duck out the back door and work my way down beside the cliff. If he goes south, you’ll spot him.”
“No. Call it in. There must be fifteen cops within a mile of here. They can close in from the east. He won’t get away.” Ella crawled on her knees over to the doorjamb. “And while you’re calling, cover the back door—just incase he crossed the road.”
“Roger that.”
* * *
Backup arrived within a few minutes, but there was no sign of the shooter, or a vehicle, only adult-size shoe prints beside a tree about a hundred feet from the front of the building.
Neskahi and Officer Pete picked up the tracks on the east side of the road, where the shooter had crossed. From there, they followed the trail north along thebase of the Hogback into a large grove of cottonwoods. They soon found tire tracks, which disappeared as they entered the asphalt. The tread pattern seemed to be a match for those they’d found near the graves. Yet the shooter and the vehicle had somehow vanished, driving right past the turnoff leading to the crime scene. No ATL, attempt to locate, was possible. They had no idea who or what theywere looking for and since it was late afternoon, the highway was crowded with people going home from their nine-to-fives.
Ella, stiff and sore, took off her vest, which would have to go into evidence, and recovered the nine-millimeter bullets trapped in the fabric.
She handed them to Justine, who’d log them in as evidence as well. The jacketed, hollow-point rounds looked identical to the sixof that type and weight found among the bodies, but only lab comparisons would be able to verify that they’d come from the killer’s weapon.
Despite all her efforts questioning the family, especially the boy, Ella was unable to get any more information about the crimes or the possible shooter. Del’s continued silence and refusal to even look at her made her suspect he knew something. More importantly,nothing else explained why he’d suddenly become a target.
Ella took Lois aside. “We need to find a way to get Del to open up. I have a feeling he may have seen something he wasn’t supposed to see.”
Lois used her hand to wipe the tears that fell down her cheeks. “I try my best, but when you’re a single mom, every day is a fight to survive. The mortgage company took our house in Kirtland, andsince then, we’ve been living anywhere that has a roof, including our car. All my clan members live way over in Arizona, and I’d go there if I knew I could get a job. Right now my daughter, Belara, has more responsibility on her shoulders than anyone her age should. She and her brother usually have to hide out so Child, Youth, and Family doesn’t track us down. But I can’t stop them from going outin the afternoons and playing games. They’re just kids. If I could watch over them all the time, I would, but I need my job.”
“I understand, but this place isn’t safe for you anymore.”
“We never planned on staying here long. My kids’ uncle is in the New Mexico National Guard and his deployment is finally over. I finally managed to contact him and found out he has a house in Shiprock. He toldus we could move in with him, but we had to hold off until he returned because his landlord might make trouble. I was hoping to drive over, get the key he hid, and have the house cleaned and ready for him when he arrives tomorrow evening.”
“Leave right now. I’ll get one of my officers to escort you to his house and make sure you’re not followed. If the landlord complains, we’ll arrange for asafe house until the soldier returns.”
Her eyes grew wide. “You think this killer will still come after us, don’t you?”
“He might, which is why we need to make sure he can’t find you. Now start loading up your car.”
Ella called Officer Marianna Talk and requested that she escort the family. By the time they finished gathering their few possessions and crammed them into the red sedan,
“No. Call it in. There must be fifteen cops within a mile of here. They can close in from the east. He won’t get away.” Ella crawled on her knees over to the doorjamb. “And while you’re calling, cover the back door—just incase he crossed the road.”
“Roger that.”
* * *
Backup arrived within a few minutes, but there was no sign of the shooter, or a vehicle, only adult-size shoe prints beside a tree about a hundred feet from the front of the building.
Neskahi and Officer Pete picked up the tracks on the east side of the road, where the shooter had crossed. From there, they followed the trail north along thebase of the Hogback into a large grove of cottonwoods. They soon found tire tracks, which disappeared as they entered the asphalt. The tread pattern seemed to be a match for those they’d found near the graves. Yet the shooter and the vehicle had somehow vanished, driving right past the turnoff leading to the crime scene. No ATL, attempt to locate, was possible. They had no idea who or what theywere looking for and since it was late afternoon, the highway was crowded with people going home from their nine-to-fives.
Ella, stiff and sore, took off her vest, which would have to go into evidence, and recovered the nine-millimeter bullets trapped in the fabric.
She handed them to Justine, who’d log them in as evidence as well. The jacketed, hollow-point rounds looked identical to the sixof that type and weight found among the bodies, but only lab comparisons would be able to verify that they’d come from the killer’s weapon.
Despite all her efforts questioning the family, especially the boy, Ella was unable to get any more information about the crimes or the possible shooter. Del’s continued silence and refusal to even look at her made her suspect he knew something. More importantly,nothing else explained why he’d suddenly become a target.
Ella took Lois aside. “We need to find a way to get Del to open up. I have a feeling he may have seen something he wasn’t supposed to see.”
Lois used her hand to wipe the tears that fell down her cheeks. “I try my best, but when you’re a single mom, every day is a fight to survive. The mortgage company took our house in Kirtland, andsince then, we’ve been living anywhere that has a roof, including our car. All my clan members live way over in Arizona, and I’d go there if I knew I could get a job. Right now my daughter, Belara, has more responsibility on her shoulders than anyone her age should. She and her brother usually have to hide out so Child, Youth, and Family doesn’t track us down. But I can’t stop them from going outin the afternoons and playing games. They’re just kids. If I could watch over them all the time, I would, but I need my job.”
“I understand, but this place isn’t safe for you anymore.”
“We never planned on staying here long. My kids’ uncle is in the New Mexico National Guard and his deployment is finally over. I finally managed to contact him and found out he has a house in Shiprock. He toldus we could move in with him, but we had to hold off until he returned because his landlord might make trouble. I was hoping to drive over, get the key he hid, and have the house cleaned and ready for him when he arrives tomorrow evening.”
“Leave right now. I’ll get one of my officers to escort you to his house and make sure you’re not followed. If the landlord complains, we’ll arrange for asafe house until the soldier returns.”
Her eyes grew wide. “You think this killer will still come after us, don’t you?”
“He might, which is why we need to make sure he can’t find you. Now start loading up your car.”
Ella called Officer Marianna Talk and requested that she escort the family. By the time they finished gathering their few possessions and crammed them into the red sedan,
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