Fatal Intent - Jamie Jeffries Page 0,80
Maybe he could throw some light on her absence, or at least tell Dylan how she’d seemed to take the news.
Before he called, he checked on the boys and munched down a slice of pizza himself. Davi was going to need a change of clothes after smearing red sauce all over his face, hands and t-shirt.
Dylan spent a frustrating half-hour explaining his mission to various people in the Pinal County sheriff’s department as he was transferred from place to place only to discover he should have called Casa Grande police. Before starting over, he chased Davi down and put him in the tub with strict instructions to stay there and not to splash.
By the time he reached Lt. Watson, he was nearly frantic. It was nearing nine o’clock when he managed to get the boys to bed so he could have the time to explain what and whom he wanted, only to be transferred another half a dozen times. Where the hell could Alex be this late?
A grumpy Lt. Watson called him back at nine-fifteen. The last person Dylan had talked to in the department wouldn’t transfer him to the lieutenant’s personal phone, but did promise to pass on the message. Dylan hadn’t counted on it, but Watson was on the line now, and not happy to have been interrupted at home after hours. As soon as he heard Dylan’s question, though, his attitude did a one-eighty.
“Did you just say Alex isn’t at home and didn’t leave a message where she was going?” he asked.
Dylan wiped his face with an open palm, gathering patience to answer civilly. “Yes, that’s what I said. Do you know where she could be? I’m sorry, what I meant to ask was how she took the news about her mother. I spoke to her dad, and that’s the only thing he knew of that could have knocked her off balance.”
“Oh,” said Watson. “Actually, she took that pretty well. It was the other news that upset her.”
“What other news?”
“About her friend, that Native girl. The Patriots got to her. She’s dead.”
Dylan went cold. Now he knew exactly where Alex was, and it wasn’t good news. Urgency colored his tone when he replied. “You need to get your people, and the county people, to look out for her. She drives an old Sentra sedan, silver. I’ll text you with the license number. She’s gone to get this story, and I’ll guarantee you she’ll be up to her neck in shit if she thinks the only place she can get it is from the Patriots themselves.”
“She wouldn’t… would she? She knows how dangerous they are.”
“That’s never stopped her before.”
“Oh, shit. I’ve already got one dead girl on my hands, I don’t need another. Okay, I’ll call out the troops. You sit tight. I don’t want civilians mucking up my case.”
Dylan could have told Watson there wasn’t a damn thing he could do, with two little boys sleeping in the other room and no one to come and stay with them. He could have explained the long list of foolhardy things Alex had done in pursuit of a story. But that wouldn’t find Alex any faster. “I’ll be right here. I’ll let you know if she shows up. Lt. Watson?”
“Yeah,” Watson answered.
“Find her first, okay?”
“We’ll do our best, son.”
Dylan wandered into his kitchen, worried and more than a little angry. She’d just promised him to stay safe, and now this. He made a pot of coffee, expecting it to be a long night.
~~~
Alex hadn’t stopped to think, when she raced to Gila River reservation. Dawn’s parents might not want to see her. However, by the time she got into their neighborhood she’d thought better of her plan. Instead of knocking on their door, she did a quick search on her smartphone to figure out where the tribal government building was. She took some time to ponder her approach, and then went there, hoping to find someone who could tell her whether she’d be welcome at the Redbirds’ home.
Because of the delay, once she learned they’d be glad to see her, the small house was overrun by neighbors, church members and other well-wishers. Alex parked a block or more away, since the street was lined with cars parked on both sides, and made her way through a throng of people who’d spilled out into the yard. A lump formed in her throat as she saw the evidence of how well loved Dawn had been. She nodded at one or two