Coyote's Wife (18 page)

“You two had a relationship?”

He didn’t answer right away.

“Ralph, I know I’m treading
on personal ground here but, for me, it doesn’t get any more personal than something that involves my little girl.”

He nodded, then spoke. “We hooked up once—that’s it. We’d both been drinking, one thing led to another, you know. She’d made it sound like a lark, no strings attached. But that isn’t the way it played out. After that, she was always in my face, arranging ‘chance’ meetings, phone
calls, stuff like that. Roxie was obsessed, stalking me almost. She started following me to work, on the job, then back home again. I saw her parked down the road from my home one evening and had it out with her,” he said, then added, “She doesn’t take rejection easily.”

“What happened?”

“She told me she had photos of us in bed. I think she thought I’d fold or something. But by then, my ex and
I had already decided to get a divorce—for reasons that had nothing to do with Roxanne.”

“So what did you do?”

He smiled slowly. “I asked her for copies to show my poker buddies.”

Ella chuckled. “Did that take care of it?”

Tache shrugged. “Guess so. I never heard from her again. But if she has photos of Kevin, a politician, that’s going to be an entirely different story.”

“If she’d had anything
on Kevin I think she would have
played that card by now. She’s trying hard to get in touch with him, and has been pressuring me to give her his new home phone number.”

“As I said, she really doesn’t like letting go, so be careful,” Tache said somberly, then left.

Ella called Kevin next and got him before the second ring. She filled him in quickly. “I need you to be straight with me, Kevin. Is
there
any
chance she took photos?”

“If she has photos, they’re fakes. I never went past first base with her. There just wasn’t that kind of chemistry between us, even at the beginning.”

“Okay. That’s good to know.”

“But, Ella, there’s
no
reason for her to be hanging around Dawn. If that persists, I need to know.”

Ella hung up, then leaned back in her chair. She wanted to talk to Dawn away
from the house, not wanting Rose to be reminded of the problem. She’d never stop worrying. Since tomorrow was Saturday, Ella made up her mind right then to make time for it during tomorrow’s trail ride.

Her phone rang before she could give that idea any more thought. It was Ford. “Hello, Reverend,” she said, using his title affectionately. It still surprised her that two people as different as
they were actually got along so well. She only had one regret. Although it was an ever-present temptation to her, and maybe to him as well, Ford’s religious beliefs forbade sex before marriage. And at the moment, marriage wasn’t an option.

“Do you think you could get away for a little bit? I need to talk to you,” he said.

“It sounds serious.” His tone suggested it was business, not personal.

“It is. How soon can we meet?”

“How about the Totah Café in twenty minutes? I’m starving.”

“Okay, then. I’ll see you there.”

Ella thought about their unusual relationship. They usually met in public places because his reputation had to remain above reproach. Yet she didn’t mind that at all. In a way, it made things easier.

Grabbing her jacket, Ella was halfway to the door when Justine appeared.
“Arthur Brownhat’s about to be released.”

“So quickly?”

Justine nodded. “Thought you’d like to know.”

“Recruit an officer or two and have him tailed round the clock for the next twenty-four hours.”

“You want to know who he associates with?”

“You bet. If we play our cards right, he’ll lead us to more of the Fierce Ones.”

“I’ll take care of things. Are you off for the day?”

“Yeah. I need
downtime. This is going to be a long working weekend for all of us.”

Justine started to turn away, but then stopped. “I almost forgot. Del said that your cruiser’s due for an oil change. Leave it here. He’ll move it over to the shop in a while, and you’ll find it back in your parking space tomorrow.” She tossed Ella a set of keys. “In the meantime, take my tribal unit. I’ve got my own pickup
outside.”

“Okay. See you tomorrow.”

Ella met Ford a short time later. The Reverend had picked his favorite booth at the Totah, one facing west with an unobstructed view of the mesa. Seeing her in the foyer, he stood up and waved.

Ella joined him and, already knowing the menu by heart, ordered. While she waited for her green chile enchilada, she leaned back and felt her muscles relax. “It’s
good to see you.”

Ford gave her a taut smile. “You may not think so after I tell you why I called.”

“What’s going on?” She leaned forward, lowering her voice.

“I overheard something disturbing at the end of one of our youth meetings yesterday evening,” he said. “A group of our teens were in the hallway talking and one of the boys mentioned that the Fierce Ones have recruited new blood. He said
that it’s a whole new ball game now.”

“Did you recognize who said it?”

He nodded. “Jonah Talk, son of Herbert Talk.”

“The man who owns the western-wear store?”

“That’s him. He’s not a member of our church, but his wife Lea is. Lea, who also overheard her son, told him to keep his mouth shut and dragged him outside to talk to him.”

“Did you get a chance to talk to Jonah?”

“I caught him alone
later while his mother was working out the details of our annual pancake breakfast. Jonah said he wasn’t a member of the Fierce Ones, but assured me that someday he would be. Then he warned me not to ask any more questions. He told me that there were things no preacher should be involved with. He also mentioned that he knew you and I are friends, and suggested I tell you that the Fierce Ones weren’t
going to take any garbage from the police anymore. You should watch yourself.”

“Maybe it’s just saber rattling, or a boy trying to sound important.”

“I suppose that’s possible. But from what I’ve heard, the Fierce Ones are still embarrassed by what they consider their defeat at the hands of the police last year. What worries me the most is that their new leaders are changing their strategy.
Jonah said the Fierce Ones wouldn’t be holding back anymore. They plan to physically challenge any police officer who gets in their way.”

“So now they’re judge, jury,
and
executioner?”

He nodded. “That’s my take, too, and having heard
what happened to Wallace Curtis and Marilyn Charley, it appears to be a credible threat.”

“I agree,” she said, suddenly very tired. As her food was served, she
glanced over at his side of the table and realized he hadn’t ordered anything but coffee. “Aren’t you eating?”

“I’m going light this afternoon. We’ve got our annual pancake breakfast fund-raiser tomorrow. Why don’t you come? They’re always fun.”

She smiled and shook her head. “I can’t. I’ve already promised Dawn I’d take her out on a trail ride first thing. There’re some things she and I have
to talk about.”

“It sounds serious,” he said.

“It is. But let’s not go over that right now, okay? I don’t want to rehash things too much in my mind before Dawn and I get together.”

“No problem,” he said, sipping his coffee. “I’ve heard that the police are still asking questions about George Charley’s death. Was it an accident or not?”

“I can’t say for sure, not yet. There are too many unanswered
questions,” she added, not mentioning the news about the disabled brake system on the truck George Charley had been driving, or the intruder at the impound who’d very likely been trying to cover that up. That incident hadn’t led them anywhere yet, but at least some of the suspects on the list had been ruled out.

Ella ate hungrily and Ford watched her, smiling. “I met a friend of yours today.
She used to be with the tribal police. I ran into her as I was leaving church and that’s when I found out that you two were good friends.” Ford smiled and waved at someone across the room. “There she is now.”

Ella turned her head and saw Roxanne smiling at her. Swearing under her breath, she turned to Ford. “She lied to you, Ford. She’s
not
my friend and never was. Don’t trust
her. She’s a real
troublemaker.” Ella stood up. “Wait for me. She and I are going to have a little talk.”

Ella went to where Roxanne sat, three tables away, sat down across from her, and met her gaze directly. “Why are you following me?”

Roxanne laughed. “Following
you?
This is a restaurant. People come here to eat.”

“Save it. What’s going on?”

Roxanne’s smile vanished in a heartbeat and she transfixed Ella
with a cold glare. “The
only
thing I want from you is information. Tell me how to get hold of Kevin and I’m out of your face.”

“First of all,” Ella said, leaning forward, and resting her arms on the table, “I don’t react well to threats. Secondly, if you have a problem with Kevin, take it up with him.”

“Don’t give me the little Miss Perfect routine,” Roxanne said, her voice lowered to a growl.
“Kevin has two weaknesses—you’re one, your daughter’s the other. Right now you two are the only way I’ve got to pressure him.”

“Listen carefully, Roxanne,” Ella said in a hard voice. “Stay away from my child. Consider this your final warning.”

“Oh, please, like I want your skinny-assed girl? What I want is Kevin’s new cell number or his home number. That’s it. You want to get rid of me? Give
me what I want. Otherwise, you’re going to get real tired of looking at my face.”

“Back off, Roxanne. If Kevin was still interested in you, he’d have called or written back by now. Deal with the rejection and walk away.”

“Kevin doesn’t know you—not like I do. It takes a cop to know another cop,” Roxanne said, holding Ella’s gaze. “By the time I’m through he’ll know exactly what you’re all about.”

Not waiting for Ella to reply, she stood. “Be seeing you, Clah,” she said, dropping some bills on the table. “Who
knows? Before this is over, we may even become friends. Kevin gives us something in common.”

“We have nothing in common,” Ella said enunciating every syllable.

Roxanne laughed, waved at Ford, then walked out of the restaurant.

Ella returned to the booth where Ford was waiting. She
could feel the excess tension thrumming all throughout her body. “She’s a real winner.”

“It sounds like Roxanne’s got a few problems.”

“More than a few. I’m glad she’s out of the department. But that brings up another question. Did she ever happen to mention what she’s doing for a living these days?”

Ford shrugged. “I think I heard she’s gone to work for Abigail Yellowhair.”

Dawn rushed into Ella’s room right at sunrise the following morning. “Mom, wake up! It’s daytime already and we haven’t even saddled the horses yet!”

Ella groaned, and reluctantly opened her eyes. “It’s still early,” she said checking the clock. It was barely six-thirty. “We’ve got time,” she managed in a croak.

Dawn tugged the covers away from her. “Not
if you have to go back to work later on. Hurry! And you won’t be taking your phone, will you?”

“I’m taking it along only in case of a horseback-riding emergency.” She’d promised her daughter this ride, and she intended to go through with it. “I’ll meet you outside, and don’t make too much noise, okay? You don’t want to wake up your
shimasání
.”

“She’s up. She fixed our breakfast and already put
it in the saddlebags. It’s breakfast burritos, Navajo style, with eggs and sausage!”

Ella knew her mom’s burritos were second to none. She wrapped them up in homemade tortillas called
naniscaadas
.
“Okay, kiddo. Start saddling up. I’ll meet you in a few minutes.”

Ella dressed in jeans and her riding boots, the same western-cut boots she often wore to work, then stopped by the kitchen. The saddlebags
were on the counter, filled with food. “Mom, judging by the bulge in those, you made enough for the entire weekend,” Ella said, smiling as she fastened the leather straps.

“Your daughter may be very thin, but she packs away two breakfast burritos to your one.”

After picking up the saddlebags, Ella met Dawn outside. She saddled up quickly, attached the saddlebags, then checked her daughter’s
tack before they mounted. “Let’s go.”

They rode side by side up a long, gentle slope that circumvented the mesa to the west, the sun at their backs. Ella rode her big gelding, Chieftain, and Dawn sat tall on Wind, the pony her father had bought for her a couple of years ago.

As usual, Dawn chattered practically nonstop, ignoring the birds in the brush, the low junipers, and the occasional cottontail
that darted away. Their horses, used to the wildlife, rarely spooked.

Ella listened and nodded, but her thoughts were on the one subject she’d come out here to discuss with her daughter—the danger that Roxanne posed.

“Mom, are you
listening?
”

“Yes,” Ella said. “You were saying that Sara wants a miniature horse, and you want one, too. But we can’t afford another animal. And it makes no sense
for you to get a horse that’s too small to be ridden.”