Her Hero

by Aimée Thurlo

  As he pulled up behind his brother’s office, Nydia suddenly sat up. “I know what’s bothering me. It’s Alex’s voice. I think he was one of the men I overheard last night.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Joshua waited until Nydia was in the next office using the phone. “What are the chances of my leaving town long enough to go help her family?”

  Gabriel shook his head. “Forget it. You’d likely be arrested before you got to the county line. I’m having to report your whereabouts daily to the state police as per our illustrious mayor’s instructions. Which brings me to another point. You may want to make yourself invisible soon. Mayor Burns is coming by this morning.”

  “Does he know what happened at the cabin?”

  “Yeah. I’ll bet he also knows what happened at the graveyard, too. My guess is he’s going to ask me to put you in jail this time. That way, he’ll take care of two problems at once. The townspeople will be happy, and you’ll be safe from vigilante justice that would reflect badly on him.”

  “What are you going to do about it?”

  “Play my trump card. I’ll point out that we can’t convict anyone on circumstantial evidence. And if he forces me to make a formal arrest now, the case will get thrown out of court. Then it’ll look like he either pushed for the arrest of the wrong man, or that the right man got off because he was premature in his actions.”

  Joshua nodded, a faint smile on his lips. “Good one, big brother.”

  “Yeah, I thought so, too,” he said, sitting back down. “So tell me what brought you here, besides borrowing my phone. You’ve got something on your mind, so spill it.”

  He told Gabriel about Nydia’s suspicions that the voice she’d heard belonged to Alex.

  “That’s one lead I intend to follow up on right away.” Hearing a knock, he glanced at the door and saw Jake Fields come inside.

  “I thought you might like to know that there was a meeting at the feed store today,” Jake said. “Most of the townspeople were there, including the mayor.”

  “I wasn’t told about this.”

  “I know. I would have come to get you, but I didn’t want to miss any part of it.”

  “Tell me what happened,” Gabriel said.

  “People got to sound off, mostly. Alex repeatedly called for action on the mayor’s part, insisting Joshua get thrown in jail,” Jake said. “But I think what he’s really doing is taking a popular stand so others will follow his lead. He wants to be the voice of this town, to take Ralph’s place in people’s eyes. But that will never happen. He just doesn’t command respect around here.”

  “Was Ralph there?” Joshua asked.

  “Yes, but he arrived late.”

  When Nydia came out of the back office, her face was drawn and her shoulders slumped from exhaustion. As she faced the men, she suddenly straightened, her face becoming cold, her eyes intense. By now Joshua knew her well enough to realize that when she took such care to hide her feelings, it was because she’d been pressed to the limit. Her emotions were too raw to be openly revealed.

  “Did anyone take my brother’s side?” Gabriel asked.

  “Believe it or not, Mayor Burns did. He fought like crazy to calm people down and make them listen to reason. He reminded them that he has the authority to put the town under martial law if they go after one of its citizens, and that he will not tolerate mob rule.”

  “He’s on our side in public, yet he pressures my brother to take action against me,” Joshua said. “That doesn’t make sense.”

  “He’s not on your side in public,” Jake corrected. “Don’t misunderstand me. He’s only calling for right action in order to cover his tail.”

  “Well, at least he’s not inciting people any further,” Gabriel said.

  “I think we have to concentrate on finding whoever is knowledgeable about Navajo beliefs, especially about skinwalkers,” Nydia said. “Let’s face it. Few of the dineh would ever tell an outsider about our skinwalkers, much less their methods and habits. If we stay on that track and don’t allow ourselves to get diverted, we’ll find the killer.”

  “As a librarian, I could get detailed information if I wanted to, so I guess that puts me high on the list of suspects,” Jake said.

  “Maybe, but it also places anyone with a library card right there next to you,” Joshua added. His gaze returned to Nydia. He was worried about her, but he’d have to wait to ask her about the phone call later when they were alone.

  Jake smiled. “Not every library in the region has the kind of books that would give detailed information about your tribe,” Jake ventured slowly.

  “Who does?” Gabriel asked.

  “I don’t know offhand. I’d have to check.”

  “We’re also going to need the names of people who have accessed those special collections. They have to sign to get into those rooms, right?” Nydia asked. “Most of the libraries I’ve seen that have special-collections rooms keep them locked. You can’t just walk in there.” “That’s true,” Jake conceded.

  As Gabriel was about to speak, there was a knock at the door, and a moment later, the mayor stepped inside.

  His gaze drifted over Joshua casually, his face polite and empty. It was the expression of a man with nothing to hide, but nothing to show, either.

  “Sheriff, we need to talk,” Mayor Burns said.

  “Since this undoubtedly concerns my brother, I think you should feel free to talk in front of him. The accused has the right to hear from his accusers.”

  Mayor Burns glanced at Jake and Nydia, then back at Gabriel. “I’ll accept your brother’s presence, but this isn’t a town meeting.”

  Jake stood, as did Nydia. “We’ll follow up on that matter we were just discussing,” Jake told Gabriel. “We’ll be at the library.”

  Joshua watched the two of them leave. There had been no time to ask Nydia about her family. He’d promised her that if things became critical, he would leave Four Winds and fulfill his duties as a hataalii. He’d meant it, and even if it meant sealing his own fate, he intended to keep that promise.

  “We have a problem,” Burns said, sitting down. “The state police assure me it will be another week before their detective can come and take over this investigation. The way things are shaping up here, that may be too long.”

  “I heard there was a meeting this morning. Why wasn’t I told about it?” Gabriel demanded.

  “That wasn’t my call. I only found out about it ten minutes before it started. Darren Wilson came over to my house and got me. But I’ve got to tell you, the mood in this town is getting uglier by the hour.” He looked at Joshua. “I strongly suggest that you stay in jail, if not for your own sake, for that of this town. More violence will erupt unless you do.”

  “I can’t do that. I’m not guilty. It’s my right to try and find the person who’s behind all this.”

  “To what end? If you find that person, if they do indeed exist, what will you do to them?”

  “You mistake my intent, Mayor,” Joshua said coldly. “I want to catch the killer and bring him to justice. My task doesn’t include dispensing that justice.”

  The mayor held Joshua’s gaze. “You realize that there’s a good chance that you’ll only make things worse by meddling. If you’re out there, going from place to place publicly, sooner or later someone’s going to go after you and succeed.”

  “This is a fight that needs to be fought.”

  “You’re a holy man, a medicine man-how can you talk like this?”

  “I’m not a holy man. A singer is only a man who possesses certain ritualistic knowledge. We are not priests or Christian ministers.”

  “Then all that stuff about harmony is just a slogan.”

  “Not at all. To fight for what is right and just is one way to restore harmony.”

  “How noble,” Burns argued. “But in the meantime, this town’s being torn apart, and everyone’s answer is the same.

  They want justice-their way.”

  �
��You choose to manipulate and distort my words. Nothing I say will change your mind if it’s already closed.”

  The mayor stood up so abruptly, the chair he was using nearly fell over. “I stuck my neck out for you, but now I’m beginning to wonder if I did the right thing. Maybe the townspeople are right about you. You’re the one who’s twisting words, but then again maybe trickery like that is the way of the singers.”

  As he stormed out, Joshua looked at his brother, slowly shaking his head. “I did not provoke that reaction. He doesn’t know a thing about our tribe and our ways, yet he wants to dictate what I should do.”

  Gabriel nodded slowly. “The problem is that you’re tampering with the mayor’s image of himself and this town. His position here in Four Winds means more to him than most people realize. Being mayor defines him—it makes Burns feel that he still has a function that’s important. He needs that, particularly since the death of his son. For a long time, he couldn’t come to terms with what happened, but recently, he’s started to get his life back in order. Being mayor has helped him do that.”

  “To be honest, I’m surprised Burns didn’t leave town after his son’s death,” Joshua said. “I would have thought there’d be too many memories here for him.”

  “Leave here and go where? And toward what? Here he has identity and purpose and, more important, he’s close to his son’s grave.”

  Joshua nodded. “I’d forgotten that, unlike the dineh, being close to a grave gives Anglos comfort.”

  Hearing the door open, Gabriel shifted, his hand drawing closer to his weapon automatically. A moment later, seeing Jake and Nydia enter the room, Gabriel relaxed.

  Jake sat down, a smug look on his face. “We made progress. Nydia is quite resourceful, you know.”

  “I just came up with a way to cut down our margin of error,” Nydia explained.

  “She had me find photos of almost everyone in town,” Jake said. “You’d be surprised how many there are available if you look. We picked out shots of people like Darren Wilson, Alex, Ralph and even Rosa and me. Then we faxed them to the regional libraries that have special collections.”

  “Did anyone get recognized?” Gabriel asked with uncharacteristic impatience.

  “Well, everyone knew me. I do research all the time, since I write articles for our trade journals. By keeping our town in the spotlight, so to speak, I’ve managed to get some grants.”

  “Who else?” Gabriel asked.

  “Well, two of the librarians thought they recognized Mayor Burns, but when they checked their sign-in sheets, they didn’t find his name there. I did press them, but they just couldn’t be sure if it really was the same person or not.”

  “What reason did you give them for wanting to know?” Joshua asked.

  “Only that I needed to find out which of our residents made it a practice to utilize other library’s resources, since I was planning to ask for a budget increase. I don’t think they really bought it, but they didn’t dispute it, either.” He glanced at his watch. “I have to get going. I have an English class coming in today to do research for their term papers. If there’s anything else I can do to help you all, just let me know.”

  As soon as he’d left, Nydia looked at Joshua, then at Gabriel. “Of course, the really interesting thing is that Jake was always recognized.”

  “He told you why,” Joshua said.

  “Yes, he had a good enough reason,” Nydia replied, glancing at Gabriel. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean it was his only reason.”

  Gabriel leaned back in his chair, pushing it back until it rested on two legs. His gaze never left Nydia’s face. “You don’t trust him. Why?”

  “He may not have an easily identifiable motive, but he has more opportunity than almost anyone else in town.”

  “She doesn’t know him like you and I do,” Joshua told his brother.

  “And perhaps that’s why I see him more clearly.”

  “Or why you’ve misjudged him,” Joshua countered.

  “I tend to agree with Tree, but I do see your point, too,” Gabriel told Nydia. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll do a thorough background check on Jake. Maybe there’s something that our familiarity with him has caused us to miss.”

  “I think that would be an excellent idea.”

  Joshua led Nydia to the door. “It’s time for us to go. I need to go pay Mr. Mora a visit.”

  “The high-school principal? Why?” Gabriel asked.

  “Remember the old gym? They had to blast it to bits before it finally came down.”

  “Yeah, I remember. Let me know what you find out, if anything. In the meantime, I’ll continue looking for a new safe house for you.”

  The moment Nydia and Joshua stepped outside, they were both instantly aware of the furtive glances aimed in their direction. “Sometimes I wonder if they’ll ever see me the same way again,” he said.

  The pain in his words was so intense, it wrapped itself around her until she could barely speak. “They will, but not until they know for certain that you’re not the killer,” she answered.

  As her gaze fell upon him, a part of her yearned in vain for a time when he’d willingly leave Four Winds and come make a home with her on the rez. It was impossible, of course, nothing more than a wish upon a star. Yet the biggest surprise was that within her was the soul of a woman who was still capable of dreams.

  “Do you really believe that their attitude toward me will go back to what it was after the truth comes out?”

  “Yes,” Nydia replied. “In fact, I think they will try very hard to make it up to you. Of course, whether you accept them again after all is said and done is another matter.”

  He smiled ruefully. “You don’t think I’ll be able to put things behind me?”

  Nydia considered the question as they got under way. “You won’t forget their distrust, I know that, no more than I would imagine Flinthawk ever did. But it’s possible you may be able to find a way to forgive.”

  THEY ARRIVED at the high school at lunchtime, parked and walked across the grassy expanse that bordered the school. As soon as some of the kids outside spotted them, Joshua felt the ripple of unease that went through the crowd. Yet the emotion he saw in their faces wasn’t censure, as it had been in the town; it was curiosity.

  “I hope they don’t plan on pelting us with rotten produce this time, too,” Nydia said softly.

  “No, I don’t think so. There’s a different mood here today. Can’t you feel it?”

  Nydia said nothing for several moments, then nodded. “They’re watching us, but there’s nothing written on their faces except maybe speculation.”

  “They’ve heard what their parents are saying, but now they want to make up their own minds. It is often that way with the young.” He watched them talking among themselves. Though he couldn’t hear them, he suspected from their furtive glances that it wasn’t him they were interested in as much as Nydia.

  “They’re going to approach me first,” Nydia said, echoing his thoughts. “I think they’re still scared of you, at least enough to be cautious.”

  “Yes, that’s my impression, too.” He’d hoped that it would be different here. The last thing he wanted was to be a source of fear to young people. He’d never done anything to merit that.

  “Let them approach me, then. I’ll see what I can learn from them while you speak to the principal.”

  Joshua agreed with a quick nod. Like their parents, the kids were bound by their instinctive distrust of whatever went beyond their understanding. It was strange how, on one level at least, nothing ever changed. He was walking the same path Flinthawk had trod, though more than one hundred years separated him from his ancestor. As it had been then, whatever was different was more often than not viewed as evil, until understanding bridged the gap between fear and reason.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Nydia felt a moment of apprehension as Joshua continued toward the building, leaving her alone to face the seven or eight approaching t
eenagers. She didn’t read hostility in their expressions, but there was a certain reserve on their faces that meant things could go either way. She sat down on one of the benches and waited, ready to play it out.

  One girl led the group. She had bright red hair, a rarity in these parts. “I’m Annie O’Malley,” she said with a hesitant smile. “We know who you are. Do you mind if we ask you some questions?”

  “No, not at all. What’s on your mind?”

  “Well, for starters, what are you doing here at school? With all the gossip in town, we figured you’d be off looking for another medicine man, instead of still hanging around with Joshua Blackhorse.”

  “He’s the only one who has the chant knowledge my relative needs,” Nydia answered. “But you know, I’d hoped kids your age would remain more open-minded. Too many people are judging him before all the facts are in. There’s no hard evidence against him. And consider this-he’s stuck it out in Four Winds, fighting to clear his name, instead of running off.”

  Annie nodded. “Yes, I’ve thought of that myself.”

  “If all of you are really interested in learning the truth, not just wanting to point a finger at someone, why don’t you help me by answering a few questions,” Nydia added.

  “What do you want to know?” the dark-haired boy with Annie asked, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

  “There was some blasting done here at this school a few years back, when they built the new gym. Do any of you remember it?”

  “I wasn’t here then, and just heard about it,” Annie said, then glanced at the girl who stood just behind her. “Ellen, your sister was here then. Can you help?”

  Ellen was a short, dark-haired girl with eyes as gray green as sagebrush. Her face was alive with intelligence.

  “What exactly do you want to know?” Ellen asked.

  “Was there a lot of curiosity about the construction crew’s equipment or supplies while the blasting was going on?”