style="font-size:15px;"> “Your sister gave her life to protect tribal assets. Next time Talbot comes around, send him to me.”
“I know you work for the tribe. But in what capacity? A courier? Security guard?” Judging from his neutral expression and his questions, he’d come with more than a social visit in mind.
He took out his card and handed it to her.
She studied it for a moment. “Security. Office of the Navajo Tribal President. That doesn’t tell me much.”
“I work on the President’s behalf, carrying out whatever assignments come up,” he answered, leaning back in his chair and stretching his long legs. “I’m an investigator who answers only to the tribe.”
She held his gaze. The man was holding back. Instinct and training told her that, and much more. Keeping secrets was second nature to him. His body language attested to his ease with them.
While serving in the military, she’d had to do the same thing. She wondered if Max knew what a toll secrets eventually took on those who guarded them.
Almost as quickly as the thought had formed, she focused back on the situation at hand. “Those assets you won’t identify—let’s just call them jewelry for now. Talbot intimated that I might know where they are, so he’s talking conspiracy.”
“What did you tell him?”
“Not much. I, shall we say, escorted him off my property?” She watched his gaze skim over her lips, then drop lower, grazing her neck, and taking in the soft swell of her breasts. The look hadn’t been insolent or disrespectful. It had been…appreciative.
Kris suppressed the shiver that touched her spine. He was playing her. He knew that nature had given him a certain amount of power over the opposite sex and he’d learned to use it. She wouldn’t be taken in.
“Back to my sister…what happened?” she pressed again. “At one point, Talbot had the nerve to suggest that I’d previously met with Harris and that I knew where the stolen merchandise was.” She paused. “He’s lucky he can still walk upright.”
“Harris is dead, but he was the key player. He betrayed the tribe, your sister and me,” he said, then taking a breath continued. “We all set out in the same vehicle with our cargo, Harris driving. Our route took us through Four Corners, and you know how desolate that stretch is. Not long after we passed into New Mexico, he insisted on pulling over. He claimed that there was something wrong with the steering and he wanted to stop and take a look. We all got out and he suddenly pulled a gun on us. He shot me, then fired at your sister as she scrambled out of the backseat. I went down, but managed to return fire and force him back, giving your sister the chance to drive away with the cargo. Unfortunately, her only option was to head down a dirt road, not the highway.”
She could picture it clearly. Tina would have done everything in her power to keep what had been entrusted to her out of a thief’s hands. “What happened to you then?”
“I took a hit to the head, maybe from a second gunman, and passed out. I didn’t wake up until the next day. Evidence at the scene suggests that Harris either had another vehicle hidden nearby, or was met shortly thereafter by a partner. We also have reason to believe Harris caught up to your sister after she hid the cargo.”
“You found the car she drove off in,” Kris commented thoughtfully. “Wasn’t there any other evidence in or around it?”
“It had rained that afternoon, so the tracks in the area were almost indistinguishable by the time she was located. But I’m absolutely certain that your sister hid the assets we were protecting—and died with honor protecting them. Which brings me to the reason I’m here,” he added. “My job now is to find out where she went, who she spoke to or saw, and where those assets ended up.”
“So to you, this is mostly a matter of finding the missing cargo,” she concluded. “But why do you need me for that? Why don’t you just expand the search until you find the stuff?” She paused, suddenly reminded of Talbot. “Or did you come to me because you also think I had something to do with the theft?” Angry, she faced him squarely.
“No, that’s not it.” He rose to his feet and placed both his hands on her shoulders, capturing her gaze.
“I’m here because I remember the way your sister spoke about you. She told me that you were two of a kind. I believe that if anyone can second-guess what she did that day, it’ll be you.”
Max was telling her the truth. She could feel it. But she was just as sure that there was a lot more he wasn’t saying. “You two shared a working relationship,” she said at last. “You were partners in the police force at one time, too. That should give you all the edge you need.”
“Your sister and I respected each other, and we worked well as partners, but we were never anything more than that.”
“My priority isn’t finding those precious assets. I want to know exactly what happened to my sister that day and why she was killed. Since we have different goals, I can’t see us working together.”
“We’ll have a better chance of finding answers—and staying alive—if we work together,” he replied in quiet voice.
She gazed into his eyes, then shook her head and turned away. “I won’t work with someone who’s holding out on me. If you want us on the same team, then start by telling me what was stolen. I know how to keep things under wraps. If the United States Marine Corps trusted me, so can you.”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” he began.
“Then stop playing games,” she interrupted sharply, bringing forth the bark that had served her so well as a marine. “If you want my help, then put me in the picture, and tell me everything you know. Otherwise, you’re on your own.”
“We’re not overseas now, giving orders, or fighting a war. This type of case isn’t part of your training. You’re out of your element,” he said, his eyes narrowed, his gaze sharp.
Kris was sure that not many people could have stood up to one of those icy looks of his, but she held her ground. “I’m a quick study. I intend to start by examining my sister’s personal effects as soon as the police release them. I’ll also have a talk with our senator and congresswoman and ask for their help in loosening some lips. I’ve got it covered, so it looks like we’re through here,” she added, gesturing to the door. “I’ve got a long day ahead of me.”
“Give me a few more minutes of your time,” Max said, slipping his jacket back on and jamming his hands into the pockets. “My pickup is parked right out the side door. Walk with me, and we’ll talk. You’ve got nothing to lose.”
MAX WAITED FOR HER as she stepped over to speak to the woman at the cash register. Kris was one tough lady. Women usually liked him, but he’d tried charm and that hadn’t worked. He’d also tried logic, but her points had been valid, too. He needed a new tactic—and fast.
A moment later she fell into step beside him. “Don’t even think of trying to play me, Max. I’ve been dealing with men trying to tell me what to do for years.”
The challenge sparked something inside him. She had fire, this one. He brought his thoughts under control quickly. Without control and finesse, he’d get nowhere.
“So
