Wilson scratched insect bites that reddened his balding pate, then hitched up his baggy jeans. He looked like he’d lost weight. Skye frowned as her gaze took in his filthy plaid flannel shirt. She’d never seen him look so unkempt.
He blinked. “Be careful, Skye. She hates you.”
“Who hates me?” Skye wondered if she could coax him out of the woods and into town, where Dr. Bobber could take a look at him.
“Her.” Wilson shuddered. “I seen her watching you.”
“Wilson, have you been eating?” Skye didn’t like the feverish look in his eyes or the gray pallor of his skin.
He nodded. “Want some rabbit?”
“Why are you out here?”
He glanced around in a furtive way that made Skye’s mouth go dry. “She told me to come out here.”
“Who is she?”
“Asibikaashi. The Spider Woman.” Tears sprang to his eyes and trickled down his face, leaving dirty tracks in their wake.
Skye was growing more alarmed by Wilson’s manner. “You know there’s no such thing as Asibikaashi. Jesus has saved us from the old superstitions.”
She couldn’t figure out why he was so frightened. The old Ojibwa legend of Asibikaashi was that of a kindly spider who wove a web to help the sun find all the dispersed Ojibwa people. Her people loved and revered the legend.
Wilson had accepted Christ in church about six months ago, and she didn’t understand why he’d slipped back into some of his old beliefs.
He shook his head mournfully. “I’d thought so, too, Skye, then she came. I was in my tent, and she whispered to me and told me what had to be done. I wish Jesus would kill her.” More tears slipped down his face. He looked into the woods. “You have to get out of here.”
Skye would like nothing better than to get out of here. Adrenaline still made her feel jittery. “Come with me, Wilson,” she urged. “We can get your money.”
He shook his head. “She’ll find me if I leave.” He backed away, then turned and plunged through the woods.
Skye called after him, but he jumped a stream and disappeared from view. She thought about going after him but knew it was useless. Wilson was the most woods-savvy person she knew. If he didn’t want to be found, it would be like trying to catch the smoke rising from the cooking rabbit.
As she made her way out of the forest, she puzzled over Wilson’s cryptic comments. She was tempted to dismiss his warning as the fabrications of Wilson’s childish mind, but remembering the sound of rocks slamming into Jake’s SUV convinced her there might be something to Wilson’s ramblings.
Maybe she should talk to the sheriff about it. And Jake. He could help her figure out what was going on. Skye realized she had more faith in his ability than in the sheriff’s. Jake was a real man in every sense of the word, and his strength drew her. She knew she had no chance of attracting him. He’d seen beautiful women from every far-flung corner of the globe.
She smiled wryly as she reached the road and got back into her truck. Of course, she was as helpless to stay out of Jake’s path as a fly buzzing furiously to get out of a web. Jake could be just as deadly to her future happiness, too.
Jake pulled his damp shirt away from his chest and wiped the perspiration from his forehead with the back of his arm. He’d succeeded in excavating another clutch of eggs, and the round shapes lying before him were worth every drop of sweat. Kimball Washington would be impressed when he arrived tomorrow.
Jake glanced at his watch. Nearly two o’clock. He had a good five hours of daylight left to work. The soreness in his muscles had disappeared, and he felt good today, relishing the hard work at the dig.
Wynne stood and stretched her back. “I’m ready for some water. Want a bottle?”
“Sure.” He watched her go to the cooler. “I appreciate your helping me this summer, Wynne. I know you turned down a pretty attractive project.”
She smiled as she handed him the water. “How did you hear about that?”
“Becca told me.”
“She’s a blabbermouth.” She uncapped her water and took a swig.
“I know, but if you want to accept it and go, I’ll understand.”
“No, you wouldn’t. You think digging up eggs is the most important job in the world.” She grinned and poked him in the stomach. “And I’m enjoying being with my big brother. We don’t get time like this very often. Besides, you need my help.”
“True. I don’t know what I would have done without you these past couple of weeks. I’ll be able to get some funding to finish out the dig once it’s announced, though. And if you want to go then, I won’t yell.”
“Becca would.” Wynne sat on a rock and wiped her forehead. “But seriously, Jake, I’m enjoying it.”
A sound caught his attention and he looked around to see a truck pull into the parking lot below them. “Skye’s here.” The lightness he felt when he saw her truck surprised him.
“I think you’re a goner, Jake,” Wynne said, her gaze lingering on his face. “Your roving days are about over.”
He shook his head. “She’s just a friend.”
“Go ahead and deceive yourself a little longer,” Wynne said. “I’ve never seen that look in your eyes before. I hope you’ll like living on Windigo Island. Skye will never leave here.”
“You’re nuts. I have no intention of staying here the rest of my life.”
“I don’t know, this dig might take years to fully excavate. By then, your wanderlust might be gone.”
Jake knew himself well enough to know he’d always be drawn to new discoveries, new horizons. Though this dig was exciting, there were more sites out there waiting to be uncovered.
He shook his head. “You’re wrong, Wynne. I’m never getting married.”
Wynne raised an eyebrow. “Never say never, big brother.”
Her certainty irked him, and he felt his temper rising as he saw Skye coming up the path to the dig. He’d show Wynne she was wrong.
Skye could hear the sound of voices as she hurried up the path. She recognized Jake’s deep tones and the higher ones of his sister, Wynne. She’d hoped to find him alone. She wasn’t sure Wynne entirely approved of her.
Jake stood watching her approach. Skye thought that might be wariness in his expression, though what he had to be wary of in her, she didn’t know.
“Looks like you’ve been working hard,” Skye said, taking in the dirt on his face and the damp streak on the chest of his shirt.
“Yeah.” His dark eyes watched her. “You feeling okay?”
“I wondered if I could talk to you a minute.” What on earth was the matter with him? He almost acted like he was mad at her. They’d parted on good terms, especially after he’d saved her life.
“I guess I can spare a few minutes.” He glanced toward Wynne, who seemed to be watching with great interest.
Wynne smiled. “Hi, Skye. Are you feeling okay?”
Skye’s tension eased a bit at the other woman’s friendly tone. “My head’s still a little sore, but I’m okay.” At least Wynne had seemed concerned, unlike her brother.
“Good. I’ve been praying for you.”
Skye was taken back a bit at Wynne’s comment. How kind of her. She could use all the prayers she could get. “Thanks.”
Jake said nothing, and Skye frowned. Had he been praying for her? She’d assumed he was a Christian since he’d come to church with the family. She studied him with new eyes. Why had she never noticed that cynical twist to his mouth? She needed to find out more before she got any closer to him. She decided to spill her request and get out of their way.
“You want to talk in private? I need to run to town after some more water and I could do it now rather than at dinner,” Wynne said.
“No, that’s fine. I could use more minds on the puzzle,” Skye said.
“Puzzle?”
Jake sounded interested now, but Skye was fast losing any real desire to share her problem with him. She’d come this far though, and there
was no graceful way to escape.
“I don’t know if you’ve seen Wilson New Moon around—he’s a mentally challenged man in his forties. He’s generally dressed in jeans, a flannel shirt and suspenders?”
Wynne frowned. “I don’t think I’ve seen him, but Becca has mentioned him.”
Skye nodded. “Molly, Max’s daughter, loves him and his balsam airplanes.”
“What about him?”
The boredom in Jake’s voice suddenly infuriated Skye. “Never mind,” she said, not caring what he thought of her. She turned to go back to her truck. She’d talk to the sheriff about it.
Jake caught her arm. “Sorry, I’m a little distracted today.”
Skye stood with her head down, not looking at him. “I need to get back to town.”
“I said I’m sorry. What about this guy?”
“He’s been a bear all morning,” Wynne said. “Don’t mind him. He’s not mad at you. I’m the one who ticked him off.”
“I’m not mad!”
Skye and Wynne looked at one another. Wynne rolled her eyes, and Skye giggled.
Jake snorted. “If you two are going to make fun of me, I’ll get back to work.”
He didn’t sound mad anymore, so Skye sneaked a peek at him. His firm lips quirked up on the ends, and he was regarding her with an amused expression in his eyes.
“So what about this Wilson?” he prompted.
His tone had changed, and the tension eased from her shoulders. The old Jake was back. “I ran into him in the forest today. I’d wondered why I hadn’t seen him around in a while.” She explained her relationship with him, then plunged into her fears. “I think he might know who attacked me the other day.”
“Me, you mean,” Jake corrected.
“I don’t think you’re the target, Jake. Wilson warned me about Asibikaashi.”
“Asibikaashi. Who’s that?”
“It’s an old Ojibwa legend. The goddess Asibikaashi is a Spider Woman who brought the sunlight and is the authoress of the dreamcatchers. She’s not something to fear, but Wilson is terrified.”
Wynne shivered. “Sounds creepy.”
“Of course, we know there’s no such thing, but Wilson is convinced. He has to have seen or heard something. Skye rubbed her hands up her arms, suddenly cold in spite of the hot sun beating down.
“You think it could be that Tallulah woman?” Jake wanted to know.
“That was the first person who crossed my mind,” Skye admitted.
Jake glanced at his watch. “I think it’s about time she and I had a talk. I got plenty of work accomplished today anyway.”
In spite of his words, Skye heard the regret in his voice. “Why don’t you go ahead and work while it’s light? We could go see her after supper.”
“No, it’s fine,” Jake assured her. “I want to get to the bottom of this. If this woman is really dangerous, we need to know about it. The sheriff was going to talk to her, but he’s not likely to spill what she had to say.”
Wynne glanced at Skye. “Did you tell the sheriff about what Wilson said?”
Skye hesitated then shook her head, her cheeks burning. She knew what Jake’s sister would think—that she’d come straight to Jake instead of the sheriff. She could only hope Jake didn’t read her as easily as Wynne.
“I’m sure he’s a friend, but that sheriff seems pretty useless,” Jake said. “He didn’t seem all that concerned about someone attacking us.”
“We don’t have much crime here, so we’re all pretty used to handling our own problems. The Ojibwa are an independent lot. Besides, he’s used to bullets whizzing around from hunters from the mainland. The hunters sometimes shoot at anything that moves. Rocks seem pretty tame by comparison.”
“Jake is worth ten sheriffs,” Wynne said with a touch of amusement in her voice.
“I know,” Skye said. She and Wynne shared a look of understanding, and Skye suddenly realized Jake’s sister was an ally. Her heart gave a leap of gladness.
Skye’s best friend Sarah had moved to Ontonagon a year ago, and Skye had felt the void. She could use a friend.
Jake glanced at the exposed eggs. “I’m not sure about leaving them unprotected,” he said.
“I’ll stay and keep working,” Wynne said. “You two go see what you can find. And bring back some bottles of water when you come.”
“I don’t like leaving you here by yourself.” Jake frowned and hesitated. “Even the miners are off for the weekend.”
“I’ll be fine,” Wynne said. “You’re not the target. It appears Skye is.”
“Cameron might be back for the other eggs. You might be in the line of fire.”
“I could call my cousin to come stay, too,” Skye said. “Michael is big enough no one is liable to mess with him.”
“Call him,” Jake said.
“I’ll be fine! You won’t be gone that long.”
Skye pulled her cell phone out and dialed her cousin’s number. He didn’t answer so she left a message asking him to come out to the mine.
“He’s never away from his messages for long,” she said. “I imagine he’ll be here in a bit. I could help with the dig until he gets here.”
“No, you won’t.” Wynne looked determined. “Go ahead to town. Cameron won’t try anything again. He knows we’re on to him.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Jake took Skye’s arm. “Let’s go. Call us if anything suspicious happens.”
Skye didn’t like leaving the diminutive young woman alone, but she followed Jake’s lead. She glanced back from the parking lot and saw Wynne wave. Skye said a little prayer for God to watch over her newfound friend.
Chapter Seven
Skye drove the truck expertly along the rutted dirt road. Jake admired the way she handled the old vehicle in the curves.
“Did your dad teach you to drive? You drive like a man,” he said.
“Is that a compliment?” She sounded amused.
“Yeah, I guess it was meant to be.” He grinned. “Sorry, that was chauvinistic, wasn’t it?”
“A little, but I won’t hold it against you.”
Jake’s grin broadened. He liked the way she didn’t stay mad long. She certainly had the right to, after the way he’d acted when she first showed up. She had a way of disarming him, and he wished he hadn’t acted like a jerk.
Skye slowed at a narrow lane. The truck barely squeezed through the opening flanked by raspberry bushes. The lane wound back nearly half a mile through some of the most unkempt foliage Jake had ever seen. The truck bottomed out in several holes, and Skye winced every time the undercarriage scraped the dirt.
“You sure she lives back here? I’m surprised she manages to keep a vehicle running.”
“She doesn’t. She rides a bicycle. I think she pushes it out to the road from her house.”
“She lives alone?”
“She does now that her son is dead. Her husband used to be the fire chief. He died in a big hotel blaze ten years ago. She moved out here then. This property had been in her family for years, and the house was in shambles. I imagine it still is.”
“She sounds pretty weird.” And scary. Jake was beginning to think Skye might be right about this woman.
The truck rounded one last curve, and the house came into view. It was barely more than a shack. Jake guessed it had been built by a fur trapper. There couldn’t be more than one room under the sagging, moss-covered roof. A couple of goats munched on shrubs in front of the building, and several chickens scrabbled in the dirt.
Skye stopped the truck in front of the house. “Looks like she’s here.”
“How can you tell?”
Skye pointed toward a tripod set up over an open fire. “She’s cooking.”
The aroma of some kind of soup wafted to his nose, and he nodded. “Any chance she’ll take a potshot at us?”
“I hope not. Maybe we should stay in the truck and just honk the horn.”
She was a smart lady. He nodded and reached
over to press the horn. She winced as the horn blared. The goats bleated and bounded away as chickens squawked and fluttered wildly toward the woods.
“That should make her mad,” Skye laughed.
Jake shrugged. “I’m not letting you out of this truck until she shows her face.”
Before Skye replied, Jake saw movement from the corner of his eye. He whipped his head around and saw what he would have called a mountain woman approach the truck. She wore worn dungarees, boots and a faded shirt that might have been red once. A floppy hat even more decrepit than the one on Jake’s head perched atop gray braids.
“Stop that!” Tallulah said. She slapped the hood of the truck with a dirty hand. “You’re scaring my livestock.” She glowered at them and jerked open Skye’s door. “If you want to talk to me, then get out of there.”
Skye glanced at Jake, and he shrugged. “She doesn’t seem to be armed,” he whispered.
Skye nodded and got out. Jake followed suit. He watched Tallulah warily, ready to jump her if she pulled a weapon.
“Sorry to bother you, Tallulah,” Skye said. “We wondered if you’d seen Wilson lately.”
“No, I haven’t. If you see him, tell him to come and get those airplanes out of my house.” She glowered at Skye. “You have the nerve to show up here after killing my boy.”
“I’m sorry about Robert,” Skye said.
Jake thought he saw tears in Skye’s eyes. On the drive out, she’d talked about how close she was to Robert. Too bad Tallulah didn’t seem to realize Skye was genuinely cut up about the teen’s death.
“A lot of good your sorry does.” She clenched and unclenched her fists.
“You have some of Wilson’s planes here?” Skye’s voice was nonchalant, but she glanced at Jake with a gleam in her eye.
“Robert liked to work with him on them. The last ones they built are still by my fireplace. I want them gone.” Tallulah’s voice softened. “Though I might keep one.”
Skye was being too gentle, Jake decided. “You been out to the garnet mine lately?”
She didn’t answer, just stared at them. “I want you off my property. You done sicced the law on me.”
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