you can bring your partner and a few others for a late supper.” Dawn lowered her voice. “ Shimá , please bring them. Shimasání won’t throw anything out, and I don’t wantto be eating mutton stew for a week!”
Ella bit her lip to keep from laughing. Her daughter hated mutton stew. Ella suspected it was because she’d entered that rebellious stage when less nutritious meals like pizza tasted far better, even for breakfast.
“I probably won’t get home for a while, kiddo, but I’ll see what I can do.” Folding up the phone, she looked back at Carolyn and filled her in.
“Mutton stew?” Carolyn asked, a dreamy smile on her face.
“Yeah. Apparently Mom’s on another cooking binge. Dawn wants me to bring people over so there won’t be any leftovers.”
“I wish I wasn’t on a diet. I’d kill for mutton stew,” Carolyn said. “But what’s with Rose?”
“I have no idea what’s going on with Mom. She’s been acting … weird.”
“What’s happening in her life—or not happening?”
“Mydaughter doesn’t want a kinaaldá , but I don’t think that’s entirely it. There’s something else.…” She shook her head and shrugged.
“Rose is an adult. Don’t push her. She’ll talk to you when she’s ready.” Carolyn watched Ella fidget in her chair for a moment. “What’s up with you? You’re not moving right. Did you hurt yourself?”
When Ella told her what had happened, Carolyn insisted on checkingher over.
Ella left some time later, assured that she was fine, except for some bruising. As she drove back to the station, her thoughts remained centered on the case. A serial killer on the Rez … She didn’t like this at all. Hard times lay ahead—for all of them.
* * *
Ella sat in her office, her team seated wherever they could find room. Dwayne Blalock had begged off, going instead tobrief the Farmington Police Department’s chief of detectives.
Despite the long day—it was nearly eleven—Ella wanted to pool information and talk strategy so they could start on the run tomorrow morning. Seeing Nez, wearing a visitor’s ID around his neck, appear at the door, Ella gestured for him to come in.
The sheriff’s detective glanced at the others. “If I’m interrupting, I can wait,” hesaid.
“No, we’re working together now, so you belong here.” Ella told everyone what she’d learned about the victims from Carolyn.
“Sergeant Marquez and I interviewed most of the off-reservation residents within a mile of the fence line. They all agreed on one thing—the local high school kids love to go to the Hogback area to party and cut loose—Kirtland Central and Shiprock both,” Dan said.
“I can’t see these murders as something that was carried out by high-school-aged kids,” Justine said. “They were premeditated, and we’re talking about a span of years, too.”
“But here’s the thing,” Ella said. “Any of the kids who party in that area could have witnessed something. Does anyone know a high school kid who’d talk freely to us?” Ella asked, looking around. “Keep in mind that, judgingfrom the tracks and other evidence, the killer has been in the area, maybe scouting out the place in preparation for his next victim.”
“My nephew goes to Shiprock High and I’ve already given him a call,” Dan said. “He told me that it’s a regular hangout, but the only people he’s ever seen there are kids his age. He’s going to ask around and see what his friends have to say.”
“Did you tell himwhat was going on?” Ella asked him.
“Not the particulars, no,” Nez said, “but the story will be public knowledge soon enough. The networks carried it and there was Internet coverage.”
Ella nodded, accepting the truth. These days news traveled at lightning speed. “We need to move quickly on this and get answers, people. These murders have been going on for years, so I don’t think this is overyet. If this is a yearly thing for our suspect, he
Ella bit her lip to keep from laughing. Her daughter hated mutton stew. Ella suspected it was because she’d entered that rebellious stage when less nutritious meals like pizza tasted far better, even for breakfast.
“I probably won’t get home for a while, kiddo, but I’ll see what I can do.” Folding up the phone, she looked back at Carolyn and filled her in.
“Mutton stew?” Carolyn asked, a dreamy smile on her face.
“Yeah. Apparently Mom’s on another cooking binge. Dawn wants me to bring people over so there won’t be any leftovers.”
“I wish I wasn’t on a diet. I’d kill for mutton stew,” Carolyn said. “But what’s with Rose?”
“I have no idea what’s going on with Mom. She’s been acting … weird.”
“What’s happening in her life—or not happening?”
“Mydaughter doesn’t want a kinaaldá , but I don’t think that’s entirely it. There’s something else.…” She shook her head and shrugged.
“Rose is an adult. Don’t push her. She’ll talk to you when she’s ready.” Carolyn watched Ella fidget in her chair for a moment. “What’s up with you? You’re not moving right. Did you hurt yourself?”
When Ella told her what had happened, Carolyn insisted on checkingher over.
Ella left some time later, assured that she was fine, except for some bruising. As she drove back to the station, her thoughts remained centered on the case. A serial killer on the Rez … She didn’t like this at all. Hard times lay ahead—for all of them.
* * *
Ella sat in her office, her team seated wherever they could find room. Dwayne Blalock had begged off, going instead tobrief the Farmington Police Department’s chief of detectives.
Despite the long day—it was nearly eleven—Ella wanted to pool information and talk strategy so they could start on the run tomorrow morning. Seeing Nez, wearing a visitor’s ID around his neck, appear at the door, Ella gestured for him to come in.
The sheriff’s detective glanced at the others. “If I’m interrupting, I can wait,” hesaid.
“No, we’re working together now, so you belong here.” Ella told everyone what she’d learned about the victims from Carolyn.
“Sergeant Marquez and I interviewed most of the off-reservation residents within a mile of the fence line. They all agreed on one thing—the local high school kids love to go to the Hogback area to party and cut loose—Kirtland Central and Shiprock both,” Dan said.
“I can’t see these murders as something that was carried out by high-school-aged kids,” Justine said. “They were premeditated, and we’re talking about a span of years, too.”
“But here’s the thing,” Ella said. “Any of the kids who party in that area could have witnessed something. Does anyone know a high school kid who’d talk freely to us?” Ella asked, looking around. “Keep in mind that, judgingfrom the tracks and other evidence, the killer has been in the area, maybe scouting out the place in preparation for his next victim.”
“My nephew goes to Shiprock High and I’ve already given him a call,” Dan said. “He told me that it’s a regular hangout, but the only people he’s ever seen there are kids his age. He’s going to ask around and see what his friends have to say.”
“Did you tell himwhat was going on?” Ella asked him.
“Not the particulars, no,” Nez said, “but the story will be public knowledge soon enough. The networks carried it and there was Internet coverage.”
Ella nodded, accepting the truth. These days news traveled at lightning speed. “We need to move quickly on this and get answers, people. These murders have been going on for years, so I don’t think this is overyet. If this is a yearly thing for our suspect, he
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