Earthway by Aimée Thurlo Read Free Book Online

ten-foot-tall cinder block wall should protect him from all but direct gunfire, and your neighbor on that side would spot anyone who even got close. Didn’t you tell me once that she’s retired and usually home?” Ella took a sip of the hot brew.
    Ford nodded. “Mrs. Tanner’s always watching, which probably explains why the guy tried to come in through the front. But I sure hatehaving to hunker down for anyone out to do me or my animal harm,” Ford added through clenched teeth.
    “Once we catch the guy, Abednego will be able to enjoy his evenings on the front porch again,” Ella said.
    They both looked over as the flash of headlights showed through the front window. “Here’s the deputy, I bet,” Ella said. “He didn’t take long.”
    They were halfway down the walk when the uniformedofficer stepped out of his unit. The deputy, an ex-military-looking Navajo in his mid-forties with tightly cropped hair, nodded to them both. “Investigator Clah? Looks like we’re having another of those never-ending days. I was at the college campus earlier, helping question the students and making sure my girlfriend was okay. She works for one of the professors. I hope your officer makesit, by the way. The whole department is pulling for him.”
    “I’ll pass that along. Thanks for the support, Deputy Whitefeather.” Although she’d recognized him and remembered seeing Whitefeather at the college today, she’d forgotten his name until she was close enough to see his name tag. They’d been on the same arrest team during joint agency outstanding-warrant sweeps last fall.
    “Dispatch saidshots were fired at
your
residence?” Whitefeather asked.
    “No, the shots were fired here at Reverend Tome’s residence. I’ve recovered a small caliber bullet for your crime lab to process.”
    Ella handed the deputy the bullet, now in a plastic freezer bag. On the bag’s label space, she’d written the date, time, and location, then signed her name. She repeated the process with half the meat sample,having kept the other portion for Justine’s lab.
    “Reverend, meet Officer Henderson Whitefeather,” she said, turning around.
    Ford stepped forward, acknowledging the man, but didn’t hold out his hand, not knowing if the other Navajo disliked shaking hands or not. The gesture was still not common practice among the
Diné
, the Navajo people. “Good evening, Officer.”
    Ella sniffed, noting a floralscent in the air.
    “That would be me, smelling like lilacs or whatever,” Whitefeather said, shaking his head. “Had to use a lot of air freshener in my unit a while ago. A drunk cowboy puked all over the upholstery.”
    “I can relate to that,” Ella responded, leading the way back toward the house. She’d arrested many drunks during her career.
    Once inside the yard, Whitefeather raised the small clipboardhe had in his left hand. “Shall we get down to it, folks? Reverend, can you give me a rundown on what happened tonight?”
    “Okay, I’ll start. Jump in whenever you want, Investigator Clah,” Ford said as they reached the porch.
     
    Ten minutes later they watched from the sidewalk as the deputy’s car headed back toward the main highway.
    “You think the deputy was right, that this was just a meth addicttrying to set up a burglary? There
have
been some residential burglaries in the area recently,” Ford asked.
    “Anything is possible but, in my mind, it’s just too coincidental, especially after what happened this afternoon. Italso doesn’t fit the MO of a meth addict. They tend to be the smash-and-grab types. Instincts tells me these incidents are connected.”
    “So what’s next, Ella?”
    “There’llbe patrol cars around, so if you hear or see anything out of the ordinary, call 911 immediately. One more thing: Stay at home until I’ve got a better handle on things. A day or two at least, okay?”
    “What will you be doing?”
    “I’m going to start by seeing how much Dr. Lee could have learned about