one.'
Then he called Leaphorn's room at the motel. No answer. He called the desk.
'He's over at the diner,' the clerk said. 'He said if you called to come on over and join him.'
Leaphorn had been busy, too. First he had called the law firm of Peabody, Snell and Click and persuaded a receptionist that he should be allowed to talk to Mr. Peabody himself. He'd told Peabody the circumstances and suggested that, in view of Mrs. Vanders's fragile health, someone close to her should break the news to her. He'd explained that Miss Pollard's body would not be released to the family until the crime scene crew exhumed it properly and the required autopsy had been completed. He'd given him the names of those who could provide further information.
That done, he had called Louisa and recited into her answering machine the details of what had happened. He'd told her he was checking out, would drive back to Window Rock, and would call her from there tomorrow. Then he'd taken a shower, rescued what was left of the soap and shampoo from the bathroom to add to his emergency supply, packed, left a message for Chee at the desk, and strolled over to the diner to eat.
He was enjoying the diner's version of a Navajo taco and watching a Nike commercial on the wall-mounted television when Lieutenant Chee walked in, spotted Leaphorn and came over. He moved Leaphorn's bag from a chair and sat.
'You leaving town?'
'Home to Window Rock,' Leaphorn said. 'Back to washing my own dishes, doing the laundry, being a housewife,' He had to speak up because the Nike ad had been followed by a used-car commercial, which involved noise and shouting.
'I wanted to thank you for the help,' Chee said.
Leaphorn nodded. 'I thank you in return. It was mutual. Like old times.'
'Anyway, if I can ever—'
But now he was talking over a promo for what the Phoenix station called a news break. A pretty young man was telling them there had been a startling development in the Ben Kinsman murder case and he would take them to Alison Padilla, who was 'live at the federal building.'
Alison was not as pretty as the anchorman, but she seemed competent. She told them that Acting Assistant U.S. Attorney J. D. Mickey had called a press conference a bit earlier. She would let him speak for himself. Mr. Mickey, looking stern, got right to the point.
'The Federal Bureau of Investigation has taken into custody a suspect in the homicide of Officer Benjamin Kinsman and in the death of an Indian Health Service employee who has been missing for several days. The FBI has also developed information which verifies statements made by Robert Jano, who had previously been arrested by the Navajo Tribal police and charged with the Kinsman murder. Charges against Mr. Jano will now be dismissed. More information will be released as details become available.'
While Mickey was reading this, Officer Bernadette Manuelito walked in. Chee waved her over, pointed to a seat. Mickey was now waving off questions and ending the conference, and the camera switched back to Ms. Padilla, who began providing background information.
'Lieutenant,' Officer Manuelito said. 'Mrs. Dineyahze asked me to tell you the U.S. Attorney's office is trying to reach you.' She pointed to the screen. 'Him.'
'Okay,' Chee said. 'Thanks.'
'And the U.S. Public Defender Service. They said it was urgent.'
'Okay,' Chee said again. 'And, Bernie, you remember Mr. Leaphorn, don't you? From when we were both working at Shiprock? Have a seat. Join us.'
Bernie smiled at Leaphorn and said she had to get back to the station. 'But did you hear what that man said? I think that's awful. He made it sound like we screwed up.'
Chee shrugged.
'It's not fair,' she said.
'They tend to do that,' Leaphorn said. 'That's why a lot of the real cops resent the federals.'
'Well, anyway, I just think—' Bernie paused, looking for the words to express her indignation.
Chee wanted to change the subject. He said: 'Bernie, when did you say they were having the
The beeper in her belt holster made its unpleasant noise. 'It would be okay,' Bernie said, and hurried out the door.
Leaphorn picked up his check, looked at it, fished out his wallet and dropped a dollar tip on the table. 'That drive from here to Window seems to get longer and longer,' he said. 'Got to get moving.'
But at the door he paused to shake hands with a woman coming in and chat for a moment. He pointed back into the room and disappeared. Janet Pete had arrived from Phoenix.
She stood in the doorway a moment, scanning the tables. She wore boots and a long skirt with a patterned blouse, and her silky hair was cut short like the chic women on the television shows wore theirs these days. She looked tired, Chee thought, and tense, but still so beautiful that he closed his eyes for a moment and looked away.
When he looked again, she was walking toward him, her expression saying she was glad she had found him. But it revealed nothing else.
Chee stood, pulled back a chair for her and said: 'I guess you got the message.'
'The message, but not the meaning.' She sat, adjusted her skirt. 'What does it mean?'
Chee told her how they had found Pollard's body, about Woody's confession that he had killed Kinsman when
