The Fallen man by Tony Hillerman

Author:Tony Hillerman
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Detective, Literary, Police Procedural, Mystery & Detective, Fiction - Mystery, General, Romance, Romance & Sagas, Mystery & Detective - Series, Mystery & Detective - Police Procedural, Fiction
ISBN: 9780061092886
Publisher: New York : HarperPaperbacks, 1997, c1996.
Published: 2005-10-12T23:00:00+00:00

The question obviously surprised Leaphorn Lets see, he said. Two or three days ago.

Was it last Tuesday?

Tuesday? Lets see. Yeah. It was a call on in answering machine. I returned it.

Morning or afternoon?

I dont know. It could have been either one. But its still on the recording. I think I couldfind out.

Id appreciate that, Chee said.

Will do, Leaphorn said, and paused. Im trying to place the date. That would have beenabout the day after you got the skeleton identified. Right?

Chee sighed. Lieutenant Leaphorn, he said you already know just what Im thinking, dont you?

Well, Id guess youre wondering how that lawyer found out so quickly that the skeletonhad turned out to be somebody so important to his client. No announcement had been made. Nothing in the papers until a day or so later and I dont think it ever made the national news. Just a little story around here, and about three paragraphs in the Albuquerque Journal, and alittle bit more in the Rocky Mountain News

Thats what Im thinking, Chee said.

But youre ahead of me on something else, I dont know why its important.

You couldnt guess, Chee said. Its some thing personal.

Oh, Leaphorn said. He ducked his head, shook it, and said, Oh, again. Sad, now. Andthen he looked up. You know, they could have had this thing staked out, though. Animportant client. Maybe they had some law firm out here retained to tip them off if anythingturned up that would bear in any way at all on this son-and-heir being missing. They knew hewas a mountain climber. So when an unidentified body turns up He shrugged. Whoknows how law firms operate? he said, not believing it himself.

Sure, Chee said. Anythings possible.

Leaphorn was leaving, hat in hand, but he stopped in the doorway and turned.

One other thing that might bear on all this, he said. He told Chee of Sergeant Dekesaccount of the man with the binoculars and the rifle on the canyon rim. Deke said hes goingup the canyon and warn Nez that somebody may still be trying to kill him. I hope we canfigure this out before they do it.

Chee sat for a moment looking at the closed door, thinking of Leaphorn, thinking of JanetPete, of John McDermott back in New Mexico. Was he back in her life? Apparently he was. Forthe first time, the Fallen Man became more than an abstract tragedy in Chees mind. He buzzedJenifer.

Im taking off now for Gallup, he said. If Largo needs meif anybody callstell themIll be back tomorrow.

Hey, Jenifer said, you have two meetings on the calendar for this afternoon. The securityman from the community college and Captain Largo was

Call them and tell them I had to cancel, Chee said, forgetting to say please, and forgettingto say thanks when he hung up. Captain Largo wouldnt like this. But then he didntparticularly like Captain Largo and he sure as hell didnt like being an acting lieutenant.

15

^ LOUISE GUARDS FORD ESCORT was not in the driveway of the little house she shared withJanet Pete in Gallup.

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