their battles.”
Blalock glanced over at her, then back at the road.
She waited for his comment, but it didn’t come. “What?” she finally asked.
“For a moment there it almost sounded like you still had a thing for Tolino.”
Ella shook her head. “No, we’llnever be more than friends. But he’s a good man, and without him, my life would be minus the one person who means the world to me—Dawn.”
“Most women I know would have tossed a criticism or two in there to justify why they let him go,” Blalock said. “But then again, you’re not like most women.”
“Is there a compliment in there somewhere?”
“Yeah, but don’t let it go to your head,” he grumbled,speeding up to pass a slow-moving pickup loaded with firewood.
Ella started writing down notes in the small leather notebook she carried in her breast pocket. It had been a Christmas gift from Dawn. The first page still read, “To Mom, the best cop on the Rez.”
A few months ago Dawn had been fascinated with police work. Now, she wanted to become an actress. Ella had taken it as a win. Anythingwas better than having her daughter in law enforcement.
“Whatcha got there?” Blalock asked.
Ella looked down at her notes—most of it questions that needed to be answered. “I’m still trying to figure out if the gunmen picked up those assault rifles—the ArmaLites—locally. Since they would have been far too easy to trace if they’d come from a sporting goods store, I was thinking maybe an area gunshow?”
“There are lot of AR assault rifles in the hands of civilians. You sure they were 180Bs?”
“Pretty sure. The receivers looked flat, not rounded like with the earlier AR-15s and the M-16s. There was no handle on top, and the stock looked more tapered near the pistol grip, setting them off from the earlier 180s, if I recall correctly. They’re supposed to be improved models, not that I’veever fired one. I just got a good look every time they shifted targets. Lucky me.”
“At least that narrows down the search. The bad part is that a lot of assault weapons are being bought and sold at the moment. The drug wars in Mexico have created a hot market and getting hold of weapons and ammunition is easy, if you know where to look. On the outside chance that the two weapons were stolen froma gun dealer, I’m having the Bureau check out reports in surrounding states. A security camera image would sure help us out.”
She nodded, closing her notebook.
After a long silence, Blalock spoke. “You’re right about Kevin not liking to lose. That’s why he’s going to want to nail whoever did this.”
“I’m hoping he’ll be able to give us some leads. But, if not, we’ll find them on our own,” Ellasaid. “I don’t like to lose either.”
This corner of the Rez was closer to the mountains. The piñon and juniper trees were taller and more numerous, scattered over the low hills and alongside the many arroyos that flowed from the south. Farther west lay the Chuska Mountains, where actual patches of forest could be found on the higher slopes.
After making a left onto tribal Highway 9, which ledpast Coyote Canyon all the way to Crownpoint, she saw a solitary house about a quarter mile from the road. The one-story ranch-style structure, complete with two car garage, was surrounded by junipers except for a big garden patch at the rear and a large fenced-in corral with a loafing shed on the west side.
“A big garage and no hogan in the back, so these are Modernists, right? We won’t haveto wait by the car?” Blalock asked as he drove down the gravel lane.
“Some of the tribal officials react badly to those who look like they’re disrespecting the culture, so let’s play it safe. We’ll get out and wait by the car. If we put the family at ease by extending them that courtesy, things might go more smoothly.”
Blalock parked beside a flagstone walk that led to the front door, then theyboth got out of the vehicle and stood by
Blalock glanced over at her, then back at the road.
She waited for his comment, but it didn’t come. “What?” she finally asked.
“For a moment there it almost sounded like you still had a thing for Tolino.”
Ella shook her head. “No, we’llnever be more than friends. But he’s a good man, and without him, my life would be minus the one person who means the world to me—Dawn.”
“Most women I know would have tossed a criticism or two in there to justify why they let him go,” Blalock said. “But then again, you’re not like most women.”
“Is there a compliment in there somewhere?”
“Yeah, but don’t let it go to your head,” he grumbled,speeding up to pass a slow-moving pickup loaded with firewood.
Ella started writing down notes in the small leather notebook she carried in her breast pocket. It had been a Christmas gift from Dawn. The first page still read, “To Mom, the best cop on the Rez.”
A few months ago Dawn had been fascinated with police work. Now, she wanted to become an actress. Ella had taken it as a win. Anythingwas better than having her daughter in law enforcement.
“Whatcha got there?” Blalock asked.
Ella looked down at her notes—most of it questions that needed to be answered. “I’m still trying to figure out if the gunmen picked up those assault rifles—the ArmaLites—locally. Since they would have been far too easy to trace if they’d come from a sporting goods store, I was thinking maybe an area gunshow?”
“There are lot of AR assault rifles in the hands of civilians. You sure they were 180Bs?”
“Pretty sure. The receivers looked flat, not rounded like with the earlier AR-15s and the M-16s. There was no handle on top, and the stock looked more tapered near the pistol grip, setting them off from the earlier 180s, if I recall correctly. They’re supposed to be improved models, not that I’veever fired one. I just got a good look every time they shifted targets. Lucky me.”
“At least that narrows down the search. The bad part is that a lot of assault weapons are being bought and sold at the moment. The drug wars in Mexico have created a hot market and getting hold of weapons and ammunition is easy, if you know where to look. On the outside chance that the two weapons were stolen froma gun dealer, I’m having the Bureau check out reports in surrounding states. A security camera image would sure help us out.”
She nodded, closing her notebook.
After a long silence, Blalock spoke. “You’re right about Kevin not liking to lose. That’s why he’s going to want to nail whoever did this.”
“I’m hoping he’ll be able to give us some leads. But, if not, we’ll find them on our own,” Ellasaid. “I don’t like to lose either.”
This corner of the Rez was closer to the mountains. The piñon and juniper trees were taller and more numerous, scattered over the low hills and alongside the many arroyos that flowed from the south. Farther west lay the Chuska Mountains, where actual patches of forest could be found on the higher slopes.
After making a left onto tribal Highway 9, which ledpast Coyote Canyon all the way to Crownpoint, she saw a solitary house about a quarter mile from the road. The one-story ranch-style structure, complete with two car garage, was surrounded by junipers except for a big garden patch at the rear and a large fenced-in corral with a loafing shed on the west side.
“A big garage and no hogan in the back, so these are Modernists, right? We won’t haveto wait by the car?” Blalock asked as he drove down the gravel lane.
“Some of the tribal officials react badly to those who look like they’re disrespecting the culture, so let’s play it safe. We’ll get out and wait by the car. If we put the family at ease by extending them that courtesy, things might go more smoothly.”
Blalock parked beside a flagstone walk that led to the front door, then theyboth got out of the vehicle and stood by
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