Jennifer had taken the death of her mother.Marianna hadn’t called in, so Ella had already concluded Boots hadn’t been able to help in narrowing the suspects. Still, Ella needed to follow up on this.
Unfortunately, just as Ella had feared, Marianna hadn’t been able to get much information. Boots had broken down at first, then later explained that, although she and her mother had been in contact lately, not much information had passed betweenthem, only emotions, regrets, and apologies. According to Marianna, Boots had no idea who Valerie had been associating with outside her work. Ella, hearing that Marianna had a written report waiting at the station, ended the call and advised Justine of the news, or lack of it.
“I’ve often wondered what my life would be like right now if I hadn’t had such a close family, Ella,” Justine commented.“For Boots, it must have been devastating, growing up knowing that her own mother didn’t want her in her life.”
“At least Boots had Lena. The woman is annoying and headstrong, but she did a good job raising her granddaughter,” Ella replied. “My mom has been so good with Dawn. You know, I can’t wait until we’re all back together again.”
“There have been times, cuz, you’d have cut out your tonguebefore admitting that,” Justine said, chuckling.
Ella shrugged. “Yeah, well…”
As they drove into Shiprock’s east side, Ella noted that, as it often was in poor communities, the number of abandoned vehicles left to gather dust behind a house seemed to increase almost daily. They were usually scavenged for parts until only the outer shell remained.
Driving past the small, cheaply made governmenthouses built in the late Sixties, they entered a helter-skelter residential area littered with mobile homes and shacks in all stages of disrepair. Although most of the land leases were for one-acre lots, there were no fences to differentiate them and animals roamed freely.
“It’s that one,” Justine said, gesturing ahead by pursing her lips, Navajo style. “The pale green one with the small blackdog on the porch. His truck’s there, and it’s not on cinder blocks, so maybe he’s home.”
As they turned up the dirt road a man came out to the porch to feed the dog, saw them approaching, and suddenly bolted for the truck.
“He’s making a run for it.” Ella said, watching him speed away in a trail of dust, heading north, away from the main highway. “Try to stay with him, but watch out for kidsand animals.” Ella adjusted her seat belt and called it in.
The road was rough and clouded with dust, but Justine’s pursuit training paid off and she slowly gained ground. “He’s weaving all over the place. Either he’s trying to lose us in the dust, or he’s still drunk from last night,” Ella said.
“Maybe he had leftovers for breakfast,” Justine said.
Tso took a right at the next intersection,then another right at the corner after that, completely reversing his direction. As soon as he reached the highway, Tso shot across the median, barely missing a semi, and swung around into the eastbound lanes. He was now heading toward Hogback and the eastern edge of the Rez. The man quickly picked up speed on the good road, and his driving became much more controlled. This time he only weaved whenhe raced around slower vehicles in his way.
“Maybe he’s hoping we’ll give up once he gets into county jurisdiction,” Ella said. “But no way that’s going to happen, not when we’re in pursuit of a possible murder suspect.”
She picked up the mike and called for county backup. Before long Sergeant Emily Marquez, who patrolled the near Rez areas of San Juan County, responded.
“I’m in Fruitland,SI One, proceeding west. I’ll lay down a spike belt when I see him coming. He’ll either have to stop or blow out all his tires.”
“Ten-four,” Ella said, racking the mike.
“We’ve got him now,” Justine added. “Let’s see what he does.”
Sirens
Unfortunately, just as Ella had feared, Marianna hadn’t been able to get much information. Boots had broken down at first, then later explained that, although she and her mother had been in contact lately, not much information had passed betweenthem, only emotions, regrets, and apologies. According to Marianna, Boots had no idea who Valerie had been associating with outside her work. Ella, hearing that Marianna had a written report waiting at the station, ended the call and advised Justine of the news, or lack of it.
“I’ve often wondered what my life would be like right now if I hadn’t had such a close family, Ella,” Justine commented.“For Boots, it must have been devastating, growing up knowing that her own mother didn’t want her in her life.”
“At least Boots had Lena. The woman is annoying and headstrong, but she did a good job raising her granddaughter,” Ella replied. “My mom has been so good with Dawn. You know, I can’t wait until we’re all back together again.”
“There have been times, cuz, you’d have cut out your tonguebefore admitting that,” Justine said, chuckling.
Ella shrugged. “Yeah, well…”
As they drove into Shiprock’s east side, Ella noted that, as it often was in poor communities, the number of abandoned vehicles left to gather dust behind a house seemed to increase almost daily. They were usually scavenged for parts until only the outer shell remained.
Driving past the small, cheaply made governmenthouses built in the late Sixties, they entered a helter-skelter residential area littered with mobile homes and shacks in all stages of disrepair. Although most of the land leases were for one-acre lots, there were no fences to differentiate them and animals roamed freely.
“It’s that one,” Justine said, gesturing ahead by pursing her lips, Navajo style. “The pale green one with the small blackdog on the porch. His truck’s there, and it’s not on cinder blocks, so maybe he’s home.”
As they turned up the dirt road a man came out to the porch to feed the dog, saw them approaching, and suddenly bolted for the truck.
“He’s making a run for it.” Ella said, watching him speed away in a trail of dust, heading north, away from the main highway. “Try to stay with him, but watch out for kidsand animals.” Ella adjusted her seat belt and called it in.
The road was rough and clouded with dust, but Justine’s pursuit training paid off and she slowly gained ground. “He’s weaving all over the place. Either he’s trying to lose us in the dust, or he’s still drunk from last night,” Ella said.
“Maybe he had leftovers for breakfast,” Justine said.
Tso took a right at the next intersection,then another right at the corner after that, completely reversing his direction. As soon as he reached the highway, Tso shot across the median, barely missing a semi, and swung around into the eastbound lanes. He was now heading toward Hogback and the eastern edge of the Rez. The man quickly picked up speed on the good road, and his driving became much more controlled. This time he only weaved whenhe raced around slower vehicles in his way.
“Maybe he’s hoping we’ll give up once he gets into county jurisdiction,” Ella said. “But no way that’s going to happen, not when we’re in pursuit of a possible murder suspect.”
She picked up the mike and called for county backup. Before long Sergeant Emily Marquez, who patrolled the near Rez areas of San Juan County, responded.
“I’m in Fruitland,SI One, proceeding west. I’ll lay down a spike belt when I see him coming. He’ll either have to stop or blow out all his tires.”
“Ten-four,” Ella said, racking the mike.
“We’ve got him now,” Justine added. “Let’s see what he does.”
Sirens
Similar Books
