Wind Spirit [Ella Clah 10] (31 page)

When Ella arrived at the police station Justine met her in the hall outside her office. “Big Ed wants to see us right now. I think he’s still worried about the little present someone left in your car. He hasn’t said so—and neither have you, for that matter—but I know you’re both aware that we could have a skinwalker cop.”

Ella exhaled softly. “It’s happened before,” she said. “But I think it’s way too soon to assume that.”

Ella walked with Justine to Big Ed’s office, then knocked. Big Ed waved for them to enter.

“No more news on Cardell Benally since yesterday’s adventure?”

Ella rolled her eyes and noticed Justine was trying to keep a straight face. “Nothing to report,” Ella finally said, afraid that Justine would make some comment about that being “water under the bridge.”

“Then bring me up to speed on where other things stand right now,” he asked, rocking back and forth in his chair.

“Our progress on all fronts has been slow, but maybe talking to the Smarts will fix that,” she said, explaining. “We’re planning to go out there today.”

“They might not have much to say,” Big Ed warned. “They barely talk to my family who lives down there. They’re
really a lot more traditional than anyone else I’ve met. But what about Cardell? He’s obviously going to be playing this game with us now. What else are you doing to find him?”

“Yesterday evening I put out another bulletin on him with state agencies, but he’s going to be staying low. We know for certain now that Hunt and some of the locals are helping him,” Ella said.

“His assistant claims she was leaving food for a hobo she’d seen living down by the river,” Justine said. “Hunt backs her up, and told us to prove otherwise.”

“Arresting the woman would only make things worse,” Ella added. “Cardell is a hero to many who believe he’s provided a measure of justice—Anglo law notwithstanding.”

“Four Corners Robin Hood notwithstanding, we need to do something to flush him out into the open,” Big Ed said.

“Maybe we can set a fire under Hunt—something that’ll make him run to Cardell. But it’ll have to be well planned or Hunt will see right through it. He’s a sharp cookie and a good game player.”

“Any ideas?” Justine asked.

“One—providing Kevin Tolino will help me,” Ella said. “I want him to pass the word to Hunt that Branch hired someone really dangerous to hunt down Benally. I think that’ll get Hunt to act and if we can maintain surveillance, he should lead us right to him.”

“The councilman is tough to trail. He’s careful and observant,” Justine said. “And he’s obviously been busy manipulating public opinion, trying to promote the notion of Navajo vigilante justice.”

“Following him is still our best bet. I could bring in Ralph Tache and all of us can do split shifts,” Ella said.

Big Ed nodded. “Try it, Shorty, but be sure to give some time to finding out who’s been taking potshots at you. A very disturbing thought occurred to me this morning as I recalled the item left in your unit.” He met her gaze and held it.
“Someone could be out to ruin your reputation, Shorty, so when they actually whack you, it won’t seem like such a loss to the tribe.”

Ella nodded slowly. There were too many possibilities, but not enough facts. “Lucky for me that I found that knife and got it out of sight before the shift change,” Ella said. “But even so, some people may have seen it was there before I did.”

“Any ideas about the identity of the sniper with the twenty-two?” Big Ed asked.

“Cardell Benally should be ruled out. He had the chance yesterday to do me harm, but warned me instead. I did have a possible suspect in Professor Garnenez, but his alibi was pretty solid, I thought.”

“What about one of his students?”

“I intend to check that out later today, but first I wanted to pay the Smarts a visit.”

“Stay sharp out there, Shorty. One of the boys, I don’t remember which one, got into a brawl after a Chapter House meeting one night and dropped three good-sized men.”

“I’ll let you know what we find out.”

They set out in Justine’s vehicle and soon left Shiprock behind on their way south. Ella watched the desert stretch out before them. Occasionally the terrain would be broken up by a barren mesa to the left or right or a deep arroyo winding downslope from the mountains to the west. Most of the land here had been carved by wind and water, but it was difficult to imagine where the water had come from. Ella couldn’t even remember the last time they’d had a really big rainstorm over here.

They turned west from the main highway, and after passing a solitary trading post with a few vehicles parked out front, the desert rose gently toward the foothills of the gray-brown Chuska Mountains.

“It’s just plain lonely out here, isn’t it?” Ella observed.

“I don’t know why anyone chooses to live out here. Maybe I’m too much of a modernist, but to me hardship is no phone and no Internet,” Justine said with a tiny smile. “Without those, my social life—what there is of it—would finally wither and die.”

“I think mine already has,” Ella said with a quiet sigh.

“You’re not seeing Harry anymore? I suppose that explains why he didn’t come to the hospital or back to the Rez after your accident,” she added.

“Things haven’t been working out for some time,” Ella admitted. “His life isn’t here on the Rez anymore, but mine is. I thought we’d be able to keep things going anyway, but that’s not the way it went.”

“You sound more resigned than sorry.”

“I am,” Ella admitted. “I liked Harry but now we just have to say what needs to be said and go on.”

“But neither of you has made that move?”

Ella shook her head. “No, but next time I talk to him, I’ll end it.”

“Then what?”

“I don’t know. When I was trapped in that mine, I got a whole new perspective on myself and my life. My work will always be a part of me, but I want more than that. I know the dating pool is getting pretty small for me now, but I’d like to remarry if I can find the right man for me. Down in that hole I realized that I go from day to day, doing my duty and trying to fit everything in, but to really
live
life, you have to reach beyond that. In short, as my mom would say, I don’t have balance, so I don’t walk in beauty.”

Justine nodded. “I think it’s the same way for most of us in law enforcement. It’s a hard job to leave at the office, so to speak. And since we see the worst of human nature, we become more jaded and cautious about our relationships. We tend to see the bad in a person a lot faster than we see the good.”

“My mother was right. I should have married a Rez doctor, so I could stay home and have babies,” Ella said, then burst out laughing.

“Oh, yeah, that’s you, all right.”

It took them another hour, the last fifteen driving down two ruts that pretended to be a road, to get to the Smarts’ hogan. It was a large one by most standards, constructed of pine logs that must have been hauled down the mountain. There were horses munching on hay in wooden troughs and a big wagon with rubber tires that looked as if it was used frequently. “I think they all live in there in one big room,” Justine said.

“I couldn’t do it,” Ella said truthfully. “No walls, just one big family with no privacy? No way. Could you pull it off?”

“Not in a million years.”

Ella watched the entrance to the hogan, which was covered by a heavy wool blanket, and saw someone peer out. “They know we’re here,” she said.

Just then a tall, lean Navajo man in his twenties came out and walked toward the unit. He was wearing jeans and a loose flannel shirt. “This must be Raymus,” Ella said, getting out.

The moment he saw her he stopped in his tracks, his gaze direct and challenging. “You’re not welcome here.”

Ella pushed her jacket back, making sure he could see the medicine pouch she wore at her waist, but it didn’t seem to calm him.

Ella caught a glimpse of the flint amulet he wore around his neck before he reached up and grasped it in his fist.

“I’d like to speak with your family,” Justine said, coming forward.

He looked at her, then shook his head. “You can’t enter the hogan. You’ve been riding with her and until she has the Sing done she contaminates whoever she’s near. The cross you wear around your neck can’t protect you.”

Justine’s expression hardened. “I’m here on official police business. If you won’t talk to either of us here, we can do it at the station.”

Ella was surprised by her cousin’s determination. Somewhere along the way Justine had become a force to be reckoned with.

“If we do that, you’ll have to ride with us all the way to Shiprock. Choose now,” Justine said, moving toward him.

“Here. Ask your questions, then leave.”

“Where’s your brother, the tracker?” Justine asked.

“He’s not here.”

Justine glared at him. “
Where
is he? We’d like to talk to him.”

“My brother is over twenty-one. He comes and goes as he pleases. If he comes back or we hear from him, I’ll send word to you.” He looked at Ella again. “I’ve answered you. Will you leave now? As it is, I’m going to have to go to a Singer before my mother calms down again. You create problems wherever you go. Even your child is a victim.”

Ella took a step toward him. “Are you threatening my daughter?”

“I wasn’t threatening,” he said, taking two quick steps back. “I was just remarking on something I overheard at the trading post. Your kid’s class went to a weaver’s home this morning to learn about rugs. But when the weaver saw your daughter, she refused to allow her or any of the others inside her home.”

Ella’s heart twisted, thinking of Dawn and how hurt she must have been. Anger rose inside her. “She poses no danger to anyone. She even carries the special medicine pouch my brother gave her.”

“She’s your daughter and she shares your fate,” he said with a shrug.

Ella took a step toward him, but Justine grabbed her arm gently. “Come on, partner. We got what we came for.”

Ella gave Raymus one last hard look, then got inside the vehicle.

“As soon as we get to the station, I want you to do a complete background check on Raymus Smart.”

“All right. Are you looking for anything in particular?”

“Priors, that sort of thing, I want some leverage against him in case we need it.” Ella picked up her cell phone. “I’m going to call home. I have to know if Raymus was telling us the truth about the field trip.”

“He probably was, Ella. I don’t think he would have made up something like that.”

“That’s what worries me,” Ella answered, and dialed. Rose picked it up on the first ring, and without even stopping to say hello, Ella asked her mother about the incident. “I just heard some news about my daughter’s field trip.”

Rose said nothing for a second. “The teacher is an Anglo. It never occurred to her that your daughter wouldn’t be welcome along with the other students. She apologized to me personally for the trouble it caused.”

“That’s not going to help my daughter.”

“Your child is fine. She’s outside with the pony and Boots. At first she was upset but it’s all behind her now. I’ve explained to her that your job as a detective means that there’ll be times when people won’t like you. During those times we have to show the same courage you do.” Rose paused. “She told me very seriously that she knows that the police don’t have many friends. Apparently, she’d heard it on television. Then she told me not to worry, that it would be okay because it always turns out right.”

Ella laughed. “Well, I’ll never underestimate the power of TV again.”

“Speaking of that, the Hollywood man called again. They wanted to know who was going to be negotiating for you. I gave them the telephone number of your child’s father.”

“I was supposed to stall!”

“You did. I thought it had been long enough.”

“You better call my child’s father and tell him to expect the producer’s call.”

Ella hung up and glanced at Justine. “All’s well at home for now,” she said. “But this whole episode just convinces me that I should move out for a while.” With Emily and the other deputy watching the house, she felt more confident about not being there at night.

“You mean move out without Dawn?”

“It would make her life easier,” Ella said with a nod.

“Where would you go?”

“I have no idea. Maybe a short-term rental somewhere.”

“I have a better idea. Come and be my roommate for a while. I’m renting a place over by where the old farm training teacher lived, just northwest of the high school. The place is pretty large and I’m getting it for practically nothing. But there’s one catch.”

“What’s that?”

“The rent is low as long as I take care of the owner’s horse. Legger is a very surly beast. He actually bit me.”

“Ouch, that can really take some skin.” Ella winced, remembering that having happened to her as a teen. “What breed of horse is he?”

“He’s a mustang. Curtisy, the owner, got him at one of the round-ups the Bureau of Land Management sponsors.”

“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.”