by Aimée Thurlo
“Whatever you do, don’t tell my mother that there’s a horse on the property. She’s after me to buy one as soon as possible so I can go riding with Dawn.”
“This particular animal isn’t for sale. Curtisy’s brother exercises him three times a week and the family loves him for some strange and mystifying reason. But I’ll be happy to keep my ears open and if I hear of a good horse . . .”
“A gentle horse. It’s been a long, long time since I rode.”
When they arrived at the station, Justine left to do the background check. Ella turned to go to her own office, then changing her mind, headed back outside. The college had Saturday afternoon classes and she knew Wilson would still be there. Climbing into her replacement vehicle, Ella drove over there needing to talk to him.
It was nearly three p.m. by the time she reached Wilson’s office. Seeing her, he waved her inside. “What brings you here? I’m just about done for the day.”
“I’m looking into the possibility that one of Garnenez’s students is the sniper who has been taking shots at me,” she explained. “Since the professor has been doing his best to get everyone stirred up, I need to check out that possibility. I’d like to talk to someone who regularly attends his classes and might be able to give me a lead—a teaching assistant, for example. Can you recommend someone?”
“Cindie Dodge. She’s one of the department aides, so she works for me too. She’s a great kid, well, young lady, and works hard. Cindie also seems to be as honest as they come.”
“Where can I find her?”
“She’ll be taking home some of my students’ papers to grade before Monday so I’m waiting for her to stop by and pick them up. She should be here any minute.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than a sturdy-looking young Navajo woman wearing jeans and a white and red Chieftains sweatshirt came into the room.
Wilson introduced them. “I missed lunch, so I’m going to go pick up a sandwich and let you two talk privately. Then I’ll be back and we’ll go over the answer sheets, Cindie.”
As he left, Ella sat down in one of the empty chairs. “I need to talk to you confidentially about Professor Garnenez. I understand that he’s been saying a lot of things about me.”
She looked directly at Ella. “He acts like he’s afraid of you, Investigator Clah. I think he really believes that you pose a threat to others and he presents what could be a convincing case—providing you believe in the old ways—which I don’t. Right now, he’s asked everyone to keep a look out for that medicine man, John Tso.”
“One more question. Do you know if he’s a member of any of the local gun clubs?”
“I have no idea. I don’t know anything about his personal life. But you might ask his new helper—Loretta Destea. She’s your sister-in-law, isn’t she?”
“What has she got to do with this?”
“She’s the new departmental executive assistant and has been working mostly with him. They’ve been rearranging the storeroom—which is a really hard task because everything in there has been randomly stacked on the shelves for years. Some of the other aides have started to gossip about them because they’ve been spending so much time alone. You know how people talk.” She glanced at her watch. “They were back in the storeroom a few minutes ago and are probably still there, if you want to go ask them something.”
Ella had been in the storeroom before so she knew where it was. Although she wasn’t sure she wanted to interrupt her sister-in-law, she wanted to see for herself what was going on. If Loretta was having an affair, it would destroy her brother. Brushing her misgivings aside, she went to talk to her.
Ella went through the door at the back of Wilson’s classroom that led to the supply area beyond. As she stepped inside and closed the door behind her, she recognized Loretta’s voice coming from the other end of the crowded room. The storeroom had rows of shelves containing supplies and equipment that reached up nearly to the ceiling. Several rows stood between Ella and where Loretta was working so neither could see the other, but a man carrying a box was visible for a second as he stepped from a classroom into the storage area. It was Professor Garnenez.
Before she could say anything and let them know she was there, she heard Loretta talking about her, so Ella remained quiet.
“My husband is a very good hataalii, but his perspective is off when it comes to his sister. If it was up to me, I’d have my sister-in-law move off the Navajo Nation completely until the Singer can be found. It would be for her sake as well as everyone else’s.”
“I tried to keep an eye on her, at least right after the accident, but I have other responsibilities too,” Garnenez replied. “Now, she’s likely to show up almost anywhere without notice. I can certainly understand your concern for your son.”
“I try hard to be a good mother. I want to protect my son, but my husband’s making that very difficult right now.”
“It’s too bad that your husband’s loyalties are so divided. You deserve better,” he murmured.
There was something in Garnenez’s tone that alerted Ella. Instinct told her that the man wasn’t just being sympathetic—he had a thing for Loretta.
“He’s always so busy with his patients he just loses track of everything else, including his family.”
From Loretta’s harried and slightly impatient tone, it was clear to her that her sister-in-law had no clue.
“He should put you ahead of his work. Any good husband would do that for his wife,” Garnenez added.
Ella got ready to go up to them and surprise Garnenez, who was clearly making his move on her brother’s wife, but then Loretta rose to Clifford’s defense.
“He does his best,” Loretta said firmly. “His job is extremely important. But his allegiance to his sister just makes me crazy. She’s like that Typhoid Mary woman we heard about in history class. Worst of all, she just doesn’t see it.”
“She is a danger, and unless she watches her step, someone is going to take matters into their own hands and remove the threat.”
Ella didn’t pay too much attention to Loretta’s comment, but Garnenez’s response and his tone of voice got her cop instincts going.
As Loretta switched the conversation to matters pertaining to the workroom, Ella slipped back out the door. Garnenez had just moved way up on her list of suspects, despite his alibi. It was possible that he’d found someone to eliminate her and the threat he believed she posed. From now on, she’d be keeping really close tabs on the professor.
SEVENTEEN
As Ella left the campus, she carefully considered her next move. Garnenez made her skin crawl. He was a zealot, and that type either created trouble or was part of it. Of course the fact that he was coming on to her brother’s wife in a very sleazy, underhanded way only fueled her hope that she’d be able to throw his sorry butt in jail someday soon.
As she drove away from the campus, Ella considered going to her brother and telling him what was going on, but the possibility that she’d do more harm than good stopped her. Placing it at the back of her mind for now, she decided to go home instead.
By the time Ella arrived, Dawn was sitting on the floor with her back to the sofa, watching TV and petting Two, who had his head in her lap. Ella gave her daughter a hug, and Two a pat on the head, but before she could sit down to talk to Dawn, Rose appeared at the doorway to the kitchen.
Seeing her signal, Ella joined her in the kitchen instead. “What’s up, Mom?”
“I got another call from your daughter’s Anglo school-teacher. She wanted to warn me about another situation she just heard about. It seems that some of the mothers have complained about your daughter attending classes with their children. They believe that since it’s a tribal run kindergarten, you should comply with the demands of the Navajo Way or be forced to take your child out of school. Even two of the modernist mothers agreed. They feel that honoring our culture is what differentiates this program from a regular public school, and that what you’re doing goes agains
t the spirit of the program.”
“Nobody is forcing my daughter out of school. If they have a problem they can withdraw their own children. But I’ve been thinking about this already and it may be time to try another solution,” Ella said. “I’m going to move in with my cousin until I can have the Sing. That’ll take some of the pressure off all of you here.”
Rose nodded slowly. “Your daughter will have an easier time at school if you’re not living under the same roof with her. But, as I said before, that may create new problems for you. Some will assume that I’ve asked you to leave.”
“I can take care of myself, Mom. I’ll be fine. I’ll call my cousin and move out tonight,” Ella said, her hands clenching into fists.
“You’re angry,” Rose observed.
“You bet I’m angry. It shouldn’t have to be this way.”
“It would be no different on the outside, daughter. Even there, anyone who’s believed to pose a threat to others is isolated—socially or physically. Our beliefs are not universal, but what you’re experiencing is.”
Ella glanced toward the living room. “Somehow, I’ve got to get my child to understand all this. It’s a lot to ask of a little girl.” Moments later Ella joined her daughter and sat down on the rug beside her. “Will you turn off the TV for a bit? You and I need to talk.”
Dawn switched it off, then looked at Ella. “You look sad, Shimá.”
“I have to move out for a while. I’ll try to come back and see you every day, but I want you to try real hard not to tell your friends or anyone else about that. It’ll be our little secret. Can you try to do that?” Ella knew the secret wouldn’t last long, even though Dawn was much more responsible and mature than her friends, but hopefully a little caution would make things easier for Dawn for a while.
Dawn furrowed her eyes and thought about it for a while, then nodded. “Okay, I’ll try real hard. But why are you leaving?”
“Because it’ll make things easier for you at school and for your shimasání.”
She nodded, her eyes even larger than usual. “It’s okay if some of the mothers don’t want their kids to play with me. It doesn’t hurt me.”
“Thanks, sweetie. You’re a brave daughter. But we’re going to fix all that so it won’t be a problem anymore.”
“Okay. Where are you going to stay?”
“I’m going to live with Aunt J for a while,” she said, using Dawn’s name for Justine.
“When will you come home?”
“Soon. I promise. I’m working really hard to get everything straightened out. But, for now, this is best for everyone.”
“People aren’t very nice when they’re scared,” Dawn said somberly.
Ella sighed. Her daughter understood far more than she’d realized. “You’re right about that.”
“Can I watch TV now?”
Ella smiled. Despite her obvious maturity at times, Dawn still had a short attention span. “Sure you can.” Switching on the set, Ella quietly left the living room and walked to her bedroom. While packing, she dialed Justine’s number.
“How about if I move in tonight?” Ella asked.
“Sure. That’s fine. Joe’s here, though. That okay?”
“Joseph Neskahi?”
“Yeah. He comes by to visit pretty often. He brought pizza tonight, so if you haven’t eaten . . .”
“Save me a slice.”
As she hung up, Ella saw Rose at the door, watching her. “You’re very troubled about something . . . more than just about leaving us for a while.”
Ella nodded. She couldn’t tell Rose about Loretta, her job, and Professor Garnenez. If she told anyone, it would be Clifford, and she’d already decided against that.
Ella closed the suitcase. “I’m only a phone call and twenty minutes away. Remember that,” she said, and then told her about Emily. “She’s a good cop, Mom. Make sure she’s introduced to the animals so they won’t get upset.”
Rose nodded. “Fix things soon. Your daughter needs you here, not at your second cousin’s.”
“I think my kid’s more independent than either of us give her credit for, Mom. When I told her I was leaving she took it calmly and gave me the impression that she understands exactly what’s going on.”
“She’s growing up fast, but maybe that’s a good thing. We can’t shelter her from the world.”
“I don’t want her to grow up too soon.” Ella sighed and shook her head. “I’d better get going.”
“We’ll take care of things here. Just do what you can to settle this matter quickly.”
It was tough saying one last good-bye to her daughter. Then as Ella looked at Dawn’s tranquil face, she suddenly realized she was far more upset than Dawn was. Ella smiled. “Be a good girl and if you want to talk to me, you can call. Okay?”
“Okay.” Dawn looked up at her and smiled. “You’re coming back soon, Shimá. Don’t worry.”
Ella sighed and walked out without looking back. If she did, she was certain she’d change her mind. She hated being forced into doing anything, and this was nothing short of surrender. As a fighter, that went against everything she was, but when it came to her child, the rules changed. Nothing was more important to her than Dawn.
When Ella arrived at Justine’s, she was welcomed warmly. “I’m really glad you’ll be staying here,” Justine said. “This house is too empty with just one person. Let me show you around.”
Justine took her down a very long hall that had rooms on both sides, some small, some large. Most weren’t furnished, but all had curtains or blinds. “How many bedrooms does the house have anyway?” Ella asked.
“Five, and a study. It’s also got two and a half bathrooms.”
“It really is huge. From the front it looks like any other frame house, but it goes back quite a ways.”
“The rent’s incredibly low, too. But you’ll understand why once you meet the horse,” Justine added with a wry smile. “So which room would you like? I have a spare bed in the garage and we can set it up wherever you want.”
Before long, with the three of them moving and assembling the bed, Ella was settled into the bedroom next to Justine’s office. The window that faced east would give her a beautiful view of the river valley when morning arrived.
As soon as she’d unpacked, Ella followed the voices and headed for the kitchen. Joseph Neskahi was pouring himself a beer as she walked in.
“I nuked your pizza,” Justine said, setting the plate before her.
Ella realized that she had six slices. “This is too much. Why don’t you each take one?”
“We’ve eaten like horses,” Justine said and shook her head. “Joe brought two pizzas.”
Neskahi smiled. “I’ll take one off your hands.”
“This is a wonderful place, Justine. You were lucky to find it.”
“You’re right, but it’s so quiet! I’m used to living with lots of brothers and sisters. That’s why I’ve been looking around for a roommate. But I’m pretty choosy.”
Soon, the conversation turned to the case, not unexpected with three members of the Special Investigation team in the room.
“While I was patrolling, I made it a point to stop by the campus,” Justine said. “My niece Julie is taking a few classes and knows a lot of people. But all I turned up was what you already know—Professor Garnenez hates your guts.”
“Yeah, so I’ve been told. Unfortunately, he’s got an alibi.”
“You want to take him down,” Justine noted from her tone. “The man really bugs you, doesn’t he?”
“Is it because of your sister-in-law?” Neskahi asked. “I’ve heard some talk.”
Ella glanced at Neskahi in surprise. If he’d heard, then it was only a matter of time before her brother did as well. “The gossip is just that—gossip. I know that for a fact. But I have to admit, if he didn’t have an alibi, he’d be a great suspect,” she said and explained what she’d overheard him saying to Loretta.
“Maybe we should take
a second look at his alibi,” Neskahi said.
“It’s pretty solid,” Ella said. “The professor told me he was at the Quick Stop talking to Clyde Franklin. Clyde remembered talking to him that Tuesday because he’d been trying to watch part two of that TV show with the cop who hears people’s thoughts and Garnenez ruined it for him. By the time the professor left, he’d missed it all.”
“Wait a minute. I watched that episode. The program doesn’t come on Tuesdays. It comes on Monday nights, and they don’t rerun it like with some shows.”
Ella stared at Neskahi. “If you’re right . . .”
Justine stood up. “Want to go verify that alibi again with Clyde?”
“Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do.”
“Then let’s go. We can take my truck. Joe, you want to tag along?”
“No, I’ll pass this time. I’ve got to go home and feed my livestock.”
“I didn’t know you had any,” Ella said, realizing how little she knew about Sergeant Neskahi.
“Just one horse and two goats. It’s all I have time for.”
Ella started to ask him if his horse was for sale, but before she could, he continued.
“That old horse has been with me for years. I think he’s close to twenty-five now. He’s as much a part of my life as my gun and shield. I just wish I had more time to ride him.”
“If you hear of a nice gelding, a really gentle horse, let me know, okay? I’m kind of in the market,” Ella asked.
Neskahi nodded. “I’ll ask around.”
“Dawn been pressuring you?” Justine smiled. “It was just a matter of time, wasn’t it?”
Ella laughed. “With my mother on her side, I never had a chance.”
As they headed out moments later, Ella glanced over at Justine. “Thanks for letting me stay with you, partner. I’m not sure if I said that already or not.”
“It’s not a problem at all. Really.” Justine smiled slowly. “But you owe me one next time I ask for a day off.”
Ella burst out laughing. Her cousin never asked for a day off unless it was a full-out emergency—and she’d never been turned down.