Tracking Bear

by Thurlo, David

  “You’re right.” Justine slowed to a stop behind Thelma, and Ella climbed out.

  Thelma glanced back at Ella as she came up. “If you’ve come for some of my apples, I’ve already closed the stand for the day, but I could sell you some if you don’t need me to make change.”

  Ella asked for a grocery bag of apples, seeing several small sacks folded and stuck between the boxes. The woman stopped and filled a bag, two apples at a time.

  “Do you need anything else? Business was slow today, so I decided to quit an hour early and go home. The price for the apples is five dollars a bag.”

  “I’ll walk along with you, if you don’t mind.” Ella handed her the money. “May I pull the wagon for you?”

  The old woman nodded, placing the money in the pocket of her thin cardigan sweater, and they started walking toward the old cinder-block home a hundred yards farther down the lane.

  “Do you know who I am?” Ella asked.

  “Yes. You ran those troublemaking Navajos out of the power plant across the river. I think you were once called L.A. Woman.”

  It had been many years since anyone had used that nickname, and nowadays, if she had a new one, she didn’t know what it was. For a moment, Ella’s mind went back to the days when she’d just resigned from the FBI and had joined ranks with the tribal police. She’d tried very hard at first to get accepted by the tribe, but to them, she’d become an outsider.

  “You proved them all wrong, including me, you know,” Thelma said softly. “I thought you would be just like my nephew. He left, then forgot who he was. But you remembered after you came back, and many respect that now.”

  “Would you be willing to talk to me about your nephew and his family?”

  She nodded and smiled. “You did the right thing, buying some of my apples, even if you don’t need them.”

  Ella laughed. “I’m glad you approve.”

  “I knew you’d come, you know,” Thelma said. “The death of my nephew’s son has touched us all. Now I’m the only one my nephew has left. We’ve even started speaking again, and I’ve been to his home off the Navajo Nation.” She paused, then added in a somber voice, “Tracking Bear has found all the members of my family now—except me.”

  Ella glanced at Thelma. “I know the story of Tracking Bear. But what does that have to do with your nephew?”

  “My nephew has had many nightmares about that Navajo monster. It haunts his dreams. I told him to go see a hataalii, and he did, but I don’t think he’s going to have a Sing done over him. Even with his son dead, he still won’t listen. Before long, Tracking Bear will claim him, too. When we allowed that uranium to be taken from the earth, we dishonored Earth Woman, and she cursed us.”

  “Has he ever spoken to you about what he’s trying to do now for the tribe?”

  Thelma nodded slowly. “He wants to stop the uranium mines from ever being opened again. He’s afraid things will go wrong again and the Dineh will pay dearly, as they have in the past.” Thelma paused. “He’s also trying to get better medical treatment and benefits for those already injured. But something goes wrong for him at every turn.”

  “We went to his home and couldn’t find him. Do you know where he might have gone?” Ella asked.

  “When his heart aches, he likes to go off by himself. He’s always been that way. But, no, I don’t know where you can find him, except to say that he’ll be camping someplace on the reservation.”

  Ella bit back her frustration. That didn’t narrow the field much. The Rez was a large place.

  As they reached the house, Thelma took the handle of the red wagon. “Do you have all you want now?”

  “Yes, even the apples. Thank you.”

  As the elderly woman went inside, Ella walked over to the SUV where Justine was waiting. Once they got under way, Ella told her what she’d learned.

  “We still can’t explain the reason for all the break-ins, or the murders, and now we can’t even locate Franklin. We’re not making headway—we’re losing ground,” Justine said.

  “No, I don’t agree. We just haven’t pieced together what we know in the right way. Father and son were staunchly opposed to NEED, but deep down, they must have realized that it was a fight they wouldn’t win—not without more leverage than they had. I’m wondering if either of the Franklins somehow managed to get some kind of documentation that would discredit NEED.”

  “You’re talking blackmail material, right?”

  “Yeah, exactly. It’s possible that the common denominator is blackmail material that the professor hid somewhere. What we have to do now is stop guessing and lean hard on Kee Franklin—but first, we’ll have to find him again.”

  “We can put out an APB…”

  Ella considered it then shook her head. “No, let’s not resort to that yet. The bottom line is that we have to persuade Franklin to cooperate with us. Strong-arm tactics won’t get us what we want.” Exasperated, Ella ran a hand through her hair. “We’re still missing an important piece of the puzzle. I can feel it in my gut. But unless Blalock can get the government to open a few files for me, we’re never going to see how it all fits together.”

  “Ask FB-Eyes again. Sometimes it pays to bug people.”

  “Yeah, I think you’re right. But to be fair, I know he’s as frustrated as I am with this. He doesn’t like to get bureaucratic doors slammed in his face.”

  “At least he has the connections. We don’t.”

  “True,” Ella admitted.

  “What do you want to do now?” Justine asked.

  Ella said nothing for a long moment. “It’s close to quitting time, and we both started early today. I think we both should go home and then start where we left off tomorrow morning.”

  “I thought you’d never say that,” Justine said with a relieved sigh. “Why don’t I drop you off at home? I can pick you up tomorrow and you can retrieve your own unit at the station then.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Seventeen

  By the time Ella got home, Dawn had already had supper, so she sat down on the floor in the living room to play with her daughter and her toy farm. The set of animals, stables, and barns had taken on a new significance to Dawn since she’d acquired an interest in horses.

  After a few minutes Rose brought a sandwich out from the kitchen and placed the plate on the coffee table next to Ella.

  “Are you any closer to solving any of the cases you’re working on?” Rose asked, not being more specific in deference to Dawn.

  “Not as close as I’d like to be.” Ella shrugged, reaching for the sandwich. “Thanks for the dinner.”

  Dawn reached for the remote and switched on the TV. The Cartoon Channel appeared, and Dawn began to giggle at the antics of a cartoon mouse. With her child distracted for the moment, Ella nibbled on the sandwich and turned to talk to Rose.

  “What about your reclamation work?” Ella asked.

  “I had an interesting morning, daughter.” Rose smiled, then proceeded to tell her about the college lecture and its outcome.

  “This Vera Jim. She didn’t threaten you, did she?”

  “No, she was just very rude. But in spite of everything, I learned one thing from her. It’s important to see every viewpoint, no matter how convinced you are that you’re in the right,” Rose said.

  “Does that mean you’ve changed your mind on NEED and the proposed new mining operations?” Ella asked.

  “I’m still concerned about safety, and what the project might do to Mother Earth, and our air and water. But I’ve realized that there may be ways to address all that. So now I’m going to try and educate myself on the subject. I’ve gotten photos that show what has worked and what hasn’t when it comes restoring the land. But it’s really hard to get hold of some of the people I need to talk to, like Delbert Shives. I’ve left messages on his answering machine, but he hasn’t returned any of my calls. That Anglo knows a lot about the impact uranium mining has on the plants and ground cover, so I’m h
oping he can suggest ways to help us. No matter what, I’m not giving up. Sooner or later I’ll catch up to him. I’m very persistent.”

  Ella smiled. “Gee, you think?”

  Rose gave her a stern look. “I do my best, and that’s pretty darned good, if I say so myself.”

  “Which you do, and with such modesty!” Ella teased.

  Rose’s eyes flashed with annoyance, then she smiled. “You’ve always been a difficult child.”

  “Blame heredity.” Ella chuckled softly. Still sitting on the floor, she leaned back against the side of the easy chair. As she did, she saw a medicine pouch near the table lamp. The leather had been sewn with care, and there was a bit of embroidering at the top. “Is that yours? I’ve never seen it before.”

  “Yes, it’s for good luck. I made the pouch, and your brother collected the contents himself. I’m going to need all the help I can get to complete what I’ve started.”

  “So he came to visit today?” Seeing her mom nod, Ella added, “I wish his wife would spend more time at home. He seems really lonely over there with his family gone so frequently.”

  “She shouldn’t leave her husband, if you ask me,” Rose said angrily, then shook her head. “Well, maybe it’s best that she’s away. Right now your brother has his hands full with his patients. Being a hataalii demands much, you know. He can’t be blamed if he doesn’t have time, like we do, for all the little things family life requires.”

  Ella found her mother’s words unbelievably irritating. Rose considered whatever Clifford was doing—no matter what it was—of prime importance. Everything and everyone else had always taken second place to Clifford.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” Rose snapped. “Police work is important, but your brother’s work is crucial to our culture.”

  Ella would have argued, but she knew it would get her nowhere.

  “Right now, between his work and the research he’s doing with me, he has very little time for anything else.”

  “What research?”

  “Your brother and I have been looking into NEED beyond what we’ve already learned from our college professor friend. It’s such a complex issue, we got together so we could discuss every side of the problem.”

  “I wish I’d been in on that.”

  Rose shrugged. “We never know when you’re going to be home.”

  Ella just stared at her mother, but she’d never gotten Rose to back down before, and this time was no different.

  As her favorite cartoon came on, Dawn began to sing the opening lyrics. She was never on key, but she always tried to make up for that with volume. That broke the tension between Ella and Rose, and both laughed before retreating into the kitchen.

  “So tell me, how do you both feel about the issue?” Ella asked once she was seated at the dining table.

  “Your brother and I understand the necessity of bringing jobs to the reservation, but there’s one more problem with NEED no one’s really answered to our satisfaction. Something will have to be done with all the radioactive waste produced by the power plant. My guess is that it would probably end up buried here on our land. Then, eventually, it could end up bringing more sickness and death to the People. We need to know how the waste can be stored safely, and what checks will be in place to ensure it doesn’t become a threat.”

  Ella nodded slowly, thinking of the others Tracking Bear already followed. She was pretty sure that no containment facility or burial site could ever be considered one hundred percent safe.

  “We’ve read about that waste storage site down near Carlsbad for storing materials less radioactive than the spent fuel itself. It’s supposed to be secure. Many of the people in that area welcome the money the place brings in, setting aside the long-term risks. Maybe a similar one could be built here, but for higher-level material.”

  “That’s an idea,” Ella said. “There’s talk of a nationwide storage area in Nevada for the most dangerous material, but many of the people in that state are opposed to it. Meanwhile, most spent radioactive fuel rods are stored around the power plants that used them, which seems fair. That probably won’t change anytime soon.”

  “The safety of the Dineh is our first priority, and the only way we can ensure it is to have a supervising committee of experts paid by the tribe to oversee everything NEED does. In other words, NEED will have to be subject to us—and if they didn’t immediately fix things we felt were not right, they would have to shut down.” She took a deep breath, then let it out again. “But those running the facility aren’t going to like putting their operations under our control, so that’s another roadblock to approving the project.”

  Ella nodded slowly. She suddenly had a vision of her mother and other Plant Watchers like Lena Clani forcing the experts to account for everything they did. “I like your ideas, Mom. They wouldn’t impede progress, just ensure that things stay on the right course.”

  “Exactly. I’m glad you agree, because I intend to speak on this issue soon, then start working to get even more support.”

  Ella was about to say more when her cell phone rang.

  “It’s Kevin,” the familiar voice said.

  It surprised her. Normally, he called on the house phone so he could speak to his daughter. That let her know, even before he said anything, that this wasn’t a social call. “I thought I’d better give you a heads-up. You’re going to get a phone call from George Branch tomorrow morning.”

  She tried not to cringe. “That weasel, why?”

  “You remember the trouble I’ve been having with vandalism and harassing phone calls?”

  “Sure. That’s why you’ve got round-the-clock protection.”

  “My problems stopped after I did that, but now, Branch is being subjected to a different kind of harassment. It’s not my fault—but he thinks I’m responsible. I suspect he’s going to file a complaint and give me a lot of bad publicity.”

  “Kevin, tell me straight. You haven’t lowered yourself to his level by using his own tactics against him, have you?”

  “I swear that I’m not behind any of the trouble he’s been having.”

  “Okay, then I’ll do what I can.”

  “Thanks,” he said, sounding very relieved. “Is it too late for me to talk to my daughter?”

  “I don’t know. Let me see if she’s still awake.” Aware that Dawn was no longer singing, she went into the living room and found her child asleep with her head on Two. The old mutt looked up at Ella when she walked in, then closed his eyes again. Dawn never moved.

  “I’m afraid she’s conked out for the night,” Ella said, turning off the Cartoon Channel.

  “All right. Maybe tomorrow.”

  “Remember, until we’re sure no one’s still targeting you, I’d like you to visit our daughter here at my mother’s house,” Ella said.

  “That’s really not necessary anymore. I’ve got a bodyguard. Dawn will be safe.”

  “His responsibility is you, not her. She’s safer here, and I’d rather keep it that way.”

  Kevin paused, then answered, “Yeah, I see your point. I just hate thinking that my job is keeping me from seeing my own kid. Think of it—you wouldn’t react any better than me to that if the conditions were reversed.”

  “I know.” She would have been bouncing off the walls. But she knew Dawn would be safe as long as she was under Rose’s roof. Anywhere else would be a gamble. “For now we’ll just have to play it this way.”

  The next morning, Ella gave Dawn breakfast and got her ready for day school. She didn’t always have the luxury of spending the morning with her child, but today she wanted to make time.

  Dawn insisted on holding her stuffed pony as Ella dressed her. Maneuvering around the stuffed toy, especially when putting arms in sleeves, made things difficult, but somehow they managed.

  “I want a pony,” Dawn said, for the umpteenth time.

  “You have a pony. Right there in your hands.”

  “No, I want a real one, like my friend�
��s.”

  “Someday, when you get a little older.” Ella sighed. When her daughter got something in her head, it was nearly impossible to dissuade her.

  Ella hurried Dawn to the breakfast table and ate a buttered hot tortilla as her daughter finished her oatmeal.

  “I’ll take over,” Rose offered. “You need more than that for breakfast. It’s cold outside this morning.”

  Ella saw the frost on the windows and brought two eggs out of the refrigerator to scramble, when her cell phone rang. It was Justine.

  “I’m on my way to pick you up.”

  “Great. I’ll be ready.”

  As soon as she hung up the phone, it rang again. This time it was Big Ed. Ella could tell simply by the way he’d said “good morning” that it was anything but that.

  “I got a call from that radio show guy, George Branch, a few minutes after seven this morning. I don’t like early morning calls at my home—on my home number—particularly from the public. He’s complaining about Councilman Tolino. He wants you to arrest him. Do you know anything about this?”

  “Kevin told me last night that there might be a problem.”

  “See what’s going on and handle it. Then find out how he got my home number. That bugs the hell out of me. It’s unlisted and supposed to be private.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  As Ella hung up, Justine walked in the door, and Dawn ran over and threw her arms around her.

  Justine picked her up, laughing. “Hey, cousin!”

  Dawn shoved the pony between them. “See? I’ve got a pretty pony! And I’m going to have a real one, too, someday.”

  “Really?” Justine glanced over at Ella, who rolled her eyes and shook her head.

  Justine put Dawn down as Ella reached for her jacket. “Let’s go, partner,” Ella said.

  Giving her daughter one last hug and kiss, Ella left with Justine.

  “Our first stop has to be George Branch,” Ella said, giving her the highlights. “The chief is really ticked off this time. He wants us to find out how a talk radio moron like Branch got his number.”