Caching Out Read Free Page A

me know how important it is to both of
us to get this get resolved.”
    “You
mean he threatened your job?”
    Tate
offered a grim chuckle. “Well, not directly, but he did skip around it. Made
sure he reminded me that he had to work his tail off to get me in over Chad
Green.” 
    Martin
croaked, “‘Green’ being the operative word. Chad’s just a kid, straight out of
the academy. Just because his daddy’s been on the County force forever doesn’t
mean that kid could run the department. You plan on having a press conference
or something to let the locals know what’s going on?”    
    “Not
yet. Until we have some solid evidence, it’s too early to be talking to the
press or the locals. Right now, I plan to do some follow up with Reva Corley
since she was the last person to see Parker alive. She said that they were
hiking out at White’s Lake earlier in the day. I talked to her last night and I
can’t be sure, but my gut tells me that she was holding something back. If
that’s true, I’ve got to find out whatever it is she’s not telling me.”
    “Let
me know when you get the ME’s report back and if there’s something I can do to
help, just say the word.” 
    “Thanks
Martin, I will.” Alone again, Tate dropped the Parker file into a desk drawer.
He grabbed his cap and slipped out of the courthouse just behind Martin,
avoiding as many curious people as possible.  

 
    CHAPTER 3
     
    Tate
slid into the hunter green SUV and pushed his sunglasses on, backed out of his
reserved parking spot at the courthouse and turned left on Main Street. With
one hand he dialed the number for the Tribal Police on his cell only to learn
that things were pretty quiet at the Reservation right now, if you didn’t count
the steady stream of drugs that continued to make their way onto tribal
property. After a quick trip by the morgue where he was assured that the Parker
case was getting priority, he made his way to the Ridge Diner hoping Reva
Corley was working the day shift.
    When
he pushed open the glass door of the diner, a clanging cow bell overhead reminded
Tate of just how little things in Pine Ridge had changed in the last couple of
decades. The diner had been where all the kids hung out after school, including
him. In front of the bar, the same round swivel stools sat atop dingy round
chrome poles bolted to the floor and even though they were older now, some of
the same people still sat there, feet propped on an equally dingy chrome rail
running the length of the bar. Nodding to those who turned to look his way,
Tate moved to the back of the diner and slid into a faded red Naugahyde booth
that matched the stools at the bar.
    A
petite women with limp blond hair stepped up to take his order. Her white shirt
was rolled up to the elbows and covered with a dark brown apron sporting
several grease spots. Smiling, she pulled a numbered pad from her pocket with
one hand and a pen from behind her ear with the other.
    “What’ll
it be today Tate, uh, I mean Chief?”  Kathy was the same age as Tate and they’d
been in some classes together in high school. Looking up at her, Tate could see
that life had been hard on the once beautiful girl.
    Smiling
as if he hadn’t noticed the change at all, Tate ordered a club sandwich and a
cup of coffee. Before Kathy could walk away, he asked, “Reva working today
Kathy?” 
    Kathy
shook her head. “She was just so upset over what happened to Saralyn. Burt gave
her a couple days off. Told her to pull herself together and then come on back
to work.”  As Kathy walked away, Tate leaned back into the worn booth, propping
his feet up on the opposite seat. For the first time since he’d gotten called
out to the Parker house, he relaxed.
    The
bell over the diner door clanked, and Tate watched as a tall man with long, graying
hair pulled back in a tight ponytail entered the diner. Locking eyes with the
man as he slid into the opposite side of the booth, Tate smiled.
    “Hello,
Son.