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right-handed, or had a wicked backhand for a lefty. The murder weapon was a blunt object, like a pipe, wooden club, or something of that nature. He’s been dead less than eight hours, which would put the approximate time of death around dawn, plus or minus an hour or two. It’s pretty straightforward from whatI can see.” Carolyn stood up slowly, and signalled for Ute to join her.
    Ute, who always wore a glum expression, looked even more miserable now, as he put down his clipboard and walked toward them.
    “You like to pick on poor Harry, don’t you?” Ella whispered.
    Carolyn smiled. “Don’t begrudge me my little pleasures,” she said, reaching for the body bag.
    While Carolyn and Detective Ute loaded thevictim’s body into the M.E.’s van, Ella walked up to where Tache and Justine were working.
    Blalock was nearby, placing blood-encrusted sand from individual droplets into separate plastic vials, labeling them as he worked.
    “Hello Ella,” Blalock nodded congenially, looking up from his work for a moment. “How’s your family?”
    “Doing real well. I’ll tell them you asked.” Ella knew that her mom andbrother didn’t care too much for Blalock, but at least they had acquired some grudging respect for the man. He was dealing with the Dineh with a lot more tact nowadays, especially since working with her the past two years. As ex-FBI herself, she had managed to instill in Blalock the need to pay more attention to their cultural differences if he wanted to get anywhere on a case.
    Ella glanced atTache, who had finished loading the camera. “Have you photographed the murder weapon?” she asked him.
    “We haven’t found it, at least not yet.”
    “Why would the killer or killers take it with them?” Ella mused. “They didn’t try to hide the body, or obscure other evidence.”
    Justine joined them. “One of the three had enough presence of mind to balk at the thought of leaving a club full of fingerprintsbehind?”
    “Maybe the blood tests will reveal that more than one person was cut up enough to bleed,” Ella said. “That will help us later on in the investigation when we have a list of suspects. I have a feeling this crime is going to be far more complicated than it looks.” Ella looked at Justine, then Tache. Wariness shone in their eyes. They knew about her hunches.
    “It’s time to get to that twenty-four/twenty-four rule,” Ella continued. “The two most important things in an investigation are the last twenty-four hours of a victim’s life and whatever we find within twenty-four hours after the body is discovered. Get me everything you can find on the deceased,” she said, looking at Justine. “I want to know about his activities at the coal mine and his personal life. I want to know who hetrusted, who he worked with, who he hung around with, and who his enemies were.”
    “I’ll get right on that,” Justine said, writing everything down in her notebook.
    Ella looked at Tache. “I’d like the photos you’ve taken here developed as soon as you get back. Have them all on my desk before you go home tonight and make copies for Blalock, too.”
    Carolyn came up as Tache went back to help FB-Eyes,who was still collecting bloodstained sand. “You’re really pushing on this one. How come?”
    Ella looked at Carolyn, then Justine.
    “I have things to do.” Justine said, turning to leave.
    Ella shook her head. “No, you might as well hear this now instead of at the station. I was detoured on my way over here answering a ten-forty-seven—a drunken driver—endangering traffic. But that’s not what I found.”She recounted what she’d seen, the convulsions, the unresponsive stare. “I have a feeling we’re going to be getting a lot of heat on that one, and just at a time when we’re going to need all our energy for this case.”
    “Why should that accident be different from any other drug-or alcohol-related death that happens on the Rez? Who was in the car?” Justine