Earthway (29 page)

“Yeah, that would be great, but only if you can do it unofficially, and discreetly,” Ella said. “Under no circumstances do I want Whitefeather to find out we’re interested in him.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Emily replied. “And when you can,
tell me what’s up.”

“I will.”

As Emily left the room, Ella stood and Justine followed her out the door. “Are we going to talk to Kim now?”

“I’d like to stop by my brother’s first. Then, afterwards, we’ll go,” Ella answered, leading the way. “Let’s take my unit and you drive. That way I can use the time to try and figure out some of the things that are bothering me about this case. You can pick
up your wheels later.”

It was shortly after four when they set out. Clifford, like Rose, still refused to carry a cell phone so Ella couldn’t call ahead. Clifford had told her more than once that he didn’t want to be tied down to an electronic gadget, even if it was the Anglo world’s lifeline. Rose, on the other hand, hated the cell phone on principle. She didn’t want to be available
all
the
time.

Ella’s mother and brother were cut from the same mold. They were two fiercely independent people who were determined to fight the intrusion of what most considered a modern-day necessity.

“What do you think is at the root of the threat against Ford—a terrorist cell or an angry husband?” Justine asked her.

“I honestly don’t know, partner. So far on this case, I
don’t have even one clear
answer. We’ll just have to work the leads as we get them. If the terrorists are worried that Ford will manage to expose them, then it’s also possible they’d come at him through surrogates.”

“If that’s what’s happening, then Whitefeather’s expertise and position as an officer might be worth a great deal to them,” Justine said.

“We’ve been told that Whitefeather lives on the Rez, so there’s bound
to be someone who knows him. That’s why I’m going to get my brother’s and mother’s help on this. They’ll be able to find out more about him in a way that won’t point back to us.”

As they drove up the road leading to Clifford’s hogan, Ella spotted her brother chopping wood behind the house. “Good. He’s not with a patient. Do you want to come in with me?”

“Naw, I think I’ll call the hospital and
see how Ralph’s doing,” Justine answered, taking out her cell phone.

“Good idea. I’ll be back in a few minutes, hopefully.”

Clifford, who’d seen the SUV coming, smiled as Ella stepped out of the vehicle and approached. “It’s good to see you! I’ve heard what’s been happening—the shooting at the gas station, then the problem you and FB-Eyes had over at your friend’s place. Are you okay?”

“Me?
Sure. I’m fine. It’s all part of my job, brother.”

“Is there any way I can help you? I see your partner’s in the car, so I suspect you’re here on business.”

“You’re right,” Ella answered with a smile, and quickly told him what she needed.

“I’ve never met this deputy, but I’ll ask around. I should be able to get something for you fairly soon. Maybe even something about his woman.”

“Thanks.
I appreciate it.” As she looked at her brother, she realized that there was something else on his mind. Rather than returning to her unit, she waited.

Long minutes passed before he spoke. “I’m very worried
about our mother’s husband,” he said at last, following tradition and avoiding the use of names.

“Why? What’s going on?” she asked instantly.

“My wife saw him visiting the heart specialist
at the hospital.”

Ella’s blood ran cold. “Could he have been there with someone else?”

“It’s possible, but when I tried asking him about it, he told me I was mistaken, that he’d never been there. He made it clear, too, that he didn’t want to talk about it.”

“Could your wife have made a mistake?” Ella asked.

“No. My wife was at the hospital visiting a friend when she saw him coming out of the
doctor’s office. They were less than ten feet apart, though our mother’s husband didn’t see her.”

Ella felt a shiver run up her spine. Rose had buried one husband, and Ella wasn’t sure that she was strong enough to go through that a second time. Herman was not only her husband, he was her best friend. Rose depended on Herman more than most people realized.

“I’ll see what I can find out,” Ella
said. “But it’s going to be difficult. Doctor/patient confidentiality trumps my badge.”

“This doesn’t necessarily have to mean that it’s bad news, but I know he doesn’t like going to a doctor, so I thought it was worth checking into,” Clifford said.

Ella nodded in agreement. “Do you think Mom knows about this?”

“I have no idea.”

“All right. I’ll take it slow and see what I can find out.”

Worried about her old friend and stepfather, Ella returned to the car. Herman had created a place for himself in all their hearts.

“Hey, partner,” Ella said, climbing back into the car. “Help me brainstorm. Besides the obvious, why would a man who hates doctors go see a heart specialist?”

“To get information for someone else?”

The answer didn’t make her feel any better. It only made her worry
about her mother as well.

“Is something wrong?” Justine asked.

“I don’t know,” she said, confiding her worries to Justine. “But don’t tell anyone. I need to find out more in my own way.”

“If there’s a problem, let me know, okay?”

Ella nodded, then changed the subject. “What did you find out about Tache?” she asked, hoping for good news.

“He’s out of intensive care, and apparently lung function
has been completely restored because he’s off the ventilator. They’re giving him antibiotics to stave off infection and he’s improving steadily, but they still won’t allow any visitors except family.”

“I’m glad to hear he’s on the mend,” Ella said with heartfelt relief.

“Should we go see Kim Mike now?”

“No, not yet. Stop by my house first. I won’t be long.”

They pulled up at Ella’s house less
than five minutes later. “I need to talk to Mom for a bit. While I’m in there, find out if Emily knows anything about Whitefeather’s schedule. It’s about time for a shift change, so if he’s just getting off, I’d like to risk trying to follow him home.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Ella went inside and found Rose in the kitchen, fixing a casserole for dinner.

“Tamale pie—your favorite,” Rose said. “I
hope you can make it home at a decent hour and share a meal with us.”

“I can’t promise, but even if I come in late, I’ll be nuking myself a serving in the microwave.”

Rose sighed loudly. “What brings you home this early? It’s still afternoon.”

Mentioning Henderson Whitefeather by name, Ella told her what she needed. Although the use of names was generally
avoided, certain situations made it
a necessity. “The man’s supposed to live on the Rez somewhere.”

“I’ve never heard of him, but I’ll ask my friends and see if anyone knows him or his clan.”

“Where’s your husband?” Ella asked, looking around.

“He’s been wanting more time to himself lately,” Rose said, giving her a worried look. “Something’s bothering him, but he won’t talk about it. Men are strange that way. A woman will talk
about whatever’s troubling her, but men . . . well, they’re different, aren’t they?”

Ella thought of Ford. “Men are always difficult to figure out, Mom,” she said with a thin smile. “It’s all part of the package.”

“But life’s sure a lot better with them,” Rose said, gazing out the window at Herman, who was outside grooming one of the horses.

“Then be happy you’re together and don’t worry about
the details, Mom,” Ella said, placing a gentle hand on Rose’s shoulder.

Rose patted Ella’s hand. “I have a Plant Watchers meeting later this afternoon, daughter. I’ll ask around and see if anyone knows the man you spoke of.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Ella was back at the car moments later. As she slid into the passenger seat, Justine closed her cell phone. “Emily said that she’ll get us Whitefeather’s
schedule if she can do it without raising questions. But she also said that she’s seen him at the Save More Grocery a few times, with a grocery bag in hand. She thinks that he probably stops there on his way home.”

Before Justine could say anything more, Ella’s phone rang. It was Agent Blalock.

“I’ve got some interesting news,” he said. “We need to go back to Valley Construction. Can you meet
me at my office?”

“I’m with Justine right now, but she can drop me off.”

“Good. I’ll see you then,” he said.

“What’s going on?” Justine asked.

“Blalock’s found something of interest over at Valley Construction.”

“Guess that puts another hold on finding Kim Mike.” Seeing Ella nod, Justine continued. “I thought Anna checked them out. What’s the deal?”

“I don’t know.” She wouldn’t voice her
suspicions—words had power and could bring things into being—but she couldn’t stop wondering if Anna’s friendship with Gary Ute had compromised her perspective. The problem was, she didn’t know Anna that well.

When they arrived at Blalock’s, Justine glanced at Ella. “Unless you have an objection I’d like to be in on this. I’ve trusted Anna to follow up on everything—from the original list of
suspects, to processing evidence. If she’s dropping the ball, I need to know.”

Ella nodded. It was important for all of them to find out how much they could rely on the newest member of their team.

Blalock greeted them both amicably, offering them a seat when they stepped into his office. “I figured we needed to start exploring tangents and seeing where they led. With that in mind, I focused
on the
amount
of explosives being purchased by appropriately licensed companies in the area. I started with Valley Construction, and discovered the volume of explosives they’ve purchased doesn’t mesh with the inventory figures they gave Anna.”

“Some
were
stolen,” Ella said. “We’ve established that.”

“That’s not it. They’ve been buying a lot more than can be accounted for with the jobs they do—a
lot more. We need to pay Gary Ute another visit,” Blalock said. “He and his crew are working late up in the Glade, north of Farmington, on a road under construction between La Plata and Flora Vista.”

Justine looked at Ella. “While you go with Blalock, why don’t I go pay Betsy Dan a visit? She’s the owner of the Save More. I can ask her to give me a heads-up next time she sees Whitefeather.”

“Excellent idea,” Ella said. “Also, keep what we’re doing at Valley Construction confidential for now. I don’t want Anna to know we’re retracing her steps.”

They arrived at the site about forty-five minutes later. The gravel road they came in on was blocked off by orange barrels and sawhorses with flashing yellow and orange lights. A white Valley Construction pickup and several pieces of construction
equipment, including a big bulldozer, were clustered just beyond the barrier. A man in a yellow vest and hard hat stepped forward, waving a red flag, and another worker with a handheld radio to his ear motioned for them to stop and park to one side. Blalock steered into the indicated spot and parked. A second later, a loud explosion went off, shaking the ground, and dust rose from a location
about a quarter mile farther up a long hill.

Ella ducked instinctively and so did Blalock. “I
hate
that sound,” she said, remembering Tache and what had happened at the community college.

“I’m not big on explosions myself,” Blalock said. “Every instinct I have tells me to duck and draw my weapon.”

As they approached the road crew, Blalock flashed his badge, and Ella did the same, despite knowing
she was out of her jurisdiction. “We need to talk to Gary Ute,” she said.

The man picked up the two-way radio that he’d reattached to his belt and spoke quickly. “He’s on his way here,” he said, moments later.

Gary Ute soon appeared, walking briskly out of the juniper forest bordering a dirt trail lined with red flagged wooden stakes that mapped out the future roadbed. He stepped between two
sawhorses and joined them. “We’ve got a lot going on here,” he said brusquely, “and will be
running out of light soon. What can I do for the FBI and the Navajo tribe?”

“It seems that there are certain things you forgot to mention when our investigator met with you,” Ella said. “First of all, there’s a considerable discrepancy between the amount of explosives your company orders and the number
of charges you’ve actually set off.”

“What are you implying? That I’m stockpiling explosives, or juggling the books?” he challenged. “Either way, you’re way off base. I have a business reputation to maintain, and I can’t afford mistakes like that.”

“Then explain the discrepancy,” Blalock pressed.

“I can’t, not without looking at the books and checking out the explosives locker,” he answered.
“Give me some time.”

“So you don’t actually purchase the explosives?” Ella asked, playing a hunch.

“No, not me. My foreman handles that.”

“Then that’s who we want to speak to. Where is he right now?” Ella said.

“Up the trail about a quarter mile. We’re loosening some stubborn bedrock from the right-of-way. Regulations require hard hats if you want to go beyond this barrier, so hang on while
I go get some for you.” Gary went over to the truck, then returned with two blue hard hats. “Here you go,” he said, handing one to each of them. “Let’s go.”

As they approached the work area, Ella could see a second, larger bulldozer clearing away big chunks of rock that had been blasted loose from a large formation in the middle of the apparent new roadbed.

Ella glanced at Gary. “What’s your
foreman’s name?”

“Ernest Haske. He’s over there, next to the guy with the clipboard. Haske’s the one with the metal box and the blue hard hat.” Gary let out a shrill whistle, then pointed his thumb at Blalock and Ella.

Haske turned his head, set down the metal box, and took a step back.

“Crap, he’s gonna bolt,” Blalock said just as Haske spun around and raced off, heading toward a steep ridge.

They both took off after him, but a chase uphill on rocky ground was tough. Ella paced herself, making sure her breathing stayed even. She’d lived in this country most of her life and still ran several miles a week when she wasn’t on a big case.