob who lets you nibble away at their plate gets shortchanged. So mitts off, flatfoot.”
“Geez! What a temper!” Ella smiled. “But okay. Just to show you what a good person I am, I forgive you,” she said, inching subtly toward them.
Kevin moved to block her. “Out,” he said and pointed to the door.
Ella drove to the station, pushing back her craving for a crispie by concentrating on the current situation. She had to move fast and find out who was stalking her house. Anyone who endangered her family became number one on her most wanted list.
THIRTEEN
Ella left the tainted meat in Justine’s lab refrigerator, asking for an analysis in case a poison had been added in addition to the glass. The trap, a common design that was probably fifty years old, was checked for fingerprints. None were found, and the tool marks were made with some kind of file. Without the tool used to sharpen it, there was nothing more to go on.
After making out a report about the incident, Ella began going through the list of perps she’d put away in the recent past. Maybe someone with a grudge, who also had knowledge and access to animal traps, had just been released or made parole.
That didn’t pan out, and out of leads for the moment, Ella switched gears and concentrated on the hunt for Cardell Ben-ally. As she went over the little they had on him, the idea she’d come up with late last night look
ed even better to her.
Ella walked to Chief Atcitty’s office and stopped in the doorway. Big Ed was behind the desk, engrossed in something on his computer terminal.
“Chief, I need to talk to you for a bit.”
“Come on in, Shorty. I’m reading the report you sent me E-mail about the animal trap and the attempted poisoning of your family’s dog.”
“Nobody’s going to harm my family or my animals, Chief. I’d like to hire some off-duty cops or maybe some retired officers to keep an eye out at night when my family and I are sleeping.”
“This goes way beyond animal cruelty, I agree. I don’t know any retired officers still living in the area, but you can hire any of our off-duty personnel. We won’t need them unless there’s a crisis. I wish I could assign people to do this for you but that’s impossible right now.”
“I know. And that brings me to another request I’d like to make. I want to put a tail on Councilman Hunt.”
“I’ve heard he’s been making some public statements about a return to old-fashioned ‘Navajo justice.’ But do you have anything to justify monitoring Hunt other than the fact that he and his brother-in-law Cardell have the best motive?”
“Well, we do know that there were two people involved in what happened at Branch’s home, and Hunt is the logical second suspect. Except for the vehicles involved we have nothing hard on Hunt, who’s been very active lately, apparently trying to justify what happened to Branch. But we believe Benally is hiding out somewhere on the Navajo Nation. If I’m right and Hunt helped his brother-in-law, then I’d bet anything that Hunt knows where Benally is, and is still helping him. If we tail Hunt, and he gets careless, I think he’ll lead us to Cardell.”
“All right, but be careful. You know Councilman Hunt is aware that you suspect him, so he’ll be keeping watch. If he finds out what you’re doing, the fur’ll fly, mark my words. Is this the only way you have of getting a lead on Cardell?”
“Unless we either get an informant or somebody stumbles across him and calls us.”
“All right. Run the operation for twenty-four hours and see what happens. But make sure that the councilman doesn’t spot the tail. Lewis Hunt is used to manipulating people, and has the ear of those who control the department’s budget. I really don’t need that kind of trouble right now. You hear me?”
“Absolutely.”
“Who are you going to get for the stakeout?” he asked.
“Justine is pretty good. I can also take a turn. I’ll probably bring Neskahi in for the night shift. We want to keep this a team effort.”
He considered it and nodded. “Okay. But keep me updated.”
As Ella stepped inside her office the phone rang. She answered it and recognized her brother’s voice instantly.
“I have some information you may find useful. Gossip has it that the radio talk show man is worried that he’ll continue to be a target as long as the councilman’s brother-in-law is still at large. He’s let the word out that he’ll pay one thousand dollars for information on the man’s whereabouts.”
“That’s a fortune around here,” Ella said, worried. “That idiot is going to stir up a hornet’s nest. Do you have any idea what he plans to do with the information if he gets it? Will he turn it over to us?”
“I doubt it. Look at the way he made the offer in the first place. It’s all word-of-mouth, so if push came to shove he could always deny it.”
“Branch is no hit man,” Ella said, thinking out loud. “He likes—maybe liked is a more appropriate term—owning an arsenal because it’s the macho thing to do. But I don’t see him as the type to go gunning—literally—for anyone. He lets his mouth do that.”
“He could hire someone,” Clifford suggested.
“To do what?” Ella asked. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“No. You now know what I do.”
“Okay. Thanks for the tip. I appreciate it,” Ella said, hung up, then called in her team. Within twenty minutes they were all gathered in a conference room and she detailed her plan.
Tache looked at her in surprise. “They’ve got a job now, but what’s my part in this?”
“I have another task for you. I want you to go over to the county sheriff’s office and ask Sheriff Taylor if you can examine all the evidence they gathered during the fire at Branch’s home. Check to see if anything’s missing, or if there’s something that needs to be followed up on. We’re looking for anything to back up what we have on Cardell Benally or Lewis Hunt.”
“The county has a pretty competent team, Ella,” Tache said.
“Yes, I agree, but sometimes things get missed—particularly details that might have meaning to a Navajo but not to someone who’s not from our tribe. Just be careful not to step on any toes by letting them think we’re second-guessing them.”
“Got it.”
“I also want you to go back to Branch’s home yourself and take a look around. See if there’s anything there along the same vein that might have been overlooked. Get Branch’s permission if you run into him, but don’t be too specific about what you’re searching for, okay?”
“That’ll be easy, considering I don’t know exactly what it is I’m hoping to find,” Tache muttered.
Glancing back at Neskahi and Justine, Ella worked out their schedules. “You take the first shift following the councilman, Justine. Stay in touch with me at all times, and if you think something’s going down, call me immediately,” she said, then laid out the rest of the watch.
After Justine and the others left, Ella returned to her small office and mulled over what her brother had told her about Branch. She needed to keep closer tabs on the radio commentator now that he was taking matters into his own hands.
This latest move of his shouldn’t have surprised her. Like most bullies, Branch was used to dishing it out, but taking it was another matter. Of course they’d hit him where he was most vulnerable. She had no doubt that he’d stewed about it and become increasingly worried when it became clear that neither the tribal nor the county police would be able to find Benally easily. Fear always brought out the worst in a person.
As Ella considered her options, she remembered Hoskie Ben. He probably knew more about Branch than anyone else. She’d start with him.
Ella called the station and after identifying herself only as a friend was put through to Hoskie Ben.
“It’s Ella Clah,” she explained. “Sorry for the subterfuge, but I need to talk to you off the record.”
“Then it’s a good thing you didn’t say who you were. With Lewis Hunt trying to stir up some of his own vigilante type justice, George is nothing short of paranoid. People like him recognize their own. If the receptionist mentioned that you’d called me, he’d make my life miserable.”
“Can we meet somewhere after you get off work?”
“Sure. What did you have in mind?”
“I need to ask you a few questions. Off the record is better, but I can make this official.”
“Can you be more specific?” he asked, his voice guarded. “I have a responsibility to this station. Proprietary business stays confidential.”
“Let’s meet. If you don’t like a particular question, don’t answer it, and I’ll go to the next one,” she said, keeping her tone as casual as possible. She wanted him relaxed, not on his guard.
“Fair enough. I live just southwest of where the La Plata River joins the San Juan. It’s as close as you can get to Farmington and still be on the Rez. I rent land from an allottee, and since my wife works and my kids are at school, we’ll have the place to ourselves. I can get off for lunch at eleven. How about if we meet a half hour after that?”
Ella checked her watch. It was nine-thirty now. “That sounds fine. I’ll see you then.”
As soon as Ella hung up, the telephone rang. It was Jim Begay, the trading post owner at Beclabito and one of the few traditionalist-leaning Navajos who wasn’t afraid to contact her. “Are you still looking for John Ts
o?”
“Yes, is he around?”
There was a brief pause. “He was. He came in to buy supplies and mentioned that he was going into the Chuska Mountains to find one of his family’s lost shrines. I told him you were looking for him, and he said that he’d look you up when he came back to Shiprock. I suggested that you needed his services right away, but he just shrugged and said you’d have to wait. He had to do this other thing first while he was still strong enough to do it. It’s part of the legacy he wanted to leave behind for his family. After he left, I thought about it and wondered if he’d really understood how much you needed him. He’s been out of touch with all the news around here.”
“Any idea when he’ll be coming out of the mountains?”
“He bought enough supplies for two or three days at least, but may have had more food in his truck. I really can’t say, Ella. Sorry,” Jim answered.
“Well, thanks for letting me know.” Ella hung up and called Rose. “Do you know anyone out there who might be willing to try to find the hataalii and convince him to do a Sing for me right away? I can’t take off and go searching for him now. It might take days.”
“Let me see if I can get some of the Plant Watchers who live in the area to go check for him.”
Ella hung up, satisfied. If it could be done, her mother’s friends would find John Tso.
After another quick meeting with the chief to tell him the news about the Singer, Ella got on the road. She had over an hour before she had to meet with Hoskie, so she decided to stop by and see Carolyn Roanhorse Lavery. Ella still needed a physical done and she’d been carrying the insurance papers they’d mailed her in her glove compartment for some time now.
Ella was halfway to the hospital when her cell phone rang. “Hunt made me, Ella. I’m sure of it,” Justine said.
“Where are you now?” Ella asked.
“Just off the road west of Hogback. He stopped by the grocery store in Shiprock and came out with a cart full of groceries. Then he got on Highway Sixty-four heading east. He turned off on a gravel road before Hogback, so I went farther south and drove on a parallel course along the ditch levee. The only problem is that the trail here is dry and dusty and the cloud of dust that my unit left behind was impossible for even a blind man to miss. He’s slowed down considerably now so I’m sure he made me.”