Never-ending-snake

by Thurlo, David

  “Reading between the lines, what that really means is that he has no idea where Kevin lives. That’s the benefit of having a post office box for your mail and not being listed in the phone book,” Ella answered.

  “No, he does know Kevin’s address. He read it off to me to prove he wasn’t bluffing, and more importantly, so that I’d see that his sources are solid. He wanted to cut a deal with us. He passes information along to us as he gets it, and we give him an exclusive when it’s all said and done.”

  “No deal,” Ella snapped.

  “Wait—you haven’t heard his parting shot. He told me that he knew Adam had been carrying something with him that’s going to create a storm of controversy the second the news is made public. When I asked him what he meant, he just smiled. He told me that he’s going to get all the facts one way or another, and we could all come out ahead if we work together.”

  “What happened then?”

  “Nothing. I didn’t answer him. I went back into the lab. But he’s still hanging around the lobby. If you come in, be on the lookout for him. He’s hard to miss and easy on the eyes, like most on-camera reporters.”

  “I think I’ll avoid the station for now. You and I will handle this new problem tomorrow when we can think more clearly,” Ella said. “Does Kevin still have security around him?”

  “Absolutely. In fact, after I told Big Ed about Hattery, he decided that it’s not a good idea for Kevin to go to his own home to convalesce. He’d be too easy a target. Big Ed’s trying to find a safe house for him.”

  “Okay, partner. One last thing. Have you heard anything from Teeny?”

  “Not yet. That means he hasn’t finished restoring the data from Adam’s BlackBerry files.”

  “He won’t sleep until he does,” Ella said. She was well aware of how her friend worked. “Pick me up at the house at seven tomorrow. We’ll get an early start.”

  “Done.”

  Ella hung up, then glanced at Blalock. “Looks like I’m heading home. From the way things are shaping up, tomorrow’s going to be another fun-filled day.”

  ELEVEN

  It was close to midnight when Ella stepped through her front door. With the lights out in the kitchen, she’d expected her family to be fast asleep, but to her surprise, Rose was sitting in the living room alone, knitting. Her mother was far from an avid knitter and, in fact, had been working on the same sweater for the past four years. Rose only knitted when she was worried, and from the furious clicking of her needles, Ella could tell something was wrong.

  Herman was nowhere to be seen. That meant he’d gone to bed, not wanting to be around for reasons Ella knew she was about to discover.

  Ella put her pistol and ammunition up on the high shelf, then sat down silently and waited.

  Rose said nothing for about five minutes. Finally, she set down the needles and looked at her daughter. “Your child’s father spoke to her this afternoon and told her that he was going to be released from the hospital tomorrow. You daughter became all excited about that, and as soon as she hung up, came to find me. She said that her dad needed her so she’d be staying with him for a while. I told her that was out of the question, and suggested she talk to you about after-school visits.”

  Ella sat back in the chair. She should have expected something like this. “Visits won’t be possible because, for security reasons, Kevin won’t be going home when he’s discharged. He’ll need to stay at a safe house until we’re certain that he’s no longer a target.”

  “Even if he goes to the moon, your daughter will want to be with him. As far as she’s concerned, the sun rises and sets on her father. Unless we lock her up, or keep her with us all the time, we won’t be able to stop her from going to look for him. That’s especially true now that these rumors have surfaced. . . .”

  “What rumors?” Ella asked immediately.

  “Her father’s the one under a cloud of suspicion now. People don’t want to believe that a war hero could have done anything to merit such an attack from other Americans in his own country. They’re looking for someone to blame for his death and many have decided that the attack must have been the fault of your child’s father—the lawyer. A lot of people dislike and distrust lawyers, you know.”

  “If you follow that logic, it makes even more sense to assume I was the target,” Ella said, surprised. “As a police detective, I’ve put a busload of people behind bars.”

  Rose shook her head. “Word has it that you’re not important enough to be assassinated, but your child’s father is.”

  Annoyed at the way she’d been dismissed by the tribe, Ella tried to push back her irritation. Her reaction was human, but it was also petty.

  “Mom, I’m not even sure where my daughter’s father will end up going to convalesce,” she said, and explained, “If my kid tries to go out and find her father, she could lead the killers right to him, placing them both in danger.”

  “I know, but your daughter will want to be with him, and if you say no, she might sneak out anyway and try and find him on her own,” Rose said in a heavy voice. “That’s why I think he should stay here with us. I can cook for him, and my husband can help him out of bed.”

  Ella stared at Rose, accepting the logic of her mother’s suggestion, yet searching fast for a different answer that would effectively solve the problem.

  “One of us is generally home, and my husband knows how to use that rifle of his. He’d have protection here, and your daughter would be at peace,” Rose added. “No one would ever think that you’d allow him to come here, so it may be the best place for him, all things considered.”

  “Mom, what you’re suggesting . . .” Ella ran a hand through her hair.

  “I’m aware of the problems it poses, but I also know your daughter. Would you like her to go out searching for him, maybe ditching school and riding around in cars with her friends’ older brothers, or hitchhiking? No matter what, she’s going to find a way to see him,” Rose said.

  The possibility jolted her awake. She could see Dawn doing just that. It wasn’t just Rose’s crazy idea, it was completely in character with her daughter’s already strong sense of independence. When Dawn thought she was in the right, nothing stopped her, and stepping up as a parent would only serve to damage their relationship.

  “We could put up with him for a short time, daughter. We’d just have to make sure he stayed away from the windows and remained indoors.”

  “I’ll have to think about this,” Ella said at last. “But before I crawl off to bed there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you. Can you give me a better idea of how the Prickly Weed Project got started and how The People are reacting to it?” When it came to getting a fix on public opinion, there was no better source than Rose.

  “The man who thought up that entire project is well respected and his word carries clout. He came from nothing, pulled himself up by the bootstraps, and now owns a chain of gas stations and convenience stores. He also serves on the tribal council,” Rose said.

  Ella knew from the description that Rose was referring to Alfred Begaye. The man was practically a legend on the Rez. His efforts with hydrologists and the local community had enabled the tribe to double crop yields on the Navajo Irrigation Project acreage.

  “When he first suggested the Prickly Weed Project, people rallied around the proposal,” Rose said, “so he began to get some investors, like the late senator’s wife—our new Plant Watcher. The family who occupies the land now—a widower, his daughter, and her husband—don’t want to give up a single acre of land. They’re fighting every inch of the way, though they aren’t really farming or grazing. They could stay where their houses are now, if they’d be willing to compromise. Normally, the tribe can do whatever it wants, but the residents have allies in their fight—a group that opposes the entire concept. They’re said to be against all unconventional agricultural or industrial operations—basically, anything that’s not in line with the traditional way of doing things.”

>   “So it’s the Traditionalists who are against the Prickly Weed Project?”

  “No, not all Traditionalists—not necessarily, anyway. The group supporting the family calls themselves the Ha’asídís, the Watchmen, and they look after all things Navajo. They’ve made their presence felt, but the ones who are for the project are better organized, so things continued to move forward, working under the assumption the tribe would get use of the necessary acreage, one way or the other. Then the project ran into money problems.”

  “Do you know the details about that?” Ella asked. At the mention of money, her ears perked up instantly, having already heard of the big investments made by Abigail Yellowhair, Robert Buck, Billy Garnenez, the tribal president, and even Kevin. There were still no leads on the cash Adam had been carrying, but it had to have come from somewhere. . . .

  Rose pointed down to the Diné Times, the tribal newspaper. “You can find what’s been made public there.”

  Ella glanced down at the article, an interview with Billy Garnenez, one of the Tribal Industries bureaucrats and the director of the Prickly Weed Project. Garnenez was claiming that the land would soon be available and that financial backing was securely in place, despite rumors to the contrary.

  “But that’s not the truth, daughter,” Rose said. “A private company called Industrial Futures Technology was approached to partner up with us and supply the tribe with experts and the equipment to make things happen. But then cost estimates soared—or IFT got greedy. Whatever the case, the tribe has limited resources, so we couldn’t meet their new price. Our new lobbyist was working hard to get IFT to meet our terms—at least that’s what I heard. But with his death, who knows what will happen? If the tribe can’t find a way to get energy industry backing and support, the Prickly Weed Project will have to be put on hold indefinitely, or dropped.”

  Ella recalled that Teeny, who was seldom wrong about things like these, had told her that the deal had already been cut with IFT, but it wasn’t official. That suggested that Adam Lonewolf had succeeded in bringing the energy company on board. “Some of the investors must be sweating this. A lot of money could be lost if the deal fell through.”

  “The ones in tribal government are pushing as hard as they can to keep things moving forward. But they may be fighting the impossible. The money’s either there—or not,” Rose stood. “I’m going to bed now, daughter, and I suggest you do the same. You’re going to be putting in some very long hours—particularly if your daughter’s father moves in.”

  “Mom, I haven’t—”

  Rose smiled, then crossed through the kitchen into her and Herman’s wing of the house without looking back.

  Ella stood. She needed a chance to think things through, but she was too tired right now. Maybe things would make more sense in the morning. As she went to her room, she thought about Ford and wondered how he’d react if Kevin moved in. Even if his religious beliefs demanded charity, she had a feeling he wasn’t going to like this at all. Ford was a jealous man.

  WEDNESDAY

  By six-thirty the following morning, the kitchen was buzzing. Dawn had just sat down in front of her oatmeal and Rose was busy preparing scrambled eggs for herself and Herman.

  “Mom, Dad’s in real trouble, isn’t he?” Dawn asked as Ella took a seat, cup of coffee in hand. “I heard that the soldier who got shot trying to protect him died yesterday. That means Dad’s their next target, right?”

  “Your father is being kept safe. Don’t worry,” Ella said.

  “Mom, he’s stuck in a hospital bed, all shot up. Even you’d be scared if you couldn’t move.”

  It was her use of the word “even” that made Ella smile. “Everyone feels afraid at one time or another. It’s perfectly natural. Without fear, we wouldn’t have courage. One gives way to the other.”

  Dawn stared at her cereal, then picked up a piece of toast, holding it in her hand but not taking a bite. “Mom, you have us—but Dad only has . . . me. His parents died, and his relatives don’t live around here anymore,” she said at last. “I should go help him out until he heals up and can go back to work.”

  Rose glanced at Ella with a look that clearly said “I told you so.”

  Ella took a deep breath. At least the conversation she’d had with her mother had prepared her somewhat for this. “Daughter, that’s not a good idea. Your father’s still in danger, and I don’t want you to be at risk, too.”

  Dawn glanced at her grandmother, then back down at her bowl. For several long moments she said nothing.

  For those few wonderful minutes, Ella thought she’d managed to get Dawn to understand and drop the subject, but her hopes were soon dashed.

  “When bad things happen, Shimá, families have to stick together. That’s what you’ve always said, that I can count on you no matter what, right?” she asked Ella.

  “Yes,” Ella said, sighing. She knew where this was going, but there was no way to head it off at the pass.

  “You and Dad aren’t together anymore, but he’s still my dad. He should be able to count on me, just like I count on you. If I can’t go to him, will you let him stay here with us? He can have my room.”

  “He might be safer someplace farther away, maybe even another state.”

  “Mom, if you take care of things like you always do, there’s no better place for Dad than with us. We’re his family.”

  “Let me think about this,” Ella said at last.

  As the rattle of an old diesel pickup announced her ride to school had arrived, Dawn kissed her mom, and ran outside, grabbing her book bag along the way.

  “If you don’t bring her father here, you’re asking for trouble,” Rose said.

  Ella knew her mother was right. “Mom, I’m just not sure what to do.” Hearing the approaching deep rumble of the police unit, Ella glanced out the window. “My partner’s here. I’m going to meet her outside and save some time. We have to go to Window Rock sometime this morning.”

  Ella grabbed her handgun and hurried out.

  Justine was just getting out of the SUV when Ella joined her. Without a word, Ella climbed in on the passenger side.

  “What’s up, partner? You have an argument with your mom or something?” Justine asked.

  “Or something,” Ella said, then shook her head, signaling Justine to drop it.

  “Where to first?” Justine asked, switching on the ignition.

  “Teeny’s.”

  When they arrived, Teeny quickly ushered them inside. Seeing the pot of coffee next to the computers, Ella smiled. “You haven’t slept, have you?”

  “I caught a few winks,” he answered. “While the computer’s running, there’s not much I can do.”

  From his reddened eyes Ella guessed that he’d slept an hour, maybe two. But puzzles, and computer problems, were addictive to Teeny. He couldn’t back off until he’d mastered the challenge.

  “The deceased—hell, we’re not Traditionalists here—Adam’s BlackBerry files are encrypted with a program I’ve never seen before. Most of what we retrieved earlier was a deliberate giveaway meant to misdirect hackers. I wasn’t as far along as I thought. My own programs, ones I wrote myself, will decode nearly everything, but it’s going to take time because I keep having to tweak the parameters.”

  “Do you have anything you can give me right now?” Ella asked.

  “I’ve managed to isolate his schedule for the last several days. That part wasn’t encrypted at the same level.” He handed her a list. “Adam met with Billy Garnenez and with Alfred Begaye during his last visit to the Rez, then flew back out to D.C. hours later. The next day he had two meetings. The first was at IFT, the second with a group of lobbyists attending an energy seminar. After that, he caught the flight back here with you and Tolino. What surprised me was that even though the Prickly Weed Project is at such a critical juncture, he had no local appointments scheduled—or maybe he hadn’t gotten around to entering them.”

  Ella studied it, wondering if Adam had sealed the
deal with IFT. Yet he hadn’t been in a cheerful mood on the flight back, something she would have expected from a man who’d just closed the biggest deal of his new career. This case was getting stranger and stranger. Maybe Teeny’s sources were wrong and her mom was right. “Thanks. This is a start.”

  “I’ll have the rest of the files from that BlackBerry within hours.”

  “If you can cut corners . . .”

  He nodded, then after a pause, added, “I heard that Kevin’s due to be released from the hospital—today if his doctor gives a thumbs-up. Word’s also out that he’s still a target. If my sources are right and Kevin’s planning to go home, consider borrowing a couple of my men to keep him safe.”

  “Kevin can’t go home, the risk is still too high,” Ella said. “I’m not sure where he’ll end up.”

  “The tribe’s going to need Kevin accessible and so are the police, so your best option is a safe house. But that also means that some skillful surveillance is all it’ll take for the wrong people to track him down. You’re going to have to watch your backs,” Teeny said.

  “I hear you, and that’s just one of many things I need to take into account.” The idea of having Kevin at her house was making more sense now, but she still wasn’t comfortable with that. “Call me directly as soon as you’ve broken the encryption,” she said, heading toward the door.

  As Justine stepped out, Teeny put his hand on Ella’s arm. “Something’s really bugging you. Can I help?”

  “It’s this case,” Ella said. “Every time I think I’ve got a handle on it, it weaves like a snake and goes in a different direction.”

  “Never-ending-snake . . . the inevitable struggle against evil,” he said quietly.

  “What keeps a cop in business,” she answered with a grim smile.

  Saying good-bye to Teeny, she joined Justine in the SUV. “Head for Window Rock. We’re going to pay Billy a visit.”