Replacing the paper, Red Bear pulled out another one. “And him. Do you recognize this man?” He held it up for her to see.
And there, not five feet from her, was the smiling face of the Devil himself.
Mud began to tremble the longer she stared into the Devil’s green eyes.
“Mud?” Grace’s soft voice came from next to Mud’s ear. “Do you know that man?”
“It’s him. The Devil that killed my mama.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Grace stayed in that interrogation room, holding tightly to Mud while Red Bear questioned her.
On more than one occasion, Grace wanted to grab the little girl up and run with her, but she refrained. The questions had to be asked. They needed to be.
After the questioning ended, Red Bear took Mud to another room. Grace, of course, went as well, holding the girl’s hand the entire way.
Grace immediately noticed a refrigerator, a toilet, and a cot. She also didn’t miss the young woman sitting in a chair nearby.
“There are sodas, sandwiches, and snacks in the refrigerator, if you’re hungry,” Red Bear informed Mud. “The bed isn’t the most comfortable in the world, but it’s clean and dry. I need to speak with Mrs. Holloway, alone. The woman seated against the wall is Jaya. She will stay with you until we return. If you need anything in the meantime, be sure to let Jaya know.”
Mud gripped Grace’s hand tighter.
“I won’t be gone long,” Grace assured her, bending slightly to look into Mud’s eyes. “I’ll only be in the next room. Jaya will take good care of you. She’s not bad. Do you understand? You saw the picture. The Devil is dead. He can’t hurt you anymore.”
Mud continued to hold on to Grace’s hand for several seconds before releasing it.
Jaya stood and moved slowly in Mud’s direction. “Are you hungry or thirsty? I can get you something to eat and drink, if you’d like.”
Grace watched the indecision on Mud’s face. It was clear the child was hungry. “Go eat, Mud. It’s okay. I promise.” With that, Grace reluctantly left the room on Red Bear’s heels.
He stopped in the front room where Grace had initially waited.
She was surprised to find Talako still there, sleeping in an upright position in one of the chairs.
“Talako?” Red Bear touched him on the shoulder.
“Is Mud all right?” Talako asked, pushing to his feet.
Red Bear nodded. “She will be fine. You should go home before Opa begins to hunt you down.”
The corner of Talako’s mouth lifted. “Probably a good idea.” He nodded to Grace and disappeared out the side door.
Red Bear offered Grace a seat, which she accepted, and waited for him to take the one next to her.
“That was Albert Dyson,” Grace unnecessarily pointed out.
“I know.” Red Bear dragged his chair forward to sit facing Grace. “From what I gathered, Albert killed Flora Ramer, and Mud killed Dyson. I can’t imagine what that poor child has been through. To watch her mother die is bad enough, but to kill a man.” Red Bear shook his head. “Albert’s father will have to be notified.”
Fear was instant. Grace didn’t want to think about how Horace would take the news. “Do you have to tell him that it was Mud who killed Albert?”
“What other explanation can I give him? I can’t lie to the man, Mrs. Holloway. No matter what kind of person Albert was, he was still Horace’s son.”
“You’re right, of course,” Grace whispered. “What are we going to do about Mud? I can’t bear to think of her in some facility in another county. I would take her home with me, but I doubt the courts will allow it in light of everything that’s surfaced. I mean, I’m sure there will be an investigation.”
Red Bear leaned back in his chair. “The matter will be handled in tribal court. It will also be investigated by me. The killings took place on our lands, which means that Mud remains in our custody until the case is closed.”
Relieved, Grace asked, “Will she be staying somewhere on your lands, then?”
Red Bear studied Grace for a heartbeat. “Until the investigation is closed, both bodies are exhumed and examined, then yes, Mud will need to remain here.”
Grace wrung her hands. “In a jail cell? But she’s just a kid.”
“She will not be in a cell. But she will be detained during the investigation. At least until we can corroborate her story.”
Glancing at the clock on the wall, Grace pushed to her feet. Jasper was no doubt worried sick. He’d probably called a dozen times, but Grace had left her phone in the car. “May I see her before I leave?”
Red Bear stood as well. “Of course. And once we have her settled in her temporary home, you may visit her there as well. It’s obvious that you care for her. And she trusts you.”
Grace’s respect for Red Bear grew. She was also grateful that tribal laws weren’t as cut and dry as the laws of the rest of the land. They weren’t subjected to the same bureaucracy and bologna as everyone else. Grace envied the Choctaw in that moment. “I do care about her. She’s all alone in the world.”
Waving her forward, Red Bear murmured, “You’re a good person, Mrs. Holloway.”
“Thank you.” Grace hurried back down the hall to the room she’d left Mud in, only to find Jaya sitting in her previous seat, reading a book, and Mud asleep on that cot.
The poor thing had to be exhausted and afraid, Grace thought, peering down at her.
Taking hold of the edge of the blanket, Grace gently pulled it up to Mud’s chin.
Her heart ached the longer she stood there, staring down at the young girl’s pretty face. A small indention remained between Mud’s eyes, tugging at Grace’s already haggard emotions. Even in sleep, the poor thing worries…
Chapter Twenty-Two
Mud awoke several times during the night, alone, terrified, and confused. Grace had left her. Which shouldn’t surprise Mud. Everyone eventually left. They always did.
After hours of tossing and turning, Mud had finally drifted off into a deep sleep sometime before the sun came up… Only to awaken to the sound of raised voices.
“She murdered my boy!”
Mud quickly sat up, her heart pounding in dread. Someone was definitely angry, and that anger seemed to be directed at her.
And then, Red Bear’s voice echoed down that hallway, clear and strong. “I don’t know where you got your information from, Mr. Dyson, but we do not know for certain that there has been a crime. My men are out there now, searching. I will let you know something the minute we know.”
“Reverend Holloway told me that girl killed my boy! And I demand to see her!”
Red Bear’s voice grew in volume. “As I said before, my men are investigating. And until we have a body, there has been no crime committed. Do I make myself clear?”
“Albert has been missing for two years,” the other man growled, sending Mud’s already frayed nerves into overdrive. “And that girl you have back there is responsible for it. I don’t know who you think you’re dealing with, but I won’t be deterred in this. I’ll be back, and I’m bringing the law with me!”
“I am the law, Mr. Dyson. And you’re on my lands. Now, I suggest you go cool your heels before I have you dragged from here by force.”
The sound of a door slamming told Mud that Red Bear’s words had hit their mark.
The door opened a minute later, and Red Bear stepped into the room.
Mud scrambled from the first bed she’d ever slept in, hating the way her body trembled in Red Bear’s presence.
He held his hands up in front of him. “You have nothing to fear from me.”
Mud’s gaze flicked to the door. She wondered if she could get to it before Red Bear could stop her.
“You’re far safer in here, than out there,” he softly announced, catching her off guard.
“He— That man you was talking to. He’s real mad with me.”
Red Bear tilted his head to the side. “You heard all that?
”
Mud nodded. “His son is the Devil.”
Red Bear indicated the cot behind Mud. “Please, sit down. I want to talk to you about the Devil.”
Mud didn’t move.
“Very well. First of all, I want to assure you that you are safe here. Nothing and no one will harm you while you’re here. But you’re right. That man you heard out there is the father of Albert Dyson, the man who hurt your mother.”
Taking a step forward, Red Bear continued in a low, soft voice. “As for Albert Dyson, he is no Devil. He was evil, yes, but if he were truly the Devil, you would not have been able stop him.”
Mud digested Red Bear’s words. “But Mama said the Devil lived in the village and everyone followed him.”
Red Bear took a deep breath and proceeded to explain the workings of good and evil.
Mud listened without moving, completely caught up in Red Bear’s words.
He went on to tell her of the God he believed in and the evil forces that pushed men to do terrible things.
“Folks tend to use the word Devil a bit loosely, Mud. I’ll give you an example. A kid recently got into a fight at school. When his mother got there to pick him up, she remarked to his teacher, ‘He’s been the Devil since his father left.’”
Pausing, Red Bear clasped his hands behind his back. “My point here is, the kid wasn’t actually the Devil, Mud. His mother was simply angry with him for fighting, so she referred to him as the worst thing she could think of.”
A small amount of Mud’s fear began to ease. A very small amount. “So, the Devil isn’t real?”
Red Bear shrugged. “It depends on who you talk to. But whether he is or not, he is not a flesh-and-blood man. That’s not to say that mankind can’t be evil; some can and are. But not all are bad. I’m not evil, Mud. Mrs. Holloway isn’t evil. Opa and Talako are good people. Do you understand? You can’t go through the rest of your life afraid to let folks get close. Or you just might miss out on something good.”
Mud found her shoulders relaxing some. Most of what Red Bear said made sense. Grace was good. And from what Mud could tell, so was Red Bear…
Chapter Twenty-Three
Grace slipped on her shoes with jerky movements. She had been up for hours, pacing the bedroom and nursing her hurt feelings.
Jasper had been angry with her when she’d come home last night and filled him in on everything that had happened with Mud. He’d refused to allow Grace to bring the child back into their home, citing that he couldn’t possibly sleep with a killer under his roof.
Grace had argued that Mud wasn’t a killer, that she’d done what she had to do to survive, that it had been a case of self-defense. And even if it hadn’t been, Mud had watched the man rape and murder her mother. What human being in their right mind wouldn’t have done the same thing Mud had?
If Grace couldn’t talk Jasper into letting Mud stay for a while, the child would be sent away. And God only knew what would happen to her then.
Jasper entered the room, glancing around as if Grace were invisible. “Have you seen my tie clip?”
Grace’s heart hurt. Not just for Mud, but for herself. Ever since Jasper had started traveling on mission trips, the two of them had grown apart. She wondered if he even still loved her. “Jasper?”
He paused in his search for the tie clip but didn’t look at her. “Hmmm?”
“You’re a man of God, are you not?”
That got his attention. He cut his gaze in her direction. “Of course, I am. Why would you ask me such a thing?”
“Do you really think God would turn a child away?”
Jasper’s expression hardened. “No, God wouldn’t turn her away. But I’m not God. And frankly, I value my life. I certainly don’t want someone in my home that forces me to have to lock up the knives and forks for fear I’d wake up with one stuck in my gut.”
“You break my heart, Jasper.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look. I know you think you’re doing the right thing by helping that girl. But let me remind you of something. Her mother was the one who burned down our church. And that man her daughter killed? He was Horace Dyson’s son. And Horace makes huge donations to not only our church but to the missions as well. And I, for one, will not be the cause of him pulling those funds.”
“Jasper,” Grace breathed in disbelief. “What has happened to you? Albert Dyson deserved what he got. He raped and killed Mud’s mother. As for Horace Dyson? I never thought I’d see the day when you would sell yourself to the highest bidder.”
The crack of his palm across her cheek sounded like a gunshot in the otherwise quiet room.
Grace was too stunned to react. And then reality set in, as did the pain.
“I’m sorry…” Jasper began, reaching for her.
Grace staggered back a step, her face now throbbing to the beat of her heart. Jasper had struck her. For the first time since she’d known him, her husband had hurt her. “Don’t touch me!”
He ran both hands through his hair, leaving the dark locks to stand on end. “I don’t know what got into me, Grace. You have to stop pushing me like that. I have so much on my mind. You have no idea the stress I’m under.”
Grace listened to his attempt to make excuses for his actions, her mind too numb to process it all.
She watched him through a haze of hot tears until she couldn’t bear to look at him a second longer. “Get out.”
He paused in his rambling. “What?”
“I said, get out.”
“Grace, you don’t mean that. It will never happen again. I—”
“You’re right,” she whispered through a partially closed throat. “It won’t ever happen again. Now, leave before I call the police.”
Jasper stared back at her in what could only be described as stunned disbelief. “You can’t throw me out. I own this house.”
“You’re wrong about that, Jasper. The Jena Choctaws own this house. As well as that church you’re so quick to fight for.”
“That’s blasphemy, Grace! That church is the house of God. It’s our livelihood.”
Grace swallowed with difficulty. “Church isn’t a place, Jasper, it’s what lives in one’s heart. And it definitely doesn’t reside in yours. Not anymore. You’ve changed… And not for the better.”
“Grace—”
“No, Jasper. I’m done listening to your excuses. I suggest you gather what you’ll need and go find someplace else to stay for a while. And if I were you, I’d hit my knees and seek out the God you’ve seemed to have forgotten. Because from where I’m standing, you left him a long time ago.”
She spun on her heel and escaped into the bathroom.
Locking herself inside, Grace allowed her tears to fall. The man she’d left standing in that bedroom was a stranger to her. He’d struck her. Hard.
She lifted trembling fingers to her red, swollen cheek and gazed at her reflection in the mirror above the sink.
Her heart shattered…
Chapter Twenty-Four
Grace had to drive onto tribal lands to check on Mud. She’d been visiting the little girl daily since Jasper’s departure a week earlier.
Jaya had been teaching Mud to read and write, and surprisingly enough, the little girl was proving to be extremely bright. Especially given the fact she’d never been to school in her life.
Grace’s thoughts turned to Jasper. He had left a dozen messages on her voicemail, but she had yet to return a single call. She also hadn’t shown up for church this past Sunday and likely wouldn’t the following week, either.
Grace knew she couldn’t sit on the church pew and act as if it nothing was wrong while accepting folk’s money with a fake smile on her face. If there was one thing Grace Holloway definitely couldn’t be accused of, it was being a hypocrite.
She slowed the vehicle to a stop outside the white block building Mud was being housed in and put the car in park.
Red Bear suddenly appeared at her door, giving her a start. She h
adn’t seen him approach.
“Where did you come from?” she asked the second he opened her door.
He nodded toward a pickup truck a few yards over. “I was sitting in my truck, returning some calls. The bodies my men recovered from the shallow graves in the swamp have been identified.”
Grace’s heart accelerated. She climbed from her car, her gaze searching Red Bear’s. “Albert Dyson and Flora Ramer?”
Red Bear nodded.
“What happens now?”
“An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death. If Mud’s story lines up with the autopsy results, Dyson’s remains will be turned over to his father for burial.”
Grace let that sink in. “And Mud’s mother?”
“If she has no family to claim her remains, they will be turned over to Calhoun County to do with what they see fit.”
“What happens to Mud?”
Red Bear’s gaze softened. “So far, Mud’s story seems to coincide with what we’ve found. If nothing changes after the autopsies have been performed, she will be free to go without being charged with a crime.”
Grace’s stomach tightened. “Could she really be charged with murder? She’s just a child.”
A muscle ticked along Red Bear’s jaw. “I do not believe she murdered anyone. I think she killed Albert Dyson in self-defense. Or temporary insanity. But that’s just my opinion. Horace Dyson will see things differently, no matter what the outcome. Be prepared for that.”
“What can he do?” Grace responded, with more force than was probably necessary. “He can’t have Mud locked up. This is a tribal case. You have jurisdiction.”
Red Bear squinted against the brightly lit sun. “I do. But Albert was Horace Dyson’s son, Mrs. Holloway. And from what I know of that man, he won’t take this lying down. If Mud is found innocent of wrongdoing, he will make trouble. I can feel it in my gut.”
Grace could feel it too. “I’d like for Mud to come stay with me.”
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