Judgment at Alcatraz by Dave Edlund (carter reed .txt) 📕

a project I worked a few years ago. Thought I might say hello since I’m passing through.”

“Nope,” the waitress replied, but her eyes said otherwise.

“Oh. I was really hoping I could buy him lunch or dinner. I used to be an advocate with the ACLU.”

Alice looked squarely at her. “Figured you for a big-city lady. You’re obviously not a rancher. I thought maybe a nurse or doctor. Never would have guessed you’re a lawyer.”

Danya gave a sheepish smile. “Well, I’m really not a lawyer. But I’ve done paralegal work for various nonprofits over the years. I met Leonard doing pro bono work on tribal rights.”

“I don’t know you’ll find many clients in Owyhee. Not that the folks here couldn’t use some legal help. Just that no one can afford to hire a lawyer.”

“I’m just passing through on my way to Seattle.”

Alice smiled. “If you’re headed for Seattle, you’re quite a ways off course.”

“I’m taking the scenic route. Kinda between jobs right now, and decided to go on a road trip. I’ve seen a lot of the US, but never this part. Not much out here, but the land sure is beautiful.”

“Owyhee is the biggest town between Elko to the south, and Mountain Home up north in Idaho. Make sure you have a full tank of gas when you leave.”

“Thanks. But I think I’ll hang around. At least for a few days. Count on seeing me back here. The food is delicious. Besides, I didn’t see many dining options.”

“There’s a motel up the road, near the hospital. But they don’t always have rooms available.”

Danya waved off the suggestion. “I’m more inclined to camp over by Sheep Creek Reservoir. A guy at a gas station down in Elko said it’s a popular spot for boaters, and the bass fishing is pretty good. I checked it out on Google Maps. Looks like there are some good camping spots near the water.”

Alice nodded.

At the end of the small talk, and feeling like she’d broken the ice with Alice, Danya decided to try one more time.

“I’d really like to connect again with Leonard while I’m here. Any idea how I might find him?”

Alice narrowed her eyes. “If you worked with Leonard, how come you don’t know how to reach him?”

Danya had been hoping for this type of response. It meant Alice was lying previously when she said she didn’t know him.

Danya smiled. “It was the strict policy of the office I worked in—in Phoenix—that everything about a client be treated as confidential. I’d imagine that’s true at every law firm. There were some exceptions, naturally, but only if the client approved in advance and in writing. And when I resigned, of course those files stayed with the Phoenix office.”

“Like I already said, I don’t know anyone named Leonard Cloud.”

“That’s okay. It was worth a try. Hey, is there anyone you could direct me to who might be able to help me?”

“Nope.”

Alice was about to walk away from the table, but hesitated. She leaned a little closer and lowered her voice.

“You seem like a nice lady. But you know, this is a small town. Most people have lived here all their lives, and they don’t trust outsiders. Especially pale-skinned outsiders from big cities. It makes them nervous.”

Danya understood the message clearly. The sentiment was rooted in generations of bad history between indigenous peoples and the American government. And she also knew from talking with Toby that the prejudices against America Indians still ran deep. The signs were there before the world to see—except no one was looking. No one wanted to see.

She knew the same story played out daily in the Middle East, only the cast of characters was different. In her homeland, it was Jews versus Palestinians and Syrians. As a child and young adult, she’d been indoctrinated in the mandate that Israel was entitled to a security buffer around the homeland. That security buffer consisted of the lands seized by the victorious Israelis during the 1967 Six Day War—East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, and the West Bank. Only as an adult did she come to appreciate the singularity of this pivotal decision on events that came to pass in the decades following Israel’s stunning triumph. She sometimes wondered how history would be different if the conquered lands had been returned following the war, or if the war had never happened.

She thought about what little she knew of the history of relations between American Indians, white settlers, and the federal government. She admitted her knowledge was pretty close to zero before she’d shared a long car trip with Toby. Still, the parallels were inescapable.

“Thanks for the tip.” Danya passed a twenty-dollar note to Alice. “Keep the change. Maybe I’ll see you tonight.”

She smiled inwardly as she sat behind the wheel and slowly backed the red pickup out of the parking spot. She deliberately took her time shifting from reverse into drive. When she looked at the rearview mirror, she was certain she saw Alice gazing at her through the large picture window.

Chapter 29

Zooming in on the satellite map image showed several promising camping spots surrounding Sheep Creek Reservoir. Almost too many. What if Leonard can’t find me?

Danya dismissed the thought. After all, she was driving a red pickup, and she’d given Alice plenty of time to record the license plate. And it was an Oregon license plate—not all that common on the reservation.

The satellite image showed dirt roads wrapping around the lake. She decided to follow the road on the east side of the reservoir, hoping to find an isolated spot that was still easily visible to a passing driver.

She turned off Owyhee Road and was chased by a dust cloud as she paralleled the lake, frequently glancing out the driver’s window at the blue water. It looked inviting, but she wasn’t here for the recreation.

After she’d covered about a half-mile, the land poked out into the reservoir. The peninsula was too narrow for a boat launch, and seemed to be overlooked as a