As the cascade of stars twinkled their nighttime message across the sky, Melina yawned. She stretched and shifted in her seat. “Wonder what is going on inside that home?”
Hawke sipped coffee. “I’m sure we will find out soon. My guess is Ian is in there feeding Ms. Winters a line of bull, or he could be warning her to keep her mouth shut.”
The wind blew in their open windows, sending a chill up Melina’s spine. “Hawke, are we going to stay here all night long?”
He caressed her hair and chuckled. “Now, Wolfe, are you telling me you can’t handle this weather? You know how it works. On a stake out you have to be able to weather any situation.”
She leaned away from him and crossed her arms. “Listen here. I can handle any situation. Don’t ever doubt it. I survived grueling training at the FBI. I’m no slouch.”
“Calm down, sweetheart. I meant no offense.”
The lights flickered on the back porch, drawing their attention. A man’s figure streaked across the backyard. He darted inside the home.
“Did you see that? It’s about to get interesting, Melina. Wonder where he parked his car? I think Ian may have mustered up some courage.”
“I’m asking myself the same questions.”
“We’ll need to get closer. We have to get a make on him, whoever he is.”
Melina nodded. “So, how do you want to handle this?”
By rights she was the officer in charge, yet she’d deferred to him. He took her hand in his. “You know how I operate, sweetheart.”
“Yes. Slow, with deliberation and purpose.” She squeezed his arm. “But with deadly accuracy. Your reputation as an officer is impeccable. Thanks to you, I’ve learned to be patient. And, like you, I don’t tolerate any mistakes.”
Something rustled in the bushes next to their vehicle. Melina drew her weapon.
A skunk poked its head out of the bushes. A whoosh of air escaped her, then she slipped her gun back in her holster. “Grandfather Joe once told me, ‘The skunk is a stinky little thing but he has a great deal of power. The skunk teaches by walking what you talk, and by respecting yourself and all other things, you will create a position of power and respect.’”
“Your grandfather is a wise man. Now, we’ve discovered our visitor is a skunk, I have a plan.” He paused and glanced around. “Okay, we must get closer to the house. I’m going to sneak over to the window.” He pointed at the rear window where the light shone brightly, revealing silhouettes of the bodies inside. “I want you to go around to the front, but stay down. I need you there in case he spots me and runs out the front. Be careful not to…”
Melina nodded as she opened her car door and slid out, quietly closing her door before Hawke finished his sentence. Her gun drawn, she crouched and disappeared into the darkness.
Hawke did the same thing, sprinting through the backyard, around the outbuildings, and up to the back side of the home. He crept under the windowsill. Even on this cool evening, the window was propped open a couple inches by a can of tomato sauce. The spirits stayed close to him; thanks to Abby’s love of fresh air, he could hear what transpired inside .
“Ms. Winters, this is Pete Crowe. He has come to speak to you because he knows how cops work here on the rez. Would you be willing to listen to Pete?”
“I will speak with him, but I do not understand. Detective Hawke is a very nice man. He vows to solve this case, and I trust him completely.”
“Ms. Winters, Ian is right. The cops on the rez are not willing to examine at this case the way it should be. Look how much time has passed, and they still haven’t caught Abby’s murderer. Instead of searching for the guilty party, they’re trying to put the blame on Ian, the man who loved her. And Abby loved him in return. Would you want to hurt her by not helping him?”
When Hawke stood on tiptoe to try to see in, leaves crunched beneath his feet. The voices faded away. Angry at his carelessness, he pushed himself flush against the back of the house. He tried to flatten out as much as he could and held his breath as a shadow crept closer to the window. He stayed positioned without breathing until the voices started up again.
***
“Listen, Ms. Winters, I know what’s best. I tried to tell them that I loved Abby but it didn’t matter a hill of beans to them. What have they said to you?” Ian stepped closer to the grieving mother. He’d use her pain to his advantage. It made no difference to him.
Ms. Winters sobbed. “They just asked me about your relationship with Abby. They also asked if you’re a drug dealer. I told them I had heard that, but did not believe it. Abby would not have dated you if that was the case.”
He wrapped his arm over her shaking shoulders, pretending he cared. “I told you they would only focus on me. Abby died, and she’s not coming back. Accept it and move on. I wish we could, don’t you? Do you think she would want them to blame me, as much as we loved each other?” He shot a glance of amusement at Pete Crowe and winked at him.
Pete covered his mouth and coughed, trying to hide his laughter.
Ian learned long ago how to play on people’s emotions. He stepped toward his accomplice. “Pete, thank you for standing beside me. I am not sure if Abby’s mother will do the same.” He turned and faced Ms. Winters. “Will you stand beside me?”
Ms. Winters stared at him. “I will do it for my daughter.”
“Good. How would you like to visit a place Abby loved?”
“I would love to. Where is it?”
Ian nodded at Pete, “Well, she loved to visit Las Vegas. I plan to leave in the morning after a good night’s sleep here. Would you like to accompany me? I could take you to the spots she loved so. We will be going by car because I have to take some things to my warehouse there.”
Ms. Winters stood and hugged him, “You help ease my grief, and I know my daughter is smiling down on us.”
Ian smiled on the outside; on the inside, he laughed at the woman’s gullibility. “Yes, I’m sure she is.”
***
Hawke heard all he needed. He eased away from the window. Feeling his way, he snuck around the side of the home; his eyes pierced the darkness like an arrow. He saw Melina peek around a tree and waved his arm and pointed to the vehicle. She nodded and headed back. Running swiftly, without a sound, she jumped back into the vehicle. Her grandfather had taught her well.
Panting, she asked, “What happened? Did you see or hear anything?”
Hawke nodded as he climbed inside. “Sure did. Ian and Pete Crowe are in the house. It was Pete we saw running across the yard earlier. They’re taking Ms. Winters to Nevada. He’s using her pain over losing Abby to talk her into doing his bidding. He’s persuaded her we are the enemy.”
“What an evil man to prey on her pain like that.”
“My sentiments, exactly. There’s a reason for him wanting to take her to Nevada. Now we have to figure out what that connection is. He mentioned driving to Las Vegas because he has some items to put in storage there. We both have a good idea what those items are.”
“Drugs?”
“That’s what I’m thinking, unless….”
“Unless, what?” Her head tilted to the side in question.
“Unless he plans to murder her along the way and dump her body in the desert.”
She reached out to touch his arm. “No. You don’t think so, do you? So, how are we going to protect her? Go back and arrest Ian and Pete, now?”
“That was my first thought, but as I consider everything, I think we should assume he truly has some items for storage.”
“Yes. The agency would like to know where those drugs are being held. Maybe get some information on his partners, his superiors in this drug ring.”
“I agree, Melina. Still, how are we going to keep Ms. Winters safe? I have to protect my people.”
She started to crawl over the seat.
“What are you doing?”
“My briefcase is back here. I have a homing device in it I can attach to the underside of his car, so we can keep track of his movements. If he pulls off the road to harm her, we’ll know. If we stay back far enough as we follow, he’ll never know.”
She grunted and groaned as she hefted her briefcase from the backseat. Settling back into her spot, she opened her briefcase and unzipped a compartment. “We’ll have to go back to headquarters to get a receiving screen installed on your dashboard.” She pulled out a small magnetic device and waved it at Hawke. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
Hawke’s hand snaked out and grabbed her arm. “You’re not going without me. What if someone sees you? I need to protect—”
“I know what I’m doing.”
“Never said you didn’t, but I love you. A man protects the woman he loves. Don’t fight me on this.”
The back door of Ms. Winters’ house opened. Pete Crowe walked out with Ian. They walked to the edge of the backyard and talked. Hawke could almost see the evil spirits swarming around the two of them. Pete headed down the long wooded path.
“Where’s he going?” Melina asked.
“That road leads to another road where I am sure a car waits. Pete Crowe knows how to handle himself. He’s always been in trouble. He runs with a rough crowd.”
Melina opened her door. Hawke had long ago dismantled the interior dome light so not to alert criminals of his presence. She shot him a glance. “Now’s our time to stick this tracking device on Ian’s car before he decides to leave.”
Both crouched and crept through the darkness. Hawke followed the woman he loved, his gun drawn. Determined to protect her at all costs, when they neared Ian’s truck, he tapped her shoulder and pointed to a large bush, indicating he’d hide there. She nodded, dropped, and rolled under the truck. Hawke focused on the front door, although his heart beat for Melina. After the longest moment of his life, she slid back out and stood.
Once back inside the safety of his vehicle, he breathed a sigh of relief. Could he talk her into quitting the force after they married? He didn’t think his heart could handle worrying about her all the time.
He ran his fingers through his hair. “From what I heard, they’re leaving in the morning. Ms. Winters is latching onto anything that reminds her of Abby. That’s why she agreed to go along.”
“We need to get back to headquarters so we can install the monitor screen. I can do it in fifteen minutes.”
“I’ll gas up, too, so we’re ready to roll when they do. I can’t imagine they’ll leave much before dawn. Ian doesn’t strike me as an early riser.”
“No, he’s too lazy. The lazy ones get involved in crimes. They want to make money without working for it. We must watch this situation very close. We need evidence to arrest and convict. So far, we have no solid proof Ian murdered Abby. Ian has a warehouse in Nevada and a home on North Mountain Way. This is where we will find our proof. Amy Winters wants it this way if it meant justice for her daughter. That’s what she truly wants, Hawke.”
He turned the key, backed out of the side road, and headed to the police station to prepare for the task. Las Vegas, Nevada…his destiny. He would find the truth of why Abby was murdered and left at Eagle Nest Butte. Abby, a young woman with a gentle spirit who had a lot to live for. She expressed herself with words, which had a way of taking you to another place where peace roamed and evilness weren’t tolerated. Unfortunately, evil had taken her life.