Thomas Blackhorse's Arc

Chapter 12 of 17

Ray arrived at the Gallup station before dawn with a folder under his arm and coffee stains on his tie. He set the folder on the interview room table and opened it. Three witness statements, each one taken by the night sergeant. Ray tapped the top page. "Judge signs at nine. We've got three hours. And we've got a problem." Thomas read the pages. Earl said the woman drove a white pickup to the ranch. Miguel said a dark sedan. The young woman said she never saw the vehicle at all, only heard it. Earl put the gasoline cans in the kitchen. Miguel said the porch. Earl said the woman spoke to Miguel by name. Miguel said she never used it. "A defense lawyer eats this in ten minutes," Ray said. "Judge won't sign a warrant on statements that fight each other. We need one clean version or we get nothing." Thomas looked through the glass at the three of them. Earl slumped against the wall with his eyes closed. Miguel sat straight, hands flat on the table. The young woman sat apart with the book bag on her lap, one finger tracing the sharpie name on the leather patch. She looked sad, and she looked like she had more to say. "Bring them in one at a time," Thomas said. "Start with her." She came in and sat down. Thomas slid a legal pad across. "You heard the engine," he said. "Not saw it." "Right." "Diesel or gas?" She thought. "I…don’t know. Loud. Rattled the window." Thomas wrote it down. "Earl said white pickup. Miguel said sedan. A sedan doesn't rattle a window from the yard." "I guess." "You ever see her load the cans?" "No. She kept me in the basement most days. I’m not allowed to leave. I heard her drag them across the porch boards though." Thomas underlined porch. He looked at the young woman, “What did you mean, you weren’t allowed to lea…” he started to ask but was interrupted. A uniformed officer brought Miguel in next, ending their conversation short. Thomas sighed and walked him through it. Miguel admitted he had only seen the cans through a cracked door and had assumed the kitchen because that was where the smell came from later. Earl came last. Earl said he never saw the truck, only heard Juanita say the word truck when she went out for more fuel. He had filled in white from an old memory of her sister's vehicle years back. By seven Thomas had one page. Diesel pickup, unknown color. Cans staged on the porch. Juanita named by two witnesses who heard her speak, corroborated by the third who recognized her voice through the floor. The book bag logged into evidence with a chain of custody signed by the young woman and the sergeant. The young woman seemed crushed to be parted from the bag, as if it was her whole world. Ray read the page twice and closed the folder. "This holds." He left for the courthouse. Thomas stepped into the hall and his phone buzzed. Maria Ruiz-Delgado. He answered. "Pablo's gone," she said. "He took the shotgun. He knows her name now. Somebody told him." Thomas closed his eyes. The warrant would come at nine. Pablo would find her first.