Mourning Dove by Aimée & David Thurlo Page B

brought her back for good. Sadness enveloped her as she recalled meeting up with his imageagain so recently when she’d had her near-death experience. But shepushed back the memory, knowing that the present, not the past, demanded her full attention now. The past couldn’t be changed, the future was yet to be determined—the present was the only place where she could make a difference.
    Big Ed looked down at the incomplete Navajo story Jimmy Blacksheep had sent Ella, skimming it for several minutes before looking up again. “He was trying to tell yousomething and you’ve got to figure out what that is.”
    “I’ll keep digging,” Ella said.
    Big Ed nodded. “What about the other members of his Guard unit? What do they have to say?”
    “I’ve only interviewed one so far, his platoon lieutenant—whose civilian job is with FPD. Justine got a list for me, and I’ll be paying the others a visit starting with the Navajos living on the Rez. All were from hissection, or at least his platoon, I believe.”
    “And his sergeant?”
    “Name’s Kent Miller, also an FPD officer. The man’s supposedly unwinding—gone fishing—but Farmington PD has somebody trying to track him down. Miller’s not with family, and nobody knows where he might be. There are a lot of places to fish around here.”
    “Especially when you include southern Colorado. Keep on it.”
    After leavingthe chief’s office, Ella went directly to Justine’s lab. “Anything new for me?”
    “Jimmy Blacksheep didn’t check in at any area motels. Tache and I called every place in Farmington and on his route here within an hour of travel time. And we stopped at places next to river crossings and where ditches or ponds were close to the road. Nobody saw any impromptu bathers today or last night.”
    Ella nodded,frustrated, but tried not to show it.
    “I’ve finished processing the evidence, but you’ve already got everything I have, Ella. I did find out that Randy Billey, one of the men who served with Blacksheep, got a hero’s welcome at the Cudei Chapter House when he was well enough to return home,following recovery from his wounds. He’s severely disabled now, and next week he’s headed for a rehab programthe Army has set up for GI’s and Marines at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington. His wife is going with him.”
    Ella nodded. “I heard about Randy’s return, but I can’t remember what . . .”
    “He saved three other soldiers who were trapped when their supply truck got hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. He got shot up in the process and lost use of his legs, and one of his arms. Randy’s been home amonth now, so he wasn’t with the unit when they shipped back.”
    “But they spent months together in Iraq, and Randy was in Jimmy’s section, so he might know something. I want to go see him today. Who else have we got in this area from that unit?”
    “John Lee Charley.”
    Ella nodded. “Wasn’t he one of the guys we hauled in on a drunk-and-disorderly over near the chapter house a few days ago?” Ellaasked.
    “Yeah. His enlistment was up a week ahead of most of the others, so, unlike Jimmy, he was discharged as soon as the unit returned. John sure ruffled some feathers at the chapter house. Always had a wild streak a mile long. Guess the military didn’t settle him down any. Glad to be rid of him, probably.”
    “Do you know these men?”
    “In passing. They’re friends of Jayne’s. She dated John Leefor quite a while,” Justine said, with a sigh. Jayne was Justine’s sister, and Justine’s polar opposite. Jayne had her own wild streak, and it was no secret that the two sisters were often at odds. “I’ve got their addresses. Shall we go pay them a visit?”
    “Yeah—but we’re going to have to tread carefully. To the tribe, those men are heroes because of their service in a war zone. If any soldiersare involved in what happened to the deceased, we’re going to have to get some very solid evidence before we make