“Can’t.” Kelso sounded like he was talking with a full mouth. “We’ve tried, but when we show up the little girls disappear, and everyone else claims it’s just a communal farm. Nothing more sinister going on than growing fruit.”
“Check out the two girls I ran into in the forest.” Heather and Lacey looked so much like Briar Rose he’d been sure there was some relation between them.
“I need a little more to go on though than first names.”
“You found Briar Rose,” Jake reminded him. “I think they’re Briar Rose’s sisters. I’d bet money on it.” Jake changed the subject. “What about the guy who died? Got anything on him?”
“No I.D. yet, but the coroner’s preliminary report says that he died of heart failure.” Kelso snickered. “Guess having a herd of horses run over him was more than his ticker could take.”
“Let me know when you ID him,” Jake said.
“Yeah, no problem.” Kelso hung on the line like he wanted to say something else.
“What?”
After a long pause Kelso said, “Staton’s blowing a lot of hot air. He’s saying you’re screwing up the case. Don’t prove him right.”
“I don’t plan to,” Jake said tightly and hung up. Staton was a jerk. For all his talk, he hadn’t brought in Martin either. His resolve strengthened, Jake turned toward the house. He’d find Castillo, arrest him and leave here with a clear conscience. No matter if Castaña was an innocent bystander. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he had a job to do.
A few minutes later with her standing in front of him, smelling like a field of flowers, a strand of her long, wet hair stuck to her cheek, full, pink lips slightly parted, Jake wasn’t so sure he could keep up his charade. All he wanted was to kiss her again. What would happen if he told her the truth? He forced back a derisive laugh. Stupid, stupid idea.
She tipped her head to the side, like a bird. “Something wrong?”
“No.”
His gaze locked on her hand as she reached for the hair stuck to her face. “What did the body shop say?”
He couldn’t look away as her long, slender fingers smoothed the errant strand back. “What?”
“The body shop? What did the mechanics say about your truck?”
He forced himself to focus on her words, not how he’d like that hand wrapped around him, stroking … pleasing. “Uh, they said it’s going to be a couple more days. They have to order the tires. They’re a special size.”
“I see.” She picked up a brush and began to drag it through her hair. “The shower’s yours.”
He needed a cold one.
He crawled into the icy water, hoping the icy spray would cool him down, but the sweet scent of Castaña’s watermelon shampoo or body wash or whatever beauty product she’d recently used surrounded him, bringing a picture of her full breasts and long legs to mind. His body responded by growing hard. He rested his head against the tile wall and willed his thoughts toward the Arizona Diamondback’s dismal season. It took a while, but eventually the combination of cold water and baseball stats worked their dubious magic.
After a glance in the mirror, Jake decided he could wait until morning for a shave. This wasn’t a date after all. Tugging on a polo shirt and a pair of jeans, he then ran a hand through his hair. He left the bathroom feeling much cleaner and a hell of a lot more frustrated Castaña stood in the living room, in front of a bay window, the setting sun sending sparks shooting off her waist length hair. When he entered the room she turned toward him and he was struck by the sadness in her eyes. He wished he had the power to erase her hurt. Instead, he was going to add to more pain. “Ready?”
“Yes.” She reached for her purse. “I thought we could eat in town. After we talk to Nascha, maybe?”
“Okay.”
She picked up on the reluctance in his voice. “If you don’t want to — ”
“No, dinner sounds good.” He didn’t want to spend any more time socializing with her than he already had. He was way too attracted to her as it was. Growing closer to her could only lead to another disaster. He rubbed his shoulder.
• • •
The gift shop was filled with Arizona and Navajo memorabilia — maps, kachina dolls, dream catchers, turquoise jewelry. The faint scent of sage hung in the air. A petite Navajo girl with a curtain of black hair sat behind the counter reading a Tony Hillerman mystery. She placed the paperback upside down on her lap as Castaña and Jake entered the store. “Welcome. May I help you?”
“I hope so.” Castaña stepped closer. “Are you Nascha Nizhoni?”
“Yes.” The girl’s black button eyes darted between them. “Why?”
Castaña stepped closer, Jake beside her. This girl was the type Martin had gone for all his life — curvy Navajo or Mexican girls with dark hair and eyes, never skinny blue eyed blondes. “I’m Martin Castillo’s sister, Castaña. This is Jake Brown.”
“Martin has spoken of you.” Nascha stared in frank curiosity at them, but in typical Navajo fashion did not pry.
Jake played with a stick of honey candy. “May we ask you some questions?”
“Yes.”
“When’s the last time you saw Martin?” Castaña waited as the girl thought about it.
She smiled shyly. “About a month ago. We had dinner at my mother’s house.” That implied a commitment. In Navajo culture, the mother was the head of the family and her approval was everything.
Jake spoke up. “Have you spoken to him since then? Maybe in the last week?”
Nascha touched the book on her lap. “Once. On the phone. About two weeks ago.”
Castaña watched her closely. “Is this normal for you?”
“Yes. Why?”
“You haven’t heard that Martin is missing? Or that he’s wanted for murder?” Jake spoke bluntly and Castaña shot him a startled glance. Why had he blurted it out like that?
Nascha’s round face paled. “What? No, I didn’t know. I don’t believe it.”
“Believe it,” Castaña said grimly. “Two BLM agents were murdered near Angel Falls and the cops think Martin did it. They’re looking for him, but no one’s seen him in over a week. I’m afraid he might be hurt, or worse. We were hoping you might have a lead.”
“I don’t know anything.” Nascha’s face crumpled. “The last time Martin and I spoke he told me he was going to try to move the mustangs near the ranger station because they were in danger, but he didn’t say why.” She reached for a tiny horse pendant tied on a red string around her neck. Martin’s. Or one just like it.
“Did he say when he’d be back?”
“No.” She continued to play with her necklace. “But with Martin, that’s normal.”
Castaña smiled a little. Martin hadn’t changed then. She took a deep breath. “May I ask a personal question?”
Nascha looked alarmed. “I guess.”
Jake gestured toward the far wall. “I’ll just go over there and look at those kachinas.”
After he moved out of earshot, Castaña leaned forward and asked, “Have you and Martin dated for a long time? Are you two exclusive? I mean do either of you date anyone else?”
With a look of relief, Nascha shook her head no. “Martin and I saw only each other for the last few years. I never dated anyone else, and I don’t think he did either. He never told me if he did anyway.”
“Do you think you would know if he had?” Castaña didn’t like planting doubt where there was none, but she had to know about Briar Rose.
Nascha’s chin quivered. “Are you saying Martin cheated?”
Castaña touched her hand. “There’s a girl at the ranch who is very pregnant, and she’s saying it’s Martin’s baby. Eagle said it wasn’t possible because my brother only dates you.”
Nascha jerked her hand away. Sparks filled her eyes. “Who is this girl? Is she a
bilagaana
?”
A little puzzled by the question, Castaña nodded. “Yes, she’s white.”
All the fight seemed to go out of Nascha. She looked like she’d been pole–axed. Jake walked over and stood at Castaña’s elbow as Nascha said, “So it’s true then. Last year after the roundup I heard rumors that Martin was with a
bilagaana
— she made the words sound dirty — but I didn’t believe them and Martin never said he wanted to date anyone else. But there’s always been this unspoken
thing
between us since then.” She added bitterly, “Now I know why.”
Castaña didn’t know what to say. Nascha looked like she might throw up and there wasn’t anything to do to make it better. Why had Martin cheated on Nascha with Briar Rose? Why hadn’t he told his longtime girlfriend another woman was carrying his baby? “I’m sorry.”
“Me, too,” Nascha whispered.
“If you hear from Martin, could you please let me know?” Castaña hated adding salt to the wound, but she had to ask.
Her eyes glimmered and her chin quivered, but Nascha managed to nod.
Together, Castaña and Jake walked out of the store. As they climbed in the pickup he asked, “What do you make of that?”
She started the engine. “I don’t know.” Maneuvering onto the main street she added, “I feel like a jerk. I didn’t have to tell her. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Yes, you had to tell her. Wouldn’t you feel worse if you knew the truth and kept it from her? She has the right to know.” She glanced at him and his eyes darkened. “She knew before you said anything.”
“I guess.” She turned onto a side street. “I don’t have much appetite, but I promised you dinner. I hope you like Mexican.”
“Love it.”
She turned again and parked in front of a small, out-of-the-way café she remembered from high school. “This used to be a good place to eat.” Looking at the rundown adobe building, she wasn’t so sure her memory served her correctly. As they entered the familiar sight of chili peppers hanging from the ceiling and the scent of spicy shredded beef coming from the kitchen reassured Castaña. She settled into a booth toward the back so she and Jake could talk, although she need not have bothered. No one else was in the place. For just a fraction of a second, she allowed herself to look at the handsome man across from her and wonder what it would be like to be on a date with him. Luckily, a teenage girl hurried out of the kitchen with menus and placed them in front of them, distracting Castaña’s crazy thoughts. “Can I get you a drink? A peach margarita maybe? Our specialty.”
Tempting, but she had to keep a clear head. “Just a cola, please.”
“Iced tea,” Jake decided.
For a few minutes, they studied the menus then ordered when the girl returned with a plate of warm chips and salsa. Jake munched on a few tortilla chips before he asked, “Which one of the girls do you believe?”
Castaña paused with her chip halfway to her mouth. “What do you mean?”
He stirred the salsa with a chip. “I mean either Briar Rose or Nascha isn’t telling the truth. Which one do you bet is?”
She ate her nacho. “Why can’t they both be telling the truth?”
“They could, but I don’t think so. My gut is telling me that Briar Rose is our liar. Although she told me she met Martin at the round-up last year, I don’t think he dated her.” He drank.
“Why?”
“Because I can’t see a man who is in love with Nascha Nizhoni ruining it for a casual fling. After I met Nascha, Briar Rose just doesn’t seem like the kind of woman that Martin would go for.”
“I don’t think so either,” Castaña said, “unless he’s changed a great deal.”
“There’s only thing to do.” Jake reached for another chip. “And that’s confront Briar Rose.”
Jake’s cell phone vibrated against his thigh, but he didn’t take it out of his pocket and look at it. As soon as he could excuse himself, he went to the men’s room to check his phone. Kelso. Jake dialed his partner. “What’s up?”
“I have an ID on the dead guy in the canyon,” Kelso said. “Fingerprints show he’s Axell Tsosie from Payson. He’s a well-known Navajo photographer with a gallery in Payson and one in Phoenix.”
“How did he get himself run over by a herd of mustangs?”
“I don’t know, but his business partner, a woman named Caroline Delacourte, might be able to help you.” Kelso rattled off the woman’s address.
“I’ll go talk to her as soon as I can figure out a way to get away from Castaña without alerting her suspicions. Speaking of, I need to get back now before she sends out a posse.”
“Be careful, buddy.” Kelso hung up.
Their food had arrived by the time Jake returned to the table. He eyed his enchilada plate appreciatively. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until the aroma from the steaming food reached his nose and his mouth watered. Sliding into the booth opposite Castaña, he smiled at her. “If this tastes as good as it looks, it’ll be something.”
“It will,” she promised.
The food was excellent, but Jake couldn’t concentrate on enjoying it with his mind stuck on Axell Tsosie. Why had the man been in the canyon the night of the stampede and why hadn’t he gotten out of the way? A herd of galloping horses wasn’t exactly hard to miss. And, more importantly, who had moved his body? And why? If Jake had to guess he’d bet Martin was the culprit who had probably tried to hide some sort of evidence.
Castaña eyed him over her glass. “What are you thinking about so hard?”
He shrugged. “Briar Rose mostly.”
“She’s a mystery all right.”
He nodded. Yeah, along with everyone else involved in this case.
Chapter Eleven
Briar Rose stood in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal over the sink when Castaña and Jake entered. Her hair looked stringy and uncombed and her skin appeared sallow. Dark circles surrounded her eyes. Was it Castaña’s imagination, or was Briar Rose’s belly bigger and the rest of her smaller? “Are you feeling okay?”
She drank the last of her milk from her bowl, wiped her chin and nodded. “I’m fine. Why?”
“You don’t look like you feel well,” Castaña said bluntly. Behind her, Jake drew in his breath a little.
Briar Rose set the bowl in the sink and ran water into it. “All this stress over Martin, well it’s difficult.”
No time like the present to jump in to question her. “Speaking of Martin, we talked to a girl who claimed to be his long-time girlfriend. Her name is Nascha Nizhoni, and up until a couple of weeks ago she believed she and Martin were in an exclusive relationship. Do you know anything about that?”
For the briefest moment, her hand shook as she lifted the bowl out of the sink and dried it. “No.”