Lazy Bird, a Seth and Ava Mystery

By Claudia Hall Christian

After all Ava and her forensic science lab team had been through, and all of the cases they had resolved, Ava had hoped that they wouldn't be asked to do anymore of these difficult and nearly deadly cold cases from rural Colorado.

But on Ava's first day back from medical leave, her boss, "The Evil Wizard," emailed to remind her that she'd signed a contract for 10 rural cases, not 10 bodies.

Ava and the team are asked to solve the case of a dead homeless man found in a construction trash dumpster in Mancos, Colorado .For a homeless man, he is immaculately groomed.

As the oddities add up, the case begins to stretch back to the violence of the years after the Vietnam War and Seth O'Malley's hidden past.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cook Street Publishing
• Release date: Nov 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781956034332

Claudia Hall Christian

Claudia Hall Christian writes stories about good people caught in difficult situations. Her stories are addictive, heart pounding, and intense. She is the author of the Alex the Fey thriller series, the Queen of Cool, the Seth and Ava Mysteries, Suffer a Witch, Abee Normal Paranormal Investigations, and the longest consecutive serial fiction ever written, Denver Cereal. She lives in Denver where she keeps bees, gardens, hangs out with her Plott Hounds, and husband

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Lazy Bird

A Seth and Ava Mystery

Claudia Hall Christian

img1.jpg

Cook Street Publishing

Denver, CO

Also by Claudia Hall Christian

StoriesbyClaudia.com

Abee Normal, Paranormal Investigations

The Casebook of Abee Normal, Paranormal Investigations, Volume 1

The Casebook of Abee Normal, Paranormal Investigations, Volume 2

The Denver Cereal

V01 — The Denver Cereal V13 — Fort Collins

V02 — Celia’s Puppies V14 — Olney Springs

V03 — Cascade V15 — Manitou Springs

V04 — Cimarron V16 — Idaho Springs

V05 — Black Forest V17 — Poncha Springs

V06 — Fairplay V18 — Hot Sulfur Springs

V07 — Gold Hill V19 — Glenwood Springs

V08 — Silt V20 — Pagosa Springs

V09 — Larkspur V21 — Steamboat Springs

V10 — Firestone V22 — Estes Park

V11 — Fort Lupton V23 — Woodland Park

V12 — Fort Morgan  V24 — Roxborough Park

Alex the Fey Thrillers

The Fey Lean on Me About Face

Learning to Stand In the Grey In Deep

Who I am Finding North True Mark

Hackneys

Hackneys

The Queen of Cool

The Queen of Cool

Reapers

Reapers

Seth and Ava Mysteries

Tax Assassin Little Girl Blue

Carving Knife Billie’s Bounce

Friendly Fire Footprints

Cigarette Killer Freddie the Freeloader

Lazy Bird

Suffer a Witch

Suffer a Witch

Copyright © Claudia Hall Christian

ISNI: 0000 0003 6726 170X

Licensed under the Creative Commons License:

Attribution – NonCommercial – Share Alike 3.0

ISBN-13 : 978-1-956034-34-9 (print)

  978-1-956034-33-2 (digital)

Library of Congress available on request.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE:

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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First edition © November 2022

Cook Street Publishing

ISNI: 0000 0004 1443 6403

PO Box 7247

Denver, CO 80207

For Vietnam Veterans,

the lost and those who were able to move on.

One

Having managed to survive physical therapy and a trip upstairs to shower and getting her clothing on and coming down the elevator, Ava O’Malley leaned heavily on her cane as she hobbled into the kitchen.

Are you heading back to work today? Jemma asked from her spot at the bar in the kitchen.

Last weekend, Jem Jemma Pohogwe had married to her beloved Seth Running Wolf at Seth O’Malley’s family homestead outside of Granby, Colorado. Because Running Wolf was involved in a big case, he was back at work on Monday after a romantic few nights in a swanky hotel in Glenwood Springs. For convenience, more than anything else, the couple were living in an apartment in their carriage house behind the house.

In the front living room, Ava’s husband, Seth O’Malley, was playing the grand piano, while his father, Bernie, was playing a trumpet, and their friend, Bumpy, was playing the standing base. They were practicing as a jazz trio for a fundraising event next weekend.

Oh, I suppose, Ava O’Malley said, sitting down next to Jemma at the bar in front of a plate of eggs and toast.

Three months is not a long time for being shot, Jemma said.

Having just taken a bite of toast, Ava nodded and rolled her eyes. Maresol Tafoya, who was, among other things, their housekeeper, came around the corner to stand in the kitchen.

I think you should take another month off, Maresol said. Eat your eggs.

I have another case, Ava said. I will eat my eggs. Promise.

Ava took her laptop out of her backpack and opened it to show the email.

"I woke up this morning to the Evil Wizard telling me that the contract was for ten cases, not ten bodies, Ava said, grimacing. She called her boss, the head of the Denver Labs, the Evil Wizard. I guess that contract I got was to bring modern forensics to ten rural cases in Colorado. We have to start today."

What’s a ‘Mancos’? Jemma asked.

It’s a town in southeastern Colorado, Maresol said. Small. Rural.

Jemma nodded.

What’s his rush? Maresol asked.

Says that I’ve been sitting around too long, Ava said with a shrug. He says he’s being pressured to start on this one from Mancos. ‘Pressure on me means you have to get to work.’  His words.

That man. . . Maresol shook her head in disgust. Turning to Jemma, she asked, Are you going to tell Ava?

Maresol gave Jemma a pointed look.

Tell me what? Ava asked.

We’re pregnant! Jemma said.

Ava cheered.

You already knew, Jemma said.

I suspected, Ava said. I’m happy for you both. How many months?

Three, Jemma said, grinning at Ava.

Right after I was shot, Ava said. See! I’m good for you.

Yes, it’s all about you, Jemma laughed.

Ava laughed.

I know that it’s not in the right order for society, Jemma said. "We wanted to get pregnant after we were married. Have a baby after we’d published our first book. We thought it would take us longer since we’re both past thirty."

Babies come at their own time, Maresol said. Now, tell us. Do you have a good doctor? Should we do some shopping? Is there a ceremony we should learn?

Overwhelmed by Maresol, Jemma held up her hands, palms forward.

You’re freaking her out, Ava said. Slow down.

Maresol nodded to Ava. Turning to Jemma, Maresol gave her a happy smile.

I’m happy, Maresol said. Babies make me very happy. I can’t wait! All of my friends have babies to dote on. Now I will, too!

Ava grinned at Maresol, who laughed. The phone rang, and Maresol answered the landline.

There was a knock at the door. Maresol looked at Ava. She pointed to herself, and Maresol nodded. Ava got up with the help of her cane.

As she passed Maresol, the older woman grabbed the cane. Ava gave her a stern look, but Maresol shook her head. Maresol jerked the cane from Ava’s hands.

If you’re going back to work, you should be walking, Maresol said.

Scowling at Maresol, Ava limped her way to the door.

Three months ago to the day, Ava had been shot in the chest and in the leg. She’d been wearing a body-armor vest, but the bullet to her chest had broken her sternum and a couple of ribs. The leg wound would have killed Ava, but Jemma had placed a tourniquet after killing the shooter. Ava was well into healing when a random X-ray showed that Ava’s femur had broken and chipped from the force of the bullet. Another surgery gave Ava a nice rod through her femur.

Of course, her leg was taking forever to heal.

Their mean physical therapist, Otera, had told Maresol that the bone wasn’t healing because Ava wasn’t putting weight on the leg. Ava had liked the physical therapist when she was torturing her husband, piano prodigy and detective Seth O’Malley.

Ava was panting by the time she reached the door.

You only have yourself to blame, Maresol yelled after her.

Ava sneered in Maresol’s direction.

I felt that, Maresol said.

Sighing to herself, Ava jerked the huge, heavy front door open.

A beautiful woman of nearly her height was standing on the doorstep. She was wearing expensive designer clothing and expensive jewelry — diamond necklace, diamond tennis bracelet, huge diamonds on her ring finger, diamonds in her ears. The light of the diamonds made the woman’s flawless skin look a warm brown. Ava glanced at the woman’s waist-length dark hair to see if there was a crown in her hair. Seeing only hair, Ava looked at the decidedly Native American woman.

What? Ava asked with uncharacteristic rudeness.

The woman laughed.

You must be Ava, the woman said.

Irritated, Ava looked around the house.

This is my house, Ava said. I guess it’s me. Brilliant insight.

She went to close the door. Feeling movement behind her, Ava turned to see Maresol barreling toward the door. Maresol pushed Ava out of the way.

Who are you, and what do you want? Maresol asked.

I’m Koko Running Wolf, the woman said. My brother lives here?

What makes you think you’re welcome here? Maresol asked.

Just a few months ago, Seth Running Wolf’s mother had flown into a rage at Jemma in a restaurant and then gone about blocking their marriage through the Blackfoot Nation, Running Wolf’s people. Jemma and Running Wolf were married in a civil ceremony and had a large wedding scheduled with Jemma’s Shoshone people at the summer Pow Wow.

You must be Maresol, Koko said.

I am Maresol Tafoya, she said. "And I will tell you this — if you, your mother, or anyone else from your janky family come here to abuse our Jemma again, you will deal with me and my friends. That won’t end well for you."

Good to know, Koko said. I am here to meet Jemma and see my brother. Do a job. That’s all.

Your brother isn’t here, Ava said, moving to close the door again.

Koko held up her hand to keep the door open.

I’m aware of that, Koko said. The great FBI Agent is working to prosecute the men who are stealing and killing our women.

Koko pointed to herself.

Federal prosecutor, Koko said. I was invited to participate in the case.

Whoop-di-fucking-doo, Ava said. Do you honestly think that, after what your mother did, we give a shit?

Koko laughed.

You’re on notice, Maresol said.

Maresol stepped back to let the woman into the house. Ava sneered at the woman’s back, and Maresol grinned at Ava. Maresol guided Koko toward the kitchen, leaving Ava to close the heavy door and limp back to the kitchen. She got there in time to see Jemma’s awkward interaction with her new husband’s sister.

Ava noticed that Jemma had her hand over a picture that she must have taken out when Ava went to the door.

What do you want? Ava asked.

I want to make peace with my sister-in-law, Koko said, turning to Ava. It seems like I need to treat with you, Ava, as well as you, Maresol.

Maresol scowled at the woman.

Okay, okay, Koko said. "I knew that my mother was coming here. In my defense, I did warn my brother, but he’s all kinds of oblivious."

Maresol and Ava didn’t respond.

My mother did the same thing to my husband, Koko said. Our father is Canadian, from that branch of the Blackfoot Nation. He introduced me to my husband the summer before college. My mother was furious.

He’s white? Ava asked.

I’m not that crazy, Koko said with a laugh. My mother would have killed me first and then him. Likely my father, too. No, my husband is of the nation.

Koko turned to Jemma.

I will tell you. . . Koko said. My brother and I are very close. He’s never found any woman he’s cared anything about. My mother has set him up with literally thousands. He’s dated a lot of women over the years. But he never had even a passing interest in any of them. I think that’s why she was so mad.

That — and she’s evil, Ava said.

Koko laughed.

Is that an ultrasound picture? Koko asked.

Jemma looked at Maresol, who shrugged.

She is your family now, Maresol said to Jemma.

Jemma thought for a moment before nodding.

We’re going to have a baby, Jemma said, taking out the picture. Everything is out of society’s order, but we’re happy.

Koko picked up the image and looked at it. She gave Jemma a big smile.

This is our secret, Koko said. We won’t tell mother until you have a beautiful baby.

She won’t tell Jem that she’s some dumb, poor whore Plains Indian? Ava asked.

Grumpy, Ava was unwilling to give in so easily. Koko winced at Ava’s words.

Did she say that? Koko asked.

Jemma blushed, but Maresol and Ava nodded. Koko nodded in response.

Told you that my brother was going to be Chief? Koko asked.

Maresol and Ava nodded. Koko rolled her eyes.

Okay, Koko said. I’ll deal with my mother. My brother is her favorite because he is his own person, completely on his own. He came out of her that way. He doesn’t need her, so she adores him. At least, that’s what my therapist says.

Koko shrugged.

May I? Koko asked gesturing to a stool at the bar.

Maresol nodded, and Koko sat down.

Would you like breakfast? Maresol asked. What does your husband do?

No breakfast. My husband works with our dad, Koko said. He helps with the running of casinos to assist indigenous nations make an income to support themselves. He’s in Arizona right now, working with the Navajo Nation.

Ava looked at Maresol, and she nodded. Maresol had contacts on the Navajo Nation and would check out what Koko had said.

And your other brother? Maresol asked.

He’s a shaman, of all things. Healer. Teacher, Koko said. How the most gentle, kind person came out of my mother is a big mystery, but he’s really good at it. He told my brother Seth that he would meet someone here in Denver, but Seth. . .

Koko shrugged.

Coffee? Koko asked. You asked about breakfast. I would love some coffee.

Maresol turned in place. She poured Koko a cup of coffee and pressed a small pitcher of non-dairy cream in her direction. The music stopped in the front