Grave Consequences Read Free Page B

get the necklace back.”
    â€œThen what happened?”
    Charlie was tired now, the adrenaline had faded after the shooting and chase, but he wanted to be clear and accurate, so he concentrated on every detail.
    â€œLike I said before, I asked him for the claim ticket, stating that normally we only settled pawn agreements with the original client. However, if he had the legitimate claim ticket and some form of acceptable identification, I could legally complete the transaction.”
    â€œBut he didn’t have the ticket?”
    â€œNo, he said she’d misplaced it. He insisted that his girlfriend had to have it back because it was a family heirloom and she’d catch hell if her mother found out she’d pawned it,” Charlie explained.
    â€œThen what?”
    â€œWhen I refused to hand it over he got pissed. After a moment he calmed down and suggested that because he and I were both Navajos, we understood about family and clans and that things like the squash blossom had special meaning to us—things Anglos didn’t understand.”
    â€œBut no claim check, no squash blossom necklace? That’s what you told him.”
    â€œYeah, but then I explained that if he brought in his girlfriend, and she was the same person who pawned the piece, I could deal with her. My hands were tied, I had my business reputation at stake. It’s important to honor the pawn agreement with the original client. Besides, according to Jake and Ruth, the squash blossom was the work of one of the most famous Navajo silversmiths, a guy named Cordell Buck. He was killed outside a tribal casino just last month. The necklace has increased in value now.”
    DuPree nodded. “Your people verified that in their statements. Tell me again how the alleged boyfriend reacted.”
    â€œFor a second I think he considered taking a swing at me. Then he turned around and cussed his way out the door.”
    â€œAccording to the others, you later warned them that the guy would probably be back, either with the girl or looking for a fight. That’s the way it went down?” DuPree asked.
    â€œYeah, pretty much. I told Ruth that she could go home early today, but she said this was her job and she’d stand with us,” Charlie said.
    â€œYeah, that woman’s got a lot of character—and brave as hell after all she’s gone through,” DuPree added.
    Charlie nodded. Everyone on the staff, and especially Detective DuPree, knew about Ruth’s past, and respected her for what she’d accomplished. He was also one of the few who knew who she really was, and the secrets she was still keeping.
    â€œI asked the same question to everyone, so now I’m asking you. You’ve never had any dealings with the deceased shooter, Mario Savaadra?”
    â€œNo,” Charlie replied. He didn’t enjoy hearing the name of the man he and Gordon had killed inside the shop. He was no traditionalist, but there was a Navajo taboo that cautioned against naming the dead. During his military service he’d seen way too many bodies and he lived with that every day and night. But today it had again become all too personal.
    â€œWell, at least everyone on the staff is in agreement there. Jake ran through your computer records and we didn’t get any hits on the deceased there either,” DuPree admitted.
    â€œThe copies of the surveillance feed given to the crime scene unit go back six months. If your people find any faces that match that of the dead man, so be it, but we never recall doing business with him, at least since Gordon and I bought the place.”
    â€œYour staff has a good memory for faces, so I’m not going in that direction, at least not yet.”
    â€œThen are we about done here?” Charlie asked, seeing DuPree closing up his notebook.
    â€œI’m done,” the detective said, standing and looking out through the Plexiglas office window at the three techs in