beyond that.”
She was always amazed at her brother’s talents. He could read people better than anyone else she’d ever known. He had other gifts, too, some associated with his training as a hataalii. Butsome gifts he had surpassed his training, and those had always made her uneasy. Hers was an orderly mind, and anything she couldn’t classify and explain disturbed her equanimity. She would have liked to explain away some of her brother’s special abilities as trickery and illusion, much like a magician’s. But, deep down, she knew it was far more involved than that.
“A police officer’s instinctsaren’t always precise,” she replied at length.
“But your intuitions are more than that, and you know it,” he said, then raised his hand to stem her protests. “The problem with you is that you’re too proud for your own good. You don’t want to think that your intuitions are part of a gift, a special magic that you alone possess. You’d much rather think that it’s simply an intellectual process goingon in your subconscious because you’re smart, and highly trained in law enforcement.”
Ella forced herself not to cringe. There was truth in what he said, and that was why it stung so much. “I am smart, and I’m proud of my skills. I worked my hind end off to get them.”
“But you should still acknowledge that you have an extra source of help within yourself that’s made you successful.”
“Yeah,well…” she shrugged.
“Pride,” he said, shaking his head.
“Will you answer my question? It’s important. I need your opinion.” Ella watched her older brother as he sat down and regarded her thoughtfully.
“I can tell you that there’s a restlessness among the people. I can feel that as well as you do, but I’m also not sure what’s behind it. Conversations stop when I draw near, as if there’s somethinghappening The People want to keep from me. I haven’t experienced anything like that since the time when our father was killed.”
Ella nodded. “I had a very uncomfortable feeling out on the highway today when I was out investigating an accident. I felt I was being watched, but there was no one around. At least no one that I could see.”
Clifford nodded. “Disturbing. I’ll see what I can learn.”He stood up slowly. “But now it’s time for family, not business. Let’s go, little sister.”
As they joined the others, Ella couldn’t shake the uneasiness that plagued her. She went through the motions, eating tasty mutton stew and fry bread with her family, trying not to take sides when Clifford and Loretta argued about the baby, but her mind was on the case. When the phone rang, her mother glancedat her.
“No doubt it’s for you. It’s just as well. You’ve been here physically, but your mind hasn’t been with us all evening.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to be so distant.” She walked into the living room and picked up the receiver. It was Justine.
“I just got a call from Billy Pete,” her assistant said. “He told me that it’s important he talk to you tonight.”
“Where does he want to meet?”
“At the Totah Café.”
She relaxed. At least that wasn’t a likely place for an ambush. Not that she didn’t trust Billy Pete, but people under stress did weird things. “Okay. What time?”
“Eight. Something else. Dr. Roanhorse released the body. She said she had all the tissue samples she needed. Rather than fight the senator, who showed up at the hospital with some honchos from the tribal council,she signed the papers.”
“Did she give you a preliminary autopsy report yet?”
“No. She said she’d speak to you directly about that. She didn’t want to bother you at home, so she asked me to tell you to call her anytime after nine tonight. She’ll be in meetings at the hospital until then.”
“All right. I’ll take care of it. In the meantime, I’m going to go to the café. I’ll talk to you later.”
Ella reached back and checked
She was always amazed at her brother’s talents. He could read people better than anyone else she’d ever known. He had other gifts, too, some associated with his training as a hataalii. Butsome gifts he had surpassed his training, and those had always made her uneasy. Hers was an orderly mind, and anything she couldn’t classify and explain disturbed her equanimity. She would have liked to explain away some of her brother’s special abilities as trickery and illusion, much like a magician’s. But, deep down, she knew it was far more involved than that.
“A police officer’s instinctsaren’t always precise,” she replied at length.
“But your intuitions are more than that, and you know it,” he said, then raised his hand to stem her protests. “The problem with you is that you’re too proud for your own good. You don’t want to think that your intuitions are part of a gift, a special magic that you alone possess. You’d much rather think that it’s simply an intellectual process goingon in your subconscious because you’re smart, and highly trained in law enforcement.”
Ella forced herself not to cringe. There was truth in what he said, and that was why it stung so much. “I am smart, and I’m proud of my skills. I worked my hind end off to get them.”
“But you should still acknowledge that you have an extra source of help within yourself that’s made you successful.”
“Yeah,well…” she shrugged.
“Pride,” he said, shaking his head.
“Will you answer my question? It’s important. I need your opinion.” Ella watched her older brother as he sat down and regarded her thoughtfully.
“I can tell you that there’s a restlessness among the people. I can feel that as well as you do, but I’m also not sure what’s behind it. Conversations stop when I draw near, as if there’s somethinghappening The People want to keep from me. I haven’t experienced anything like that since the time when our father was killed.”
Ella nodded. “I had a very uncomfortable feeling out on the highway today when I was out investigating an accident. I felt I was being watched, but there was no one around. At least no one that I could see.”
Clifford nodded. “Disturbing. I’ll see what I can learn.”He stood up slowly. “But now it’s time for family, not business. Let’s go, little sister.”
As they joined the others, Ella couldn’t shake the uneasiness that plagued her. She went through the motions, eating tasty mutton stew and fry bread with her family, trying not to take sides when Clifford and Loretta argued about the baby, but her mind was on the case. When the phone rang, her mother glancedat her.
“No doubt it’s for you. It’s just as well. You’ve been here physically, but your mind hasn’t been with us all evening.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to be so distant.” She walked into the living room and picked up the receiver. It was Justine.
“I just got a call from Billy Pete,” her assistant said. “He told me that it’s important he talk to you tonight.”
“Where does he want to meet?”
“At the Totah Café.”
She relaxed. At least that wasn’t a likely place for an ambush. Not that she didn’t trust Billy Pete, but people under stress did weird things. “Okay. What time?”
“Eight. Something else. Dr. Roanhorse released the body. She said she had all the tissue samples she needed. Rather than fight the senator, who showed up at the hospital with some honchos from the tribal council,she signed the papers.”
“Did she give you a preliminary autopsy report yet?”
“No. She said she’d speak to you directly about that. She didn’t want to bother you at home, so she asked me to tell you to call her anytime after nine tonight. She’ll be in meetings at the hospital until then.”
“All right. I’ll take care of it. In the meantime, I’m going to go to the café. I’ll talk to you later.”
Ella reached back and checked
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