People Of Darkness

6

THE SPIKE on his desk the next morning held three pink “While You Were Out” slips. One told him to call Captain Leaphorn at the Chinle substation. The other two, one left over from yesterday, and one received just before he’d got to work, told him to call B. J. Vines. He put those aside and called the Chinle station. Leaphorn’s business involved identifying a middle-aged Navajo killed in a truck-pedestrian accident. The captain wanted him to send someone to Thoreau to check with a family there. Chee added it to the afternoon assignment of Officer Dodge. Then he picked up the “Call B. J. Vines” slips, leaned back in his chair and considered them. Both were initialed “T.D.” Trixie Dodge was at her desk across the room. He glanced at her. She looked grim this morning. Trixie, he suspected, should have written “Call Mrs. B. J. Vines.” Vines wouldn’t be back for weeks.

“Hey, Trixie,” he said. “You put down ‘Call Vines’ here. Wasn’t the call from Mrs. Vines?”

Trixie didn’t look up. “Vines,” she said.

“Mr. Vines?” Chee insisted.

“It was a man. He said his name was B. J. Vines. He asked for you and then he asked you to call him at that number.” Trixie’s voice was patient.

Chee dialed the number. It rang once.

“Yes.” The voice was male.

“This is Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police. I have a note to call B. J. Vines.”

“Oh, good,” the voice said. “I’m Vines. I’d like to talk to you about that little theft we had. Could you come out?”

“When?”

“Well,” the voice said, “the sooner the better. I understand my wife talked to you about it and…” The voice paused and interjected a nervous laugh. “Well, there’s some misunderstandings that need to be cleared up.” The tone was ironic now. “There tends to be when Rosemary gets involved.”

“Okay,” Chee said. “I’ll be out there after lunch.”

“Good,” Vines said. “Thanks.”

Chee marked the Thoreau assignment off Dodge’s assignment sheet. It was on his way. He’d handle it himself.