They rode in silence to the station. The tension between them charged the air like an invisible force that drew them together despite the need for caution. As they walked into the squad room, Casey immediately forced herself to adopt the high-handed attitude that Ashe had suggested. She knew it well. It was mostly a defense mechanism. Local police departments usually resented it when federal agents took over a case. “The Attitude” was just a way of establishing command in a hostile work situation.

  “Captain—” she strode into Todacheene’s office without knocking, with Ashe directly behind her “—I’m going to need the personnel records of every officer in this substation and auxiliary personnel as well, including the district attorney’s office.”

  “I can open our personnel files to you, but the files pertaining to county employees who work with this department aren’t kept here.”

  “They’re computerized somewhere. Get them.”

  Captain Todacheene’s gaze hardened. “I said I’d cooperate with your department, but—”

  “I don’t have time for protocols or niceties,” she said, her voice loud enough for those outside in the squad room to hear. “I’m running out of time. I want those records, and the cooperation you promised. If I don’t get it, I’ll bring a federal team in here and turn this place inside out. The situation is critical, and I don’t have time to indulge in turf battles.”

  “Follow me, Agent Feist. You, too, Detective, since you’re obviously working with her.” Captain Todacheene strode out, anger evident on his face.

  He led the way to the same crowded, windowless office they’d used before in their search of the phone records. “The terminals in here will access whatever you want. Redhawk knows the system. There are also hard-copy printouts in those file cabinets against the wall.” He paused, his gaze steely as it focused on Casey. “But not one piece of paper leaves this place. Is that perfectly clear? You can access information, and you can sit here and memorize it, for all I care, but what’s in here is confidential and will remain that way unless you produce a subpoena.”

  “Understood,” Casey replied.

  “Now turn your backs while I enter my access code into the two terminals.”

  A moment later, after Todacheene had left the room, Casey glanced around. “Well, he didn’t say we couldn’t take notes if we found something interesting.”

  Ashe exhaled softly. “There are enough files in here to keep us busy for the next year.”

  “Unfortunately, we have to go as fast as we can. Let’s focus on new employees first—those who’ve been hired within the past two to three months. The trouble started recently, so let’s track it that way.”

  Hours later, Casey leaned back in the wooden chair and rubbed her eyes. “Anything turn up on Prescott yet? I didn’t realize his appointment was so recent.”

  “I’m still accessing that information. It’s a little complicated because he’s in the county database.”

  “I’ve learned something interesting about Nakai,” she said. “He took a six-month leave of absence, and only rejoined the force recently.”

  “I knew about that, but I’m telling you, he’s not our man.”

  “According to this, he went to Arizona for a while. Need I remind you that the call asking about Fox came from Phoenix?”

  “The timing’s off, though. John was already back at work on the Rez when the call came in. There’s nothing mysterious about his trip to Arizona, either. His mother was in a hospital there being treated for a rare form of cancer. I remember the entire department chipped in to help him with the funds he needed for that trip.”

  “You do realize that what you’ve said doesn’t make him any less a suspect. Money problems have pushed people into doing all kinds of things.”

  Ashe shook his head, then a moment later looked up from the computer. “Okay. Here we go. I’ve got the file on Prescott. He is the newest employee we’ve checked so far. He accepted the D.A.’s post eight weeks ago, after the elected D.A. resigned to take a job with a private law firm. Interestingly enough, Prescott also has a Phoenix connection. He was raised there, but moved to New Mexico to attend college. His law degree is from the University of New Mexico. But he was serving as a legal consultant to the Phoenix municipal offices when he was appointed to take over the district attorney’s job in San Juan County.”

  Casey looked over his shoulder. “Now that the captain has met Prescott, do you think he’d remember if his voice was that of the person who called posing as Deputy Marshal James?”

  Ashe leaned back and stared at the computer screen pensively. “Maybe. Maybe not. But that Phoenix connection still features everything. We have to follow it up, but we’ll have to tread carefully. Prescott will sue this department—and you and me, as well—for defamation if we start asking pointed questions about his background. He wants the D.A. position here permanently. He’s made that clear.”

  “Okay. So we’ll use kid gloves, but we can’t back off. Get me the telephone number where Prescott worked. I want to compare it to the one on the phone log.”

  “There’s a one-digit difference,” Ashe said, giving her the number, “so it was probably from the same building, maybe the same office.”

  Casey mulled it over. “That really sends out a red flag. It also gives a new slant on Prescott’s pressuring my boss to remove me. Maybe he knows we’re getting close and he’d rather take his chances with a new investigator. But this is all conjecture. Near as we can tell, he doesn’t have a motive. We have to keep up the pressure on him and see what happens. We also need to find out where Prescott was when the attacks on your family and on us occurred. But I don’t want to ask him directly. We can’t tip him off until we have more to go on.”

  “Then how do you propose to get the information?”

  Casey shrugged. “I can question his secretary and tell her that it’s imperative that she tell no one I asked, at least for now.”

  “Even if she agreed, you couldn’t be sure she’d do it. A lot of secretaries are very loyal to their bosses.”

  “Have you got a better idea?” she retorted.

  “I think it would be a mistake at this point to come up with a set game plan. I have a feeling we may do better if we give ourselves room to improvise.”

  “Okay.” She might have worried if she’d been working with anyone else, but she knew Ashe. Whatever he came up with—even off-the-cuff—usually worked out.

  Chapter Sixteen

  A short time later, they stood outside the building where Prescott had his office. “Okay. I called his secretary and was told Prescott would not be back in until much later today. He’s in court.”

  “Then let’s go meet his secretary.”

  They climbed the stairs to the second floor and walked directly to Prescott’s office.

  As a young brunette greeted them, Casey brought out her U.S. Marshals Service badge. The direct route was usually her style.

  The secretary glanced at the badge, disinterested. “Mr. Prescott won’t be available for the rest of the day. In fact, I was getting ready to leave myself. It’s my lunch hour.”

  “I would like to ask you a few questions before you go.” Casey saw the tightening around the young secretary’s mouth, and knew she’d be facing some resistance. This wasn’t going well. “We need some help,” she said, softening her tone. “We’re trying—”

  Ashe stepped toward the window, but bumped the desk hard with his leg. Everything on the desktop was jolted, and some of the items went crashing to the floor.

  The brunette rushed around to his side. “Are you okay?”

  Ashe was doubled over, grimacing and holding his leg. As the woman proceeded to help him to a chair, Ashe caught Casey’s gaze and nodded toward the appointment book next to the phone.

  Casey picked it up and stuck it in her purse while Ashe kept the secretary distracted.

  “You should check and make sure you don’t have a nasty cut. I’ve bumped that corner myself, walking by.” She took a set of keys from the top drawer. “The rest room is right down the hall. Let me show you the way,” she said, but the phone began to ring.

  “It’s okay,” Casey said quickly. “I’ll help him find it. We’ll be right back. Can you wait a few more minutes before you leave?”

  “Sure. I’ll answer this call, then I have to contact the garage where my car’s getting fixed anyway.”

  As soon as they were around the corner from the office, Ashe straightened. “Good backup, partner.”

  “Any information we get now won’t stand up in court, but we may get answers that can lead us in the right direction, or at least save us some valuable time. That bit you pulled was a great diversion.”

  Ashe unlocked the rest-room door and took a quick look inside. “It’s empty, and we’ve got the key. If we both duck in there, we can study the entries without being seen.”

  The bathroom was small, with barely enough space for one. Casey’s back was pressed against the sink as she opened the book. Ashe tried to stand next to her and look at the book but the angle and the lighting were all wrong. Finally he lifted her up onto the sink and stood in front of her. “You read it to me,” he said.

  She opened the book. He was standing so close that every nerve-ending in her body tingled to life. As he placed one hand on her knee, she fought the crazy desire to part her legs and pull him to her.

  As if he’d had the same thought, he glanced downward, then reluctantly moved away.

  She took a deep, unsteady breath and read the entries that coincided with the times they were investigating. “That’s that, then. He was scheduled for court both times. He couldn’t have been’involved in the drive-by shooting, or in the murder of your foster parents.”

  “So much for Prescott as a possibility. Too bad. This was one guy I wouldn’t have minded arresting for something.”

  “But this doesn’t completely exonerate him, you know. It just means that he couldn’t have been physically present at either crime scene.”

  As Casey jumped down from the sink, she collided with Ashe’s chest. He grasped her firmly around the waist, steadying her. “I think we’d better leave,” she muttered as heated images once again filled her mind.

  “Yes—before I forget what we’re doing here.”

  His husky voice left her nerves tingling. Desire urged her to be reckless and let passion guide them. It was only as she remembered what he’d said earlier about love that she found the courage to edge around him and move away. Ashe would never accept meeting her halfway. He wanted her very soul. With a heavy heart, she stepped out into the hall.

  As they returned to Prescott’s office, both of them were quiet. Casey felt restless. Seeing the young secretary still on the phone, she slid the appointment book out of her purse and onto the floor beside the desk, as if it had fallen there.

  “Is everything okay?” the brunette asked after hanging up.

  “Yes. Here are your keys,” Ashe said, rubbing his leg.

  “You said you wanted to ask me something,” the young woman reminded Casey reluctantly.

  “I just wanted to know the best time to catch Mr. Prescott.”

  She looked around for the appointment book, then noticed it on the floor. Ashe picked it up and handed it to her with a smile. “He’s pretty booked for the rest of this week,” the secretary said after a quick check.

  “That’s okay. I’ll be in touch next week and set up a meeting then,” Casey answered.

  As they left the building, Casey could sense Ashe’s change in mood. He was tense, almost angry.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “I’ve spent my entire life learning how to achieve a balanced life. Yet, around you, I lose all perspective. I should be focused on catching the people who killed my foster parents. Instead, I find myself fighting the urge to make love to you.”

  It was clear to Casey that Ashe wasn’t talking about love now, only passion. She didn’t answer, nor did she look at him.

  There had been a time when she’d seen the love she felt reflected in his eyes; then that had turned to cold anger. To see passion there now, without any of the feelings that had once given it meaning, would have been impossible for her to bear.

  ASHE MADE THE FINAL arrangements for the burial of his foster parents, then met his brother at the church graveyard, which was located in a beautiful spot northwest of town, overlooking the river valley below. It was the last place on earth Ashe wanted to be, for a multitude of reasons, but this was a duty he had to see through. Fox had wanted to be there, too, but they’d all known the risk was too great, and had managed to talk her out of it. No one had been told of the service, either, for the same reasons; they could not take the chance of someone tailing them back to the lodge.

  The two brothers stood alone side by side as the caskets were lowered into the ground. They waited in stony silence as the Anglo minister said a few words.

  Out of respect for the brothers, the minister kept the prayer short, and when he came up to them, did not offer to shake hands. “They were very proud of both of you, and of their daughter,” he said, not mentioning the Johnsons by name. “Their love is something you’ll carry in your hearts for as long as you live.”

  Ashe nodded, feeling his throat tighten. “Thank you. You’ve done what you had to for their sakes, and you’ve shown respect for my brother and me, as well.”

  Travis also thanked the minister. Then, as they walked away, he glanced at Ashe. “You and I have to finish the fight, brother. It’s up to us to see that Fox is free to live her own life again. We can’t let her down.”

  “And we won’t,” Ashe replied flatly. He owed that much to his foster family, and he always paid his debts.

  CASEY WATCHED ASHE close up his cell phone. It was nearly eight in the evening, but neither she nor Ashe had been quite willing to call it a day. They needed each other’s company now to push back the loneliness of another long night. It had been her idea to see if her department would finance a fact-finding trip to Phoenix, but Ashe’s connections with the PD there had given them access to the information they’d needed without making the trip.

  “Charley Benally is a good friend. He’ll be able to talk to us later tonight. He also promises to E-mail us some files that’ll help us. Apparently the D.A. is well-known there.”

  “I’m glad to hear that you’re not ready to give up on the D.A. as a suspect,” she said. “It’s a good thing I decided to confirm the schedule on his datebook.” Finding out that the court session Prescott had supposedly been attending during the time of the murder had been postponed, at his request, put a whole new slant on their investigation. “Obviously, canceled appointments are not always corrected on his secretary’s desk calendar.”

  “Only two people we know who are involved in the current case have that Phoenix connection—Prescott and Nakai,” Ashe said.

  “From their size, I’d say both wear a size-nine or -ten shoe, too,” Casey added.

  It was past ten when they were able to get Charley on the phone. Ashe sat in Casey’s office as he put Charley on the speaker.

  “You told me that you were interested in Ben Prescott, so I’ve been asking some of the old-timers here who knew him best,” Charley said. “He’s well-thought-of, as I told you. You may not know this, but he was actually part of a violent street gang here when he was a kid. Then he got his act together.”

  “So he had a record?” Casey asked.

  “Yeah, at one time,” Charley replied. “Of course, his record as a minor was cleared when he turned eighteen. That’s when he moved to New Mexico to attend college at UNM. I’m sending you a file via computer now. It’s for your eyes only. Take a good look, then delete it before you leave the office. It’s a compilation of statements from the officers here who knew him way back when, including the two cops who arrested him when he was in the gang.”

  Casey downloaded the file a few minutes later. Neither of them spoke until they’d both read the contents. “His background is really interesting,” Casey commented.

  “The information there is based on recollections and is hearsay, which isn’t admissible in court. But it could make trouble for the officers who gave me those informal statements. The D.A. is now a respected member of the bar and no one wants to go up against him,” the Phoenix cop reminded them.

  “I’ll take care of it,” Ashe assured him. “The file will be deleted, and no printouts will be made.”

  “As you can see, Prescott was a kid with a violent streak,” Benally continued. “His gang was responsible for quite a few residential burglaries.”

  “Where at, do you know?” Ashe asked.

  Charley gave them the name of a subdivision, and mentioned the Phoenix suburb.

  Casey recognized the area. Although Katrina’s parents had lived in another community, it was one not far from there.

  “Prescott was walking garbage when he was a kid,” Charley continued. “He even got into a fight with two of our cops and tried to run one over with his motorcycle. But he did straighten himself out. He went to college, and made something of himself.”

  Casey studied the information, then clicked the mouse on the delete button. She knew the key points now. “Thanks for putting this file together and letting us take a look at it.”

  “No problem,” Charley said. “I hope it helps you find the killers.”

  Ashe sat lost in thought after Casey had hung up. “I’m going to search through Prescott’s personnel files, and I’m also going to try and access the files that pertain to the job he had in Phoenix before coming here. Let’s see what I can turn up legally.”

  THE NEXT MORNING, ASHE picked her up at the motel. As they began the journey to the station in Ashe’s carryall, Casey used her cell phone to check with Hayes, assuring herself that everything was all right.