All in the Eyes of the Beholder

Chapter 4

     Garrett liked the two Detectives; they had an easy camraderie that he hadn't been able to develope with his last partner. The man had had secrets, secrets that a friendship would have brought to the surface a lot sooner. James had been an alcoholic and it had cost him his life and had gotten Garrett shot. That had been four years ago and it was still too painful to remember at times. "I'm glad you guys have that brotherly relationship outside the job. My last partner wouldn't let me get that close to him and it got him killed and I had been shot. He had been drinking and we walked into a situation. The perp shot him and as he fell, his gun went off hitting me in the leg. The store owner pulled out a gun and fired as the perp drew a bead on me. Two people dead, one wounded and the hero was the shop owner. The toxicology report came back on James; his alcohol level was twice the legal limit. We still can't figure out how he hid it so well for so long. It was so bad that he was dying, cirrhosis of the liver. He had maybe another year before it took his life" he explained. He felt the tension in his chest ease as he told them. " Hey we had a similar issue a few months back. The chief is recovering from an addiction to pain meds. It's hard but we keep a close check on him and we have been there for him through it all. We even go to his meetings with him. He was the one who came to us and told us he had a problem. I took him to one of my meetings and we have continued to support him through it. Sam was there and so were several other officers that we know. Drugs and alcohol are the major problems facing officer today" Jose said." Yeah, I just wish that James had opened up to me at least. I would have helped him. If he had then maybe he would have still been alive today. He was one hell of an investigator. It is also the number one problem on the reservations today. The number two problem is unemployment, so the kids are turning to crime in the local outlying areas. It seems that Miss Silverfox is working to ease that situation in her own way. It may be an avenue of investigation. Maybe someone doesn't like her funding some of those programs but then again she may not be the target. We are going to have to get close to her and question her. Call it intuition but I feel that she is the real target" Garrett said, "Although all the victims were photographers there was some information that had been witheld. All the victims so far had had all their real hair shorn off and a straight haired black wig had been seen onto their heads, post-mortem. This is why I feel that Miss Silverfox is the real target. She would be his ultimate victim and his ultimate trophy. I don't want to think about what this guy would do to her." Garrett looked grim. "You know, you're right. I remember reading about the wigs in the autopsy reports. Well here's my stop; I'll see you both tomorrow" Sam said as they pulled up in front of a modest red brick cape styled house with real white wooden shutters around the windows. A petite blonde woman with a big belly stood on the porch steps, smiling. Sam got out of the car and walked up to his wife. He gave her a kiss and then bent over to give her belly a kiss. They waved to Jose and Garrett before they went into the house. Garrett moved up to the front seat. As he had watched the couple greeting each other, a sharp pang of longing pierced his heart. It made him feel his loneliness as nothing else had in a long time.

     "So how come there is no one special in your life?" he asked Jose. Jose smiled. "I wanted to wait until I was working a desk. I didn't want a wife worrying if I was going to come home that night because working street patrols are brutal out here. And what about you, no special woman waiting for you back home?" Jose replied. Garrett shook his head. "I haven't had the time. I had worked on my parents ranch from sun up until sundown when I wasn't in school. Then right after school I went into the military and then into the F.B.I. I really didn't have the time to invest in a relationship. Now that I have earned my promotion, I have more time to myself but I haven't found that one special woman yet" he said as his thoughts turned to a sultry hazel eyes beauty. If he had met a woman like her a few years ago, his life may have taken a different path.

     They arrived back at Jose's house and went inside. The scent of food cooking had Garrett's stomach rumbling. Jose's brother Antonio was in the kitchen cooking up a storm. "Wow that smells amazing, bro. What is it?" Jose asked. "I'm trying to come up with some sauces and rubs for our new Western menus but I just can't seem to get the right combinations" Antonio replied. "I could teach you my uncle's recipes. They aren't a secret because he had them published a few years ago" Garrett said. Antonio looked up and noticed the tall stranger standing in the doorway. "Hi, I'm Antonio, Jose's brother. His gay brother" he said by way of introduction. Garrett stepped forward and shook Antonio's hand, smiling. "Glad to meet you, I'm Sergeant Garrett Blackman, F.B.I. I'm working on a case with the local police. I don't care what your sexual preference is, you're a person just like everyone else and I'm straight" Garrett said. Antonio laughed. "I like him bro, too bad he's straight" Antonio said. Garrett showed Antonio his uncle's recipe for a run and a BBQ sauce that was made from basically the same ingredients, the only changes were the addition of honey and beer to make the sauce. "So you use powdered mustard for the base flavor, add powdered onion, garlic and cayenne pepper for the rub and to make it into a sauce you just add the honey and beer to it and brush it on during the grilling. Wow that is really simple" Antonio said. "And if you make it the night before and let it sit, the flavors come through better" Garrett explained as Antonio wrote it all down. Garrett tasted the sauce and pronounced it perfect. "Now do you have any steaks to try it out with?" Garrett asked. He had seen Jose's face at the mention of using beer in the recipe. "My uncle is an alcoholic so we use substitutes like non-alcoholic beer or near beer but the alcohol actually burns off during cooking. There is also another way to get the same flavor without any chance of alcohol production. You combine hope, barley, wheat and malt and you brew them together without adding yeast; strain, seal in jars and refrigerate for up to one week. If you see any signs of fermentation, dispose of it immediately" Garrett added. Jose smiled at the thoughtfulness that had been added to the recipe.

     Antonio pulled out a large London broil. Garrett brushed oil onto the steak and seasoned it with the rub. He placed it on the grill to wear it. While the steak was grilling he added the honey and beer to the rub and brushed it on the steak after turning it over. He turned it over and brushed the other side while the one side was cooking. He kept brushing and turning it over for several minutes  until it was done to a medium rare and we'll coated in the sauce then removed it from the grill. The aroma filled the kitchen and had Jose's and Antonio's mouths watering. Garrett placed the steak on a cutting board to let it rest before slicing it and placing the slices onto plates that Antonio handed him. Antonio had placed herb roasted potatoes and steamed green beans on the plates as well. The three men sat at the table and began to eat. At his first bite Antonio rolled his eyes and groaned in delight. Jose nodded in agreement as the flavors exploded in his mouth. Garrett smiled and kept eating. "Ahh! These are the flavors I have been looking for" Antonio said smiling at Garrett. "Wait until you try it on pork, lamb, poultry and fish. Each meat changes the flavors in subtle ways and for vegans try it with sliced portabello mushrooms. My uncle has recipes that were handed down through several generations of Native Americans from all over the country and he wrote them down in his books so that they wouldn't get lost as too many people rely on fast foods nowadays" Garrett explained. Antonio looked surprised. "He travels all over the country to different tribal and inter-tribal gatherings that he can attend. I'll have to send you copies of his cookbooks that he had published. There are about three or four of them right now. I have several copies of each of them and have memorized most of the recipes" Garrett explained. Antonio leaned his chin on his fist and stared at him. "Are you sure you're straight?" he asked Garrett, smiling. Garrett blushed and laughed, " Thanks but yeah, as straight as the proverbial arrow. I love the feel of a woman in my arms. I just haven't found the right woman to spend the rest of my life with yet but I feel it will be soon." They finished their dinner and cleaned up then headed into the living room to watch TV.