Mourning Dove by Aimée & David Thurlo Read Free Book Online

impressive.
    “Big boys gotta eat big,” he said.
    “Food looks good, though. Wish I could stay, but I’ve got someone to meet.” With a wave she left Teeny to his banquet.
    Once back inside her cruiser—an unmarked SUV—Ellapulled out into traffic heading west, then called Carolyn Roanhorse. Though Carolyn and she were good friends, thanks to theirmutually busy schedules, they rarely managed to find time to get together. When they did, more often than not, it was on business. Despite that, their friendship continued strong, mostly because of the deep woman-to-woman understanding that existed between them.
    Ellawas considered
’alní
by many, a person who walked the line between two cultures—Anglo and Navajo. It was a hard road to travel, but Carolyn’s path was even more difficult. She helped the tribe by serving them in a capacity that no one else would have willingly chosen. Belief in the
chindi
would forever make their M.E. a pariah on the reservation. Yet her job was crucial to the tribe. It gave thema good measure of autonomy over investigations that took place on the Navajo Nation.
    Carolyn’s marriage to the Anglo doctor, Michael Lavery, had seemed perfect at first. Both were forensic pathologists working with law enforcement, though out of different offices. Michael had retired, allowing them to be together, but, in the end, maybe they’d been too alike and too used to living alone. Michaelwas gone now, having taken up teaching, and Carolyn was alone again.
    Ella finally connected with Carolyn on the phone. “Hey, I thought I’d come by, so we could have lunch.”
    “That’s not going to get you the answers you want any sooner,” Carolyn warned. “But a preliminary report is ready. The victim died of multiple bullet wounds to the heart and lungs from at least two different handgun-caliberweapons. The rounds I recovered are here waiting for you. They look like commercial ammo, nothing extraordinary. The man took multiple hits but those weren’t immediately fatal,” she said, then after a pause added, “He had a lot of bullet holes in him, Ella. I tested for powder burns on his hands, and got a positive on his right hand. He returned fire and it looks like he put up one heckuva fight,judging from the results of the powder residue. And I’ve verified the T.O.D. He died around seven in the morning as I suggested earlier.”
    “Except for the guns, that fits in with the M.O. of the carjackers. They strike early in the morning, trying to get people going to work on the less-traveled roads. Drivers are half asleep, not really thinking about anything except getting to where they’regoing.”
    “There are a lot of commendable reasons for dying, old friend, but protecting your car is a really bad one,” Carolyn said.
    “Yeah, and an insured rental at that,” Ella agreed, lost in thought.
    “So, I’ll see you soon?” Carolyn asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.
    “I’ll be there in a half hour at most.”
    Ella was halfway back to Shiprock when her cell phone rang. Looking at the displayshe saw it was Rose. Dreading the call, she pressed the talk button.
    “Your daughter is heartbroken that you can’t come. Couldn’t you at least stop by the school and wish her luck before she steps out onto the stage?”
    The comment made Ella’s chest tighten. She took a deep breath. Maybe a few minutes wouldn’t hurt. “I’ll do my best.” Ella had just convinced herself that a small detour couldn’thurt, when her cell phone rang again.
    “It’s Justine,” the caller said. “You have a package waiting for you here at the station. And, Ella—get this. It’s from Jimmy Black-sheep.”
    “Open it carefully and find out what’s in it.” Mail from a dead man took priority. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

FOUR

    E lla called Carolyn, postponing lunch, then dialed her daughter’s school and asked that Dawn be brought to the phone.
    Hearing her daughter’s excited hello, Ella smiled