Never-ending-snake (46 page)

“The Prickly Weed Project was his brainchild and, politically, he couldn’t afford to lose, so when their lobbyist failed to deliver
the bribe, Adam became a problem for both him and Abigail,” Ella said, then after a pause, continued. “Although Begaye handled the payment to Perry and O’Riley, getting rid of Lonewolf and misdirecting the investigation by killing Kevin, too—that part of it has Abigail’s handwriting all over it. The woman knows how to plan an operation.”

“Begaye was used. Is that what you’re saying?” Blalock
asked.

She nodded. “When Adam refused to deliver the bribe, Abigail realized that the project would probably be dropped, but Begaye was desperate, too. He had his credibility—the heart of his political career—riding on it. That gave Abigail the edge she needed to manipulate him and take control of the situation.”

“And existing issues, like the fight over the land, the casino lawsuit, and so
on, would serve to lead us away from the real motive for the hit?” Blalock asked.

“Exactly. Having Kevin killed in addition to Adam also held an extra bonus for her—payback. Remember I put her adopted daughter, Barbara, in prison. She wanted to take something from me, but failing that, leaving
my
daughter without her father was a good second.”

“What about the hit on Grady? Another misdirection?”

“You got it. Abigail had Grady killed and had one of the weapons used in the airport attack planted in his closet along
with the vest to seal the frame against him. I believe Grady got caught up in something that had very little to do with him or his problems with Kevin and the tribe. This case was all about Abigail’s quest for power—and her vendetta against me,” Ella said. “It was personal.”

After a wake-up call to Big Ed, who’d returned to the station despite the fact it was nearly 2:00
A.M.
, they had the warrants needed to legally verify the state of Abigail’s finances.

Back in the chief’s office, bleary-eyed and coffee-stoked, the group of four discussed the revelations of the past several hours. Blalock was the first to point out that their case still had flaws. “We can’t
arrest Mrs. Yellowhair, or even take her to court with what we have right now. She’d walk,” he said.

“It’s hard to nail mud to the wall,” Ella muttered, taking another sip of cold coffee.

As silence fell over the gathering once again, Ella realized they were out of energy and options. “We have one shot. It’s a crazy idea, but I think it’ll work,” she said, filling them in.

Once she finished
speaking, Ella glanced around the room. No one even looked up, and the silence was deafening. “You guys still awake, right?”

Blalock sat back in his chair rubbing his chin. “Hell, it might just work, and at the moment it’s all we’ve got. I say we go for it.”

Big Ed nodded slowly, then stifled a yawn. “Okay, Shorty. I’ll back you up if things go south.”

“We’ll need someone who can pass as Adam,”
Ella said. “Any suggestions?”

Justine sat up straight in her chair. “How about Benny?
They’re about the same size and weight. Same Army buzz haircut, too. If we obscure his face with some bandages, he’ll pass.”

“You’re right,” Ella said after a beat. “The key will be getting Marie Lonewolf to cooperate.”

“Once she hears the whole story I think she’ll be willing to help us out,” Justine said.
“Marie wants all this to be over with, I’m sure.”

“Now we need a reason to bring Charles Williams in. I don’t care if it’s speeding, or for spitting on the sidewalk,” Ella said.

“Leave that to me,” Blalock said. “I can be downright creative when the situation calls for it, and if there’s any way to put some additional pressure on him, I will.”

“You’re good to go then, Shorty. Keep me updated,”
Big Ed said.

Just before eight in the morning and already exhausted, Ella picked up the phone. The thought of making any kind of deal with Norm Hattery went against the grain, but he was the only logical choice. Once he leaked the story she was about to give him, it would hit the Internet, the press, and the media all about the same time. She pulled out his business card
and called his cell number.

Hattery picked up on the first ring. “Investigator Clah, you’re the last person I expected to hear from so early this morning. You must want something from me and are finally ready to trade.”

His reporter’s instincts were right on target. She hoped that hers, as a police officer, would turn out to be as good. “I’m calling to offer you the story of a lifetime, but
I’m going to need something from you in exchange,” she said, then explained. As she spoke, she could hear him typing.

“I’m putting this up on my blog right now under breaking news. Then I’ll call Jaime Beyale and tell her I got it from one of my most reliable sources. Your name will never come up,” he said. “Basically, my story will reveal that war hero Adam Lonewolf is still alive, out of danger,
and on his way
back to the station to help identify his attackers. I’ve also said that he’s bringing evidence that’ll break the case wide open and implicate an important and respected member of the tribe.”

“Perfect.”

“You see? I told you we’d both benefit from some cooperation. This way, justice is served and we both come out ahead.”

Ella tried to ignore the bad taste the creep left in her
mouth. “In a few hours, we’ll announce a mid-morning press conference here at the station.”

Ella called Teeny next, and after a quick update, added, “I need you to prepare an audio that will use Begaye’s and Abigail’s voices.” She continued, describing the contents of the conversation she had in mind.

“That’s all, huh?” Teeny asked, chuckling after she finished. “And let me guess. You want it
yesterday.”

“Even with your toys, is it possible, or do I need a new plan?”

“I can get voice samples from Justine—she tapes all her interviews, like you should, by the way. In addition to the right toys, I also have access to a professional impressionist who does voice-over gigs on movies that have to be cleaned up for network TV. That means I can do this with my eyes—ears—closed. But you’re
going to owe me big time.”

“Deal.” Ella hung up, wishing she didn’t know that Teeny had probably faked other conversations in the past. Still, if there ever was a good time for deception, it was now. She’d heard from Blalock a while ago, and he had good news about Charles Williams, but they’d still need a little more to nail the key player still in the picture—Abigail Yellowhair. She was slippery,
and they needed to come from all directions or the woman might just get away.

Justine walked in a half hour later, and her expression
was grim. “I have some bad news—in more ways than one. We may be close to losing Adam. He’s gone into surgery again. He’s bleeding inside the brain and it doesn’t look good, but he’s got the best doctors in the state working on him, so there’s still hope. Marie
was already en route here, so she’s decided to stick to the plan. There’s nothing she can do at the hospital, and, according to her, this is the best way to honor her husband, no matter how it turns out.”

Ella sighed. Just when they were getting close. “I agree. In the meantime, let’s do what we can to nail these lowlifes. Keep working on the details with Benny.”

“I’m on that,” Justine replied.

“Good. Once everything else is set, we’ll go pay Abigail a visit,” she said just as her phone rang.

Ella looked at the caller ID. It was from the hospital at Kirtland AFB—Captain Marcus. Ella thought of Adam, and his family, then brought the phone to her ear.

“With Blalock’s big score this morning, we’ve got enough to arrest Abigail right now. But I’d sure like to nail her for every crime she’s
committed. What if she doesn’t take the bait?” Justine asked, as they got into the tribal cruiser. It was nearly noon, and the operation was underway.

“A lot has changed in the past few hours, and we’ll have to make the most of what we have. Ever play poker? Think of this as the hand of a lifetime,” Ella said. Over the years, Abigail had been a formidable opponent, but her time had run out. At
long last, Abigail was going down.

As they traveled along the road, Ella studied the sunlit mesas, nature’s apartment complex, housing thousands of other heartbeats. Among the millions of hiding places, large and small, were those of coyotes and rabbits, burrowing owls and bats, hidden deep inside rock crevices and caves, waiting for the right time to come out and hunt.

Ella thought of the rhythm
and cadence of the desert—life and death, heat and cold, night and day, even the cycles of drought and monsoons that linked all of life, human and animal, together. Here on the Rez, Navajo ways taught that everyone and everything was connected. Those beliefs, as old as the tribe itself, renewed the courage of the
Diné
daily, even in the toughest of times. Today a measure of balance would be achieved,
though harmony often came with tragedy in its wake.

Years back, eager for adventure and the opportunity to explore a world she’d barely known, she’d left the Rez to join the FBI. Now, with every breath she took, she could feel her ties to this land, bordered by the sacred mountains.

More than ever, she wanted her daughter to grow up appreciating who and what she was. On the outside, prejudice
still existed, and she didn’t want her daughter to hear others devalue what it meant to be a Navajo before she could fully understand the treasure it was.

Though Kevin’s argument for sending their daughter to school in D.C. had many valid points, it was one based on an Anglo’s definition of success. Ella suddenly realized that she knew what her answer to the job offer would be.

“Thinking this
might be a good time to take that job offer in D.C.?” Justine asked.

“I suppose,” Ella said. “But neither one of us should get sidetracked now. Concentrate on Abigail and the plan. Our only chance to put her away for good depends on what happens in the next hour.”

They arrived at Abigail’s home a short time later. The curtains were open and they could see someone inside, moving about. Before
they’d even parked, Abigail came to the front porch and waved them in, cell phone still at her ear.

As Ella approached, Abigail smiled and placed her phone on a side table. “The news is all over the Four Corners. Adam
Lonewolf is alive and starting to recover—though you knew about that all along, no doubt. I understand he’s going to be present at a press conference within the hour. If what I’ve
heard is all true, you should be able to close your case before too much longer. Hopefully, Lonewolf will be able to fill in the missing questions you and the department have been asking yourselves since the shootings.”

“Which brings me to the reason I’m here. I suggest you come down to the station of your own volition. It’ll look better that way,” Ella said.

“You’re not serious. You think Adam
plans to implicate
me
?” She laughed. “For what crime? You and I have a long history, Ella, but I think you can definitely file this under ‘wishful thinking.’ ”

“I’m not here to arrest you, Abigail. I have no idea what Adam’s going to say. My visit is simply a courtesy to my mother’s friend, and someone whose work has had a great impact on the tribe. I figured you would like to be present in case
your name comes up. You had ties to Councilman Alfred Begaye, and as you undoubtedly already know, he was murdered yesterday afternoon.”

“I knew Begaye, but our only connection was that we both invested in the Prickly Weed Project. All your suspects are dying off, dear, but if you’re looking to me to fill the holes in your investigation, you’re grasping at straws. I know nothing that can help
you.”

“If you’re so sure of yourself, why don’t you follow us to the station?” Ella countered smoothly.

“Of course. This is something I wouldn’t miss.”

Abigail was true to her word, though Ella kept her sedan in sight the entire trip, just in case she decided to make a run for it. The drive took less than fifteen minutes, and when they arrived at the station, the press and media were already
crowding the front and side door. Among them were a
hundred or more onlookers, some waving small flags, and most carrying digital cameras and cell phones, waiting to capture the historic moment when Adam arrived.

Ella and Justine walked over to join Abigail as she got out of her car.

“Making people believe that Adam had died probably saved further attempts on his life,” Abigail said softly,
waving at someone in the crowd. “And, with him coming back today . . . well, The People
do
need their heroes.”

Ella realized that Abigail had known all along that Adam hadn’t died in Shiprock, merely been relocated somewhere she couldn’t penetrate. It shouldn’t have surprised her. Informants were everywhere. For a price, one could buy almost anything these days. The question now was, what else
did Abigail know?

Seeing the look Justine gave her, Ella shook her head. She didn’t want to give Abigail any more information. She had enough already.

Ella stood beside Abigail as Marie Lonewolf pushed the wheelchair containing the expertly bandaged Benny Pete into the crowded station lobby. Cameras went wild and there were so many lights and flashes that Ella found it difficult to see.