Her Hero

by Aimée Thurlo

  When she reached down to start the ignition, the man quickened his pace.

  The engine sputtered, then died. Joshua knew they

  wouldn’t get away in time. “I’ll divert him,” he said, throwing his door open and ducking out.

  By the time the engine purred to life, Joshua saw that what he’d mistaken for a weapon was only a couple of fishing poles. With Nydia’s headlights illuminating the area, he could see it was old man Simmons.

  “Heard you’re having some trouble, medicine man,” Simmons said, approaching as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

  “What have you heard?” Joshua answered.

  “I’ve been walking around quite a while today. Went to my favorite fishing spot, and couldn’t decide whether to use my spinning outfit or my new fly rod. On the way back, I heard people talking, and I’m sorry to say some are pretty sure that you had something to do with your father’s death.”

  “You don’t believe that. You’re not frightened,” Joshua observed.

  “No, but you should be worried. Rumors like this bring out the meanness in people. It could be dangerous for you until the real killer is caught. You need your family now, my friend, especially the sheriff.”

  “That’s good advice, old friend. I intend to follow it.” Saying goodbye, he returned to Nydia’s truck.

  She sat ramrod straight, her breathing quick and harsh. “I gather you know him.”

  “Did you hear our conversation?”

  “Enough to know that it’s time to go find your brother.”

  He had to admit his quarry had slipped beyond his grasp, and for the moment, it was pointless to put off the tests Gabriel wanted him to take. “It’s time to go see my brother, but let’s take the long way to his office.”

  “Why?”

  He hesitated. “I don’t think there’s anything to gain by being careless now. Somebody besides Gabriel might figure we’ll be showing up there soon, and be watching the place.”

  “Okay. Give me directions.”

  “We’ll have to go through the residential area south of Main Street. And while we’re there, we might as well do one last check on the vehicles parked outside. Most of the folks there own the type of all-terrain vehicles that would have no trouble making a speedy exit out of the forested area around my hogan.”

  “We won’t be able to see a thing in the dark.”

  “The dark will work to our advantage now. We’ll go in silently on foot and take a closer look. Have you ever hunted?”

  “Only with a camera. But I can move quietly, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  He nodded. “Looks like we’ll have the chance to put your skills to a test.”

  AS THEY ENTERED the private neighborhood, Nydia glanced around. “There are only a few lights coming from those houses. Looks like people go to bed early here, like on the reservation where they’re up at dawn or close to it.”

  “They’re not up at dawn here, but there’s not much to do after nightfall, except when there’s a game at the high school or a dance.”

  She parked in the shadows of a giant elm. “There are vehicles parked near each of those houses. If we get caught. someone might just shoot us, especially if they know a murderer has just struck in their community.”

  “You don’t have to come with me.”

  “I’m going.”

  Joshua suspected that she was worried that he’d give her the slip, but he had no intention of doing that. Rather than argue with her, however, he decided to let her help, knowing an additional set of eyes and ears would come in handy.

  They worked their way down the row of driveways using the rising moon to guide them. His gaze was sharp even in the night. What surprised him was that hers seemed to be a match for his. She walked with confidence, and didn’t stumble or fumble in the dark. As he moved down a side street with a truck in almost every driveway, he studied the tires of each vehicle, not just the body, and noticed she was doing the same.

  They’d nearly reached the end of that cul-de-sac when he turned and realized that Nydia was no longer near. She’d gone down the driveway that led to Olivia Farrell’s detached garage. The old woman had a dog of legendary proportions. Even the high-school kids were afraid of him. Some of the younger boys claimed that the dog was trained to pin any intruder to the ground unless he stayed rock still.

  He had no doubt that Olivia herself had started that story to keep the kids from cutting across her yard. But rumors like those grew and took on a life of their own after a while. Of course, it didn’t help that Danger was black, and at night his most clearly distinguishable features were huge white canines gleaming with saliva.

  Joshua hurried to catch Nydia before she walked past the hedge. “Stop!” He whispered as loud as he dared.

  The warning came too late. Danger rushed out from behind the hedge, blocking Nydia’s path. “Okay. I stopped,” she answered in a harsh whisper. “Now do something before this mongrel decides to turn me into a chew stick.”

  Chapter Three

  Joshua came up behind her slowly, then whistled two low tones, repeating them once, like a birdcall.

  Nydia gasped with surprise as the huge black beast lay down, then rolled over on his back. She’d heard of hataaliis performing apparent miracles, but she’d never seen this particular demonstration.

  “I’ve studied our singers and their abilities, but this is a new one on me,” Nydia said, backing slowly out of Danger’s reach. Her knees were so weak she could barely stand. She liked dogs, but this monster was to a dog what a grizzly was to a teddy bear. “If he’s just an ordinary doggy here in Four Winds, I think I can get a few biologists interested in the water.”

  As she reached Joshua’s side, she took a long, shuddering breath. There was something about being with him that made her feel safe. Maybe it was his confidence or his ability to command the situation no matter how badly the odds were stacked against him. As her eyes met his, she sensed his silent assurance that nothing would ever hurt her as long as he was near. “What’s with that bird whistle? Where did you learn that?”

  “Danger’s a dog Mrs. Farrell found wandering around looking for a home. He was just a pup back then, but he kept right on growing. Must be the Newfoundland blood in him. I dog-sit him whenever she goes out of town, so he knows me.”

  “And you taught him a few commands, like what to do when he hears your whistle,” Nydia concluded. “Pretty good training. Impressive, actually. For a minute, I was ready to say it was some kind of magic trick.”

  “Not everything a singer does is a trick, my skeptical friend.”

  “Most of what I’ve seen has been.”

  He started to argue, then stopped. There were other, more-important matters facing them now. “Why did you decide to come up this particular driveway?”

  “It seemed like a good hiding spot because it’s so far off the road. And I was right to check. Take a look,” she added, pointing ahead.

  A standard-sized pickup was parked way in the back, on a graveled section of the driveway that led up to the detached garage. Even in the semidarkness, it wasn’t hard to see that the pickup was splattered with mud. Only the area of the windshield the wipers covered had been cleared, leaving just enough room for the driver to be able to see.

  “That’s not Mrs. Farrell’s vehicle, so I have no idea what it’s doing here, but it does look kind of familiar. Let’s get closer so I can wipe the mud off the license plate and get a good look at it.”

  As they started toward it, the neighbor’s porch and yard lights came on. “We better get out of here,” Joshua whispered, stopping in midstride. “That’s Mr. Gonzalez’s home, and I’ve seen his gun collection.”

  As they hurried back to Nydia’s truck, she added, “Do you think that is the killer’s vehicle?”

  “I think that’s a possibility worth checking out. Let’s get over to the police station. This is one piece of information my brother should have immediately.”

  THIRTY
MINUTES LATER, after finding the sheriffs office dark and empty, they arrived at Gabriel’s home. Nydia couldn’t help but admire the attractive adobe house. In the glow of the porch light, red roses on either side of the doorway welcomed guests.

  Joshua looked around for others who might be watching the house, then gestured to the other three vehicles parked beside Gabriel’s home. “Looks like both my brothers are here, along with Lanie. They’ve undoubtedly been expecting me.”

  She started to comment, but there was no time. The sheriff came out onto the porch and glowered at them.

  “Things may get a bit tense,” Joshua warned, walking with her toward the door. “Give me a chance to talk to them.”

  Gabriel met Joshua halfway up the sidewalk. “Do you realize the stupidity of what you’ve done, Tree?” Gabriel snapped.

  Nydia saw another man appear in the doorway, and recognized Lucas, the middle Blackhorse brother. His face was as grim as the sheriff’s had been.

  “You both knew I’d come back,” Joshua replied calmly. “That’s why you’ve been waiting.”

  Lucas shrugged. “That’s not the point, Tree. We knew that you’d eventually do the right thing, but you’ve made matters unnecessarily complicated for yourself by taking so long.”

  “I was certain that I could find a lead, and I did,” Joshua said, telling Gabriel about the pickup they’d spotted. “Sorry I can’t tell you what color it was because it was too dark. But it definitely wasn’t Mrs. Farrell’s.”

  “There are several state policemen out now patrolling the county. That was one of the concessions I was forced to make to the mayor, who felt I was too close to the case to handle it effectively. I’ll get one of those officers to check out the truck.”

  “You better warn the officer about that monster dog, Danger, too,” Nydia added. “He might be a problem.”

  Gabriel nodded once, then looked at her sternly. “We’ll talk about your part in all this later. Meanwhile, come inside the house. I need to radio this in and I don’t want everyone standing out here silhouetted by the house lights. No need to turn the lot of us into targets.”

  As Nydia sat down in a comfortable-looking chair in the living room, she could feel the tension in the room. Lanie, Gabriel’s dark-haired Anglo wife, smiled and brought her and Joshua cups of hot coffee. She then returned to the sofa where some papers, probably schoolwork, were scattered about.

  Nydia quietly appraised each of the Blackhorse brothers. They were all undeniably handsome and strong, but there was a gentleness about Joshua, despite his size and powerful build, that she found particularly appealing.

  She thought back to a lifetime ago, to the time she’d met and married Frank, her late husband, and blinked back the tears. She had loved him, but she’d been a different person then, so very young and impressed by the high-impact maleness of a rodeo cowboy.

  Years alone with the responsibility for their son had taught her to look beyond appearances and posturing, however. What drew her to a man these days was a kaleidoscope of traits that attested to confidence and strength. She looked at Joshua. Right now, sadness covered him and the other Blackhorse brothers like a shroud, but Joshua drew strength from within himself, making him appear the leader, though he was the youngest. He spoke quietly, yet authority flowed from him, giving courage to those around him. There was a power in him that seemed to come from his roots and his connection to the People. But there was more to the man and to her feelings. Even the sound of his voice made her heart beat faster.

  Joshua looked at Lucas, who was staring pensively into his coffee cup, then at Gabriel, who had just hung up the phone. “I’m here now, and we have matters to resolve. Let’s not waste any more time assigning blame.”

  “We have a problem, Tree,” Gabriel said. “It’s been several hours since you left the crime scene, so gunpowderresidue tests are going to be inconclusive, basically useless. Cops don’t even bother to conduct them this long after the crime was committed, even if the suspect hasn’t cleaned his hands.”

  “He still has your father’s blood on him,” Nydia argued. “It’s obvious he hasn’t had a chance to wash up.”

  “Too much time has passed for the test to be conclusive, washed or not washed,” Gabriel said.

  “All right, let’s move on to other matters, then. What clues were you able to find at the site?” Joshua asked.

  “I recorded the tracks left by a pickup that wasn’t yours or Dad’s, and was too wide to be Nydia’s. We found some shell casings, too, that I think will match ejection marks from your rifle. There are only two sets of fingerprints on the rifle, so the shooter must have worn gloves. You both admit handling the rifle, so those fingerprints, if they’re yours as I suspect, will be easy to explain. I also have a cast of footprints that are definitely too small to be yours, and too large to be Nydia’s.”

  “If you know there was a vehicle that’s unaccounted for, and you’ve recorded an extra set of footprints, doesn’t that support your brother’s claim of innocence?”

  “Support, yes, prove, no,” Gabriel answered. “It could be argued that the footprints and the vehicle tracks were left by someone not connected to the crime, and that Joshua’s fingerprints are there because he fired the rifle.” He glared at his younger brother. “And some will say that you ran away in order to make sure the gunpowder-residue tests couldn’t be used against you.”

  Joshua sat up, his back straight. “You know better than that.” Though his tone was quiet, the disdain in his voice made Nydia flinch.

  Gabriel simply shook his head. “We all lost our father and share in that grief, but by leaving, you’ve given me another family member to worry about. New Mexico does have the death penalty. Tree.” Gabriel stood and paced like a caged tiger. “I know you’re innocent, but the way things are now, I have to prove that, as well as catch a killer. There are those who judge you by your actions, and running away made them believe you’re guilty. The mayor has already said that he wants someone else working on the case in addition to me. He told me that the state police will be sending a detective as soon as they can spare someone.”

  Nydia felt her spirits sag. The murder investigation was really complicating things, and she couldn’t afford the time that straightening it out was likely to take. She’d come looking for the hataalii at her son’s request, hoping he could come with her immediately, but now it looked like she was destined to go home without the medicine man at all. Even worse, she truly feared her father-in-law’s belief in the old ways was so strong, he really would die unless Joshua performed the life-giving ceremony that only he knew. If that happened, her son would certainly blame her for failing them all.

  Finding her coffee cup empty, Nydia joined Lucas, who stood by the sideboard across the room pouring himself more of the steaming brew.

  “You’re the medic here in Four Winds, aren’t you?” Nydia asked him.

  “Yes. Is something wrong?” Lucas reached over and filled her cup with coffee, too, studying her with a professional eye.

  The question almost made her laugh. It wasn’t so much a matter of something being wrong as it was of nothing being right. “Tell me this—can someone who believes himself to be dying actually cause his own death? Is that really possible?”

  Without looking back, Nydia felt Joshua’s gaze on her. She hadn’t asked him, because she’d known what he’d say. But he looked disappointed that she hadn’t asked.

  “People have died of psychosomatic illnesses. I remember a case years back. A person got locked in a railroad car he believed was refrigerated. He died of hypothermia, even though the unit inside the car hadn’t been working. It was the force of his belief that killed him.”

  “Tell me what’s wrong with your father-in-law,” Joshua said, coming up to join them. “Is it possible another hataalii can help him?”

  “I don’t know. He and my eleven-year-old son, both traditionalists, insist that you’re the only one, that the ancient life-giving song passed to you by you
r teacher is my father-in-law’s only hope. You see, this started when my father-in-law was taking care of his sheep and lightning struck a tree near him, setting it ablaze. He said he inhaled those fumes and that’s why he became so sick. He had a shooting chant done but, according to my father-in-law, he’d waited too long so the ceremony didn’t do him any good. He continued to get worse.

  “I was really worried, so I had two doctors from the medical center go take a look at him. They verified that he’s dying, and much too weak to travel, but they can’t find any medical reason for his condition. He’s at home with family now, but grows weaker every day.”

  “You seem to know quite a bit about the prayer my teacher passed on to me,” Joshua commented.

  “My son wants to be a hataalii like you. He often visited your teacher. That was how he learned that the chant had been passed to you and to no one else. When my fatherin-law heard that you alone possessed it, he became convinced that his one hope lay in having you brought to him.”

  “My brother can’t go anywhere, not until this matter is settled,” Gabriel told Nydia, joining the group by the coffee. “It’s part of the compromise I had to work out with the mayor to keep myself on the case.”

  “I know it’s difficult for you right now, but try not to worry too much. Four Winds called you here, and you came. Things will work out,” Lucas added.

  She looked at Lucas, bewildered. “Four Winds didn’t ‘call’ me. I came here in search of help. This isn’t ‘The Twilight Zone.’“ Nydia saw the way the brothers exchanged glances, and a shudder ran up her spine. It was as if they shared a secret.

  Nydia pushed back the thought. She was tired, hungry and upset. Now her imagination was working overtime. “Would it be possible for me to use your telephone?” she asked Lanie, who was now looking at her as strangely as the brothers had been. “I need to make a long-distance call, but I’ll use my credit card.”

  Lanie nodded, and rose from the sofa. “There’s a phone in the kitchen. You’ll be able to talk privately there.”