Turquoise Girl

by Thurlo, David

  “Could be Brewster dumped Lynn.”

  “Yeah, maybe,” Ella conceded, “but that execution-style thing points to our most likely suspect, Caleb Frank.”

  Blalock nodded but remained silent, lost in his own thoughts.

  The trip to Lynn’s place took only about thirty-five minutes, easier this time because they’d made the trip before, and it was day instead of night. Lynn was in front of her sturdy little house, cleaning the windows of her dark blue pickup using a sponge and bucket of sudsy water. She’d probably seen them coming uphill for ten minutes or more, and came over to meet them when they pulled up in front of her house.

  “How come you drove all the way out here again?” she asked, making it clear that neither Ella nor her companion was welcome.

  Ella studied her face. Lynn hadn’t heard yet, if the absence of tears meant anything. “I have some bad news. Do you want to go inside?”

  She stared at Ella for a moment then nodded once, and led the way inside. She sat there in the center of the small living room, not offering them a seat. “It’s that crazy man, right, the Bible thumper? I told Stan that he had to report it, but he said he’d handle things himself. So let me guess. Stan got arrested for beating him up?”

  “What are you talking about?” Ella asked.

  “That guy Caleb…something. He was trying to rattle Stan, leaving notes on his windshield, at the café, and just about everywhere, telling him to make his peace with God, and to beware of the Lord’s retribution. The nut job’s a real pain. He just doesn’t quit. I told Stan to call you guys, but he didn’t want anything to do with the police.” She glanced at them with a worried frown. “So what happened? Stan lost it and started swinging?”

  “Stan’s dead,” Ella said.

  Lynn rocked back on her feet, her face turning pale. “No, that can’t be. No, not Stan.”

  Ella nodded. “I’m sorry.”

  Lynn took two steps back and dropped onto the sofa. Her mouth was slightly open and her dark eyes registered nothing.

  “Tell me more about the man you said was after Stan,” Ella pressed, hoping to gather information before Lynn became guarded again.

  “I don’t know much more,” she answered in a whisper. “At first he was just a pain, but then he started getting under Stan’s skin. I really think the guy had something on him. I never did buy the reason he gave me for not calling the cops.”

  “Any idea what that could have been?”

  She shook her head, then looked directly at Ella. “Are you sure Stan’s dead?”

  “Yes.” Ella had seen this before. Right now her mind was refusing to process the information and that protected her. But in a few hours when the reality hit her, she’d fall apart.

  “Do you remember hearing anything, anything at all, that might help us in our search for Caleb?” Ella pressed.

  “Stan told me that Caleb was hassling you, too. The guy told him that you were standing between him and his mission. From what I put together, I think Caleb wanted to baptize everyone. He’d told Stan it was never too late and that baptism marked a soul as God’s.”

  As the words sank in, her thoughts suddenly crystalized. She knew why Caleb had killed Brewster. He’d ruined Caleb’s preconceived plan. The reason Caleb’s MO at Valerie’s had differed from the rest was because he hadn’t been the first to arrive. Brewster had been there first, and it was Stan who’d beaten and killed Valerie, then torn up the place to make it look like a robbery. By the time Caleb arrived, he’d been forced to perform his baptism on a corpse, clean up some of the mess, then stage his little ceremony. Stan Brewster had prevented Caleb from fulfilling his mission to save Valerie, and that had carried the death penalty.

  “Ella, Caleb killed Brewster because the man interfered with his plans for Valerie, right?” Blalock said. “That’s why the scene was so confusing. Two men had been there that night.”

  “Yes, and Caleb isn’t going to leave until he gets rid of all his children. And the only person still alive that might be one of his offspring is…” She clamped her mouth shut, unwilling to say anything else in front of Lynn.

  Blalock looked over at Lynn, who was zoned out, and shook his head. “The one we’re having protected now,” he finished, understanding precisely who Ella had meant.

  “We’ve got to get going. Caleb’s too close to succeeding. All he needs now is leverage,” Ella said. To complete the tasks he’d set out to do in order to restore his own harmony and make peace with his god, Caleb needed to find Boots—and to find Boots, he’d find a way to get some leverage.

  “Wait!” Lynn stood. “Take the shortcut.”

  “Where, how?” Blalock asked.

  Lynn gave them directions, and they hurried out to Blalock’s sedan. They drove away in a cloud of dust, this time heading almost due south over a barely traveled path.

  “Ella, you thinking Caleb’s going after your family?”

  “Yes, or Lena Clani. Or anyone else he thinks will buy him Boot’s location,” she answered, bringing out her phone.

  Wanting to warn her family that danger was imminent, Ella called Rose, but couldn’t get an answer. A cold chill swept over her and she dialed Kevin next.

  “Is my mom there?” Ella asked when Kevin picked up the phone.

  “No, Rose left a while ago. She’s going to her old house and look over some tile samples the contractor wanted her to choose from.”

  Ella told Kevin about Caleb and warned him to watch over Dawn carefully. She then called the house, but nobody picked up the phone. Ella tried the contractor last of all, but was unable to reach him.

  A cold, mind-numbing fear swept through her. Something was very wrong. She could feel it with every breath she took and with each beat of her heart. Caleb was closing in on her and where Caleb went, death followed.

  Twenty-Five

  After confirming a search was underway for her mother, and an officer on his way to Lena Clani’s, Ella called Clifford. In a short, staccato burst, she updated him on the danger.

  “You think Mom was lured to our old home?” Without waiting for an answer, he added. “I can be there in five minutes.”

  “Brother, think. Don’t go charging in there. For all we know, Mom had a flat tire, and is fine. What you do best—what I want from you—is stealth.”

  There was a pause and he added, “What exactly do you need from me?”

  “Go over without letting anyone see you. Don’t do anything. Just see if anything is out of place, or just looks wrong, then report back to me.”

  “Okay. But on foot, it’ll take twenty minutes unless I run.”

  “Go, but don’t get spotted,” she added. “And if everything’s okay, use Mom’s phone and let me know right away.”

  They finally reached the highway. “Lynn’s shortcut sucks, Ella. We must have wasted ten minutes just getting around that wash,” Blalock complained.

  Accelerating rapidly, Blalock was finally able to put the hammer down. He switched the siren on, and the fence posts beside the road started flashing by. It would be another fifteen minutes at this speed.

  Finally they reached the turnoff. Another few miles by graveled road at forty-five tops, and they’d be here. Ella, on the lookout for anything out of place, noticed a blue pickup coming up fast behind them.

  “A truck’s following us. Stay sharp.”

  “Caleb?” He checked out the rearview mirror.

  “Or maybe just one of the guys who’ve been helping my brother repair his hogan. But I’ll keep a watch on it just in case.”

  Clifford called Ella as they reached the last turn leading to her mother’s home. “I’m here in the kitchen. I sneaked in though an open window. Nobody’s in the old part of the house, but Mom’s truck is outside at the end of the driveway. She’s got a flat rear tire.”

  “Where is she?”

  “I don’t know yet.”

  “I sure wish you had a cell phone. Is anyone else there?”

  “No, not that I can
see. It’s after five. The construction workers are gone,” he said. “But there’s another pickup behind the horse’s barn. I’ll call you back when I know more.”

  Ella turned to Blalock, who’d been looking ahead. “My brother is inside the house, but can’t find Mom. There’s an unidentified pickup behind the barn.”

  “I’ll slow down so we won’t leave a dust trail,” Blalock said.

  “I’ll let backup know to make a silent approach.” Ella said, then called Dispatch, asking the station to advise those on the way. She had a plan, and would be too busy during the next few minutes to be tied down to the radio.

  Ella knew every inch of this route, and she saw the place she had in mind coming up. “Stop and let me out here, Dwayne, then just drive by Mom’s like you’re heading for my brother’s house. Once you get out of sight, double back on foot and approach from the north.”

  Blalock, already driving at a crawl, halted the vehicle quietly. Ella jumped out and grabbed her rifle, which she’d left in the backseat. She looked back but the blue pickup wasn’t there anymore. It must have turned down another side road.

  “I’ll take my radio, but try to reach me on the cell phone instead,” she said, setting the device on vibrate.

  “Be careful,” Blalock said.

  “You too,” Ella said, then ran toward the familiar arroyo. The deep wash went right past their corral, and she’d be able to get close without being seen.

  She was less than a hundred yards from the house when her cell phone vibrated. “Blalock?”

  “No. It’s me, your brother. I’m still at the house,” he said in a whisper-soft voice. “Mom’s in trouble, and I can’t help her because Caleb’s between us. But the good news is that Caleb can’t reach her either. She’s up on the roof of the old house. Mom must have pulled the ladder up with her. I heard her moving around and that aluminum ladder makes a distinctive noise.”

  Ella smiled. Way to go, Mom! “She’s out of his line of fire?”

  “Absolutely. He knows she’s up there, but just can’t get to her at the moment. But keep in mind that if he’d wanted to shoot her, he could have done that from the outside. I’m sure he’s trying to come up with a plan to get her back down. By the way, was it you who just drove by in that green car?”

  “That was Blalock. He’ll be moving in on foot from the direction of your house. I’m in the arroyo behind the old corral. I’ve got a rifle. Could I get into position to pick off Caleb?” Ella asked. She was standing in the arroyo at the spot where Dawn and her friends always climbed in and out of the arroyo. A trail led to the corral from there.

  “I doubt it. All I’ve seen is his shadow. He’s currently hugging the wall in that little courtyard between the old house and the new rooms. He doesn’t have that many options, though. If he leaves to look for something to climb up with, he’s risking Mom coming back down and making a run for it. But she can’t make a move without him knowing it either, cause she needs to position the ladder first,” Clifford said. “I’ve been trying to find a way to get to him, but there’s only one way into that courtyard. We’d have to come in through the gap between the buildings where the wall and gate are going to go, and he’s got that covered. He’s armed, I’m sure.”

  “Caleb has an assault rifle and a handgun. What about you?”

  “I’ve got my thirty-thirty.”

  Ella maneuvered to an angle where she could see her mother. Looking through the rifle scope, Ella could see that Rose was trapped. Her mom was on a section of roof that was in the process of being removed to make room for the installation of a new furnace and air conditioner, and she’d have to walk across a narrow roof beam to go in any other direction other than the courtyard. The aluminum ladder was on the roof beside her, but she’d have to lower it back into the courtyard to climb down and that’s where Caleb was.

  Then Ella had a sudden burst of inspiration. The ladder could be a bridge as well. Turning to look around at her resources, Ella noted, along with Blalock and the women officers on the way, there was a big yellow loader that had been used during a previous construction phase. Her idea was jelling now. All she needed was a heavy equipment operator.

  Ella called her brother.

  “Sure I can operate a loader,” Clifford answered. “You remember that I worked construction for two years while I was still learning my profession?”

  “And you can start it up without a key, right?” Ella replied.

  “Yeah, how’d you know?”

  “Hey, back in high school you picked up some moves that we never told Mom about. I covered for you a few times, if you recall.”

  “Oh, yeah. You gotta admit, sometimes, like when you’ve misplaced your keys, it’s good to know someone who can get around vehicle ignition systems. What do you want me to do with the loader?”

  Ella explained, and he agreed immediately.

  “Okay, then we’re all set,” she answered. “Stay where you are, and be ready in case he makes a run for it. You’re the only one currently in position to stop him if he tries to leave that courtyard. And turn the ringer down on Mom’s phone.”

  “Already done.”

  Ella saw two police cars coming up the road—Marianna Talk and Justine. After briefing everyone quickly, Ella ran around to the back of the house and climbed in through the window. “It’s me, brother,” she said softly, not wanting to get shot by Clifford.

  She moved into the kitchen and found him by the window, looking toward the entrance of the new courtyard. The phone—Rose still used an old-style corded phone—was on the counter, and his rifle was up and ready.

  “I’ll take over here. Go back out and around. Officer Talk and Justine know the plan and once Blalock returns, we can set things in motion.” She set her rifle down, and brought out her pistol.

  “You can see his shadow, but he’s never stepped forward far enough for me to take a shot,” Clifford said, indicating with a nod in the direction his rifle was aiming.

  Ella took his place, and Clifford stepped away.

  “Don’t expose yourself any more than necessary, brother.”

  “Right,” Clifford said, then left the kitchen.

  Ella took out her cell phone and punched Blalock’s number. “I’m keeping watch on Caleb from our kitchen, Dwayne. Run back and get your car, then park outside the bedroom window on the south side of the house. Then you can walk around and get set up with Justine. Once you two are in position to pin down Caleb, Clifford will move in with the loader. Officer Talk will ride with him to provide cover fire. The second everyone’s in position I’m going up on the roof to get Mom.”

  “You’ll have plenty of cover fire and I’m giving Clifford a vest,” Blalock said. “One with added armor plates. Caleb has an assault rifle. And there’ll be one waiting for you on the hood of my car.”

  “Good. How much tear gas do you have?”

  “Three grenades. And two smoke grenades. Wanna use them, too?”

  “Yeah. The less he can see, the better.”

  Five minutes went by, and she only caught a brief glimpse of Caleb. He took a quick peek to see what was going on, and a blast from somebody’s pistol struck the wall, just missing him. Ella held off firing, the movement was so fast she would have had no chance of hitting him anyway. But the coverage told her that Justine and Blalock were outside the courtyard now, behind the walls on either side. Once Blalock called her on the phone, it was time.

  Ella moved back through the house and exited out the front door. Circling around, she found Blalock’s car parked in just the right spot. She put on the vest, checked her pistol, and then noticed a plastic drop cloth rolled up beside the house. It was normally used for covering floors when painting, but she had a better use for it now.

  She set the roll atop the car, then climbed up onto the hood. Blalock’s vehicle, always freshly waxed, was slippery, so she moved carefully as she stepped up onto the car’s roof. The edge of the house was right there, just above waist height. She placed the
drop cloth on the roof, then climbed up beside it. The additional weight of the heavy ballistic vest she now wore made her movements cumbersome.

  With the drop cloth under her arm, she stepped across the fiberglass shingles of the old part of the house, came up to the crown, and stopped for a look. Beyond and below she could see Rose, sitting on a single sheet of old roofing plywood scheduled for removal. It had already been stripped of shingles and felt paper. The piece had been left till last because there was a light fixture just below it still in use, and wiring to be rerouted. Beside her mom lay the aluminum ladder, and beyond in every direction, nothing but bare rafters for at least twenty feet. Below, Ella could see the dirt floor of the courtyard. From her angle, she couldn’t see Caleb, whom she knew to be beneath the overhang of the roof.

  The sound of heavy equipment got Ella’s attention and she looked away at the loader, which was coming into view around the corner of the house, moving in the direction of the open end of the courtyard. Down at the far end of the driveway, she also noticed the blue pickup she’d seen following them earlier. Hopefully, the visitor would have enough sense to keep away.

  When Ella turned back, her mom was looking right at her. Despite the distraction of everything going on down below, Rose had somehow known her daughter was there.

  Ella held a finger to her lips, then told Rose what to do next with gestures only, since speaking would alert Caleb. His strategy up to now had suggested he’d wanted to take Rose alive, but now that he was trapped, all bets were off.

  Finally Rose nodded.

  Ella untied the rolled up drop cloth, moved it into position, then stood and waved at Clifford, who’d been sitting at the controls of the loader, waiting. She gave him a thumbs-up, and he gunned the engine, raised the big scoop on the machine just off the ground, and began to inch forward.

  Seconds later, Ella heard two small explosions. Detecting traces of tear gas in the air, she tossed out the drop cloth to cover as much of the open area of the roof as possible. That would conceal their actions from below and help keep the tear gas and smoke concentrated down in the courtyard.