“Oliver? You were right about Caprice Comstock. I just heard her tell my niece that she had both Sheriff Roster and the gentleman known as Sanchez. Calm yourself…I require a favor. The man Nick Sanchez is on the Rez speaking with Newton Waterfall. See to it he learns not to meddle in our tribes’ traditions, nor yours in bedding down Miss Comstock. A favor for my spying on Caprice for you. Make sure that my name does not come up.”
Call ending Pastor Mordecai Sage looked toward Heaven and grimaced. “Forgive me Father…” There was no forgiveness. He didn’t bother to finish his repentance.
********
“Up and at ’em Esteban.”
Police Chief and local Sheriff Dolan Roster began to rattle his coffee cup against his jails old school bars. Realizing he was drinking coffee from a Styrofoam cup he changed his mind. He needed sleep badly, but he had a job to do. Instead, he kicked his steel toed boot along the bottom of the barred cage. Old school tactics!
Within laying on a thin bunk resorting to snores and drool lay Esteban Amador, husband to ICU victim Irene Amador, father to the beautiful Midnight. Drunken loser! Agitated from his slumber Esteban smacked his dry lips and carefully lifted his forearm from covering his eyes. Sunlight through bars over a window vent along the ceiling filtered in at just the right angle to form the perfect interrogation torture.
“Scrambled eggs and toast if you’re cooperative.” Dolan spoke then sipped his coffee with one sugar.
“No bacon?”
“Room in this place for only one pig Este.”
“Is that not the term young ones refer to the police as?”
“You got me there. Just call me Popo the Pig. Irene woke up, she’s a strong woman. Her burns will be distracting for a while. Had internal bleeding from a questionable head wound. Anything you can tell me about that?”
“We had our spat. We always mince words Sheriff Roster. I drink and work hard, and she wants, wants, wants.”
“Well, we think the fire was from a lit cigarette along with booze on the carpet. That part I’ll give you some slack on. Drunken accidents occur when you least expect them. Now the blunt trauma to Irene’s head…I’m not thinking that’s from the floor. Did you hit her Este?”
“I do not recall. I… think not. Pushing yes, we both push one another when things get tempered.”
“Will Irene tell me otherwise?”
“Our love is strong.”
“I guess we’ll see.”
A loud crisp call out over his shoulder mic pierces both Dolan’s ears and Esteban’s, Este’s hangover feeling it far worse. Wincing at the feedback Dolan pushed the button in to prevent brain damage. “Lower your volume Gertrude, you’re only forty feet from me right now. No, not on your hearing aid but on your dispatch microphone. What’s the problem?” He dared to release the trigger but found the volume more manageable.
“Tow truck was stolen from Cryer’s autobody in Botfelder. Also…Officer Koones just pulled over a speeder outside town. Officer Grainger is back with a prisoner from that domestic call.”
“Looks like you might have company Esteban. Right up your alley in the domestic department. You two can compare notes.”
“Riot Sheriff! Ye be a riot.”
“As long as you don’t cause one.” Dolan sighs then talks to the 85-year-old Dispatcher. “Why the need to tell me about the speeder?”
“One of ’em’s got no clothes. Shameless hussy!”
“Ah hell! Put me through to Koones.” A quick transfer arranged a reply out of young Randall.
“On my way back now Sheriff.”
“You blaring your sirens?”
“Yep! Police escort.” Randy chuckled. “You told us to cut that Sanchez guy some slack.”
“You’re escorting Nick? I thought he was on the Rez.”
“No Sir! I’m escorting his property.”
“Ohhhhhhh! Her!” Dolan winces with gnashed teeth. “Is she…driving?”
“No Sir! Thelma and Louise are.” He laughed, after Caprice Comstock had referred to them when Naomi was pulled over. “Long story Sheriff. The hitchhiker…has a destination and it’s terra firma if you catch my drift.”
“Wonderful!”
“She refuses clothing…I offered her my jacket but no go. Do I force it on her?”
“Negative. Just bring her in through the side entrance so Gert doesn’t start hurling her bible at the…hitchhiker.”
“Darcy’s behind Thelma with a fella named Clinton Biles, in from Turncoat. Busy morning.”
“Can’t wait for lunch. Hospital food here I come. Wait! Who’s Louise?”
“CC Sir!” Referring to Caprice Comstock. “Told me to take the ticket up with you.”
“Tear it up.” He sighed then thought, “I did.” Speaking of his sexual encounter with Caprice before going to Cordoba last night. “See you when you guys get here.”
Company was coming! In more ways than one. He was short on Officer’s to handle things too.
“Stolen tow truck? That’s new.”
********
The Rez…11:40 AM…
“Ready when you are my good Sir.”
Lillian Dawn Bearpaw stepped back on to the deck of her Grandparent’s home now fully dressed, if you could call it that. Going from a bikini to white cotton shorts that were nearly boy shorts in appearance but with inch wide lace surrounding the leg slots. The cut rode so high the lace was a straight line both directions from a very obvious camel toe. Her deep caramel native tan hid nothing, no underwear of any kind only added to the fit. A buckskin vest of tanned leather laced up between her bulging breasts revealed skin from throat to waistline. Only the laces hid teeny tiny portions. Dark sunglasses atop her head and buckskin slippers topped her off.
“Dawn!” Rayna frowned at her attire.
“What? You made the vest for me MaMa!” Rayna hushed; she knew her granddaughter would ignore her complaints anyway. While yes Dawn had a good career established for herself, she knew the big city had changed her. At least she still knew where home was. If not her real parents’ residence!
“Thank you both for your time today.” Nick sat his empty tea glass aside and stood up to offer a handshake already waiting from the Santee elder Newton Waterfall.
“We’ll do our best for the people here on the Rez. If not…I’ll see to it Lukas helps at least.”
“Can I go with you?” Lukas peps up excitably.
“Not this time.” Dawn points at the boy. “I left you some comic books on your bed at your trailer when I came over to clean your bathroom. Go read! I especially like the new Werewolf by Night comic by Taboo of the Black-Eyed Peas. The Werewolf is Hopi!”
Lukas brightened up, “Is Red Wolf in it?”
“He is.” She smiled stepping from the deck into the grass. Lukas waited until she and Nick started walking away before howling like a wolf. It was not encouraged by any comic book. Dawn merely shook her head grinning at Nick. “I got his Hopi’s up.”
“You treat the boy well.”
“He’s like a baby brother. He’s 22 now. I’m 25. When Grampa took him in, we were near enough to age to bond. He needed a friend when his parents died in a fire.”
“Newton filled me in.” She leads him to the opposite side of the Civic Center where she parked an unexpected vehicle. Shocked as her key remote unlocking the doors, he paused letting her take two steps ahead of him before slowing to see his reaction. “You drive a Ford Raptor?” A black and red painted beast with strange hook rings structurally grafted into both the bed frame and the hood. Even on the rooftop.