Read Red Mesa for Free Online

the hills and no one would have ever found him.”
    “Tough,” Ella said with a shrug.
    “I have reason to believe he’s come back to New Mexico, and is here in the Four Corners area.”
    “Do you think he’s going to try and even the score?” Ella asked, glancing at her daughter. Dawn had given up making shapes in the sand and was now trying to bury the small stuffed donkeyshe’d brought along.
    “Dawn, no,” Ella said. “You’ll get Blinky too dirty to sleep with.” She picked up the animal, shook it free of sand, then glanced over at Harry. “Sorry.”
    Harry smiled, and they both watched Dawn for a moment as she made lines in the sand with a small piece of driftwood, then stood there fascinated as water seeped into the tiny ditches.
    “It’s hard to say what Begaye is upto with any degree of certainty,” Harry said, resuming their conversation. “My guess is that he came back here because his father, John, was murdered. Thomas Zah was arrested and will be facing trial in Window Rock eventually. But that’s probably not Samuel’s only reason for returning. This is a big Rez with a lot of empty spaces where he can hide or blend in far more easily than he could anywhereelse. He’s got friends here and family, too, people who’d help him without question. But if he sees a chance to even the score with you two, I’m almost certain he’ll take it—unless I catch him first.”
    “Just how close are you to doing that?”
    Harry exhaled softly. “I’m not sure. I’ve had a few leads, but he always seems to stay at least one step ahead of me.”
    Ella studied his expression, wonderingif Harry could be “Coyote,” her mysterious contact. “Seen any coyotes lately?”
    “Huh?”
    Harry puzzled expression was genuine enough. There had been no sign of recognition on his face. “Never mind,” she said with a thin smile. “I’ll tell Justine about Begaye.”
    “Oh—one more thing. Whatever you do, don’t tell anyone else I’m back, not even Justine Goodluck. If word gets around that there’s a Navajodeputy marshal looking for Begaye, his relatives will band together, close their mouths, and I’ll never find him.”
    “If that’s what you want, you’ve got it. But if you need help, anytime, come by the house or give me a call. You remember my home number?” She saw him nod and continued. “Mom can keep a secret, and no matter what, I promise to cut through the red tape and give you all the backupyou need.”
    “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
    Seeing him glance at Dawn, Ella shook her head. “Don’t worry about her. You’re not as interesting to her as the river or her stuffed pal. By the time she gets home, she’ll forget all about you.”
    Harry laughed. “Women everywhere seem to feel that way about me.”
    Ella laughed, then looked at her daughter, motioning her back farther from the water’s edge.As she turned to look back at Harry, he’d disappeared into the reeds, and all that remained were boot tracks in the sand.
    Ella exhaled softly. Harry was one of those men who was born for surveillance and undercover work. He could blend into a crowd of three and go unnoticed virtually anywhere. Although she admired him for following his dream, she found herself hoping that he’d return to Shiprockand the Navajo police in a few years.
    Ella used her cell phone to contact Justine, but there was no answer. Leaving another message on her phone mail, she hung up. Either Justine was incredibly busy in her lab, or she was ducking Ella’s calls. The thought annoyed her. This was work, not personal, and Justine had professional responsibilities. When she told a member of her team to get in touch,she meant it.
    Ella spent another hour with Dawn by the river, but when Dawn tried to make a pillow in the sand to sleep on, it was obvious that her daughter was ready to go. By the time they were home, Dawn was already asleep, so Ella put her down for her nap. After watching her daughter for a while,