Lazy Bird a Seth and Ava Mystery Read online

  “Because you don’t care about anything?” Sam asked. “At least that’s what our middle son is like. Very laisez-faire. Easy going. His mother thinks that he will become a shaman, like his uncle. I think he’d have to care about something first. But he’s young.”

  “He has time to figure out what he’s interested in,” Ava said. “We middle children don’t mind working hard. We just have to care about what we’re working on.”

  “Huh,” Sam said with a nod. “Maybe you could speak with my son?”

  “If I can muster the energy to care about him,” Ava said.

  No one said anything for a long moment, and then Sam began to laugh. Maresol shook her head at Ava, and Ava gave them a sly smile.

  “Your wife is a middle child,” Ava said.

  “So am I,” Sam said. “We can barely move for our own apathy.”

  “Eh?” Ava asked.

  “What was that?” Sam asked.

  “The signature middle-child gesture,” Ava said.

  Sam laughed.

  “Coffee?” Maresol asked Sam.

  “Yes, please,” Sam said.

  Maresol filled his cup. She filled two other mugs and started out of the room.

  “Wait!” Ava said. She held up her cup and gave her best pout.

  Maresol looked at Ava and laughed. She set the mugs down and filled Ava’s mug with coffee. She got the milk from the refrigerator and gave it to Ava. Maresol doctored the mugs in her hands and left the kitchen.

  “I’m going to work for a while,” Ava said. “Why don’t you head back to see Koko?”

  “I was waiting to meet Jem,” Sam said.

  The sliding glass door slid open. Looking at her laptop, Ava gestured behind her. Jemma came up to stand beside Ava.

  “Should I go?” Jemma asked.

  “Maresol just made coffee,” Ava said, turning on her stool, she said to Sam, “If you have opinions on what Jem’s coffee intake, zip it.”

  Jemma knocked into Ava in way of thanks.

  “This is Jem Pohogwe,” Ava said.

  Embarrassed, Jemma raised a hand in hello. She poured herself a half-cup of coffee.

  “This is Samoset Kiaiyo,” Ava said, gesturing to him with her thumb. “He goes by ‘Sam.’”

  “Nice to meet you,” Jemma said, filling her mug with honey and milk.

  “I understand you’re starting a publishing house,” Sam said.

  Nodding, Jemma took a drink of her liquid.

  “My middle son has a book,” Sam said.

  “The bored lay about?” Ava asked.

  Sam grinned at Ava.

  “He asked me if I would share my middle-child wisdom with their middle son,” Ava said.

  “Eh?” Sam said with a shrug.

  Ava laughed.

  “How did he know the middle child gesture?” Jemma asked.

  Surprised, Ava turned to look at her. Jemma laughed at Ava.

  “Do you know if. . .?” Jemma started.

  “Top shelf near the back,” Ava said. “On the left.”

  Jemma nodded and opened the refrigerator. Maresol had made Jemma overnight oats with coconut yogurt, oats, and fresh berries. Jemma took out the glass jar.

  “I’m really hungry after I swim,” Jemma said. “Maresol’s been making this for me since I’ve been pregnant. It tides me over until breakfast.”

  “She finished the last one yesterday,” Ava said. “Maresol was very insistent about making these before we left for the event.”

  “She’s very kind,” Jemma said.

  “Looks good,” Sam said.

  “Would you like some?” Jemma asked.

  “No,” Sam said. “It would ruin the all-junk-food diet that I keep a secret from my wife.”

  Jemma and Ava laughed. Still feeling uncomfortable, Jemma sat on the other side of Ava.

  “Your son is a writer?” Jemma asked.

  “He was very close with my grandfather,” Sam said. “My grandfather knew all of the peoples’ stories. My son taped my grandfather telling the stories. The book is a development of one of those stories.”

  “Sounds like what you were looking for,” Ava said.

  Jemma nodded.

  “There’s been so much going on that I haven’t had a chance to do much about it,” Jemma said. “Ava’s friend Nelson set up a website for us and handled all the business paperwork. Their friend, Tres, came to teach me how to manage the finances.”

  “He told me that he wanted to stay involved with your publishing house,” Ava said.

  “He did?” Jemma asked. “Ava knows all of these handsome men. Tres is very hot.”

  “Very committed to his partner, Heather,” Ava said.

  “Is he Native?” Jemma asked.

  “I believe his family has lived in Colorado since before it was a state,” Ava said. “Maresol’s family, too. Her family goes back more than sixteen generations in the San Luis Valley. His family is from Denver. Old, but I don’t know how many generations. There are a lot of Spanish-speaking native Coloradans. Their version of Spanish is considered an old dialect.”

  Shrugging, Ava nodded.

  “I’ve never asked,” Ava said.

  “We have a name and a website,” Jemma said. “But that’s really it.”

  “You should have your son send Jem his manuscript,” Ava said.

  “Are you ready for that?” Sam asked.

  “I guess so,” Jemma said. “I won’t really know until I try it, right?”

  Sam nodded.

  “I can help you with marketing,” Sam said. “Or recruitment. I have contacts with every nation on the continent. Even Mexico and some of Central America.”

  “That’s great,” Jemma said. “But why would you help me?”

  “We’re family,” Sam said.

  “Running Wolf’s mother hates me,” Jemma said.

  “Then I’m in good company,” Sam said. “She hates me, too.”

  “Why?” Jemma asked. “Aren’t you Blackfoot?”

  “According to my mother-in-law, I am too dark,” Sam said. “Our children are darker than she would like.”

  “Well, I’m a broke-ass Indian from the Plains,” Jemma said.

  Sam laughed. Smiling, Jemma finished her oats.

  “Is the shaman married?” Ava asked.

  “It depends on who you ask,” Sam said.

  Ava and Jemma gave him a questioning look.

  “He’s in a gay relationship,” Sam said. “They have adopted a few kids from the nation. They are legally married in the eyes of the country and the people, but that doesn’t stop my mother-in-law from introducing women to her son.”

  “She really is crazy!” Jemma said, her nose wrinkling.

  Sam nodded at the same moment that Running Wolf came in through the sliding door.

  “Are we talking about my mother?” Running Wolf asked.

  “Seth!” Sam said, standing up.

  The men hugged in greeting.

  “I just met your lovely bride,” Sam said. “You are a lucky man to marry such a beautiful woman from the Great Basin.”

  Running Wolf’s eyes shot to Jemma, who was laughing.

  “My family is a big gossip chain,” Running Wolf said. “Good morning, Ava.”

  Ava waved at him.

  “How’s the leg?” Running Wolf asked.

  “Hurts,” Ava said. “I was on it too long yesterday. And, Maresol was right. Those stilettos were a mistake.”

  “You looked great,” Jemma said.

  “I pay for beauty today,” Ava said with a shrug.

  “Is O’Malley upstairs?” Running Wolf asked.

  “He didn’t get in until late,” Ava said. “You know how those things are.”

  “Not really,” Running Wolf said. “But I’ll take your word for it.”

  “You don’t make it a habit to hang out with rich people,” Ava said.

  “You left out the ‘white,’” Maresol said, coming into the kitchen, fully dressed. “Who hangs
out with rich white people?”

  Ava pointed to Maresol. Everyone laughed when Maresol rolled her eyes at Ava.

  “We were called in,” Running Wolf said. Turning to Sam, he said, “Koko’s up and getting dressed. You have about an hour before we’re late.”

  “I’m off!” Sam said. “Nice to meet you, Ava, Jemma, and. . .”

  “Maresol,” she said.

  “Great coffee,” Sam said.

  “I’ll make a breakfast sandwich for Koko to take with her, so take your time,” Maresol said. “Will you be here?”

  “If that’s all right,” Sam said.

  “We’ll have breakfast after they leave,” Maresol said.

  “I’ll go get O’Malley,” Ava said.

  “I’ll go,” Maresol said. “You look like you’re in pain.”

  Ava nodded.

  “You should be up there in bed!” Maresol said. She looked at Jemma. “Can you help her to the couch?”

  “I. . .” Ava started.

  “Go!” Maresol said.

  She left to wake up Seth O’Malley upstairs.

  “I’m sorry, Ava, but you’re needed too,” Running Wolf said.

  “Me?” Ava asked.

  “The FBI would like to speak with you regarding the DNA sample you loaded to the database,” Running Wolf said. “They want Nelson, Fran, Leslie, and Bob, too.”

  Ava grimaced.

  “Yes, it’s going to be a long day,” Running Wolf said.

  Ava closed her laptop and packed up. When she was in bed, and her mind was rolling over her conversation with Senator Hargreaves, she’d wanted to think something through and look up the details. With Sam’s arrival, she’d completely forgotten what it was that had drawn her out of bed.

  It was something important — something that would move their case forward. Frustrated with herself and her pain-fogged brain, she hoped that she would remember what she’d forgotten.

  What was it?

  Shaking her head, she went to shower and dress for work.

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  Seven

  The day had been long. Ava stumbled into the house many hours after her husband, Seth, had returned. The FBI and assorted alphabet-soup agencies wanted to know what Ava and her team were up to.

  They were interviewed individually.

  They were interviewed together.

  They were asked the same questions over and over again.

  Yet, no agency had a viable warrant for the information they were asking for. All Ava and her team could say was, “No comment.”

  No amount of threats, derision, manipulation, or misogyny could get them to budge without a warrant.

  Ava refused to unlock the laboratory without a warrant.

  Bob refused to discuss his review of the lab data or the photos he’d obtained from the Mancos Marshal’s Office without a warrant.

  Nelson refused to allow them into the laboratory computers without a warrant.

  Leslie and Fran refused to discuss the results of their experiments without a warrant.

  Without a warrant, Joan refused to speak a word.

  So they went around and around and around until it was nearly three in the morning.

  Ava and her team stumbled out of the building. Ava asked one of her Denver Police friends to take them home. She was the last one to get home.

  She slipped into the house and took off her shoes. Maresol had left a lamp on for her, which she turned off. She was about to head upstairs to bed when someone called her name. She looked up to see Koko.

  “You okay?” Koko asked.

  “Exhausted,” Ava said.

  “Any idea what they wanted?” Koko asked.

  “None,” Ava said. “The weird thing is that they didn’t have a warrant. Denver is a law-and-order town. It’s easy to get a warrant here. At least, it has been for me. Seth, too. I don’t know why they couldn’t come up with something.”

  Koko gave Ava a worried nod.

  “What’s bothering you?” Ava asked. She limped over to the couch in the den area near the kitchen. “Sorry, I have to sit down.”

  “Uh. . .” Koko said. “Can I get you something?”

  “I’m too tired to eat.” Ava shook her head.

  “I should let you sleep but. . .” Koko said. She looked at Ava for a long moment. “I can’t shake the feeling that the point of today’s exercise was to get you off track.”

  “Us? My lab specifically?” Ava asked.

  Koko nodded.

  “We were asked a few questions and let go,” Koko said. “We went back to work on our project and came home. I didn’t realize that you were still in there, or I would have put a stop to it.”

  “Could you have done that?” Ava asked.

  “I would have tried,” Koko said with a nod. “It smacks of federal overreach, but. . . why? I mean, why do it in such a blatant and obvious way? They know that I’m here at your home. I’m a federal prosecutor. Why would they overstretch in such a way as this?”

  “No idea,” Ava said.

  Koko nodded.

  “I’m sorry that it happened,” Koko said. “The first thing I’ll do today is file a complaint on your behalf. No one should be treated this way, especially a forensic-science team with federal experience. It’s not right.”

  Ava didn’t respond to Koko.

  “What?” Koko asked.

  “I’ve never met an indigenous person who believes in justice or ‘rightness’ in the Federal government,” Ava said.

  “If I don’t believe that it is possible, how will it ever become a reality?” Koko asked. She shrugged. “But I know what you mean.”

  “Thank you,” Ava said. “It’s nice that you feel indignant in our direction.”

  “Do you think that they were able to hack into your computers?” Koko asked. “Get your data?”

  “They did try, but I know that they were not able to get in,” Ava said. “After all of the drama of the last year, our computer system was set up by military intelligence. I would know immediately if they’d gotten in, and a team would have arrived from the military to see what was going on.”

  “How. . .?” Koko asked.

  “O’Malley,” Ava said. “He’s spent a lot of his free time and a bunch of money returning the lost remains of soldiers. Almost every person in the upper echelons of the military has a family member or friend that O’Malley has returned. Or, as he says, ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.’”

  “Everyone owes him something,” Koko said.

  Ava nodded.

  “That’s a good place to be,” Koko said.

  “It’s something we have in common,” Ava said.

  Koko nodded.

  “Do you need help getting upstairs?” Koko asked.

  “Nah, I’ll just take the elevator,” Ava said. “Thank you, though. I appreciate you waiting up to speak with me.”

  “I am genuinely concerned,” Koko said. “I’ll see what I can find out.”

  “Joan’s husband is running the Denver FBI field office,” Ava said. “He had no idea what was going on today. So it might not be an official endeavor.”

  “Good to know,” Koko said.

  Ava pushed her way to standing and weaved. Koko slipped her arm under Ava’s and helped her to the elevator.

  “Thank you,” Ava said.

  “Goodnight,” Koko said.

  Ava watched Koko walk toward the back of the house before she pressed the button to the second floor. The elevator was heading up when she remembered what she’d wanted to look up.

  Her mind began to spin.

  According to Senator Hargreaves, their victim was not the assassin.

  This meant that his death was either an official cover up or, quite possibly, something the assassin did to leave his occupation.

  Either way, their case was about their victim, and their victim was the man found in the trash dumpster.

  This assassin stuff was a distracti
on from their actual case.

  Ava nodded to herself.

  The path forward was to first focus all of their attention on their actual victim — the curiosity of a man found in the construction dumpster in Mancos, Colorado. The easiest way to find their victim would be to look at missing-persons cases from around the time of their victim’s death.

  Ava scowled. Nelson should have been able to look up “missing person” on the computer.

  Then it hit her.

  The feds must not have access to the local Mancos missing-person reports.

  It was a long shot, but. . .

  Ava placed a call to the Mancos Marshal’s Office and asked for the Records Division. She was surprised when someone answered.

  “I’m Ava O’Malley, calling from Denver Crime Labs,” she said. “I’m involved with a forty-year-old cold case from Mancos. My lab is running the forensic science on the case. Might you have a moment to answer a few questions?”

  “I can’t give out any information without a warrant,” the woman said, in a pure East Texas accent.

  “Did the feds visit you?” Ava asked.

  “Yes, ma’am, they sure did,” the woman said. “That’s why I’m here. The chief called me in to deal with them, but they didn’t have even one warrant between them. No warrant means no information. We might be small, but we’re not stupid.”

  “They badgered us all day for information,” Ava said.

  “I’ll tell you. . .” Ava could almost hear the woman looking around the room. The woman’s voice lowered. “They left a few bugs — audio microphones and video cameras. My grandson came to bring me lunch, and he noticed them. You’ll need to check that you don’t have the same.”

  Ava groaned.

  “I know, young lady, I know,” the woman said. “Are you married to that Seth O’Malley? Or his daughter?”

  “He’s my husband,” Ava said.

  “Lucky girl. He’s a handsome man,” the woman said. “I’m Martha. Martha Gonzales, Sergeant, Records.”

  “Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Ava said. “I feel very lucky to know him.”

  “Now I can’t tell you anything about a case without a warrant or something that shows me that you are who you say you are,” Martha said.

  “Fair enough,” Ava said. “I just have a procedural question.”

  “Go ahead,” Martha said.