Never-ending-snake (24 page)

“He was the perfect tribal representative. He could open any door on reputation alone. He also had a very sharp intellect and knew instinctively how to make the most out of every opportunity. Once the family currently on the project site is either removed by the tribe or compensated, there is nothing to keep the Prickly Weed Project from moving full speed ahead, thanks largely to his
efforts. The deal was closed the day after the attack. What’s sad is that he’ll never know that now.”

“It was my understanding that IFT wanted far more than what the tribe was able to offer them,” Ella said.

“There
were
bumps in the road,” he admitted. “But all that’s history now. With IFT on board, we can go on to the next phase of the planning.”

“What finally broke the impasse?” Ella asked.
“I understand funding was the major stumbling block, and there was no more money to sweeten the deal.”

“Business negotiations can be difficult sometimes,” Billy said, hedging her question, then standing. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to leave if I’m going to make it to my next meeting. The Prickly Weed Project is only one of several new investments the Navajo Nation is currently exploring.”

He ushered
them out of his office quickly, then closed the door. Ella glanced at Justine. “We’ve been given the brush-off, partner.”

“Yep, that’s the way it felt to me, too.”

“Well, since we’re already in Window Rock, let’s go by Councilman Begaye’s office,” Ella said.

The office building was close enough that they could
walk, and it was still pretty cool outside here among the mesas. “There’s something
I still can’t reconcile,” Ella said, lost in thought as they walked down the sidewalk side by side. “Why was Adam bringing that money back from Washington? It makes far more sense to assume the cash had been meant for someone at IFT. Bribes are a worldwide tradition when it comes to greasing wheels in business and government.”

“Maybe IFT paid Adam, though I can’t think of any reason for them
to do that,” Justine said.

“A crooked hero. . . . I sure hope we’re wrong about that.” Ella paused, then added, “Have you looked into this company, Industrial Futures Technology?”

“Yes, I have. Basically, they’re clean, with no lawsuits, government inquiries, or hint of scandals. They do business all over the country. With the big push for alternate energy solutions, they’ve recently moved their
corporate headquarters to the Washington, D.C., area.”

“It makes sense. That’s where many of the big energy projects begin, so why not? Do they have anything to do with casinos or gambling?”

“No. They’re a solid part of the science and engineering business community. Their current focus is on testing and implementing alternative energy solutions—wind, geothermal, ethanol, you name it,” Justine
said.

They were coming up the steps of the council office building when Abigail Yellowhair came out the door. Ella wasn’t surprised to see her least-favorite Plant Watcher. The day hadn’t been going well anyway.

“Abigail, good morning,” Justine said with enthusiasm. “We’re all a little far from home today, aren’t we?”

“Justine, and Ella, good morning. Working on your investigation, I hope?
I’m so sorry to hear that Sergeant Lonewolf’s killers are still on the loose. Those men you went up against yesterday—they got away again, right, Ella?”

Ella held her tongue—reluctantly. Although Abigail’s tone was neutral, the implications were snarky, to say the least.

“At least we have a name to go with one of those suspects,” Justine said.

“The rest of the details are being withheld as
we pursue the new lead,” Ella said, cutting her partner off. “Are you here to meet with anyone in particular, Mrs. Yellowhair? Our own councilman does have an office in Shiprock. . . .”

“Just touching bases with an old friend. But don’t let me keep you.” She nodded to Justine, then strode away.

“Okay, what’s up?” Justine asked as Abigail hurried off. “I know you two don’t get along, but why
the sudden surge of hostility?”

“I got the feeling that she’s disappointed I dodged bullets again. You know that she still blames me for what happened to her family, don’t you?” Ella said, opening the door to the small lobby.

“You’re way too hard on her, Ella. That woman has been through a lot, and she’s had to toughen up just to survive,” Justine said. “Despite Blalock’s description of her
as a ‘she wolf,’ she wasn’t always that way. When I met Abby years ago, she still had a kind heart.”

“You’re the one with the kind heart now, partner,” Ella said quietly. “Try to find out who she came to see.”

“I’ll ask around.”

Ella stopped and studied the sign on the wall which indicated the office numbers of the various council members. “Now let’s get back to business.”

They spent the next
hour trying to locate Councilman Begaye. First, they stopped by his office. There, they
were told by his staff that he’d left after his meeting with Mrs. Yellowhair, but they’d be able to find him at the telecommunication commission office. Once they arrived there, they were told that Begaye had just left, but they’d be able to find him at the Division of General Services. The story repeated itself
two more times.

“Billy must have warned him that we’re in town. He’s obviously ducking us. We could spend all morning going around in circles. Let’s head back to Shiprock,” Ella said. “We need to gather up everyone on the team and pool our information.”

“Well, at least one of your questions was answered. Mrs. Yellowhair was the last person to meet with Councilman Begaye before he stepped out,”
Justine added, starting the engine and pulling out into the street.

“She’s one of the Prickly Weed investors, and with the business losses she’s rumored to have taken the last few years, she’s probably keeping in close touch with the project leaders to protect her investment. You notice that she’s dressing down? A year ago, she wouldn’t be out in public wearing anything less than a thousand-dollar
suit.”

“You really dislike her, don’t you?”

“It’s more of a trust issue, cuz. But yeah, okay, she wouldn’t be my first choice as a companion on a deserted island. In fact, she wouldn’t even make the list.”

“Who would you pick to be stranded with on a deserted island?” Justine teased. “Ford, Kevin, or Teeny?”

“Actually, I’d rather have Two. Dogs offer unconditional love and a lifetime of loyalty
in exchange for a scratch behind the ears, a drink from the water hose, and a bowlful of kibbles.”

As Justine drove east toward home, Ella used the wonderful scent of piñon pine trees drifting in through the window to help her relax. Leaning back, she sorted through her thoughts. The deal with IFT
had
gone through according to Garnenez, so the cash couldn’t have been tied to that.

“That seventy-five
thousand . . . we need to find out once
and for all who that was meant for—and who bankrolled it,” Ella said, thinking out loud.

“Joe and Benny have been looking through Marie’s and Adam’s bank accounts. Marie gave us permission. Maybe they’ve come up with something.”

“When we get back, I’m going to need some time to talk to Joe in private,” Ella said.

“About Mavis?” Justine asked.

Ella nodded.

“Joe’s mom and sister are living with him at the moment. Did you know that?” Seeing Ella shake her head, she continued. “His mother’s house got damaged when an irrigation ditch overflowed. I found out about it when Mavis came to the station looking for Joe, and she and I talked for a bit.”

“How old is Mavis?” Ella asked.

“Nineteen or twenty. She’s only worked at the hospital for about six months.
It’s her first job out of high school.”

“At that age, someone like Norm might seem like high adventure and romance all rolled into one package,” Ella said.

“Mavis came across as pretty levelheaded. Don’t sell her short.”

“We’ve all been played at one point or another in our lives,” Ella said. “Eventually, we come to our senses, but not before someone’s taken full advantage of the situation.”

“Like that blood-sucking parasite who’s preying on women half his age?”

Ella laughed. “Come to think of it,” she said, growing serious once more, “now that Joe’s got his family at home, he’s going to have to watch what he says. That’s not always easy for a bachelor who’s used to speaking freely on the phone.”

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about on that score, Ella. Joe—Benny, too—are
both quiet by nature. Loose lips won’t be a problem.” She paused, then in a softer tone,
added, “Benny’s more laid back than Joe, but with both those guys, what you see is what you get. We’ve got a great team.”

There was something about the way Justine’s tone had changed when she’d spoken of Benny that instantly caught Ella’s attention. She glanced at her partner. “Do you and Benny have a thing?”

“No, there’s nothing at all going on between us. He’s the most unromantic man on the planet,” Justine said with a hint of a smile.

“And that’s precisely what interests you.”

“I find someone like Benny—who’s up front about everything—a breath of fresh air.” Glancing at Ella, she continued, “Let me give you an idea of what I mean. Last week the computer in the lab crashed, taking hours of work
with it. It was backed up, but restoring it all again took a lot of time. Then I spilled coffee all over some papers on my desk. It was a piece-of-crap morning, so I left Benny in the lab, and stormed outside, needing a break. Benny followed me out about twenty minutes later, holding a mug of freshly brewed coffee. He picked a sunflower that had been growing near the door, then shoved the coffee
and the flower in my face, and said, ‘Here. Cheer up.’ Then he went back inside.”

Ella laughed. “Mr. Romance!”

“Yeah, but it was sweet.”

They were forty minutes south of Shiprock, just passing the Newcomb Chapter house, when her cell phone rang. Ella recognized Blalock’s voice instantly.

“I’ve got a positive ID on O’Riley’s partner. I’m working on getting a current address, but the man’s moved
around a lot.”

“What have you got so far?”

“His name’s Carl Perry. He’s ex-Army, from the same platoon as O’Riley. He was booted out with a dishonorable discharge for sexual assault of a woman soldier. Once we have a twenty on him, bringing him in is going to be tough.
He qualified expert on the range, and barely missed the cut for sniper school. My gut tells me that he’ll be armed to the teeth.”

“We’re going to need SWAT,” she said, “and vests.”

“Yeah and to stack the odds in our favor, we should make our move at four in the morning when he’s likely to be asleep.”

“On or off the Rez, I want to be there for the takedown,” Ella said.

“You’ve got it.”

Placing her phone away, Ella filled Justine in. “Let’s get our team updated. Looks like we’re in for another long day.”

It was after one when they walked through the doors of the station. Ella glanced at her partner. “Find Joe and have him meet me at my office in ten minutes. I’m going to talk to Big Ed.”

“All right,” Justine replied.

“Also, I want the whole team in my office in a half hour.”

Ella turned down the hall and headed to Big Ed’s office. The chief was just finishing
a phone conversation when she knocked on his door and stepped inside.

Ella updated him. “Once we get an address for Carl Perry, I’m going to take part in the takedown and sit in on the questioning.”

Big Ed leaned back in his seat. “Do whatever it takes to clear Adam—or get me the information that conclusively proves he’s guilty. The pressure’s really coming down on this one, Shorty,” he said.
“And I don’t want to hear that the Farmington reporter broke the story before we closed our case.”

“You’ve already heard that he’s been talking to Sergeant Neskahi’s sister, haven’t you?” she asked, studying his expression.

“Yeah. Then he spoke to my wife,” he said. “He found out where I lived and showed up on our doorstep,” he added, biting off each syllable.

Ella could feel his anger. She
didn’t blame him. “How did Hattery get
your
address?”

“I don’t know, but if I find out that one of our people—or a relative of theirs—gave it to him, I promise you, heads will roll.”

“None of us here would ever disclose that kind of information. You know that, Chief. But depending on how he phrased things when he spoke to Joe’s sister . . .”

“Pretending to know more than he did, then letting
the subject fill in the gaps,” Big Ed said with a nod. “Yeah, I’m way ahead of you.”

“I was going to meet Joe in my office. Shall I have him come here so we can both talk to him?”

“Do it,” Big Ed said.

Ella went to her office, found Joe waiting, and walked back with him to the chief’s office.

Visibly uncomfortable, Joe sat down, looked at Big Ed, then at Ella. “This is about my sister, right?”

Big Ed nodded, but said nothing.

“That Hattery creep kept joining her for coffee breaks and lunch at the hospital cafeteria. She was flattered that a television personality found her interesting, and figured it was okay to trust him after he made it sound as if the department was keeping him in the loop about the case. I set her straight on that, and pressed her to remember everything she’d told
him, but she assured me that all she did was make a few comments here and there,” Joe said, then shook his head. “Either way, she won’t be talking to him anymore.”