Threepersons Hunt by Brian Garfield

Author:Brian Garfield [Garfield, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: MysteriousPress.com / Open Road
Published: 2012-03-02T10:38:04+00:00

6.

Watchman got out of the car and heard Victorio shut the other door. Two white-garbed nuns in sailboat hats walked out of the trading post and got into a huge station wagon and drove away. The wagon’s place was taken almost immediately by the white Ford of the Indian Agency Police Force. Pete Porvo got out and walked into the trading post and Watchman turned that way; he felt Victorio’s presence at his heels.

He hadn’t put his boot onto the first step yet when a ruined pickup came staggering down the highway and he stopped and put his eyes on it while it went past. Jimmy Oto was driving; Oto’s hard glance fixed itself onto Watchman and stayed there, the head turning, until the grey truck almost went off the road. Then Oto was gone and Victorio behind him said, “Him you want to stay away from in dark alleys.”

“We’ve met.”

“You’re lucky you’ve still got your teeth then.”

Watchman pushed into the gloom of the store. He found Porvo at the sandwich counter. The high small eyes whipped across Watchman’s face and settled on Victorio.

Watchman said, “Any sign of that Land Cruiser?”

“Nope.”

Victorio said, “We just came in from Rufus’ place.”

“That right?”

Watchman said, “I understand you spotted Joe last night.”

“What about it?” Porvo stood phlegmatically rocking heel-to-toe.

“Did you try to stop him?”

Porvo’s eyes crinkled to show he knew Watchman was kidding him. “Come on.”

“How about it, Pete?”

Porvo’s face changed. “What the hell are you trying to pull?”

“I just want to know what you did, Pete. Did you yell out to him? Did you fire a warning shot and tell him to halt?”

“You’re crazy. By the time I got the car stopped he was back out of sight in the woods someplace. You think yelling and shooting’s going to do any good?”

“Did you take a flashlight and run in there after him?”

“The son of a bitch was toting a rifle. You want me to go in after him with a flashlight?”

Victorio was looking on, puzzled. Watchman said, “You had him in sight, you let him go. It was the middle of the night. So if he was close enough for you to recognize him he might have been close enough to stop. That’s all I’m asking you.”

“If I could’ve stopped him I would have. That satisfy you?”

“It’ll do for right now. I had a shot at him myself, I know how it goes.”

Victorio said, “You did?”

“It’s a long story.”

Porvo finished his sandwich and crumpled the wax paper as if it were Watchman’s throat. “Look, porcupine, I don’t need Navajos telling me how to do my job.”

“Take it easy. My dad was an Agency cop.”

“This still ain’t Window Rock. This is my bailiwick, Watchman. I wouldn’t mind for you to get in some real trouble sticking your Navajo nose in it.”

“I didn’t come up here to muss up your turf, Pete. All I want is Joe Threepersons.”

“Look,” Porvo said, “I believe in my job here. It’s a lot better to keep house inside the tribe than have outside agitators come in here and stomp law-and-order all over us.

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