Never-ending-snake (30 page)

“If the opposition gains enough strength, the support the project currently has will disappear. That’s the nature of the beast, so to speak.” She glanced at her watch. “I have to get going. I teach at the college and I’ve got a class in another half hour.”

“Thanks for your help,” Ella said, standing up.

Five minutes later, they were on the way back to the station. Blalock had requested a meeting to update them on the Bureau’s efforts to track down leads in D.C. “I wonder if he got anything from the surveillance video at the casino,” Ella said.

“I guess we’ll know soon enough,” Justine answered. After a brief pause, Justine added casually, “How
do you think it’s going to work out with Kevin in the house?”

Ella heard the unspoken thought within the question. That was the advantage of knowing your partner well. “It’s an interesting setup, I’ll say that much. Of course Dawn loves
having her dad at home. But Kevin knows he and I won’t ever rekindle our old relationship, I’ve made that clear.”

“Others may not be so convinced. Have you thought
about how Ford’s going to react once he hears about this?”

“As much as I trust Ford’s ability to keep a secret, I’m not going to share police business with him unless he’s directly involved—and this time, he’s not.”

“Do you remember when we tried to look into Ford’s past and get more details on the kind of work he’d done? The Feds’ warning to back off really took me by surprise,” she said, laughing.
“Has he ever told you more about his past, off the record?”

“Some. I know he worked in Intelligence, but for the most part those years are still a mystery to me. That’s a book he either doesn’t want to open, or can’t. I honestly don’t know which it is.”

“So there’s always going to be a side of Ford you’ll never know,” Justine said. “There are a lot of women who’d be intrigued by that.”

“Ford’s
secrets aren’t the problem in our relationship. It’s what I already know about him,” Ella said softly. “His beliefs require him to at least try and convert those around him, and when it comes to dogma he’s not big on compromise. The few times I’ve heard his sermons that’s come across clearly. Up to now I’ve pushed all that aside, figuring it would work itself out, but I’m not sure that’s something
we can do in the long run.”

As they pulled up to the station, Ella noticed that Blalock’s vehicle was already there. “I hope he’s got some answers for us. This case keeps winding around itself and we need a solid lead that’ll help us break that cycle.”

Less than three minutes later Justine and Ella walked into Big Ed’s office, closing the door behind them and taking a seat. Their chief was behind
his big desk, talking to Agent Blalock, who was seated in one of the small armchairs.

Glancing to Big Ed, who nodded, Blalock began. “Bureau agents in D.C. have been checking places where Adam hung out—starting with the extended-stay hotel he used. They were given access to his room and, there, found receipts and vouchers that marked a trail they could follow. They’ve been trying to determine
where he purchased the board game he had with him at the airstrip. Since there’s no label on the box, that made things tougher. Agents have visited every retailer within walking distance that might offer that game, but they’ve had no hits. They’re now checking area office supply and shipping outlets that offer shrink-wrapping service. So far we’ve got zip.”

“That board game is the key to the
suspect and the money,” Big Ed said.

“I agree, and so does the Bureau,” Blalock answered. “Our agents will keep pounding the pavement.”

“I still can’t think of any legitimate reason why the man was carrying that much cash,” Big Ed said. “As a lobbyist, Adam doesn’t finalize deals or contracts. His sole job is to promote the interests of the tribe. He can’t even accept an offer on behalf of the
tribe, and he’s not a tribal lawyer who could walk a client through the actual process. If someone in D.C. is paying nearly a hundred thou to someone who basically only makes suggestions and talks up the tribe, I’d sure like to meet him.”

“Stand in line, Chief,” Ella said. “But there
is
another way of looking at this,” she added slowly. “What if a coconspirator of Grady’s—operating in the nation’s
capital—bribed Adam? It’s possible Adam was recruited to keep an eye on Kevin and his investigation—maybe even sabotage it by getting the names of Kevin’s sources, for instance. The threats Kevin received previously could have been designed to allow Adam to get closer to him.”

“You’re going back to our first theory then—that the
hired guns were after Kevin, but Adam got in the way?” Justine said.
“Maybe Adam passed along Kevin’s travel plans not realizing that there was going to be hit. It’s possible Grady gave up on Adam, wrote off the seventy-five K, and went with Plan B—killing Kevin.”

“That’s a theory we can’t afford to drop, and it would explain the cash,” Blalock said with an approving nod. “I’m just hoping it’s a dead end, that Lonewolf wasn’t—isn’t—dirty.”

“Speaking of that,
did you ever check the surveillance system at the casino for any signs of O’Riley or Perry?” Ella asked Blalock.

“I’m still working on that. There’s a lot of footage to cover.”

“You’ve got to narrow this down, Shorty,” Big Ed said, looking at Ella as he stood, signaling they were done. “This case is shining a spotlight on our entire department.”

“We’ll do our best, Chief,” Ella said, then followed
Justine out of the office.

Once in the hall, Blalock touched Ella on the arm, motioning her aside. “I’m going back to join two Bureau agents I got on loan from the Albuquerque office. They’re screening the casino video as we speak. I’ll let you know if we find anything.”

After Blalock left, Ella met with the SI team in her office. Marianna was at home catching up on sleep after last night, but
Benny, Joe, and Justine were there, waiting. “Anyone know Norm Hattery’s whereabouts this morning?” Ella asked the gathering.

“I do,” a familiar voice said from the doorway.

Ella looked up and saw Ford. “Come in,” she invited.

“I thought you might like to know that he came by the rectory this morning. He wanted to ask me about you and Kevin.”

“That’s strange. What kind of questions?” Ella
asked, suddenly worried that Norm might have figured out Kevin’s whereabouts.

“Hattery’s looking into the possibility that the hit was a result of domestic violence—something between you and Kevin. He pointed out that there are several recent examples in New Mexico of spouses who hired, or tried to hire, thugs to kill their spouses or exes.”

“You’re kidding,” Ella said after a beat.

“I told
him he was nuts,” Ford said laughing. “Then he asked me about the others in your unit.” He glanced around the room. “You’re all the focus of the reporter’s interest now, so I thought I’d better come by and warn you. If he hasn’t already, he’ll soon be nosing into your private lives.”

“We can’t stop Hattery, nor should we allow him to distract us. The only thing we can do is warn our families,”
Ella said, looking at her team. Joe gave her a silent thumbs-up, a positive sign concerning his sister.

“Could I speak to you privately for a moment?” Ford asked Ella.

She stepped out into the hallway with Ford, then reaching for his hand, gave it gentle squeeze. “So why did you really come in?”

“Part of it was to warn you and your team to watch yourselves. But, you’re right, that wasn’t the
only reason.” He stared at the floor for a long moment.

Ella waited, not interrupting him.

“I’ve learned that Adam’s immediate family isn’t on the Rez anymore,” he said in a whisper-soft voice. “That makes me suspect that Adam’s still alive, under protection elsewhere. And if I put that together, so can whoever’s threatening . . . them.”

“Them?” Ella pressed, trying hard not to give anything
away.

“Tolino’s also gone. I was at the hospital visiting a parishioner and decided to check on him. The nurse said that Kevin had been released, so I drove to his house. Though he’s not of my flock, I thought he might need an errand run, or maybe enjoy some company. I
am
my brother’s keeper,” he added with a gentle smile. “But Kevin wasn’t there either.”

“Security measures on this case are
extremely tight. That’s all I can say.”

Ford nodded, but his expression grew distant and Ella had a feeling he’d already put things together.

“You’re the best at what you do, but when the personal and professional cross in the field, it never leads anywhere good. Be very careful,” he said at last.

Ella stared at him as he walked away. She still wasn’t sure how much Ford really knew. As it usually
was, he had the ability to show only as much as he wanted you to see.

“We’ve got a twenty on Hattery,” Justine said, coming out to meet her. “You’re not going to like it.”

“Give.”

“He was at your daughter’s bus stop this morning asking the children their names. One of the parents told him to get lost. He made excuses, saying that he was doing a story on how Navajo children pass the time riding
long distances to and from school, but didn’t stick around after that.”

“If he gets within a mile of my kid, I’m arresting him on the spot and he’ll be cooling his heels in jail,” Ella said. “Notify the school that he’s hanging around elementary school bus stops.”

“Already done,” Justine said.

Ella stepped back into the room and looked at her fellow officers. “Hattery’s going to be a pain.
But if he’s looking for my kid, he doesn’t have a solid lead. He’s just fishing.”

“So are we,” Benny said.

“Yeah, and we’ve got to keep casting out our lines,” Ella
said. “Get me whatever you can on Grady’s finances. Also search the background of anyone with a financial link to the Prickly Weed Project.”

As her team left, Ella sat back in her chair and tried to figure out her next move. Hattery
was a complication she didn’t need right now, and when he started messing with her family . . . Brushing aside her anger, she tried to stay focused, going over her notes.

A half hour passed, then, feeling her cell phone vibrating, Ella flipped it open.

“I’ve got a problem,” Marianna told her. “A while ago I got a call from Angelina Manuelito, the receptionist at the casino office. Earlier today
the casino’s security chief, Rudy Nez, overheard her saying that she and I are good friends so he took her aside a few minutes after that. He warned her that she’d leave herself open to lawsuits if she spoke to me about the casino’s private business, and that her job, too, would be history.”

“Interesting.”

“Then he told her that he’d be keeping his eye on her. Too rattled to work after that,
she decided to go home early. But once she left the casino grounds, she discovered Nez was following her. Since she doesn’t have any close neighbors, she was afraid to go home. She stopped at the Totah Café and called me. She’s still there. I don’t have the clout to make Nez back off unless he does something else, but if you go . . .”

“No problem. I’m in town and at the station, so I can be there
in five. Give me her cell number,” Ella said, standing.

Marianna gave it to her, then added, “I’ve got a photo of her on my cell phone and I’m going to forward that to you next.”

Ella hurried down the hall, stopped by the door to the lab, and called Justine. “We’ve got to roll,” she said, filling her in on the way to the parking lot.

As Justine got underway Ella looked at the image of Angelina
on her cell phone, then called the number she’d been given. Angelina answered immediately, and from the tone of her voice Ella knew she was badly frightened. “Calm down and tell me why you’re so scared of him,” Ella said.

“Rudy’s a jerk. At the office he told me that people with loose tongues should use their talents in other ways, then he made some really disgusting remarks. I told him he was
gross, but he kept hanging around my office, so I took sick leave and headed home. I was driving down the highway when I spotted him behind me. I never thought he’d follow me home,” she said, and her voice broke.

“Just sit tight, and put me on speaker. Order lunch—and stay inside. He won’t do anything to you inside a crowded café.”

“Then what? Are you going to arrest him?”

“Let’s see how things
play out, but either way, I’ll make sure you’re safe. Will you trust me?”

“Yes,” came the whisper-thin reply.

Less than two minutes later, Justine drove into the Totah’s parking lot via the back way. As they pulled into an empty parking space, Ella watched for Rudy. “I see him, he’s in the bright yellow pickup. It’s mustard, actually, a lowrider. Looks like the same guy I saw at the casino,
the one who set us up to get jumped.”

Justine nodded, following her gaze. “Now it fits. How do you want to handle this?”

“I want a reason to confront Rudy openly. He obviously likes to bully the ladies, so I’m going to set him up.” Ella brought out her phone. “Angelina, I’m right outside, on the west side of the restaurant. I want you to come out into the parking lot.”

“I can’t,” she said,
her voice rising an octave. “He’s still out there. I can see him from where I’m sitting. He’s waiting for me.” Her voice broke. “He parked next to my car.”

“The silver sedan?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Listen to me carefully,” Ella said firmly. “I won’t let him hurt you, but I need you to come out and walk to your car. I’ll be there if he tries something.”

She took a deep unsteady breath. “Okay. If you
can throw him in jail, this’ll be worth it.”

A few moments later Angelina pushed the glass foyer door open and walked out of the café. Seeing Rudy coming straight for her, Angelina froze.

Ella was only a half-dozen feet behind Rudy when a familiar face suddenly came out of the restaurant. Ford spun around Angelina just as Rudy reached for her arm.

“Hands off.” With lightning fast reflexes,
Ford grabbed Rudy’s hand and twisted it to the outside, applying a pinch grip.

Rudy tried swinging a roundhouse punch, but sagged to his knees in agony instead.

“Stay down and calm down,” Ford ordered. “Don’t injure yourself.”