Tracking Bear (28 page)

No other words could have made Ella’s stomach plummet as fast. “Just whose pony is it?”

“Surprise! Your child’s father sent it to her,” Rose said, with a look that spoke volumes.

For a brief moment all Ella could think of was of finding Kevin and throttling him until his head squeezed right off his neck.

“
Shimá
, he’s so pretty!
Can we take him in the house? He can stay in my room.”

Ella managed to find her voice. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry. We can’t possibly keep him.”

Dawn’s lip came out in a pout, and tears began flowing. “Please?”

“I was told to assure you that the councilman would pay all the bills for the animal’s upkeep,” the elderly Navajo man said, “including cleaning out the corral and hauling away the manure.”

“See? Daddy will help!”

Rose hadn’t said a word. She stared at Ella and shrugged.

“Sweetie, we don’t even have a stall or a shed big enough for the little guy when the weather is bad,” Ella said.

“He can sleep with me! Two’s in the house!”

“It’s not the same thing.” Ella thought about their already strained budget. She’d have to go to Kevin each time the animal needed a vet visit, or horseshoes,
or any of the myriad things that an animal that size was bound to need.

“It’s traditional for our children to know how to ride and handle horses,” the elderly Navajo man said, looking at Rose, then at Ella. “This pony is full-grown, has a very stable temperament, and is small enough for a preschooler to ride as long as an adult is there to supervise.”

“This is
‘Atsidii,
” Rose introduced using
the man’s nickname.

Ella searched her memory for the word. “Smithy, right?”

Rose sighed. “The young ones don’t always know our language.”

Ella stared at the look on her daughter’s face as she petted the pony and considered her options. Unfortunately, hog-tying Kevin and dragging him across the mesa behind a galloping pony wasn’t an option.

“Your father and I will have to talk about this,”
Ella said, crouching to look her daughter in the eyes. “But I don’t think we can keep him.”

Dawn’s eyes filled with tears. “But it’s
my
present!”

“I’m not the previous owner, and wasn’t paid to take the pony back. My job was to bring it here, along with ten bales of alfalfa hay, saddle and tack, a water trough, and a trace mineral block. I’ve done that. If you decide not to keep the pony, you’ll
have to make arrangements for someone to pick it up,” Smithy said, then handed her a business card. “If you want me to do that, I will be available tomorrow afternoon, maybe. I wrote the name of the person who sold the horse to the councilman on the back of my business card. Now I have to go pick up some calves in Cortez to deliver to a man in Waterflow.”

Without another word Smithy turned and
walked out through the small gate, fastening it with three small sections of rope, then continued back to his pickup. Ella stood helpless as the man drove away with the horse trailer.

“Mom, could you watch Dawn around the pony for a few moments? Don’t let her get behind it where she could get kicked, and warn her about getting stepped on or doing something that scares the animal. I’m going to
go inside the house and make a personal call.”

As soon as she was inside, Ella flipped open her cell phone and dialed Kevin’s private line. He answered on the first ring.

Ella didn’t bother to introduce herself. “Have you lost your mind? She’s three years old. She can get
hurt
.”

“I trust you and Rose to watch her, and I’ll pay for riding lessons. Tell me, did she like the pony?”

“She
loved
it, you moron. What little girl wouldn’t? But what am I going to do with an animal that size?”

“Didn’t Smithy tell you? I’ve already provided saddle, tack, and a water trough. There should be some hay and one of those salt blocks, too. I’ll pay for the upkeep
and
the riding lessons.”

“But she’s a
baby
! She can’t ride that thing. She wants to keep it
in her room
! How dare you get her something
like this without asking me first!”

“She can sit on a horse already, I’m sure. She’ll just need some guidance. You
are
going to let her keep it, aren’t you, Ella? She’ll be heartbroken if you don’t.”

“I’d like to break you—into tiny pieces. You’ve created a disaster here, and set me up as the bad guy if I say no.”

“But she’s wanted a pony so badly. This little Shetland is a charmer. And you
used to ride—it’s not like you’ve never been around horses. Most Navajo kids grow up around horses, often riding with an adult before they can even walk. They’re as much a part of our culture as dolls, footballs, and bicycles are to Anglo youngsters.”

“I’ll grant you that. And I rode back in my teens, but I haven’t been on a horse in ages. But in our case it’s just not a good idea right now?
I barely have enough time to spend with her, and now I’m going to have to share her with that pony.”

“If you’re worried about her being around the horse all the time, set some ground rules.”

Dawn came in, tears streaming down her face. “
Shimasání
says we don’t have enough money for a pony.”

“That’s because it costs a lot of money to feed the pony, and if it gets sick, he has to go to a horse
doctor.”

“You don’t have to buy me toys anymore. Not ever.”

“Ella, I really meant it. You don’t have to worry. I’ll cover all the bills,” Kevin, who’d heard Dawn, said. “I remember that the gate in the corral is just hanging there by some rope, and I’ve already hired someone to repair it, build a stall or loafing shed for the little guy, and arranged for someone to come by regularly and muck
out the stall and corral. Rose can use the manure for her herb garden, too.” When Ella didn’t answer, he added, “Do you remember how badly you wanted a horse as a kid? Are you really ready to take that away from her?”

Ella sighed, looking at her child’s rosy face, now streaked with tears. She would have had to have a heart made of pure steel to say no. “Kevin, I want you to get a written agreement
with whoever you talked to about cleaning out the corral and building a stall. We’ll take care of feeding, watering, and grooming the pony, but I won’t have me or my mother cleaning out the manure.”

“Hey, I’m a lawyer. I’ve already got it in writing, and you’ll be getting a copy in the mail. So is it a deal?”

Dawn was looking right at her, her mouth open expectantly. “All right, Pumpkin, you
can keep the pony, but only
if
you promise to follow all the rules of safety around him. We’ll go over those a little later.”

Dawn, nodding already, launched herself into Ella’s arms, then demanded to speak to her daddy.

Ella gave Dawn the phone, then went back outside to talk to Rose, who was checking the ropes holding the gate upright and in place. “I’m going to find my child’s father, then
I’m going to kill him. I’ll go to prison for the rest of my life, but it’ll be worth it.”

Rose gave her a wry smile. “He’s trying to buy her love, but he doesn’t realize that he has it already.”

“I know. Do you think our sitter will be upset with this new development?”

Rose shook her head. “No, not at all. She’s been riding horses since she could walk.
‘Atsidii
was right. Riding is traditional
for us, you know, even in this age where pickups are more plentiful than horses. It’s not a bad gift, it’s just that the timing is wrong. Your daughter will want to invite her little friends over, and they’ll have to be watched as well. Our sitter may need a raise.”

“Fine. I’ll make sure the councilman understands and is willing to help out. He started this, and he’s going to see it through.”

Dawn came running back, handed Ella the phone, then slipped under the fence and went to the pony’s side with an apple she’d taken from the refrigerator.

In all fairness, Ella had to admit that the little animal seemed extremely gentle. And she’d never seen Dawn look happier. She put the phone back up to her ear. “I’m here.”

“Girls and horses…there’s always been a special bond there,” Kevin said,
though he couldn’t see Dawn. “Thank you for saying yes, Ella.”

“I’ll talk to you later,” Ella said, then hung up.

“She’s happy,” Rose said. “Console yourself with that.”

Ella sighed. “Okay, I won’t kill him. I’ll just beat him unconscious.”

Rose smiled as Dawn began speaking to the pony softly. She seemed a natural around the animal.

“What else do we need for tonight?” Ella asked. “Smithy
mentioned hay and other things.”

“Smithy brought everything,” Rose said. “The water trough is over there, just inside the corral, and he’d just filled it from the garden hose when you arrived. He carried in ten bales of hay, too, and for now they’re in my gardening shed.”

“I’m going to stay out here with him tonight, okay?” Dawn said.

“No, not okay. But you can watch him through your window.”

“The corral, overall, is big enough to serve as a riding arena, and is still in good shape,” Rose said, as Dawn shifted her attention back to the pony again. “It’ll hold him. Tomorrow we can get that gate fixed so we we’ll be able to open and close it a lot easier. In the meantime, the pony will settle in just fine as soon as we give him a flake of hay.”

“It’s going to be a long night, Mom,”
she said, looking at Dawn, who continued to pet the pony.

“Yes, I think it will be.”

“I better get back to work,” Ella said at last. She was glad she’d come. Knowing what was going on at home—even if it had the makings of a disaster—was preferable to not knowing. Now she could concentrate on her job.

Ella managed to tear Dawn away from the pony long enough to get a hug, then walked back over
to where she’d parked her tribal unit. Her daughter had a new best friend. That was all there was to it. And if they were all lucky, she wouldn’t do the same thing Ella had done at the age of six, bring the pony into the house during the first snowstorm.

Justine was already at the garage, checking through boxes, when Ella finally arrived. “Sorry, Justine. That took a little longer than I expected,”
she said, filling her partner in on the complications at home.

Justine laughed out loud. “Oh, boy! That’s some present. I guess he’s trying to make up for the fact that he isn’t with her every day like you are.”

“Frankly, I don’t think he could cope with that every morning and evening,” Ella said honestly. “Dawn can be very difficult at times.” She looked at all the boxes Justine had searched.
“Any progress?”

“No, not really. There’s nothing here that could be categorized as a physicist’s old equipment, research papers, or books. The closest to research papers I found were some essays Jason wrote when he took a course in criminalistics at the college.”

“Maybe it’s time I called Belinda Johns.”

Five minutes later, after Justine had returned to her own office, Ella managed to reach
Belinda at her college office.

“What’s going on, Investigator Clah?”

“We need to track down Professor Franklin and ask him some questions related to our investigation. Do you have any idea where he goes camping or when he just wants to be by himself?”

There was a pause on the line. “Jason once told me that he and his dad had found a great place. I remember he said that it was very quiet because
no one went there anymore.” Belinda paused again, then sighed. “I don’t remember the location, though. I’m sorry.”

“Think about that conversation and see if you can remember. It’s very important. We believe that Kee may be in danger, which is why we need to speak with him.”

“What kind of danger?” Belinda’s voice grew louder and more focused.

“I can’t discuss any specifics right now, but we’d
like to help him. If you remember anything at all, please give us a call.”

“I will, and I’ll try asking around. Maybe father or son told someone else about the place.”

“Do that. Just call me if you get the slightest hint of where to look,” Ella said good-bye and ended the call.

Leaning back in her chair, Ella opened the case folder, looking through it for clues, but didn’t see anything that
triggered a possible location to look. Somehow she had to find Kee and get some answers from him. Nothing was more pressing than that, but she wasn’t even sure where to start.

She considered making a request for officers to stop and detain Franklin if anyone spotted him, then decided that was a bad idea. She wanted—needed his cooperation. Finally, she walked down the hall and into the communications
center, where the dispatcher was at her radio console. Ella instructed the young woman to put out a call for a Code Five—instructions for officers spotting Kee’s vehicle to keep it under surveillance but not attempt to make contact with the occupant. If any of the units saw him, she’d be notified immediately, hopefully without him knowing.

When she entered her office again Ella had a visitor
waiting. Dwayne Blalock, the resident FBI agent, had made himself comfortable in one of the chairs and was leafing through an FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin.

“I just stepped out a few minutes ago. What brings you here?” Ella asked.

FB-Eyes sat the magazine aside. “I heard that you’re searching for Professor Kee Franklin.”

It shouldn’t have surprised her that Blalock knew. Blalock had his own
way of working things, but he always knew what was going on around him and had worked with Sheriff Taylor frequently. He also monitored police calls.

“I’ve been told he’s somewhere camping, and the evidence from his home supports that, but I can’t pin down his location.”

“I want in on this case.”

“What’s your interest in this all of a sudden?”

Blalock hesitated, then sighed. “What I’m about
to tell you goes under the category of ‘professional courtesy,’ so keep it to yourself. Professor—Doctor Franklin—is a very important scientist despite his modest lifestyle and the fact that he quit his work at Los Alamos. His work with lasers at the labs, apparently, was ground-breaking. Dr. Franklin was a man ahead of his time. He came up with concepts and processes that are just now being used
industrywide. Near as I can tell, he’s the only one who understood certain key aspects of some highly technical and classified research that goes way beyond today’s technology. The Bureau’s kept an eye on him since he left Los Alamos, on behalf of the DOE and the DOD. Our government has always hoped he’d return to work at the labs.”