Ghost Medicine (12 page)

“My nephews phoned after
dispatch called them with their new orders, and told me what you’d found in your truck,” he said. “They promised to make sure we stayed safe.”

“I was going to suggest that all of you pack up and go stay at my brother’s sheep camp in the mountains. After this matter is settled, you can come back.”

“No, daughter, no one’s running us out of our home. My husband’s nephews will be close by if there’s
trouble. In the meantime, there’s a way I can help you. I’ll ask my friends and see if anyone knows who this evil one is,” she said quietly. “They may not talk to the police, but people trust me.”

Ella had no doubt about it. “All right, Mom, but be very careful. Does my daughter know what’s going on?”

“No, but you can’t keep this from her,” Rose said, reading Ella’s mind with alarming ease.
“She needs to know, if only to be more careful herself.”

“Yeah, you’re right, Mom.” Ella went inside to her daughter’s room and found Dawn at her desk.

Dawn turned her head as Ella came in, her expression grave. “Mom, you’re being careful, right? I’ve been reading about those … people.”

Ella stood behind Dawn and looked down at her daughter’s computer screen. Dawn was researching skinwalkers
on the Internet.

“I’m being smart, like you suggested.” Ella tugged her shirt open to show Dawn the ballistic T-shirt she often wore while working undercover. “So how much do you already know about recent events?”

“I heard
Shimasání
talking,” Dawn said with a shrug. “It’s okay, Mom. None of us are that scared. I just wish there was some way we could scare
him
.”

Ella smiled. “I’ll see what I
can do.”

EIGHT

Ella was running late. As she pulled into the Horny Toad’s parking lot, she spotted Dan Nez’s pickup, a newer model Ford Silverado, just ahead. Dan was leaning against the cab of the big truck just aft of the driver’s door, watching the bar entrance.

The Horny Toad had been easy to find, with its distinctive sign depicting an overweight, winking cartoon reptile standing with his “arms”
around two big-breasted women wearing partially unbuttoned Western-cut blouses.

Ella had never been inside this particular bar, but it was a fairly safe bet that they served more beer and buffalo wings than chardonnay and Brie.

Dan came over just as she got out and locked her door. Tonight, he was dressed in blue jeans, a dark blue and white short-sleeved Western shirt open at the collar, and
shiny brown boots—his favorite Tony Lamas. His belt sported a big silver buckle with a cowboy on horseback, a trophy from a rodeo event over in Arizona. He’d skipped wearing his Stetson, probably not wanting it to get smashed up if they ran into trouble.

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long. Things got complicated,” Ella said.

“You called ahead and let me know, so it was no problem. It
also felt good to get a few minutes to unwind.”

“Yeah, I’m with you on that. Things can get crazy.” She smiled. Dan was sure nice to look at, but what made him stand out went beyond his physical attributes. Confidence gave him an undeniable presence. He looked like a man to be reckoned with, one who could handle any situation, no matter what the circumstances.

“You’re looking fine, as usual,”
Dan said, giving her a quick hug.

As he stepped back, his gaze drifted over her in a thorough and appreciative way. She smiled. That was the thing about Dan. He made her feel like a desirable woman, not just a cop.

Tonight, her hair was loose and fell just past her shoulders. Though mostly black, there was a smattering of silver in it these days. Her dress jeans and formfitting Western-cut blue
shirt completed the picture.

Her casual look, of course, was deceptive. She was carrying her undercover weapon—a SIG Sauer .380—at her waist, tucked beneath her blouse in an inside holster. She also had a small derringer in her boot—her backup weapon since her days with the FBI. Then there was the sleeveless ballistic T-shirt.

“When was the last time we actually went out on a date, Ella?” he
said, taking her hand, staying true to tonight’s undercover assignment.

“Two weeks ago—Saturday night.” She looked at him, smiling. “Why do you ask me that every time we cross paths?”

Dan grinned. “Insecurity. I need to know you haven’t forgotten me already.”

Ella laughed. He was easy to be with and had a great sense of humor. She liked being around Dan a lot, but unfortunately, it was going
to be strictly business tonight.

“Don’t know if you’ve seen it yet, but I sent you a copy of the sketch we made of the victim’s mystery date,” he said, and unfolded a sheet of paper he’d carried in his breast pocket.

“Great sketch,” she said, studying it as they approached the tavern door. “Attractive, high cheekbones, full lips. Short, layered crop, a little too perfect. Probably a wig.”

“I hope it’s close enough to the real deal to give us a solid lead,” he said, reaching for the handle. “By the way, I spoke to Sheriff Taylor. Chief Atcitty has asked for county’s continued help, so I’ve been told to remain available to you and help coordinate your murder investigation whenever it involves county. Just let me know what you need and I’ll do my best to make it happen. That work for you?”

“Absolutely,” Ella said, wondering if Taylor had told Dan about the thefts yet.

“So tell me, have you been here before?” Dan asked as they stepped inside the Horny Toad.

“No, but I gather you have,” she said as one of the waitresses waved enthusiastically at Dan.

He grinned. “Now and then. After a long day of catching bad guys, a man’s gotta have a cold one.”

She smiled back at him. “I used
to enjoy the nightlife, too, but having a daughter changed everything.”

“Head over there.” He gestured to a small, empty table in the far corner. From there, they’d be able to see the entire room and the entrance. “Do you miss it, your carefree days, that is?”

“No, can’t say I do,” she said loudly, trying to be heard over the country western ballad blaring out from hidden speakers.

The room
was dimly lit, but Ella’s eyes adjusted quickly. As she made her way past an enthusiastic cluster of line dancers stepping more or less to the music, she made a point of checking out the women’s faces. No one matched the sketch.

A chemistry-enhanced redhead came over and greeted Dan seconds after they sat down. Wearing a thin T-shirt that left little to the imagination, the waitress beamed Dan
a broad smile. “What can I get you, honey?”

“Hey, Ruby. Before we get to that, take a look at this, will you?” he said, angling the sketch toward the light. “Have you ever seen this customer?”

“So you’re working tonight, Danny?”

Danny?
Ella’s eyebrows shot up. She might have been just a little jealous if Dan hadn’t looked so uncomfortable. The waitress was barely in her twenties, and judging
from Dan’s reaction, he wasn’t into May–December relationships.

“I’m off the clock,” Dan said, “but as you probably know from some of the other cops who come in here, the line between on duty and off gets a little blurry sometimes.”

She looked at the sketch again. “I haven’t seen anyone who looks like her, but if I do, I’ll let you know,” she said. “So what can I get you two?”

“You got Coors
on tap?” Dan asked.

“Sure do, hon. And you, ma’am?”

She bit back a groan. Dan was “hon,” but she was “ma’am”? She suddenly felt ancient. “Bud Light,” Ella said. “In the bottle, please.”

As soon as the barmaid moved away, Dan looked at Ella. “I swear to you I’ve only met her once or twice, and there’s no way we ever dated. We got talking one night when business was slow, that’s all.”

Ella laughed.
“No explanations are necessary, and I’m not dating anyone else, either. But let’s not get off track. Line of duty, blurry … remember?”

Before he could respond, the waitress came back with their drinks and bowls of chips and salsa. Ella took a tiny sip of her beer. The drink was mostly civilian cover and she’d ordered a light beer to keep up the image. What made it easy to keep her drinking to
a bare minimum was that she
hated
beer. Sipping it came more naturally to her than an actual swallow, and the salsa and chips helped her keep it down.

“I’m thinking that we should look for a hooker working the customers rather than a single girl looking to hook up,” Dan said. “I heard that the woman with Harry was all over him.”

“Based on looks alone, Harry would have been a good target for
a working girl—if she didn’t let his body language get in her way,” Ella said. “He was difficult to approach. Getting to know him was even harder.”

“Yet you and him…”

“That was a long, long time ago,” Ella said, finishing the line of thought she assumed he was following. “Things didn’t work out, because what I saw in my future and what he wanted in his were too far apart.”

“Your life is just
how you like it?”

The question was innocent-sounding enough, but she knew there was more to it. “I like my life because I love the people in it. Family, both at home and at work, is important to me.”

“I know, which is why I don’t get what you’re doing now. There’s trouble ahead for your unit, and your job and that of your team’s could be on the line. Yet you’re not using your considerable influence
to fight back.”

“I’ve heard about Gerald Bidtah’s plans, but that’s Big Ed’s fight, not mine.”

“What if they insist on having all homicide investigations run out of Window Rock and disband your unit, sticking you in some office at tribal headquarters? Will you take a stand then?”

“It hasn’t come to that yet,” she said, then shook her head, signaling him to drop it. “Stay focused. Our objective
is to find the woman in the sketch.”

He nodded, his gaze taking in the room. “Tell me about Ute’s work. What was he investigating that may have given someone a motive for taking him out?”

“He was working for Bruce Little, and Bruce won’t divulge specifics unless we can prove it has a direct link to the murder. All I know is that Harry was looking into thefts of county property. Do you know,
or have you heard anything about that?”

He shook his head. “News to me. Does Sheriff Taylor know?”

“I don’t know for sure, but I suspect he does and is keeping a lid on it and his investigation.”

“Makes sense. So who’s Little’s client?”

“I have no idea, but I’m fairly sure that it’s someone of influence, maybe a county official.”

“You’re telling me that there’s corruption inside county government,
but you’re not really giving me anything to go on.” Dan’s tone held an edge. “What division of county has the problem with thefts? Are we talking the sheriff’s department?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know, or won’t say?” Dan pressed.

“I’m giving it to you straight. I don’t know.” Ella’s gaze remained on the women around them, but there were no Navajo women in the bar that matched the description.
“Concentrate on the women, Dan.”

“First time my date’s ever suggested something like that, but if you insist,” he said, then forced a slow grin. “Hey, I recognize one of the bartenders working tonight. Let me show her the sketch. If she doesn’t know the girl, maybe she can pass the sketch around to her coworkers.”

“Good idea.”

Dan had been gone only a few minutes before Ruby came over. “Everything
still okay here?”

“Yes, thank you,” Ella said, her gaze still on the room.

“Do you two have a thing?”

Ella, who’d been studying the room, glanced back at her in surprise. “Say again?”

“You know, are you officers just working together, or are you hooking up?”

Before she could answer, Dan came back. “Hey, Ruby.”

Ella bit back a smile. “Ruby wants me to clarify our status.”

“Just askin’ in
case I decide to make a move of my own,” Ruby said, winking at Dan.

Dan gave Ella a sad smile, then looked back at Ruby. “Ella keeps me guessing, but I’m not giving up, not yet.”

To her credit, Ella didn’t choke.

“Well, sweetie, if you ever get tired of the chase, I’ll be around,” Ruby said, then walked off.

Ella looked at Dan in surprise. “Why the heck did you tell her that?”

“She went away
without feeling rejected. What’s the harm?” He gave her a slow grin. “It’s the truth, isn’t it?”

Ella rolled her eyes. “Getting back to business. Did you get anything from the bartender?”

“Yeah, Nadine remembers Harry. She said that the woman was seriously groping him, even nibbling at his ear. They left together right before she had to ask them to get a room.”

“Interesting. For a guy, I guess
that beats the heck out of nachos and salsa.”

“More than you realize. Nadine said the woman was hot. She knows most of the working girls on West Main, but she’d never seen this one before,” Dan said. “Nadine also told me that it surprised the heck out of her when she targeted Harry. Several suits were here that night, high roller oilmen sitting on fat wallets, but this girl set her sights on
Harry right from the start.”

“Could be a Navajo girl looking for another Navajo, or maybe she likes men who have that dangerous edge about them. Or more likely, she had an agenda—scouting out his apartment. Harry was missing his laptop, remember? We’ve got to find this lady, so what do you say we go to the Bucking Bronco Lounge next?”

Dan left several bills on the table and winked at Ruby as
they walked out.

Seeing it, Ella laughed. “So, do you like her or not?”

“I won’t rob the cradle, but every man appreciates an ego boost.”

“You need that?”

“It’s nice to get a little attention once in a while,” he said.

“Here I thought I was enough for you,” Ella teased with a labored sigh.

He met her gaze. “You would be, if that’s what
you
wanted.”

The intensity of that look took her by
surprise. “Focus, focus. Later, when we’re off the clock, we’ll see if I can think of a way or two to make you smile.”

“Looking forward to it.”

His voice, low and deep, gave added meaning to his words. There were no dull moments with Dan. As they stopped by her truck, he leaned back against it and hooked his thumb into his pocket.