They arrived at the six-sided hogan in the middle of a solitary canyon an hour later. Ashe parked in direct line with the blanket-covered entrance. Minutes ticked by, but he did not even open the vehicle’s door.

  “Maybe she’s decided to ignore us.”

  “No. Just be patient.”

  Casey was certain they were getting nowhere, and was going to suggest they give up, when Elsie came to her doorway and waved at them to come inside.

  “Don’t press her for answers,” Ashe warned. “Let her set her own pace.”

  As they stepped inside the hogan, Casey was startled by the primitive conditions she saw there. A black, potbellied woodstove served as the only source of heat for cooking and warmth. The floor was hard-packed dirt, and the joints between the rough-hewn logs were filled with hardened mud. She’d meant to mask her thoughts, but something in her expression must have given her away to the old woman.

  Elsie glanced at her, then waved for them to sit on sheepskins she’d laid on the floor. “I choose to live in this hogan instead of in the modern housing at Shiprock. This is the way my grandmother and mother lived, and I feel closer to everything that makes me who I am, here. Do you understand?”

  Casey nodded, silently wondering if she would have been able to withstand the hardships, year after year.

  “I know why you’re here,” Elsie said to Ashe. “Maybe I can help you. I can tell you that your foster mother was having nightmares. She was afraid of something but she didn’t know what. In her dreams she was faced with a terror she didn’t understand. I tried to tell her not to ignore her instincts, that dreams had power and she was sensing danger on some level. But she wouldn’t listen.”

  “If you hear anything that can help me find these killers, will you send word to me?” Ashe asked.

  “You know I will,” Elsie replied, walking them to the door.

  Ashe was quiet as they drove back to the highway.

  “What are you thinking?” Casey asked gently.

  “Volumes could be written on what I didn’t know about my family. But one thing I’m certain about—their secrets led to their destruction.”

  “Keeping secrets is often what people do when they have no other choice,” she said, knowing only too well the burden of the secrets she kept.

  “We always have choices,” Ashe answered.

  She heard the warning laced through his words and understood. Her decision to hold back would eventually cost her dearly.

  “I’m going to make a stop at the substation and drop you off there, if you don’t mind. The coroner must be getting closer to releasing the bodies and I need to take care of that matter.”

  “I understand,” she replied, hearing the sorrow in his voice and wishing she could do something to comfort him.

  After they arrived, Ashe handed her the coroner’s report and got ready to leave. “There are no surprises there. Now, if you don’t need me, I’ll stop by my desk and then go.”

  After saying goodbye to Ashe, Casey went to see the captain. He was getting ready to leave for the day and seemed preoccupied, so she didn’t stick around. She was on her way out of the station when she saw Ashe—still at his desk and on the phone.

  It was strange how he kept glancing toward the captain’s office. He seemed impatient and restless—two things that were very much out of character for him, but under the circumstances, she supposed it was understandable. He was probably eager to leave as soon as possible but wanted to talk to the captain before taking off on personal business.

  It was nearly two-thirty—almost time for the shift change—when Casey left the building. As she drove back to her motel, she focused on the comprehensive reports she had to file before the end of the day. She was several miles away from the station when a vague sense of uneasiness started creeping through her. Something was wrong, but she couldn’t put her finger on what was disturbing her. Remembering Elsie’s warning about the dangers of ignoring intuition, she forced herself to analyze her feelings.

  As she thought back on everything that had happened that day, she saw Ashe clearly in her mind. His preoccupation with the captain had seemed odd, but it was easily explained. Yet something about it continued to nag at her.

  Slowly, another possible explanation for his actions came into the forefront of her thoughts. What if it hadn’t been the captain he’d been focused on, but rather the man’s office? The conversation they’d had with Elsie must have been just one more reminder to Ashe of how little he knew about his family. Maybe Ashe had decided to go after the one thing he thought would provide him with answers—the file on Katrina.

  Casey turned the sedan around and pressed hard on the accelerator, racing back to the station. Once there, she hurried inside and asked the first officer she saw where Captain Todacheene was.

  “The captain has gone to a meeting over at Window Rock. He won’t be back today.”

  Casey’s heart drummed as she hurried into the squad room. It was between shifts and the area was nearly deserted. As she glanced around, she saw Ashe in the captain’s office, standing in front of the file cabinet.

  Casey felt as if the floor beneath her were dissolving. She knew she had to stop him. He was putting everything on the line, including his job, to help Fox, and his sacrifice was completely unnecessary. She would have given anything at that moment to tell him what she knew, but she could not violate the trust and duty that had been placed on her shoulders.

  Casey started toward the office, one thing clear in her mind. At least now she knew for sure that Ashe had never seen that file. If he had, he wouldn’t have been willing to risk so much in order to look at it now. This was solid proof that he hadn’t inadvertently leaked the information it had contained. But whether his curiosity had tipped off someone else was another question entirely.

  Casey entered the captain’s office silently and caught Ashe by surprise. “Are you crazy?” she demanded. “You could be suspended for this, or worse.” She knew what his job meant to him. Only someone who shared his dedication to law enforcement, as she did, could understand that his work was his lifeblood.

  “There are some things that demand obedience to a higher loyalty. I’ve made my choice. Now it’s your turn. Will you leave and let me finish what I’ve started, or turn me in? It’s your call.”

  Chapter Ten

  Casey glanced around. If she tried to stop him now, he’d realize that she’d known the file existed all along. As she quickly considered her options, Casey saw Captain Todacheene appear in the doorway leading to the squad room. One look at the files covering the top of the captain’s desk told Casey that there’d be no time for Ashe to cover his tracks.

  “Hurry,” she warned, gesturing toward the captain. “I’ll buy you some time.” She strode out of the office, closing the door partway.

  Acting on impulse, she intercepted Todacheene before he could cross the squad room. “I have some information about Patrick Gordon we should discuss,” she said, blocking his way. “I need to talk to you in private.”

  “Then let’s go to my office,” the captain suggested.

  “I’d prefer the conference room where there’s no phone and less chance that anyone will interrupt us.” Casey stepped to the side, so he had to turn away from his office to speak to her.

  “Okay, but I have to warn you, I only have a few minutes to spare. I only came back because I left some papers behind that I’ll need for my meeting.”

  Just then, Ashe joined them. “Captain, I didn’t expect to see you back today.”

  “Consider me gone for all intents and purposes. I’m already running behind schedule.” He glanced at his watch, then gave Casey an impatient look. “Why don’t you fill out a report for me on Gordon, instead? I’ll get to it as soon as I can. Right now I’m out of time.”

  “Of course. I’m sorry I held you up,” Casey said.

  As the captain went to his office to retrieve the papers he needed, Casey glanced up at Ashe. “Okay, what did you find?”

  “Not what I expected.”

  She’d never heard his voice sound so cold. Anger was clearly etched on his features. For a moment she considered the possibility that he’d discovered the real reason why she’d been sent to the Rez. If that was true, she wasn’t sure what she’d do with Ashe now. He was already difficult enough to deal with.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, matching the coldness of his tone. Sometimes the best defense was a good offense. “And I want a clear answer. I deserve that from you. By running interference for you, I put my own career in danger.”

  He said nothing for several seconds. “Let’s get out of here. You and I need to talk.”

  Once they were outside, alone in his vehicle, Ashe shifted to face her. “The file is gone. It’s as if it had never been there. What part did you play in that—or in the captain’s unexpected return?”

  “Wait a second. You’re blaming me because you couldn’t find what you were looking for?”

  He held her gaze. “Did you ask Todacheene to move the file elsewhere because you knew that I was interested in it?”

  “You’re not giving your captain enough credit for knowing his men,” she said coldly. “My guess is that if there really was a file, he moved it himself, assuming that sooner or later you’d do exactly what you did.” She paused, then added pointedly, “Keep in mind that by intercepting him, and buying you some time, I covered for you and risked a reprimand, or more.”

  Ashe took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You’re good, I’ll give you that. But I’m getting tired of cat-and-mouse games. For whatever reason, you’ve chosen not to put all your cards on the table. My captain may also be involved to some extent in whatever you’re up to. Don’t expect me to rush out and trust either of you. Those days are over.”

  Casey swallowed hard. His words had hurt her more than he’d ever know. Wordlessly, she left his vehicle and strode across the parking lot. She’d done a lot for the sake of her job, but until today she’d never known what it was like to pay with a piece of her heart..

  ASHE SPENT THE REST of the day making the arrangements to have his foster parents buried in the cemetery of the Christian church they’d attended. Now, as darkness covered the land, he stood alone under the full moon, his gaze resting on Beautiful Mountain. He’d come here to try to regain a sense of balance and harmony. The peace of the desert enveloped him, and he found a measure of comfort in it. He’d needed this time alone. He still couldn’t think clearly around Casey. He’d never met anyone who stirred him the way she did. He wanted to be part of her, and her to be one with him. That pairing, that need to know her in all the ways a man could know a woman, was affecting his every decision. But he couldn’t afford to let it hamper his ability to work the case effectively.

  He thought of his brother Travis. He’d be home soon, and by then, Ashe had to have answers. Travis wouldn’t play by anyone’s rules, and that would add another wild card to an already impossible situation.

  As a prairie hawk cried shrilly overhead, Ashe felt a fierce longing for the woman who’d captured his heart, and for the future they might have had if she’d only trusted him.

  CASEY ARRIVED AT THE station at eight the following morning. Ashe was already outside waiting for her when she pulled up and parked her sedan. As she looked at him, a shiver coursed up her spine. He stood tall, proud and supremely confident. Her breath caught in her throat.

  He gestured toward his vehicle wordlessly.

  “Where do you want to go? Did you find a lead?” she asked.

  “I’ve been trying to figure out why Fox’s car hasn’t been found anywhere, even though most of the cops have been looking for it, along with the motorcycles and the van. Fox is around here, we know that. She’s probably not using her own vehicle, so it’s parked somewhere hidden in plain sight—like maybe among the other cars in the Tapahonso Salvage Yard.”

  “What do you hope to find in her car? You know she’s okay. You spoke to her.”

  The silence was thick between them as the moments passed. “I don’t really ‘know’ anything at this point,” Ashe finally said, then added, “What I do know is that you’re not FBI.” He held up a hand as she started to deny it. “I’ve been a cop too long. I know when someone’s holding something back, or when things aren’t what they seem to be. I do believe that you’re part of some agency— federal or whatever—or my captain wouldn’t have let you anywhere near his people.”

  Casey said nothing, neither confirming nor denying.

  “Whatever you are, you’re definitely in law enforcement. You have the right instincts. That’s why I don’t understand why you’re holding out on me. Deep down you must sense that I can be trusted.” He paused, then in a gentle voice said, “If your gut feelings aren’t giving you the assurances that you need, then listen to your heart.”

  He pulled over to one side of the road, and shifted to face her. “When I hold you in my arms, when I feel you responding to me, I know that there’s something very right between us.” Ashe took her hand and placed it over his heart. “There is no greater truth than what we feel for each other. Listen to the woman inside you—the one who wants my touch, and knows how to touch me and drive me wild. She’ll tell you that you have no reason to distrust me—not as a cop...or as a man.”

  Casey’s throat tightened. She could feel his heart drumming beneath her palm. She wanted to confide in Ashe more than she’d ever wanted anything in her life, but some decisions weren’t hers to make. She reached out to him in the silence of her mind, begging him without words to understand.

  His gaze held only tenderness and the need that begged wordlessly for her trust.

  She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She couldn’t continue to shut him out—not when everything in her demanded she do otherwise. She considered her words carefully, then began.

  “Let’s say, hypothetically of course, that Fox’s past is the key to this case. If that’s so, then something from that past must have led the killer here. Someone betrayed her, accidentally or on purpose, and your foster parents paid a price. Fox’s only chance lies in secrecy now, so she’s hidden. I’ve told you time and again that it’s best that no one can find her, yet I can’t convince you of that. To you, trust means following instincts and obeying them. But would you really trust a cop who was willing to put personal feelings ahead of professional responsibility?”

  “Are you talking about the Witness Protection Program?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowed. “Their job, I thought, was to protect the safety of someone, like the Secret Service.”

  “It’s more than that. Federal marshals or treasury agents won’t just baby-sit some witness or government official. They go looking for potential threats to head them off in conjunction with local agencies. Things can become terribly complicated. People like you and me aren’t always at liberty to make the choices we’d like when we’re out on the job.”

  Ashe considered her words, then started the engine and got under way. “That may be so, but from where I sit, you’re still playing word games with me. When we’re working a case we all have a certain amount of autonomy. It’s impossible to do our jobs otherwise. The bottom line here is that you can’t bring yourself to trust me completely. Until you can do that, and earn my trust in return, I’ll have to follow my own judgment.”

  Aching regret swept over her. She knew now that there was no hope for them. No amount of wishing would ever change that. The realities of their lives would forever keep them apart. She drew into herself, trying to find some respite from the bitter sadness that filled her, but there was only a hollow emptiness where her heart had once been.

  THEY ARRIVED AT THE salvage yard about a half hour later. Although she hadn’t really wanted to come here, Ashe had refused to let her talk him out of it.

  Casey looked around. There was no fence around the four- or five-acre field that was overgrown with old appliances, cars and anything made of metal that could be discarded.

  “What is this place?” she asked. “Does he sell parts, recycle the metal, or what?”

  “All of the above, and then some,” Ashe said. “The man who runs this place is older than both of us put together, but he has a knack for fixing things. Sometimes it’s a lawn mower or a washing machine that he restores. Other times it’s a car. Then he resells it for a price people around here can afford.”

  There was always that on-the-edge quality to life here, and it made her admire Ashe and his people all the more. It was their indomitable spirit that allowed them to face seemingly insurmountable odds with such courage and determination.

  “My brother hated living on the Rez. He said he wanted more out of his life than a daily battle for survival. He preferred an adversary he could confront directly, not one that destroyed by undermining—like poverty.”

  She wanted to ask Ashe more about his brother, but before she could frame her question, an elderly man stepped out of a metal portable building and walked toward them. His back was erect and his stride so filled with purpose that only the wrinkles on his weathered face attested to his advanced age.

  Ashe introduced her to the owner of the salvage yard, Kenneth Tapahonso, and this time Casey remembered not to shake hands.

  “Are you here looking for something to buy, or on police business?” Tapahonso asked.

  “We’re actually looking for Fox’s car. I have a feeling someone may have hidden it here.”

  Tapahonso nodded thoughtfully. “You could hide almost anything here, that’s for sure. People drop off stuff all the time rather than take it to the landfill. It’s cheaper, and they know I’ll make use of it sooner or later.”

  “Mind if we look around?” Ashe asked.

  “Help yourself. And, if you decide you want to buy something, let me know. I can make you a good deal.”

  As he went back inside, Ashe looked around. “I’d normally suggest we start by looking for tracks, but the recent rains have probably washed those away. Let’s just go ahead and start down the first row.”