Hillerman, Tony - [Leaphorn & Chee 17] by Skeleton Man (v4) [html] Page B

bad news.
    “I know,” Dashee said. “I think that clerk and that widow are both lying, with the widow telling the clerk what to say. But the sheriff doesn’t. And I don’t think old Shorty McGinnis’s story is going to change his mind.”
    “Afraid you’re right,” Chee said.
    Dashee sighed. “You know, Jim, I gotta go down there, anyway. Down to that canyon bottom and see if I can find that old man. Or somebody who knows about him. Or something. Billy’s had too much tough luck. And nobody to help him.”
    Chee said nothing to that. He’d foreseen it. He knew Cowboy too well to expect any less of him. He took a deep breath.
    “Do you think you’re going to need some help?”
    “Well, I was hoping you’d ask.”
    “When are you going down there? And how you going? And here’s a harder question: How you going to go about this business? Finding a maybe imaginary old man that trades diamonds for things?”
    “Sooner the better, is the first answer. And I’m going to make Billy Tuve come along and show me just exactly where he made that trade and try to retrace where the old man he dealt with might have gone in that little bit of time he was gone. What do you think?”
    “How many years ago did that happen? Many, many, wasn’t it?”
    “Billy’s always been very vague about chronology. Ever since that horse fell on him.”
    “So maybe it was ten years, or twenty. Or maybe the old man was out of sight thirty minutes, or thirty hours, or several days?”
    “It’s not that bad,” Dashee said. “He tries.”
    “So what’s plan number two?”
    “While Billy and I are looking for the diamond man along the river, I thought you might be mingling among the old folks in the Havasupai settlement. You’ve had a couple of cases down there. Know some people, don’t you? Know a little of their language?”
    “Damn little,” Chee said. “And all I was doing was looking for stolen property. You don’t make friends doing that.”
    Dashee made a sort of dismissive sound. Or was it just frustration?
    “Hell, Jim,” he said. “I know it’s a long shot. But what am I going to do? Billy’s my cousin. It’s family. I’m a religious sort of man, you know. So are you. Sometimes wehave to just make ourselves an opportunity to get some outside help from the Higher Power. Call it luck, or whatever.”
    Chee considered that for a while. “How soon you want to do this?”
    “Right away, I think. The sheriff sounded like they might be revoking the bond, with that new story they have about the diamond. I thought I’d drive over to Second Mesa in the morning and pick him up before they get the revocation order.”
    “I’ll have to call you back, Cowboy. I’m supposed to get with Bernie tomorrow. You know how it is before a wedding. All sorts of planning stuff.”
    “So I can’t exactly count on you?”
    “Well, you probably can. I’ll call you.”
    The telephone rang just after he ended that call. It was Bernie. She’d noticed his number on her “missed calls” tattletale. “What’s up?” she said.
    “Well,” Chee said, “how do I start?”
    “You start by telling me you miss me and just wanted to hear the sound of my voice.”
    “All true, but I also wanted to know what you have planned for us. You were telling me we need to get together. To do some planning.” He paused. “And maybe some other things.”
    Bernie laughed. “Other things are more fun,” she said. “But we do have to find a place to live. Unless you’re going to change your mind and make that trailer of yours our bridal suite. I hope that wasn’t what you were calling to tell me.”
    “No,” Chee said. “But now I’ve got something else on my mind. Remember Cowboy Dashee’s problem?”
    “Sort of,” Bernie said. “His cousin accused of shooting that store operator at Zuni, and trying to pawn that big diamond?”
    “Well, now it’s worse. The store owner’s widow and a former clerk at the store are claiming the