Turquoise Girl (13 page)

He glanced at it, then shrugged. “I’m afraid I couldn’t tell you. These names
don’t sound particularly familiar, and our computer records don’t go that far back, so it’s not just a matter of taking a quick look. I’d have to sort through records stored in the basement and, to be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t even know where to begin searching. I’ve only been here seven years myself.”

“We’d be happy to help, or conduct the search for you,” Ella said.

“I can’t give you access
to our records, not without the board’s permission.
You
should know that,” he replied coldly.

“Then we’d like you to approach them as quickly as possible,” Ella said. “We wouldn’t be asking unless it was important, Reverend Curtis, believe me. Lives could be at stake.”

He nodded slowly. “We wouldn’t want that on our consciences. So, all right. The fact that you have personal ties to this church
might make things move along a little easier. Your father was very well thought of by everyone here, and his photograph still hangs beside the entrance to the chapel.”

“If the church is worried about respecting the privacy of the individuals on that list, rest assured there’s no need for concern,” Blalock said. “The women in question are deceased.”

Ella had to force herself not to wince as she
saw Reverend Curtis’s expression darken. Blalock, trying to be accommodating, had given out too much information.

“It sounds to me like you’re trying to involve our church in a scandal.
That
is unacceptable.” Reverend Curtis glared at Ella. “Miss Clah, you never fail to surprise me. You dishonor your father’s memory by not joining our congregation, then, adding insult to injury, you form a close
relationship with that liberal church up on the hill. Their latest membership drive is focused on poaching away our congregation with a promise of instant salvation and their ‘believe what you want’ doctrine. Trying to lead God’s children astray is Satan’s work. Your father always warned his flock of the dangers of failing to follow the literal translation of the Lord’s Holy Bible.”

He sounded
so much like her father that Ella felt like getting up and walking out right then. “We’re investigating a crime that has ties to the reservation, Reverend—to the people you claim to care about. If you’re a true shepherd of the
Diné
then please take the action needed to protect your flock from a very real, physical danger.”

He said nothing for several long moments, his gaze resting on the crucifix
across the room. Finally, he looked back at her. “You believe that these two other women are connected somehow to Valerie Tso…that maybe all three women went to church here…and perhaps the killer as well?”

“I can’t verify or deny that, Reverend,” Ella said. “I’ve already told you more than I should have in hopes of getting your cooperation.”

Reverend Curtis stood and gazed out the window. “You’ve
placed me in a very difficult position,” he said slowly. “Sacrificing privacy in exchange for safety and protection is a mixed blessing, especially if it turns out to be a false alarm.”

“Maybe if we spoke to the board president ourselves…” Ella suggested.

“No, it should come from me,” he said flatly. “It’s my responsibility. Give me the rest of the afternoon to track down and speak to the people
who need to approve of this.”

“Time is of the essence, Reverend,” she said quietly. Reverend Curtis led them out, and moments later they were headed down the church road toward the highway. Ella hadn’t said a word since they’d left the church.

“Yeah, Clah, I know. Interviewing skills 101. Never show your hand or volunteer information. I blew it back there.”

“Just a little,” she said with a
trace of a smile. They’d just reached the stop sign at the end of the drive when Justine called on the cell phone.

“I’ve got something for you, Ella,” she said. “It seems Brewster hired a new waitress, Barbara Tom. She barely made it through her first shift before walking out and going straight to the legal center to file sexual harassment charges. But there’s more. The Fierce Ones know all about
this.”

“How, so soon?” Ella asked quickly.

“They were in on it from the beginning. Lea Garner’s mom arranged the whole thing. When she found out about Lea and Brewster, she had a meltdown. The Garners aren’t traditionalists, but they know about the Fierce Ones and were able to get their advice. So Mrs. Garner ended up getting together with Barbara Tom’s mom and they set Brewster up. They actually
have him on tape now.”

Ella cursed, guessing what the Fierce Ones’s next move would be. “Okay, I’m going to try and nip this in the bud before we have a disaster,” she said. “Brewster will undoubtedly be getting a visit from the vigilantes real soon. Subtlety isn’t their style. But there’s something else I need you to do right now. Make a list of all the known felons who might have been in the
community at the time my father was preaching here and who subsequently went to prison. Concentrate on those with a propensity for violence.”

“I’m on it.”

Ella hung up, glanced at Blalock, and gave him the short version. “We’re going to have to protect that scumbag at least long enough for us to either arrest him for murder or clear him. What do you say we go pay Jimmy Levaldo a visit.”

“The
only way you’re going to muzzle that group is to give Levaldo some serious reasonable doubt. We’ll need to convince him that there are other strong suspects—without giving him names,” he said. “That’s the only way we’ll get them to hold off.”

“Yeah, but let’s make sure they also know that we’ll throw their butts in jail if they interfere,” Ella said.

Less than thirty seconds later, Ella’s cell
phone rang again. It was Justine.

“I have an update, Ella. Several of the Fierce Ones have shown up at Jimmy’s place. Michael Cloud patrols that area, and he got a tip. When he went to check it out, Michael heard loud, angry voices coming from the ceremonial hogan in the back of Levaldo’s property.”

“How many people are there?” Ella asked.

“Michael can’t say for sure, but he counted six pickups.
Big Ed already knows about the Barbara Tom incident and told me to give you whatever support you needed.”

“Have Michael keep his distance until we join him. If there are any other officers who can reach the location within a half hour, have them meet us there,” Ella said, then hung up.

Before she could update Blalock, she heard her radio call sign and picked up the mike. Dispatch instructed
Ella to switch to the tactical frequency Big Ed was using.

“I’m in on this one,” the police chief said. “Don’t make a move until I arrive. I know this group.”

“Big Ed Atcitty wants to be involved?” Blalock asked as the transmission ended. “I don’t remember the last time he went out into the field.”

“With luck his presence will keep things from getting out of hand. I believe that Jimmy belongs
to Clare Atcitty’s clan. That connection, via Big Ed’s wife, means a great deal to traditionalists like the Fierce Ones.”

Ella and Blalock raced to the site, each lost in their own thoughts. The last time there’d been a confrontation between law enforcement and members of the vigilante group, weapons had been plentiful on both sides. Experience told her that it would only take one misstep by
a hothead for things to escalate into violence and bloodshed.

In the grip of that certainty, Ella listened for the whispers of Wind, but this time Wind was keeping its secrets.

Ella stood with Big Ed at the base of the low hill that hid Jimmy Levaldo’s home. The residence, a quarter mile away, was northeast of Shiprock among rolling hills and junipers, which afforded plenty of cover for the officers, but also for anyone outside and around the gray stucco house.

Her boss had studied the scene
through his binoculars, and had now returned to discuss the situation with the other officers standing by.

“Someone obviously called for an emergency meeting. Most of these guys have full-time jobs, so they usually get together on weekends or late at night. Billy Eltsosie works alone at the gas station, so the fact he’s here should be a reminder of how much punch the Fierce Ones carry with the
small business owners in this area.”

Big Ed looked at Blalock and the handful of tribal officers who’d been close enough to take the call, but said nothing else.

Ella remained silent, knowing Big Ed would often lapse into long silences as he gathered his thoughts.

“Investigator Clah and I will approach first,” he said at last. “Everyone else stay out of sight, but be ready to move in instantly
if necessary. Agent Blalock will make that call,” he said, looking at the FBI agent, who nodded.

“I suggest that Justine move in close and keep us under surveillance,” Ella said. “She can report to Blalock.”

“Absolutely,” Big Ed said. “You and I will drive over to the hogan in my vehicle. It runs quiet and is unmarked. I don’t want to give them any advance notice. If we catch them cold they
won’t have time to prepare a response.”

“Good idea,” Ella said, then turned to work out last-minute logistics with the other officers, while Justine slipped away on foot to scout ahead. Once Justine was well on her way, Ella joined the chief, who was waiting beside his vehicle. “Ready when you are,” she said.

“Climb in. You have your Taser?” Big Ed asked.

Ella nodded. “It’s covered by my Windbreaker,
but it’s on my belt.”

“Good.” Big Ed was wearing a leather jacket that accentuated his bulk and effectively hid his sidearm and Taser. He drove, and because the road wasn’t visible until it passed over a hill, they weren’t spotted until they were a hundred yards from the hogan.

Two men were outside, standing guard. When Big Ed stepped out of the car, the men keeping watch quickly conferred and
one ran inside. Jimmy appeared less than ten seconds later.

Big Ed chose to remain where he was and extend Jimmy the courtesy of not approaching the hogan uninvited. Her boss had been determined to keep it low-key, and Ella had followed his lead, getting out of the car, but remaining by the door.

Jimmy approached Big Ed.
“Yáat’ééh,”
he greeted.

Big Ed responded in kind. “Nephew, we need to
talk.”

The term, Ella knew, didn’t imply kinship, it was a customary way for an older man to speak to a younger one. It also reminded Jimmy that Big Ed merited his respect.

“We can talk freely here. We’re Navajo brothers.”

“What separates us is the law,” Big Ed said in a firm voice.

“You’re speaking of Anglo laws, not ours. We’ve always looked after our own.”

Big Ed said nothing for a long
time. “You want the tribe to walk in beauty,” he said at last. “That’s our common ground. But if you take justice into your own hands, and work around the laws that the tribal council has asked us to uphold, costly mistakes will continue to be made.”

Ella saw Jimmy wince, though he covered it almost instantly. “You don’t share your information with us so what can be done? We can’t depend on the
white man’s courts. You know as well as I do that justice all too often slips right through their fingers.”

“With information comes responsibility. I can’t allow my officers to share information with those who refuse to accept responsibility for
their
own mistakes. Is justice served when you go after the wrong person? What of the damage
that
does, not only to the person, but to their family and
their clans?”

Jimmy stared off into the distance, his expression thoughtful. “We have a very bad Anglo among us, but you and your people have done nothing to stop him.”

“That’s not true. We
are
handling the matter.”

“You
say
that but nothing gets done.”

At that moment Lena Clani stepped out of the hogan. “Everyone talks about justice, but my daughter is dead and no one has been arrested for
her murder.” Anger made her words resonate, giving them a peculiar power over the ones there.

“Finding the person who killed your daughter requires gathering evidence and that takes time,” Big Ed said.

He glanced at Jimmy and continued. “Our men, when they go off to war, understand that battles aren’t won overnight. Corn takes time to grow, rugs to weave, prayers to sing.”

Big Ed looked straight
at Lena and spoke softly but clearly as he continued. “Yet you would have us rush right out and arrest the first likely suspect mostly because you want to believe he’s guilty. Without real justice, you can’t walk in beauty.”

“Talk, talk, and more talk,” Lena said, her entire body was shaking with rage and pain. “That’s all that ever happens around here. Your time is up. Now it’s our turn to
find this justice you say is so important.”

Joe Jackson, who was barely twenty, came out of the hogan and stood beside the seventy-year-old woman. “She’s right. Every day we lose more control over what happens on our land,” he said. “We have our own way of finding the truth. Our land—our justice.”

Robert Todacheene come out of the hogan next, a Winchester carbine in his hands.

“Don’t let this
get ugly,” Ella said, turning to Lena for help.

“Sniper! In the trees!” Todacheene shouted, swinging the barrel of his carbine toward Ella.

“Shorty!” Big Ed warned.

“No!” Lena shouted, too late.

Ella dove to the side, reaching for her own weapon and Justine fired from somewhere behind them. Robert flinched, dropping the rifle, and fell to his knees, grabbing his left side.

Jackson tried to
grab Ella’s gun, still in its holster, but the catch was fastened and all he got was her sharp backhand across his face. Before she could take a breath, somebody else came running out of the hogan. He took a swing at her, and she caught a glancing blow to her cheek as she tried to slip the punch. As she stepped to one side, Jimmy flew by her, head first, and crashed into whoever had punched her.
The two men tumbled to the ground in a thrashing heap.

She was just getting her bearings when Big Ed grabbed Ella’s wrist and hauled her to her feet. He had a grim smile on his face that told her he’d been the one to throw Jimmy.

“Back to back, Shorty,” he yelled. Ella got the message, standing so that they literally covered each other’s backs.

Lena had disappeared, along with Robert, but several
more men had emerged from the hogan and were circling, along with Jimmy and Joe, searching for an opening. Ella glanced down and noted gratefully that the rifle on the ground was within kicking distance. Anyone making a grab for it would catch a boot in the chin.

They were outnumbered, but their assailants’ confidence had been shaken. No one was eager to try and tackle Big Ed and they knew Ella
still had her pistol. She didn’t have to draw her weapon—one man had already been shot. They just needed to hold their own for another minute or so. As the wail of sirens rose in the air, some of the men took off running for their trucks. Others, realizing that they’d never make it, just ran for the tree line.

“Down on the ground!” Justine yelled from somewhere behind the hogan. She looked around
the side. “You both okay?”

“Yes,” Ella called back. It was over. As she moved in to help round up their assailants, she saw that Jimmy and three of the older members of the Fierce Ones were already in handcuffs or tough plastic restraints.

Jimmy glared at her and Big Ed as Blalock brought him over, none too gently. “This isn’t over,” Jimmy said. “You won’t be able to hold us for long. We were
having a meeting—a lawful assembly, I think the lawyers call it. There was a shot, and Robert thought we were under attack from a sniper. You had all those guns and we only had one. There are going to be many sides to this story before it’s all said and done.”

Ella knew his argument had more than an even chance of standing up in court. The Fierce Ones, except for maybe Jimmy, would probably just
spend the night in jail and be released in the morning.

Ella nodded to Blalock, then took Jimmy aside. “You were here, and you saw who’s not thinking clearly. We didn’t lose our cool, it was your people, overreacting to our backup. And that poor woman is so grief stricken she can’t tell right from wrong anymore. But we can’t continue to fight each other. If we do, we’ll all lose.”

“You’re right
about that,” he muttered, glancing around to make sure she was the only one who’d heard him. “But the Fierce Ones won’t forget who was in the crosshairs today, and how this all started. Your tactics may come back to haunt you. After today it’s going to be even harder to keep things under control.”

“I won’t apologize when my officers have their lives threatened. But we didn’t come here to create
problems, we came here to address our mutual concerns. With that in mind, what can we do to help?” Big Ed asked, coming over to join them.

“First of all, you’ll need to control your officers. We have our share of hotheads, too, men who need to be kept on a short leash. If we’re going to maintain order, and focus on the problem, I need the chance to track down and talk to the right people. But
I have to act fast and with me in jail…” He shrugged.

Big Ed glanced at Ella. “Release him,” he said.

He was right. There were times when someone had to make a controversial call, and in this case, bending the rules was worth the risk. Ella looked down and saw that Jimmy had those single-use nylon restraints. She brought out her pocketknife and freed his wrists.

“Go do what you said, and remember
today, nephew,” Big Ed said.

Jimmy nodded once, then quickly went into the main house.

Lena drew back the blanket covering the entrance to the hogan, tied it out of the way with a leather thong, then walked over. Ella could see Robert Todacheene inside the hogan being tended by Michael Cloud and another officer. From the blood still drying on her hands, it was obvious that Lena had been tending
the wounded man.

“Some people will do anything to avoid trouble,” Lena said, obviously having overheard part of their conversation with Jimmy. “But who’ll speak for my daughter?”

“Give us a chance to find out who did this to her, to prove it without a shadow of doubt,” Ella said gently, pushing back her anger. “That’s the only way to restore order.”

Lena stared at her, tears in her eyes. “I
didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt today, but I will
not
rest until my daughter’s killer is caught.”

“As a mother, I understand. I’d do the same thing,” Ella said quietly, walking Lena to her pickup. “You’ve been through a lot here today. Would you like me to find someone to drive you home?”

“No. I’m not helpless,” she said, her voice stronger now.

As Ella looked at Lena, she realized that
there was more than one meaning woven into her words. “You’re my mother’s friend, and I sympathize deeply with your loss,” Ella said. “But please don’t make me choose between my sworn duty and my love for you and your family.”

Lena regarded her for several seconds. “Will you give me your word that you’ll get justice for my daughter?”

“I won’t give up until we catch her killer,” Ella said measuring
her words carefully.

“That’s not a yes, and that’s why you and I will continue to have a problem.”

As Lena drove away, Big Ed joined Ella. “I can’t blame that woman for being upset,” Big Ed said, “but she’s gone overboard. You’ll have to watch her. She’s not through stirring things up yet.”

“I know.”

Justine came up to Ella as the other officers started to drive away. “Sorry I gave myself
away. The guy must have seen a flash from my scope.”

“I’m not blaming you, Justine. We needed your backup, it turned out.”

“You paid the price, though. You’re going to be black-and-blue all over tomorrow,” she said.

Ella looked down at herself. She had tiny drops of blood splattered on her shirt. At least they weren’t hers. “I’ll ride with you back to the station. I’d like to wash up and change
clothes. After that, we can decide what to do next.”

“You sure you’re okay?” Justine asked.

“Yeah, and thanks for watching my back. I don’t know if he’d have shot me, but he had me cold when you took him down.”

“You’ve covered my back more times than I can remember. And the good news is Robert will be healthy enough to face charges. My bullet was deflected by the receiver on the rifle and
missed his lungs. It nicked him in the ribs.”

“Good work, partner,” Ella said. “Now let’s get out of here.”

They reached the station in Shiprock twenty-five minutes later, and Ella went directly to her office. Justine stopped by the lab first, then joined Ella. “I’ve got the list of felons you asked for. Good news, it’s short,” she said, holding out the one name she’d scribbled on a sheet for
Ella to see.

“Wilbert Bruce is a bad seed,” Ella said, reading it. “It was before my time on the force, but I remember hearing that he killed a clerk at a convenience store for ten bucks and change. So he’s out now?”

“Yeah and he’s clean. I understand that he credits your father for that, too. Your dad went to visit him in prison often and counseled him. That’s what I heard anyway.”

“I suppose
you’ve got an address?” Ella asked.

“Yep. Ready to go?”

They were underway minutes later, Justine at the wheel. “Tell me more about Wilbert Bruce,” Ella said. “What’s he do for a living these days?”

“Your father opened some doors for him and he apprenticed with a Mexican craftsman in Waterflow after he was released. These days, Wilbert’s a skilled saddle maker in his own right and very much
in demand. He has a huge waiting list.”