Spirit Lake

by Vickie McKeehan

  Appalled at the sight, she got down on her knees to inspect the damage and try her best to save some of the seedlings. “Who would do something like this?”

  Rufus nudged her elbow with his wet nose.

  “Did you see who did this? If only you could talk and tell me. Did you at least scare them off?”

  Rufus growled in response.

  “Good boy. That’s something, I guess. Another reason to be grateful you use the doggie door now. I bet you surprised the heck out of whoever did this.” She followed the tracks of the shoeprints until they ended at the fence. “Hmm, looks like after you ran off the guy, he hauled ass and jumped into the alleyway.”

  Dragging over a stepladder from the gardening shed, she used it to peer over the top of the fence and scanned the backs of houses, left and right. “I wonder if the perp lives around here?”

  Without an answer, she went back to the garden and worked on salvaging the plants. But after an hour of trying to replant them, she realized most were a total loss. They’d dried out in the sun for too long. She gathered up what she could use for now and tossed the rest in the compost pile. Heartbroken that anyone could come onto her property and destroy all her hard work with such malice, she headed back to the kitchen.

  After chopping the peppers she’d saved and adding them to the chicken, she made fresh iced tea and used some of the flattened mint for garnish.

  Sipping her tea, she sat back on the window seat and looked out over the grounds. “Why do people have to be so destructive, Rufus?”

  The dog answered by resting his head in her lap.

  She hugged him tighter and patted the seat next to her. The pooch didn’t need a second invite and hopped up, stretching out the length of the bench.

  The two stayed like that until Rufus’s head snapped up at a sound she couldn’t hear. He jumped off the seat and headed for the front door, blocking the entryway with his energetic body.

  The pacing back and forth in a circle didn’t worry Gemma. She knew Rufus and knew that he must’ve heard Lando on the steps outside.

  Sure enough, when the door swung back, the Lab woofed in greeting and almost knocked the tall, lanky man back a step.

  But like a wall, Lando stood his ground.

  Gemma leaned on the doorframe and watched the man with cropped, dark brown hair, wrap up the pooch in a hug. She waited her turn and slid an arm around Lando’s back, felt the gun he carried at his waist.

  He turned to plant a kiss on her mouth. “Hello there, beautiful.”

  “Hey, how was your day?”

  “Long.” He removed his holster and the Colt Commander he carried, placing the weapon inside the top cubby on the coat rack that was part of the foyer. “I’m dealing with a string of break-ins around town and today I find out Zeb has the same problem on the Rez.”

  “Bored teenagers?”

  “Maybe. But I’m not convinced this is kids. If it is, they all have the same MO. They go wild once they’re inside a house, ransacking the whole place and making a mess in every room.”

  She tapped the side of her chin. “I wonder. You know, it occurs to me that Ginny Sue Maples has had her hands full lately with a nephew who’s been living with her since before Christmas. He’s from Joplin and the guy’s been super angry about being shipping out here without his friends.”

  “Why did he get shipped here?”

  She lifted a shoulder. “All I know is that he got into some kind of trouble back in Missouri and Ginny’s sister was at her wit’s end. Ginny offered to take him in, but she’s beginning to regret that decision. She’s not used to dealing with a nineteen-year-old filled with so much rage.”

  “What’s his name?”

  She chewed her lip. “I want to say Kirby, maybe.” When she saw Lando turning back to the coat rack to retrieve his weapon as if he intended to go out again, she grabbed his arm. “What are you doing?”

  “I need to talk to him.”

  “Now? Come on, Lando. At least eat your supper first. Where’s the harm in waiting until afterward?”

  “I guess. But I want to talk to this guy before he goes out for the evening. Most of these break-ins are happening at night and it’s just a matter of time before someone gets hurt in the process. Some homeowner could catch him in the act or the guy takes it up a notch and gets violent.”

  “What does he steal?”

  “Anything that can be carried out of there in his pockets. Loose change, anything made from gold or silver, jewelry, even expensive silverware. It wouldn’t be so bad if he just stole the stuff and took off, but he lingers in the house and rifles through everything, dumping out every drawer in the kitchen, and moving from room to room doing all kinds of damage. He even destroyed Enid Lloyd’s flower garden. Pissed me off too, since that’s how she makes a few extra bucks on the side.”

  “Oh, my God, I wonder if that’s who left the shoe impressions in the backyard. If it is, he completely destroyed my butter lettuce, all of it. Not to mention most of my fennel and chives. The basil is toast, too.”

  “Here? He struck here? Brazen little shit,” Lando muttered. “That’s why I need to catch him and put a stop to this before someone gets hurt.”

  She pulled him into the kitchen and dished up the food, handing it off so he could get started. She took out the pitcher of freshly brewed tea and poured him a tall glass over ice. “If it’s Ginny’s nephew doing this, he’s nothing like his aunt. Ginny wouldn’t hurt a fly. Unless a burglar breaks into her house and then she’s got that baseball bat beside her bed.”

  “How long have you known about this?”

  “Let’s see, Ginny came into the shop on Monday acting all freaked out. I thought it might be her job making her so edgy, but she said things were fine at the clinic and that Luke was a lot happier since he started dating Lianne. That’s when I found out Ginny has been dealing with this for months and kept it all to herself. I felt bad for her. Had I known this jerk was wreaking this kind of havoc, I would’ve said something sooner.”

  “Gossip and small towns fight crime,” Lando said, eager to finish his supper so he could check out the nephew.

  “We’ll eat fast and then I’ll head over to Enid’s house and assess the damage there, then try to help her put her garden back together.”

  As they sat down to the table, Lando dug in. “Did you know Dale and Denise are back together?”

  “Uh-huh. Well. Sorta. Dale came in yesterday to pick out a box of Denise’s favorite chocolates⸻vanilla creams with strawberry glaze. He was nervous about asking her to take him back, but he was hopeful. Glad to know the candy might’ve helped.”

  “I told Dale he was lucky she was giving him a second chance and that he’d better not blow it this time with a single mom.”

  “That’s what I told him. After cheating on her with Mallory, he’s lucky Denise didn’t have him banned from the market…forever. Her mom and aunt would probably have every right to do it.”

  Between bites, Lando nodded in agreement. “This is great. I haven’t had anything since lunch.”

  “Leia showed me how to throw this together quick and easy using leftovers. Would’ve taken me less time if I hadn’t gotten sidetracked outside.”

  “Do you know who came into my office this morning and applied for Louise’s job?”

  “No. Who?”

  “Suzanne Swinton.”

  “You’re kidding? And?”

  “Hey, I don’t exactly have people beating down my door for the position, especially with all this upheaval in the mayor’s office. Besides, Suzanne and Buddy could use the money. And the woman is motivated. I agreed to give her a ninety-day trial period, paid for, and send her for training in Crescent City. Let’s see how she does with it.”

  “Good for you. I think I might have found an opponent to go up against Arlo.”

  “Didn’t you hear? Sam Wells is throwing his hat in the ring.”

  “What? No. No. That messes up everything. I don’t believe this. That�
�s all we need is another banker type from Stanford, another filthy rich guy who wants to run the town, or should I say, ruin the town. When did this happen?”

  “This morning. He came in and paid the fee, held what amounts to a press conference at City Hall afterward. Who was your candidate?”

  “Nova Coyote.”

  “Your sister-in-law? Don’t get me wrong, I like Nova. But what makes you think she wants to be mayor?”

  “She didn’t know about it yet.”

  “Gemma,” he stated in that familiar tone that really meant, mind your own business.

  “Hey, don’t look at me like that. It was actually Paloma’s idea, not mine. Raynelle Stokely came in the store this morning and railed at me for parking Poppy’s truck in front of the store. Somebody has to show Arlo he’s a jackass, especially after Raynelle caused such a scene over that parking space. I realized somebody needed to do something. And Nova is the straightest shooter I know. She doesn’t mess around with subtleties. Although she doesn’t exactly have the corporate backing somebody like Sam Wells has, now does she?”

  “Or the free advertising on his radio station.”

  “Crap. I hadn’t thought of that. If Sam beats Arlo will Sam replace you?”

  “Nah, I think my job is safe enough. Sam and I go way back. It’s only Arlo we have to worry about.”

  “Then I guess I’ll call Paloma after dinner and tell her the news. She’d planned a little cookout over the weekend so we’d have the opportunity to convince Nova to run.”

  “Not a bad idea, but I don’t think Nova could beat Sam. He’s too…”

  “Wealthy?”

  “Connected,” Lando modified. “That and he’s been in town longer than Nova with established roots that reach all the way to Sacramento. His cronies run the state. That Stanford education opens lots of doors.”

  “Even with the Coyote name, you don’t think Nova would stand much of a chance against him?”

  Lando shrugged. “No, not really. Paloma’s influence has dwindled. She hasn’t held the office in years. Some of her strongest supporters have died off. Which brings up the question…were you planning to change your last name to Coyote? Officially?”

  She threw her arms around his neck. “Now why would I do that when I’m about forty-five days away from being Mrs. Lando Bonner?”

  His lips curved. “That’s the best answer of them all.”

  “So what should I tell Paloma?”

  “The truth. She knows the ins and outs of politics.”

  “Great. So the town’s forced to settle for another Fleet Barkley, just older and richer. I don’t like it.”

  “Neither do I, but what can we do about it? You’re not even registered to vote.”

  “Oh, yes I am. Lianne and I registered online this afternoon. Just give me longer than five minutes to come up with a solution and I’ll figure something out on this mayor situation.”

  “Nothing illegal,” Lando cautioned.

  “Who, me? Of course not. I’m done breaking into people’s houses.”

  “Good to know. Which reminds me, I need to get going and see if I can corner this Kirby fellow.”

  “Wait. Before you go, did you hear anything from the Institute of Sciences? Did the facial reconstruction expert receive the skull impressions from the coroner yet?”

  “She did. Candace Stewart called me with the confirmation of the delivery two days ago. I didn’t mention it because I wanted to give her time to go over Jane Doe’s data and see if she could come up with a sketch. Even though I didn’t want to rush her, I talked to her again this morning and her volunteers are eager to get started building the clay model.”

  “Imagine that. In a matter of weeks, we could know what Jane Doe looked like in life.”

  “Yeah. Professor Stewart seems to know what she’s doing. Her facial reconstruction is one of the reasons another case got solved last year.”

  “The wait will be the hardest. But after decades of not going anywhere, this was a step that had to be taken. Did you know Raynelle, and I guess other people in town, don’t want us doing this…at all? I can’t imagine why anyone would object to it. Can you?”

  Lando moved down the hallway to the front door, where he reached up and retrieved his weapon from the cubby. Strapping his Colt to his waist again, he took Gemma by the shoulders. “Caulfield still has his superfans, even after all this time. The Stokelys are part of that old-time thinking. They don’t want me showing up Reiner. Not ever.”

  She ran a hand along his cheek. “You’d show up Caulfield blindfolded. Remember, we’re meeting with Callie tomorrow night to go over the wedding ceremony.”

  “But you haven’t even found a dress yet.”

  “This Saturday Leia and Lianne are taking me to a boutique over in Crescent City. Leia wants to try on dresses, too. Don’t worry, I’ll be back in time for the show at the Duck & Rum. In fact, I thought I’d make dinner for the whole gang beforehand. And remember, I’m heading to the Rez tomorrow. Zeb wants me to look over his cold case file on Chloe Pendleton.”

  “Want me to go with you?”

  “Do you have time?”

  “Not really. I need to get Suzanne squared away and get her off to training. The sooner she’s ready to take over Louise’s job, the better for all of us. Less work for the guys trying to cover both the field and take calls. There’s a crapload of paperwork involved to get her set up.”

  “You hate red tape.”

  “Yeah. But I hate acting as dispatcher more. I’ll help with the dishes when I get back.”

  “Then get out of here. I’ll handle clean up. Go catch the bad guys.”

  2

  A couple of blocks from Gemma’s house, Lando knocked on Ginny Sue’s door and was surprised when the nurse didn’t answer. He walked around the house, starting with the garage, peering into the windows to see if her car was there and saw it was.

  After surveying the perimeter, he ended up at the same spot near the front porch. Perplexed at Ginny’s absence, he wondered if she’d gotten stuck at work. He took out his cell phone to dial the clinic on the Rez, hoping to catch either his brother or Ginny there.

  When the phone went to voicemail, he left a message for either one to call him back.

  It bugged him that he couldn’t find Ginny. He wasn’t about to take off without knowing the nurse was okay. He dialed his brother’s cell, hoping Luke could provide an answer.

  Dr. Luke Bonner was a physician who could’ve taken a job at any of the major hospitals or opened his own lucrative medical practice somewhere other than Coyote Wells and hauled in a high six-figure salary. But that wasn’t who Luke was. Luke served his people and the half dozen or so tribes that made up the area. One way or another, most folks in town could trace their roots back to Hokan, Yuki, Uto-Aztecan, Na Dené, Algic, or Penutian.

  When Luke picked up, Lando explained the situation.

  “Maybe Ginny Sue got fed up and left,” Luke began. “She’s been stressed out about having an overbearing man like Kirby Doss living with her for this long.”

  “Why didn’t she come to me?”

  “And say what? She tried to get him to leave, even offered him money. The kid’s not dumb, by any means. He sits around all day watching television, refuses to go out and get a job. Ginny’s been scared since the day he arrived. Believe me, she’s had her fill of trying to help out her sister and this ungrateful little twit who doesn’t seem inclined to help himself.”

  “But I’m not getting an answer at the door and her car’s in the garage.”

  “That’s weird. Ginny left work early today around three-thirty, saying she had a headache. She gets migraines occasionally. Maybe she took the Imitrex I’ve given her in the past. It sometimes makes her sleepy. Look, I just finished up dinner, wait for me to get over there and I’ll go inside with you.”

  “That’s a plan.”

  After a twenty-minute wait, Lando spotted Luke pulling his car up to the curb. He met him with a snarl.
“What took you so long?”

  “I made that up about finishing dinner. Your call interrupted more than that. I was with Lianne. It’s not as though I’d planned to go out again tonight.”

  Lando held up a hand. “That’s okay. Sorry I snapped at you. I don’t need the details. I have to figure out how best to get inside.”

  “I’ve got an extra key. She gave it to me last spring, at the height of her nephew’s aggressive behavior.”

  Luke led the way to the front door and stuck the key into the lock.

  Lando tugged on Luke’s sleeve, motioning him aside. “Let me go in first.”

  “Be my guest,” Luke mumbled.

  The house was dark, the drapes drawn as if the darkness held a different kind of power. “Does she always keep it like this?” Lando asked.

  “Not at all,” Luke uttered in a whisper. “Ginny likes things light and sunny. I’m getting a bad feeling about this, Lando.”

  Lando drew his Colt and stuck his head into the even darker interior. He saw a messy living room with an overturned plant spilling its dirt onto a carpeted floor.

  Lando heard a groan before spotting a pair of legs sticking out from behind the sofa. He knelt next to Ginny, who was trying to sit up.

  Luke bounded over to check on his nurse. “Are you okay?”

  “Do I look like I’m okay?” Ginny Sue snapped, and was immediately apologetic. “Sorry. My head’s killing me.”

  “Let’s get you over to the sofa,” Luke offered. “I’ll get some ice for that knot on your forehead. Looks like he got you on the mouth, too.”

  “Kirby popped me a good one. Reminded me of my first boyfriend.” Ginny dropped down onto the cushions. “I must’ve hit the coffee table on my way down,” she surmised, glancing at Lando. “You have to do something about him. I can’t put up with this anymore or live like this. He took a swing at me because I refused to let him have my car. I hid the keys in the garbage can.”