Blackening Song (32 page)

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Ella drove across the alkali flats, thankful that she’d rented the most powerful standard pickup the dealer possessed. The truck was leaving a trail of dust that could be seen for miles, but, fortunately, no one was around. The bottom of the truck scraped something hard,
but she ignored it, never slowing down. She had to get to her mother’s home before Blalock did. At least she was starting from a place much closer to home than the police station.

It would take her a long time to forgive Wilson for not coming to her immediately. At the moment, she was furious with him. His allegiance to Clifford was admirable, but this time it seemed to have come at the expense
of his intelligence. She had a right to know Clifford’s movements. Wilson Joe should have found a way to let her know. Even as the thought formed, she realized Clifford had manipulated his friend into doing precisely what he’d wanted. Her brother was as much to blame, if not more, than anyone else.

There were other things to worry about now, however—like how Blalock had known her brother’s whereabouts.
Slowly the answer became clear, and that inescapable truth angered her far more than her brother’s ill-fated decision to visit home. Though Blalock had been in the Destea house only a few times, somehow he’d planted a bug.

Ella slammed her hand against the steering wheel. She prided herself on being an excellent investigator, but she’d been outsmarted and betrayed by one of her colleagues.

As she approached her home via a back way, she saw Clifford moving fluidly through the shadows. Although he was scarcely an outline in the bramble of sagebrush and rocks, there was no mistaking her brother. They’d played hide-and-seek too many times as children for her to be fooled by his tricks. He was wearing a tribal police uniform. Great. Add impersonating an officer to the list of charges Blalock
already wanted to hang on him.

She swung the vehicle in his direction and pulled up beside him, slamming on the brakes. “Come on. I’ve got to get you out of here fast!”

Clifford jumped inside the truck. “The others are almost here; I could see them turning off the highway.”

“This was the stupidest idea you’ve ever had! Why didn’t you tell me first? I could have brought Mom to see you instead.
Hell, anything would have been better than this. And where did you get the uniform?”

“A distracting noise at the Laundromat accomplishes much,” he said.

“What on earth did you hope to accomplish?”

“I needed our mother’s knowledge and support. And I needed her where she was strongest, at home. I’ve become an outcast, discredited throughout the Rez. Every crime imaginable has been assigned to
me. Even my wife looks at me as if she’s not certain of who or what I am.”

Ella’s heart twisted inside her. Clifford was even more isolated than she was. Even people he loved were beginning to doubt him. No pain could be greater than that betrayal.

“You should have come to me,” she said.

“And what could you have told me? You’ve spent most of your life running from yourself.”

“If you think
I was ever able, even once, to get away from who or what I am…” Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head sadly.

“You’ve managed to blunt it. You found a way to shield yourself by committing to ideas and ideals, but never to people. I used to think that you would end up cheating yourself of everything that made life worthwhile, but now I’m not so sure,” he admitted sadly.

“If I wasn’t committed
to people, you sheep turd, I wouldn’t be here with you now,” she snapped. “I’m jeopardizing the career I spent years nurturing, not to mention my life.”

“You’re doing what you feel is the right thing. It’s a principle you’re giving your allegiance to, not me.”

“At one time that would have probably been true, but that’s not the case anymore,” she answered honestly.

“Turn and head toward the
church site,” Clifford said as they reached the highway.

“Why do you want to go there?”

“I’m going to do a Sing. I have to finish it before sundown.”

“Wait a second. Did you tell Mom you were going there?” He nodded. “Then you can’t go. It’s out of the question.”

“I’ll be all right. Mother would guard that secret with her life.”

“Yeah, but I think Blalock has planted a listening device in
the house. You can’t carry out any plan you told mother about because he knows all about it already. You’d be walking into a trap.”

“Then where are you taking me?”

“There’s only one place I know of where you’ll be safe.” She gestured at a mesa in the distance. The letter
C,
for the Shiprock High School Chieftains, had been spray-painted in white on the side. “The shrine, remember?”

Clifford
looked at her in surprise.

“I hadn’t thought about it in years, but it came to mind just now.” Ella recalled the circle of pollen-covered stones, and her own disdain at having been brought there. Her mother had claimed the ancestral shrine was a place for their clan to renew their strength and gather power. At the time, however, all she’d seen were rocks. She’d envisioned their cold hardness
encircling her like armor, shielding her heart. She’d argued that she wasn’t like Clifford, or their family. She’d vowed to follow her own path.

She remembered the smile on Rose’s face as she’d said, “Your path will lead you back here, to us, to yourself.”

She’d left in a fit, abandoning her brother and mother to whatever ceremony they’d performed, swearing that she would never return to that
empty, desolate place. Now she had to. “I know you’ll be safe there.”

“Why do you say that?” Clifford goaded. “It’s on high ground, but no higher than any of the other mesas around here.” He paused. “It’s near Wilson’s home, though. Is that what you meant?” His voice was soft, though his gaze was eagle sharp as he studied her face, watching for an answer that would transcend her words.

“Wilson
is your friend, but your safety doesn’t rest on him. There are certain things we all have to face alone.”

Clifford nodded slowly. “You know, I wish that when you ran you could have escaped these choices you’re being forced to make. If you had succeeded, then I would have seen it as a possibility for me too. But there’s no getting away from this. All we’d ever find is illusion, a mirage that promises
escape but leads us right back to the danger.”

“I’ve faced armed men. The day of the tragedy here I had my own brush with death in L.A. I had to kill a poor man who was so full of hatred he was scarcely human anymore. But I’ve never felt fear like this before. I know I’m changing inside; I’m discovering things about myself I’ve never wanted to face. I envy your ability to influence others, and
I’m certainly tempted to use my own intuitions about things and people to achieve the same results.”

“Then your time of danger has come, and it has nothing to do with those we fight.”

“I may also find that the temptation is moot, because I’ll never have your charisma.”

“If that’s what you discover, will you be glad or disappointed?”

“I don’t know,” she said slowly. But something whispered
the true answer deep inside her. The realization frightened her, and she mourned for the part of her she’d lost.

TWENTY

When Ella got back to the house, it was surrounded by half a dozen cars and twenty armed men. Blalock was shouting orders through a bullhorn. Leaving the pickup, she approached, keeping in plain view of the officers. A few heads turned briefly, and Blalock grinned with smug satisfaction.

“Your brother’s inside, or hiding somewhere nearby. We’re going after him.”

“Why the hell are you
blaring orders to my brother through that noisemaker? If he was there he would have come out by now. All you’re doing is upsetting my mother.”

Rose came out of her home to stand on the front porch, followed by the mutt, who growled low, once, then sat beside her, teeth still bared. Rose transfixed the officers, many of whom she’d known since their childhood, with a cold glare. “If you would like
to come in and search, do so, but stop that shouting this instant! I’m no criminal, and I refuse to be treated this way. Besides, you’re annoying my dog.”

Ella blinked, then smiled. That had held just the right touch of righteous indignation. Her mother had a lot of nerve. “What are you waiting for, FB-Eyes?” Ella challenged Blalock. “Even if my brother was hiding inside, he’d be no match for
twenty armed men.”

“Mrs. Destea, please step away from your house,” Blalock ordered through the bullhorn.

Ella went through the line of cars and escorted her mom and the wary mutt back behind the blockade. “It’s just a power play, Mom, it’ll be over in a few minutes,” she assured her, loud enough for others to hear.

Making sure the exits were covered, Blalock led a team of four SWAT officers
inside the house. After ten minutes, he emerged, anger and frustration etched clearly on his face.

He strode over to Ella and Rose. “Clifford Destea was inside your home. Where did he go?”

Rose Destea remained silent. Dog growled, and Blalock stepped back a foot.

“You’re obstructing justice,” Blalock warned, his voice hard.

“One second,” Ella countered. “What makes you think my brother was
here?”

“I have my sources.”

“I don’t believe my brother was here. Did one of these officers see him? Which one? Let’s ask him again.”

“Stay out of my way, Agent Clah. I’m warning you,” he snapped.

“Maybe you’re psychic, Blalock. Did a little voice tell you to come looking for him today?” Ella added, letting him know she was on to his bug.

Blalock’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, a little
voice?”

“You tell me,” Ella replied pleasantly.

“Your brother was here. My information is correct. Clifford Destea will be in custody by tonight. Count on it.” He moved away and spoke to two of the others in a low voice.

From his gestures, Ella knew FB-Eyes was giving directions for an all-out search of the area. No doubt the church construction site would also be covered. She smiled. This
round was theirs, but their luck couldn’t hold forever.

Ella took her mother back to the house, accompanied by the still-protective mutt. Once they were inside, Ella placed a finger to her lips, gesturing for her mother to remain quiet. Ella walked around looking for the bug, chattering on about her meeting with the insurance agent and her plans to redecorate her room. If Blalock was listening,
she intended to bore him into a coma.

Searching the house, Ella went through a long discourse on the merits of eggshell versus cream-colored walls. She then proceeded to discuss, at length, the advantages of building a greenhouse where they could grow vegetables year-round.

After twenty minutes, she still hadn’t found the bug. Anger knotted her insides. She’d gone through every room Blalock
had ever been in.

Finally she walked to her father’s study and sat down on the couch. Rose watched worriedly, but kept silent as Ella leaned back, closed her eyes, and tried to clear her mind. It was here. It had to be. Where hadn’t she searched?

When she opened her eyes, her gaze settled on the commendation binder Blalock had given her. She stared hard at the binder, then grabbed it and rapidly
leafed through it twice. Nothing.

Holding the binder open, facedown, Ella peered between the hardboard cover and the metal bar containing the ring mechanism. Near the middle was a small, gray, button-sized device. How could she have been so trusting and so stupid? He’d made her a traitor to her own family. Rage shook her. Taking a letter opener from a shelf, she pried loose the device. Clutching
the bug, she strode out of the house. The police had left.

Ella jumped into her pickup and drove to the highway. Her first urge had been to find Blalock and shove his sneaky gift down his throat. But now, another idea appealed to her more. He’d undoubtedly left a receiver at police headquarters.

Ella drove to Blalock’s motel in Shiprock. Jean Neskahi, her cousin, ran the desk during the day.
It didn’t take long to get a spare key to Blalock’s room. Placing the bug in his bed, Ella carefully replaced everything the way it had been, down to the toothpick he’d stuck in the door jamb. She smiled. Tomorrow morning, when he got into the office, FB-Eyes would have lots of hours of snoring, bathroom noises, and possibly a private phone call or a visitor or two to explain.

As Ella drove home,
her temper began to cool. Turning the tables on Blalock had made her feel infinitely better. At the house, her mother was sitting on the porch, enjoying the cool evening breeze while the mutt lay stretched out on a step, asleep belly up.

Rose glanced up from the blouse she was mending as Ella sat in an empty chair. “What’s on your mind? We can speak freely now, I take it.”

Ella nodded. “You
told me, over a decade ago, that someday I’d need to learn about things I’d shown no interest in.”

“That time is certainly here,” Rose acknowledged with a sigh. “Where would you have me start?”

“Tell me about this family ‘legacy’ of ours. How did it all begin?”

“That’s a subject no one has ever discussed openly with anyone who hasn’t received one of the gifts.”

“I need to know, Mom.”

Rose
nodded wearily. “Your father never thought much about my abilities. I think he thought of it as legend, not something true. Of course, when we first married, my gifts were minor, just intuitions about things that usually were proven out. Then, after I got pregnant, those feelings became certainties. Sometimes I just
knew
what was going to happen to someone. That terrified your father. He turned
to the white man’s religion for security and spiritual comfort. As it often does, his faith grew in proportion to his fear. He wanted to protect all of us, particularly Clifford and you, from our own destiny. He thought the white people’s god would destroy the ‘demons’ within us.”

“Tell me how the legacy began. Who was the first to discover they were different?”

Rose leaned back and stared at
some indeterminate spot in the tall tree by the gate. “It was generations ago, before the Dineh had a reservation, before our war with the white man. Mist Eagle, a woman of our clan, fell in love with Fire Hawk, a warrior who was also of our clan. Obeying the taboo, they went their own ways. Fire Hawk married another. But as the years passed, Mist Eagle’s love for him continued. One night she waited
until Fire Hawk’s wife left for one of our ceremonies, then went into the hogan and seduced Fire Hawk. She became pregnant.”