“Jules is finally asleep.” Grace joined him, taking the dishcloth and starting to dry the stacked dishes.
“Did he tell you what happened?”
“No, he wouldn’t talk about it.”
A loud knock sounded on the front door. “You should get that. I’ll make a pot of coffee.”
“Grace, you do know that sometimes you freak the hell out of me, don’t you?”
Grace nodded. “I’ll try to tune it out if you want me to.”
“No, at least not yet. Whatever it is you’ve got, I have a drastic feeling we’re going to need it.”
Grace didn’t answer, and Jake headed for the front door, not surprised to find a young Choctaw police officer on his doorstep. One of the three locals in Lowndes County.
“Mr. Savior?”
“Come on in. I’ve been expecting you.”
“Expecting me?”
Jake waved him in. “It’s a long story. We’ll talk about it over a cup of coffee if that’s okay with you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“How do you take your coffee?”
“Black will be fine.”
Jake poured two cups and pulled out a chair as Grace quietly left the room. “What’s your name?”
“Radolph Wilson. Rafe Wilson was my brother.”
From the information Grace had given him, Jake had expected a Choctaw officer, but the news it was the killer’s brother shocked him. “I’m sorry about your loss, Mr. Wilson. What can I do for you?”
“I want to hire you to investigate my brother’s death.”
Jake sipped his coffee, studying the young man in front of him. Under the circumstances, it was an odd request. “Your brother was shot by fellow officers after he killed three of them. The governor is already organizing an investigation.”
“A whitewash sweep under the rug, you mean. We’re Choctaw, Mr. Savior, and nobody out there is going to give a damn about the truth. You said you were expecting me. Why?”
“Not exactly you, but a Choctaw officer.” Jake nodded toward the hallway. “The young girl who just left has some paranormal abilities. She told me I would have a visitor.”
Radolph gripped his cup, staring into the contents. “My brother was a good man, Mr. Savior. A loving husband and father. He didn’t drink or do drugs. All I’m asking is for you to talk to his partner, Reginald Merriweather, and his wife, Ruth. Get to know him through them, and you’ll understand why I said he was killed. Someone is stirring up trouble, and unless it’s stopped, there will be war, and many people will die. Innocent people.”
Innocent blood. That was the term Jules had used to describe what Grace was worried about. Jake rummaged through the top drawer of the cabinet for a notepad and pencil and passed them to Radolph. “Give me your brother’s address and a number where I can reach you. My partner will be home in a few hours. I’ll see what she says and give you a call.”
Radolph jotted down the address, rose, and stuck out his hand. “Thank you for the coffee, Mr. Savior. My children were threatened at school today, and my wife is afraid to leave home. She wants us to move back to the reservation. I don’t know how I’ll pay you, but I promise I will.”
Jake followed him to the door. “We can talk about payment later. In the meantime, call me Jake.”
“Yes, sir, Mr.—Jake.”
Grace came to stand beside Jake as he watched the car make its way back up the hill to the main road.
“You didn’t tell me he was the killer’s brother,” Jake said.
“I didn’t know.”
“Anything else you can tell me about this mess to help me clear it up?”
“This mess, no, but you should investigate Loki’s parents’ deaths.”
“That was years ago. What could that possibly have to do with what’s going on now?”
“I don’t know, Jake, but I know the answers you’ll need start there.” Grace turned away from him. “You need to find the answers before Loki does. And don’t tell her what you’re doing, unless you want to lose her forever.”
Jake stood staring into the darkness. Loki had never talked about her parents’ deaths. All he really knew was that after they died, life on the reservation had become unbearable for her, Dadron, and Jules. After a long court battle, they’d finally been allowed to spend summers here on the farm. When she’d turned sixteen, she’d taken the boys and left, traveling to Texas to live with Harry until they could find their own place.
Now probably wasn’t the right time to ask Loki about it. His gaze strayed to the hallway. Jake would have to tell her about Jules. Maybe that would be enough to make her forget about going to the reservation. He had a bad feeling in his gut. He’d learned the hard way to listen to that feeling. Something was about to happen, and whatever it was would change their life forever.
Loki sighed as they took another sharp curve. They’d driven the last hour in silence after she’d revealed what her grandfather had said. “Dadron, I’m not going to take Jules to the reservation. I told you that.”
“That’s not your choice, Loki.”
“The hell it isn’t. I raised you two after Mom and Dad died. I have every right to protect you.”
“When we were kids, yes, but we’re not kids anymore.”
Loki threw her hands up in the air, grumbled, and shuffled in the seat. “It doesn’t matter. He’s not going, and that’s final. We’ll talk to Jake, go visit the hunter they found, and if we can, we’ll help Tim find the other two. That’s all we’re doing.”
Dadron chuckled softly. “I would say, ‘Yes, Momma,’ but you know how I feel. You did raise us, and you raised us to be independent and make our own choices. I’m going back to the reservation in the morning to help Tim, but the choice of whether Jules goes is his.”
“You know what he’s like, Dadron. If he thinks he’s helping or saving someone else, he’ll have to go.”
“It’s still his choice, Loki.”
“All right. I’ll let him make the choice, but can we at least wait until we’ve talked to the other hunter? One day, Dadron, that’s all I’m asking.”
“One day, Loki. Then you tell him what Grandfather said, or I will.”
Loki settled back in the seat and closed her eyes. A lot could happen in one day. She’d keep Jules from going to the reservation even if she had to kidnap him and hide him somewhere. She must have dozed off because the next thing she knew, they were stopping in front of the farmhouse. “Sorry I fell asleep on you.”
“Probably a good thing. Jake is waiting up for you, but you should get some sleep. We’re leaving at six in the morning.”
“Why so early?”
“It’s a two-and-a-half-hour drive to Jackson. If we leave at six, we can be there by eight thirty. If we spend an hour with the patient, we’ll have another hour and a half drive to get back to Pearl River. We should be there by eleven. If all goes well, I’ll pick up the trail, and we can be home by dark.”
Loki followed him into the house and walked straight into Jake’s arms. Dadron’s plan sounded simple, but she knew it wasn’t going to be that easy.
“Rough day?” Jake asked.
“We need to talk.” Her heart started pounding as she followed his gaze to the bedrooms down the hall.
“Yeah, Loki, we do.”
5
Loki softly closed the door to Jules’s room and tiptoed down the hall to the kitchen. In Dadron’s world Jules was an adult, but in Loki’s mind he was still a young child traumatized by things he couldn’t talk about. Things he felt and saw but couldn’t put into words. It was almost three o’clock, and she still didn’t have a plan to stop him from going to the reservation. She should have been here for him today. Damn Grandfather and his revelations of doom.
“Still asleep?” Jake asked.
Loki nodded. “Bruiser is curled up at his feet. I barely got a tail wag out of him.”
“You should get some sleep.”
“Too late for that. Dadron wants to leave at
six. I’m going to take a shower and dress. If everything goes as planned, we should be home by supper tomorrow, and I can sleep then.”
Jake rose and pulled her into his arms. “Be careful out there. Dealing with drug runners is bad enough, but from what you’ve told me, there’s something far more sinister going on. Tension is rising all over. If someone hurt you, I’d probably go crazy.”
Loki snuggled in his embrace, regretting not for the first time that they’d agreed to take things slow and not consummate their relationship until they were married. Five months had passed since that agreement, and Jake still hadn’t proposed. “So are you going to take the police officer’s case?”
“I’ll talk to his partner and his wife. That’s the least I can do.” Jake let her go and poured a cup of coffee. “This stuff is going to rot my guts out.” He turned and gazed into her eyes. “Regardless of what the other hunter says, you’re going to take the case on the reservation, aren’t you?”
“I’m going to see if the third hunter is lucid and can tell us anything. He may not be able to see or talk, but he can write it out. We’ll help Tim track the other two, but the rest of it is just an old man’s crazy delusions, or the drug runners are using the old myth to keep people out of their area. What time are you leaving in the morning?”
“Right after you. It’s a four-hour drive, and I may have to stay overnight,” Jake said.
“Maybe you should wait until after all the funerals have taken place and things settle down. You could help us on the reservation until then. If we find those hunters, we can devote all our time and energy to this case.”
“What’s the old saying, better to strike while the iron is hot? The best information comes from high tempers when people say things they wouldn’t normally say if they had time to think about it. I don’t think this will take too long. Then I can join you and Dadron on the reservation.”
“I hate it when you’re logical.”
Jake laughed. “Just as much as I hate it when you’re stubborn.”
“The distrust of Choctaws makes me feel like we’ve gone backward in time fifty years. We don’t need anything from town, do we? With all the tension out there, I don’t want Jules to have any reason to leave the farm for the next few days.”
“I’ll make sure we’re set before I leave in the morning, and I’ll have a word with Grace about sticking close and keeping an eye on him. If he thinks he’s needed here to protect her and the baby, he won’t stray too far.”
Loki yawned. “Good. I’ll stop by your room to say goodbye before we leave. If I don’t take that shower now, I never will.”
Jake watched her walk away. There was no use going to bed. He wasn’t going to sleep, and tossing and turning would only increase his tiredness come morning. What Loki had told him about her grandfather reinforced Grace’s earlier statement—the answer to what was happening on the reservation was tied to the deaths of Loki’s parents, not drug runners. His fingers curled. For her grandfather to even suggest that his grandchildren be some kind of sacrifice was ludicrous and filled Jake with rage. I’d like to have a talk with that old son of a bitch when this is all over.
He refilled the coffeepot then headed to his room to pack a bag. Even if he was lucky enough to meet with Ruth Wilson and Reginald Merriweather, he’d be in no condition to make the four-hour drive home. Best to plan on staying overnight and talk with a few of the officers at the station. After that he’d stop by the Pearl River Police Department and check out the records on Henry and Rose Redmond’s fatal accident.
Tim Whitefeather followed the sound of the flute, his eyes slowly growing accustomed to the darkness of the forest. Seeing Loki again had cleared his mind and brought back memories of happier times. Times when he’d listened to the elders and walked this land with pride. He loved it here, and that was the only reason he hadn’t followed Harry to Texas. Growing up with stories of the Lighthorsemen, one of whom was an ancestor, had instilled in him a burning desire to carry on that tradition, and he’d joined the tribal police. The romanticism of his youth had been tempered by the reality of greed and political aspirations. The reservation had changed, but he hadn’t. He still believed in protecting his people and the early laws of the tribe.
Loki was right. Something far more sinister was going on than drug runners and missing hunters. In the last few months, her grandfather had become more and more delusional, demanding curfews and scaring the hell out of the residents. He talked constantly of the past and had been inciting the young people against the tourists who visited the reservation daily. It was only a matter of time before broken windows and keyed cars turned into broken bones and mutilated bodies.
Tim hunkered down on one knee, peering through the darkness to locate the two figures he’d followed. He’d never known Raymond Redmond to care about missing hunters, especially Caucasian ones. So why is he using this as an excuse to get Loki and her brothers here? That was the question he didn’t have the answer to, and it was what he needed to find out. And that was the reason he’d watched the old man’s house until he left with the tall dark man. Tim had followed them to the basin but lost them among the trees.
Tim shifted his weight, and dead branches crunched beneath his feet. He stopped, holding his breath as the flute music tapered off. An eerie silence settled over the forest. As he peered into the shadows, his heart beat rapidly against his chest. He fumbled for the flashlight on his belt as laughter flowed in all directions around him. “Who’s there?”
The moon came out from behind the clouds, illuminating the area. Shadows shimmered and moved as whispers resonated from the trees overhead. Nalusa Falaya. Nalusa Falaya. Nalusa Falaya.
“You’re just a myth,” Tim whispered as the shadows began to blend and take form. “You’re not real.”
The laughter grew louder as his feet finally began to move, and he ran, realizing too late that he was running toward the basin instead of away from it. The teepee still stood where the old man had placed it the day before. Scurrying inside, he turned on the flashlight. He sat on the ground, pulled his knees to his chest, and rocked back and forth. Redmond had called it a prayer tent, and Tim began to pray in earnest as the noises of the night became louder. He squeezed his eyes tightly closed as a rustling sound crept around the teepee. Snakes.
Tiny whimpers escaped from his lips, and a trickle of saliva rolled down his chin. He struggled to remember the legend, but all he could think of was the approaching snakes. Nalusa Falaya was coming for him.
6
Raymond Redmond paced his living room, avoiding the windows and doors. Even with them closed, he could still hear the owls. They came each evening and refused to allow him to sleep. The shadows grew darker, and Ishkitini grew nearer.
The doorbell rang, and he breathed a sigh of relief as the tall dark man entered the room. “Is it done?”
“He hasn’t left the tent. If he isn’t already dead, when the sun rises high in the sky, he will slowly die.” The man he knew only as El took a seat on the couch. “Your grandchildren will come?”
Raymond nodded. “Perhaps they need more incentive, and I need a safe place to stay. If I disappear, then my grandchildren will come.”
El laughed softly and rose. “They would come if they knew what you had done. Do you really believe Ishkitini will accept their innocent blood for your sins?”
“Myths. It’s the money that will save me.”
El leaned in close and stared into Raymond’s eyes. “The money you seek is tainted with the blood of innocents. Hundreds of men, women, and children who were forced to dig until their hands were bloody and their souls died.”
The blackness of El’s eyes sent fear coursing through Raymond’s stomach. Bile rose in his throat.
El laughed. “If Ishkitini is only a myth, old man, then why do the owls gather outside your window, and why does fear even now make you shiver?”
Raymond glared at him. He would not be made to fear by a stupid half-breed. “You just do wha
t you were paid to do. The riots will start tomorrow and tie up the police. Are the others ready?”
“They have taken the hunter to a safe place and split the trail. If your grandchildren are as you say and they come, your men will have no problem capturing them.”
Raymond picked up a suitcase and passed it to El. “I’ll go to my cabin and stay there until you have them. No one is to harm them until I come. Is that understood?”
El tossed the suitcase in a corner and rose. “No harm will come to your grandchildren until you are there.” He flipped over the couch and began systematically destroying the room. He laughed as he ripped pictures from the wall and smashed them.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“You wish your grandchildren to believe you were taken. When I am finished, they will know you were.”
An owl hooted, and Raymond shuddered. He wouldn’t see her if he didn’t look outside. Once Lokeah was dead, the ghost would disappear. He watched as El continued to demolish his furniture, and his body began to tremble. It’s only furniture. With the money, I can buy more.
Loki ended the call and tossed her phone on the dash. “That was Willa Whitefeather. Tim didn’t come home last night, and no one has seen him since late yesterday afternoon.”
“I’ve seen that look on your face before. What else did she say?” Dadron asked.
“She said Grandfather is missing, but I’m not sure I believe that. After what he said yesterday, he could just be using that to get us there.”
“Tim did say Grandfather was scared of something.”
With all he’s done, he should be scared. If any of the myths were true, someone would eventually come for him.
Dadron pulled to the side of the road. “So on to the hospital, or turn around and head for the res?”
“We really need to know what happened to those hunters, Dadron, and if Tim is in trouble, we need to find him.”
“And Grandfather?”
Innocent Blood Page 3