▁board ing ▁high ▁school , ▁described ▁in ▁People ▁of ▁Dark ness . ▁In ▁Co y ote ▁Wa its , ▁Che e ▁mentions ▁that ▁it ▁took ▁him ▁about ▁seven ▁years ▁to ▁gradu ate ▁from ▁college , ▁as ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁skip ▁a ▁term ▁to ▁ear n ▁tu ition ▁money . ▁Both ▁came ▁from ▁families ▁or ▁cl ans ▁with ▁many ▁sing ers , ▁or ▁y ata al ii . ▁Che e ' s ▁N ava jo ▁name , ▁given ▁him ▁by ▁his ▁mat ernal ▁uncle , ▁is ▁Long ▁Think er . ▁When ▁Che e ▁first ▁appears ▁in ▁the ▁nov els , ▁he ▁is ▁younger ▁than ▁the ▁age ▁L t . ▁Le aph orn ▁appeared , ▁and ▁still ▁a ▁single ▁man . ▁ ▁Police ▁work ▁ ▁In ▁People ▁of ▁Dark ness , ▁Che e ▁solves ▁a ▁case ▁involving ▁a ▁man ▁made ▁wealth y ▁in ▁bu ying ▁land ▁with ▁u ran ium ▁in ▁it , ▁at ▁the ▁dawn ▁of ▁the ▁atomic ▁age . ▁He ▁does ▁his ▁best ▁to ▁kill ▁those ▁who ▁knew ▁him ▁in ▁his ▁first ▁occupation , ▁as ▁the ▁ge ologist ▁working ▁for ▁an ▁oil ▁company . ▁As ▁Che e ▁figures ▁this ▁out , ▁a ▁h ired ▁k iller ▁is ▁after ▁him , ▁even ▁in ▁the ▁hospital ▁as ▁he ▁re co vers ▁from ▁being ▁shot . ▁He ▁tal ks ▁to ▁people ▁who ▁provide ▁information ▁that ▁might ▁not ▁stand ▁up ▁as ▁court ▁testim ony , ▁but ▁does ▁lead ▁him ▁to ▁resolution ▁of ▁the ▁current ▁crime ▁and ▁one ▁years ▁earlier . ▁He ▁is ▁generally ▁sharp , ▁alert ,