Never-ending-snake (11 page)

Justine pointed to the first entry. “Don Yazzie. The name sounds familiar, though I can’t put a face to it. According to the note that follows, he manages the warehouse at the casino, so I’m not sure how I would have met him, yet . . .”

“I think the reason his name’s familiar is because of his wife, Cornelia. Although she’s battling cancer herself,
she runs her own version of the Make-A-Wish Foundation for Navajo kids.”

Justine nodded. “Yeah, I remember hearing about a little boy with only a few months to live. His fondest memories were of a vacation he’d taken with his family to the Grand Canyon. He couldn’t be moved, so Cornelia’s foundation revamped the kid’s room and turned it into a replica of the cabin his father had rented there.
That boy passed on in peace.”

Ella sighed. “I don’t know how she does it. Constantly
being with kids who are fighting a death sentence. It would destroy me one inch at a time.”

“She’s a Christian, Ella. That gives her a totally different perspective. Ask Ford.”

Ella smiled and shook her head. “No way, partner. We avoid discussing things that we’ll never agree on. Ford’s beliefs don’t allow
him to accept any other way but his, and I’m not so quick to walk a line of absolutes. I’ve seen too much I can’t explain. I’m no Traditionalist, but I know that my brother’s ceremonies and rituals often get amazing results, yet Ford’s religion insists it’s all just pagan magic and superstition.”

Before Justine could comment, Ella brought their focus back to the text file. “Here’s another one
of his sources. Angelina Manuelito is the receptionist at CEM’s local office. She’d be in a position to know quite a bit.” Ella paused. “I don’t remember ever meeting her though.”

“I don’t know her either,” Justine said.

“Here’s the last name,” Ella said a second later. “Cheryl Hoskie’s the casino bookkeeper. Run these names and see what you get.”

Justine went over to her computer terminal,
then after a minute answered. “None have any priors. They’re clean, Ella.”

“We need to talk to all of them, but we’re going to have to make certain we’re not followed.”

“With the circus underway outside, that might be difficult,” Justine answered.

As they stood, Ella’s phone vibrated. Flipping it open with one hand, Ella noted the caller ID. “Hey, Mom,” she greeted.

“I’m at the hospital with
your daughter,” Rose said in a shaky voice. “We were in the downstairs lobby when there was a huge explosion outside. A car’s burning and the fire department’s on its way. I don’t know if anyone’s hurt. Everything’s going crazy here.”

Ella’s blood ran cold. She could hear the shouts and sounds of chaos just beyond Rose’s voice. “Hospital security—”

“Went outside,” her mother finished for her.

“Mom, take my daughter and
stay away
from her father’s room. This could be a diversion. I’m on my way.” Ella immediately called Officer Betone.

“Everything’s secure here, but it sounds like they could use help outside,” he said.

“Stay at your post,” Ella said, motioning for Justine to follow as she hurried out.

“I’m not going anywhere. Don’t worry about that. Lonewolf’s my responsibility and
no one’s laying a finger on him.”

Ella noted the respect mirrored in Betone’s words whenever he spoke of the man he’d been assigned to protect. In hard times, larger-than-life heroes reminded everyone of the best of human nature and gave them something to strive for. More than anything, Ella hoped that Adam would live up to the faith others had placed in him.

Ella put the phone away and checked
her pistol as she walked, verifying that her third clip was there, the one with the armor-piercing rounds. “We need to get to the hospital pronto. I’ll fill you in on the way.”

Fighting the urge to do the opposite, they left the department at a leisurely pace and without emergency lights, trying not to call attention to themselves. When they reached the highway, Justine picked up speed and turned
on the siren. “We’re clear, Ella. No tail.”

“When we arrive, go to Kevin’s room, I’ll head for the ICU. Until things calm down we’ll back up the officers guarding the two men.”

Chaos ruled in the hospital’s front parking lot as they pulled up, with cars blocking some of the rows and people milling around. Justine circled the action and headed toward
the emergency room entrance. They could see
the fire department at the scene and many members of the hospital staff were on the outside steps and sidewalks. Most were trying to see what was going on, while others were making themselves useful.

Once inside, Ella raced down the left corridor while Justine went straight. As Ella turned the corner of the long hall, she spotted someone wearing a dark green hooded sweatshirt, head covered, striding
purposefully down the hall toward intensive care.

The fact that the person was wearing that type of clothing inside the building—this time of day and year—immediately got her attention. It seemed doubly odd when you considered that the temperature outside was in the high seventies. As the man turned the corner, Ella noticed the large bouquet of flowers in his left hand. The way he was resting
it on top of his right hand seemed odd—unless he was trying to hide something.

That thought, and the fact that the person was wearing what was practically a convenience store robbery uniform, jolted her into immediate action. Ella spurted forward and called out, “You with the flowers—stop!”

The man didn’t even turn to look. Instead, he ignored her and picked up speed. He was less than twenty
feet from the twin doors leading to the ICU when he suddenly turned away and raced down an adjacent hallway, dropping the flowers.

Ella saw what had changed the suspect’s mind. Officer Betone, apparently having heard her shout, was peering out one of the windows in the ICU doors. Betone slipped out into the hall, his hand on the butt of his handgun. “Who was that?”

“Stay with Adam!” Ella yelled,
sprinting after Hooded Guy.

As she turned the corner, a security guard came out of the stairwell door.

“What’s going on?” he yelled as she ran by.

“Hooded man with a gun. Secure the exits!” she answered, not slowing down.

As she raced down the corridor, she saw her suspect nearly collide with a cleaning cart one of the janitors was pushing down the hall. The suspect pointed his handgun at
the janitor, who jumped back instantly, trying to hug the wall.

Hooded Guy slid on the waxed floor, managed to sidestep the cart at the last second, then turned the corner.

“Police. Stop!” Ella ordered, but once again, he ignored her and kept running.

With only a waiting area at the end of this hall, the subject was trapped. “There’s no way out,” Ella called out to him, slowing to a brisk walk,
pistol in hand. “Give it up.”

The man turned, dropped to a crouch, and took two quick shots.

As the bullets whined overhead, she dove behind the only available cover, a potted plant. Hesitant to return fire, not knowing what was behind the wall at the end of the hall or if anyone was in the waiting area, she poked her head out slowly and carefully. In the seconds it took her to do that, he’d
vanished.

Figuring that he must have ducked into the waiting area, she inched down the hall slowly, hugging the wall and ready for an ambush. But how would she recognize the man if he’d taken off the hood? She’d had only one quick look at his face, and he’d been wearing sunglasses. If he was seated among others, he’d have a lethal advantage.

Suddenly the shrill sound of a
fire alarm shattered the silence. Ella stopped at the entrance to the small lounge, crouched, and looked around the corner, pistol out. A fire exit she didn’t remember seeing there before was ajar.

Hurrying out, she saw dozens of people watching two firemen spraying water on the burning car while the rest of the crew worked to hook up a fat hose she thought would probably dispense foam. With
onlookers everywhere, half of them taking photos and video with cell cameras, the suspect had slipped out unnoticed and blended in with the crowd.

Yet Ella knew that he couldn’t have gone far. She called Justine on the cell phone as she searched up and down the rows of parked cars.

“Kevin’s secure,” Justine said. “No trouble here.”

Ella reported her location, then ended the call and continued
to search the area, circling the crowd slowly on foot. After several minutes, she decided to focus on the parked vehicles. Hearing footsteps behind a van one row away, she circled for a better view, and saw a woman helping a man into a wheelchair. Ella continued to the next row and stood up on the back bumper of an old pickup, trying to get a better view.

Suddenly a car raced up from behind her.
Hearing it, Ella jumped off the bumper and turned, her hand on the butt of her pistol. A second later the squad car stopped, and she saw Justine behind the wheel.

“I’m assuming Kevin’s still under guard?” Ella asked, slipping into the cruiser.

“Yes. Officer Poyer is there now, along with another one of our people. Marianna Talk was here at the hospital visiting her mother and is now backing
him up.”

“Good. Circle the lot.”

“What are we looking for?” Justine asked as she drove up and down the rows of vehicles.

“The suspect’s wearing sunglasses and a green hooded sweatshirt,” Ella said, giving her highlights.

“You need to start wearing a vest again, cuz. And maybe a helmet.”

“No kidding.” Ella reached for her cell phone. “As soon as this is over, I’m going to have Kevin moved
to another room.”

They drove slowly, circling the area where all the outside action was taking place, searching for anyone pulling out or acting suspicious. People crowded in from all sides, hampering the emergency crew’s efforts.

“I want our crime scene team to work with the fire marshal and check out the incident with the car,” Ella said. “I think it was a diversion meant to draw security
away from the hospital interior. Vehicles don’t generally blow up by themselves.”

“Let me call Benny and Joe and have them secure the scene,” Justine said. “The hospital guards are in over their heads.”

“I’ll make the call. Let’s keep searching for the suspect.” Although she knew the chances of finding him were slim, she wasn’t ready to give up. Ella called her team but kept her gaze focused
on the surrounding area as she spoke.

As Justine drove around to the outpatient clinic east of the main building, Ella noted a truck ahead waiting to pull out of the parking area onto a side street. The passenger in the cab was wearing what was either a black, or dark green hooded sweatshirt.

“Pull them over,” Ella snapped. “It’s a long shot, but it’s all we’ve got.”

“The truck’s got a casino
parking lot sticker,” Justine said, flipping the sirens off and on to flag the driver. As the truck pulled to one side, Justine glanced at Ella, who was reaching for her gun. “You’re wound too tight, partner. Ease up.”

“I want the dirtbag who turned the hospital into a shooting gallery. He’s not getting away from me—not for long anyway.”

Gun in hand, Ella approached carefully, keeping the angle
tight as she moved closer to the pickup. While Justine covered the driver, Ella ordered the passenger to step out.

The person moved slowly and climbed down from the seat. When she pushed back the hood, Ella immediately recognized Cornelia Yazzie—her hair gone from the ravages of cancer therapy. Placing her gun back in its holster, Ella apologized quickly. “I’m so sorry. There’s someone with a
gun running around the hospital. He was wearing sunglasses and a hooded sweatshirt.”

The driver glanced over the hood at Ella. “Detective Clah? What’s going on?”

Ella recognized Don Yazzie from Ford’s annual church
picnic. “I’m really sorry for the mixup, but this may be a good thing after all. I’ve been wanting a chance to talk to you—and I think you know why. Will you come back to the hospital
with me? It’ll look like I’ve held you up for questioning because of the hooded sweatshirt Cornelia’s wearing. Those inside the hospital know I’ve been chasing a suspect fitting that description.”

“And no questions will be raised,” he added softly. “Not a bad idea. But let me take my wife into an empty treatment room where she can lie down. The hospital staff won’t mind, and it’ll give her a
chance to rest. She’s always beat after chemo.”

Less than ten minutes later, Ella sat with Don in one of the rooms inside the Administration offices.

“Are they after Mr. Tolino?” Don asked quickly, once the door was shut. “Is that what the explosion in the parking lot was all about? If that’s the case, I’m in real trouble. If you’ve found out that I’ve been helping Kevin, maybe they have, too,”
he said, his words tumbling over each other. “I warned Kevin that they’d fight back—hard and dirty. CEM plays rough. They know the casino business, and they know how to get around . . . obstacles.”

“And you think Kevin’s an obstacle?” she asked.

“Let’s say he’s a problem, and they’ve got a lot of experience making problems disappear.”

“This is now a police investigation and that’s why Kevin
gave me your name. Your cooperation will remain confidential.”