Lawyers do that.”
“I didn’t say anything that couldn’t be verified as factual, and if it results in any changes to the law, making it tougher for a person arrested for DWI to retain his license or vehicle despite his expensive lawyers, wouldn’t it be worth it?”
“That’s not the function of thisdepartment, nor is it your job. That’s why we have legislators, judges, and tribal spokespeople like myself. I’m sure I’ll be called upon soon enough to restate our department’s position, probably as soon as the public reads or hears the news.”
“Then if I make any more statements, I’ll make sure that they are not linked to me as a tribal officer, but rather to me, as an individual. I’ll be offduty, and away from this facility.”
“I’ll accept that for now.”
Hearing a knock on the door, Ella followed the chief’s gaze and turned around. “I hate to interrupt,” Justine said, “but we have trouble. There’s been what appears to be a homicide.”
For one fleeting moment, Ella hoped it was Bekis. “Where, and do we know the identity of the victim?”
She nodded. “It’s Lisa Aspass. Wilson Joe apparentlyfound the body when he went to her home to find out why she hadn’t shown up for work at the college.”
At the mention of the familiar names, Ella felt her body grow cold. Wilson had been engaged to marry Lisa. Sorrow filled her as she realized the blow her friend had sustained. Yesterday her life had seemed a challenge, but manageable. The future had held a myriad of possibilities. Now her motherwas gravely injured and a good friend had just lost the woman he loved. It seemed as if only an expanse of darkness lay ahead, obscuring all the light.
FOUR
Ella was worried about her mother, but still there was work to do. She turned on the siren as she sped down the highway. Justine rode with her, searching her notes for the directions to Lisa’s home. Neither of them had been there before. Harry Ute, the crime scene investigator and Ralph Tache, the photographer, were in the van behind them.
“Wilson called it in?” Ella asked her assistant.
“Right,” Justine said. “He asked for you, and when I told him you were in a meeting, he told me what had happened. He sounded like a robot, everything he said was in a monotone. It was eerie. Maybe it was shock, but…” Justine remained quiet for a moment. “I know he’s your friend, boss. Do you think you can keep focused on this case?”
Ella glared at her assistant. “I won’t make nearly as manyassumptions as you’re making, I guarantee that.”
Justine looked away, and stared at the notebook on her lap as if it had become the most interesting thing on the planet. Finally, she spoke. “You told the reporters about wanting to see justice done and how things get thrown out of court over details that aren’t relevant to the case. I just want to make sure we don’t have that happen to us on thisinvestigation.”
“I didn’t know you’d listened so closely to my impromptu press conference.”
Justine shrugged. “There were a lot of us nearby.”
Ella opened and closed her hands, flexing her fingers, though still careful not to completely let go of the wheel. Justine had a point, and she shouldn’t have turned on her. “It’s true that Wilson Joe is a longtime friend of mine, but I also know myjob. He may end up as a suspect, but it’s also quite possible he has a solid alibi for the time of death. He’s not the kind of person to kill except to protect someone else. But we won’t cut him any slack simply because I know him. This is a murder investigation. If at any time you feel anything is being done improperly, then say so right then. I may head our team, but it is a team.”
“Okay. We’lltake it one step at a time,” Justine said.
Following Justine’s directions, Ella turned and headed into the relatively new residential area she’d traveled through with Clifford the evening before. Her skin was crawling as
“I didn’t say anything that couldn’t be verified as factual, and if it results in any changes to the law, making it tougher for a person arrested for DWI to retain his license or vehicle despite his expensive lawyers, wouldn’t it be worth it?”
“That’s not the function of thisdepartment, nor is it your job. That’s why we have legislators, judges, and tribal spokespeople like myself. I’m sure I’ll be called upon soon enough to restate our department’s position, probably as soon as the public reads or hears the news.”
“Then if I make any more statements, I’ll make sure that they are not linked to me as a tribal officer, but rather to me, as an individual. I’ll be offduty, and away from this facility.”
“I’ll accept that for now.”
Hearing a knock on the door, Ella followed the chief’s gaze and turned around. “I hate to interrupt,” Justine said, “but we have trouble. There’s been what appears to be a homicide.”
For one fleeting moment, Ella hoped it was Bekis. “Where, and do we know the identity of the victim?”
She nodded. “It’s Lisa Aspass. Wilson Joe apparentlyfound the body when he went to her home to find out why she hadn’t shown up for work at the college.”
At the mention of the familiar names, Ella felt her body grow cold. Wilson had been engaged to marry Lisa. Sorrow filled her as she realized the blow her friend had sustained. Yesterday her life had seemed a challenge, but manageable. The future had held a myriad of possibilities. Now her motherwas gravely injured and a good friend had just lost the woman he loved. It seemed as if only an expanse of darkness lay ahead, obscuring all the light.
FOUR
Ella was worried about her mother, but still there was work to do. She turned on the siren as she sped down the highway. Justine rode with her, searching her notes for the directions to Lisa’s home. Neither of them had been there before. Harry Ute, the crime scene investigator and Ralph Tache, the photographer, were in the van behind them.
“Wilson called it in?” Ella asked her assistant.
“Right,” Justine said. “He asked for you, and when I told him you were in a meeting, he told me what had happened. He sounded like a robot, everything he said was in a monotone. It was eerie. Maybe it was shock, but…” Justine remained quiet for a moment. “I know he’s your friend, boss. Do you think you can keep focused on this case?”
Ella glared at her assistant. “I won’t make nearly as manyassumptions as you’re making, I guarantee that.”
Justine looked away, and stared at the notebook on her lap as if it had become the most interesting thing on the planet. Finally, she spoke. “You told the reporters about wanting to see justice done and how things get thrown out of court over details that aren’t relevant to the case. I just want to make sure we don’t have that happen to us on thisinvestigation.”
“I didn’t know you’d listened so closely to my impromptu press conference.”
Justine shrugged. “There were a lot of us nearby.”
Ella opened and closed her hands, flexing her fingers, though still careful not to completely let go of the wheel. Justine had a point, and she shouldn’t have turned on her. “It’s true that Wilson Joe is a longtime friend of mine, but I also know myjob. He may end up as a suspect, but it’s also quite possible he has a solid alibi for the time of death. He’s not the kind of person to kill except to protect someone else. But we won’t cut him any slack simply because I know him. This is a murder investigation. If at any time you feel anything is being done improperly, then say so right then. I may head our team, but it is a team.”
“Okay. We’lltake it one step at a time,” Justine said.
Following Justine’s directions, Ella turned and headed into the relatively new residential area she’d traveled through with Clifford the evening before. Her skin was crawling as
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