“Sure.”
Sani suddenly cleared his throat. “Where can I sit?”
“You can sit right here at the table with us,” Ashwin replied as he set the glasses on the counter and quickly glanced over at Silver Moon. He suddenly placed his finger against his lips, signaling Sani to remain silent, and the boy nodded as he watched Ashwin sprinkle a small amount of powder from his cupped hand into one of the glasses. He quickly poured a can of Pepsi into the glass, and after Silver Moon had set the plates on the counter Ashwin handed her the glass. “Pepsi, right?”
Silver Moon smiled and nodded. “That's right. You remembered.”
Ashwin forced a smile and watched as she gulped half of the soda down in one long swallow, then said, “You looked like you needed a tall glass of ice cold Pepsi. Come on, let's eat.”
Silver Moon's smile widened as she sat down at the table, touched by the fact that he'd remembered what her favorite soda was, as well as his kindness and generosity by pouring it and handing it to her. She demurely helped herself to a slice of pizza, then glanced at Sani and nodded in satisfaction when she saw that the boy was devouring his pizza as if he hadn't eaten in days. She turned her attention to Ashwin and thanked him for the pizza, to which he simply shrugged and replied, “You're welcome.”
“Do you have to work tomorrow?” She inquired as she wiped her mouth and fingers with a paper towel before taking another sip of her soda. Ashwin shook his head and wiped his mouth with a paper towel to hide his smile, and he managed to maintain a serious expression as he said, “No, I'm off through the weekend, unless an emergency crops up that they can't handle without me.”
Silver Moon nodded and finished off her slice of pizza, then leaned back in the chair and said, “Thank you again. That was delicious.”
Ashwin nodded and covertly glanced at her face before he wiped his mouth again. “Stop thanking me. Everyone's gotta eat.”
Silver Moon shrugged and leaned her head back against the chair. “That's true.”
Ashwin smiled as he lightly said, “Don't tell me—you get your belly full and fall asleep?”
Silver Moon forced her eyes open as she slowly raised her head off the back of the chair. “Hmm. Well, now that you mention it, I suppose I do. Doesn't everybody?”
Ashwin laughed at her growing inability to hold her eyes open, and after getting to his feet he carefully helped her into the living room and settled her on the sofa. Within moments she was fast asleep, and he breathed a deep sigh of relief as he glanced at Sani and walked back into the kitchen. The child was looking at him wide-eyed in a mixture of awe and fear as he whispered, “Did you kill her?”
A smile tugged at the corners of Ashwin's mouth as he shook his head. “No, I didn't kill her. She'll just sleep for a while.”
Sani nodded and slowly finished eating his pizza, never taking his eyes from Ashwin as he watched him put the dirty plates and glasses into the sink before filling it with hot, soapy water. That done, he sat back down at the table and dug the small note Sani had left for him from his front jeans pocket before he said, “We need to talk, Sani.”
Sani nodded again and wiped his mouth and hands before he finished his drink and said, “It's true, Mr. Ashwin. She's not my mother.” He bit his lip as tears welled in his soft brown eyes, but before Ashwin could say anything, Sani blurted out, “She's mean to me! She's always hitting me and making me watch the baby and telling me how worthless I am and--and--”
Ashwin gently placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and soothed, “Calm down, son. After tonight, you won't have to contend with her anymore.”
Sani bit his lip again and scrunched up his face as he inquired, “What does contend mean?”
“It means you won't have to put up with the way she treats you.”
Sani nodded and angrily swiped at the tears that were still rolling down his cheeks, which prompted Ashwin to gently grasp the boy's chin in his hand and inquire, “When's the last time she hit you?”
“This morning...last night...I can't remember.”
“Where does she hit you?”
“She usually slaps me in the face. Hard.”
“I see.” He gently turned the boy's head to the side so he could check his cheeks for any bruising, and sure enough, an unnaturally dark red spot was present on Sani's left cheek. Ashwin already knew that it would be a garish shade of various colors by the next day, and his voice was gentle as he added, “Does she hit you anywhere else?”
Sani shook his head. “No.”
Ashwin sighed and released the boy's chin, then glanced into the living room to make sure Silver Moon was still asleep before he asked his next question.
“Who IS your mother, Sani?”
“Birdy Whitefeather.”
Ashwin frowned at the familiar name. “You mean Little Bird?”
Sani nodded, which prompted Ashwin to gasp as realization slammed into him with all the force of a category five hurricane. “Oh my God. You're Chief Whitefeather's grandson?”
Sani nodded. “Yes, why?”
Ashwin didn't recall the Chief's daughter-in-law ever having kids, but apparently she had. He brought himself back to the present with a quick shake of his head and said, “No reason. How, exactly, did you end up with Silver Moon?”
“She stopped by Grampa's house and invited me to go to the store with her. She stopped at the store and bought me some candy, but instead of taking me back to Grampa's, she came here.”
Ashwin nodded and said, “Don't your parents live on the reservation?”
“No. We live in Tennessee. We were just visiting for the weekend.”
“I see.” Ashwin sighed and eyed the phone hanging on his wall, then decided that a phone call would wreak more havoc than Silver Moon already had. He got to his feet and donned his windbreaker, which raised Sani's curiosity as he watched Ashwin check his pockets for his keys. “Where are we going?”
Ashwin smiled at the boy as he helped him out of the chair and guided him through the darkened living room. “I'm taking you home.”
CHAPTER 10
Ashwin breathed a sigh of relief as he finally parked in front of his mother's house, but he already knew his relief would be short-lived as soon as his mother and the chief found out what had happened. He was weary beyond words and just as disgusted with Silver Moon, but he knew that a strong, hot cup of coffee would help perk him up a bit as he reached over and gave Sani a gentle shake. “Sani, wake up, son.”
The boy stirred and sat up straight in the seat, then slowly rubbed the sleep from his eyes and blinked at the unfamiliar house in front of him. He turned to Ashwin and quietly inquired, “Where are we?”
“We're back on the reservation. You'll be reunited with your parents and grandfather soon.”
Sani suddenly jumped across the seat and threw his small arms around Ashwin's neck as he began to cry. “Thank you, Mr. Ashwin.”
Ashwin gave the boy a gentle squeeze and said a bit gruffly, “You're welcome, Sani. Come on, let's go inside.”
Sani nodded and got out of the car, then quietly shut the car door and waited for Ashwin before he fell into step beside him. Ashwin walked up to the front door and gave a few firm, rapid knocks, then patiently waited for his mother to open the door. When there was no response he knocked again, and moments later he heard his mother walking rapidly towards the front door. From inside the house he could hear her muffled muttering. “Who in the world is at my door at five a.m.?”
Ashwin simply smiled to himself and shook his head. “A-lu-li, it's me, Ashwin.”
The door was suddenly flung open at the same time the porch light came on. Ashwin's mother suddenly appeared in the doorway, clad in a hand-made robe and matching slippers as she squinted up at her son. “Ashwin? Ashwin! What on earth...”
Ashwin stepped inside as Sani followed suit. Ashwin's mother glanced from her son to the boy, and when she finally realized who the child was, she gasped and slammed the door shut as if the hounds of hell were hot on
Ashwin's and Sani's heels. Ashwin chuckled at his mother's actions and said, “A-lu-li, I'm sure you know Sani here.” He turned to the boy and added, “Sani, this is my mother.”
Sani bowed his head as a gesture of respect. “Ma'am.”
Ashwin's mother hurried into the kitchen and called, “Come, come...you look as if you could use some strong coffee. Sani, would you like some hot chocolate?”
Sani shook his head and politely replied, “No, thank you.”
Ashwin wearily followed his mother into the kitchen, then glanced at Sani and said, “Why don't you go lie down on the sofa in the living room while I have a talk with my mother? I'll wake you up and take you to your Grampa's house when the sun comes up.”
Sani nodded and shuffled off in the direction Ashwin pointed, and moments later Ashwin sat down at the table and said, “Where is the chief?”
Ashwin's mother shook her head as she poured water into the coffee pot. “The chief has been ill ever since the boy was taken.”
Ashwin frowned at this bit of news and inquired, “Ill in what way?”
“He has fallen into a horrible depression, and there is also the question of whether he has suffered a heart attack due to the stress of not knowing what happened to his grandson.”
Ashwin's frown deepened. “I see.”
“The boy's parents have been frantic ever since he disappeared.”
Ashwin sighed as he absently toyed with the napkin holder in the center of the table. “Silver Moon took the boy, A-lu-li.”
“Silver Moon did WHAT?”
Ashwin cleared his throat and repeated, “Silver Moon took the boy. She tried to claim he was my son, from ten years ago.”
Ashwin's mother gasped as the coffee mug she was holding slipped from her fingers and shattered onto the floor, and Ashwin wasted no time in getting to his feet to sweep up the mess. He gently sat his mother down in one of the chairs and said, “I'll clean it up, A-lu-li. You just sit there and take it easy.”
His mother watched as he carefully swept up the sharp, shattered remnants of the mug, and afterwards he retrieved another cup from the cabinet before he inquired, “Where are the boy's parents?”
“They are all at the chief's house.”
Ashwin nodded and poured the coffee, and after setting a cup in front of his mother, he sat back down across from her and stirred milk and sugar into his coffee. “How ill is the chief?”
Ashwin's mother shook her head as she gingerly sipped the steaming coffee. “He's been bedridden for the past week. He's weak, in and out of consciousness. It doesn't look good, son, and I'm worried for him.”
Ashwin nodded and took a tentative sip of his own coffee as he waited for his mother to ask him the inevitable. She took another sip and blew across the black, hot surface of her coffee before she slowly set the cup on the table and inquired, “Is there anything you can do for him, son?”
Ashwin bit his lip as he stared into the light brown liquid in his cup. “I will examine him and see what I can do.”
His answer seemed to satisfy her, and after glancing outside she said, “The sun's up. Why don't you wake the boy and walk with him to the chief's house?”
Ashwin nodded and finished his coffee, then slowly got to his feet and walked into the living room to wake Sani. Five minutes later he and the boy set out for the chief's house, which was only five minutes away, and as they walked Sani suddenly asked, “Am I in trouble?”
Ashwin glanced at the child and replied, “No, son, you aren't in trouble. Why do you think you would be?”
Sani shrugged but said nothing else as he shuffled through the dry leaves that had formed a single layer atop the damp grass, and Ashwin smiled at the boy as they neared the chief's simple, modest home. He knocked on the door and patiently waited, and moments later Sani's mother opened the door. She was so shocked to see Ashwin standing there with her son that she gasped as her hand automatically flew to the center of her chest, but before Ashwin could prevent it, she tumbled backwards and fainted. Sani immediately darted to the center of the room and knelt beside his mother, and as he repeatedly cried out, “Mommy, Mommy!”, Ashwin knelt and gently checked her pulse. Sani turned pleading eyes to him as he frantically inquired, “Is she alright?”
“Yes, son, she'll be fine. Go get me a pillow off the sofa, please.”
Sani nodded and immediately did as Ashwin requested, and after sliding the pillow beneath the woman's head she began to stir. She blinked up at Ashwin and frowned, then moaned, “Sani...”
“Yes, Mommy?” Sani replied as he leaned over and smiled down at his mother. She gasped and reached up to gently stroke Sani's face, and her voice was full of wonder as she whispered, “You came back to me...”
“Yes, Mommy. This nice man Mr. Ashwin brought me here.”
Sani's mother smiled up at him as she continued to gently stroke his face. “Is that so.”
“Yes, Mommy. He's been taking care of you since you fainted.”
For the first time since she'd fainted, Sani's mother realized she was on the floor, and she blushed a deep shade of red as she slowly sat up and glanced around the room. Ashwin stepped forward and extended his hand, and after helping her to her feet he led her over to the sofa and said, “You need to sit down and take it easy.”
“Ashwin! My God, it's been so long since I've seen you!”
Ashwin simply smiled at her statement. “Yes, I know. How have you been?”
“Well, I was doing alright until Sani disappeared.”
Ashwin gave a deep sigh and said, “I can imagine.”
“Is he OK?”
Ashwin nodded. “He's fine.”
“Do you know who took him?”
Ashwin sighed and nodded again. “Yes, Little Bird, I do.”
Little Bird glanced at him expectantly as Ashwin cleared his throat. “According to Sani, Silver Moon took him.”
Little Bird gasped at this bit of news, and she fell silent as she tried to wrap her mind around why Silver Moon had kidnapped her son. As if he could read her mind, Ashwin added, “She showed up at my apartment last Sunday and tried to say that Sani was my son from ten years ago.”
Little Bird frowned in anger and exclaimed, “She did WHAT?”
Ashwin shrugged and said, “That's what she told me, Little Bird. As for why she did what she did, my best guess is that she's suffering from a major case of postpartum depression.”
Little Bird snorted. “Ha! She should be suffering from more than that!”
Ashwin frowned. “Why do you say that?”
Little Bird's expression went from angry to incredulous as she inquired, “You mean you really don't know?”
Ashwin's frown and confusion deepened. “What don't I really know?”
“I know you were here about a month ago and that you delivered her baby. I would give anything to hear just what, exactly, she told you regarding her husband and his tragic death.”
“She told me that he went to his mistress's house one night, got drunk, and crashed his truck into the creek on the way home. She said she never found out if it was the accident that killed him or if he drowned in the creek.”
Little Bird shook her head and said, “And you believed her?”
Ashwin shrugged. “I had no reason not to believe her.”
Little Bird sighed and slowly stood before she began to pace back and forth. “Everyone on the reservation knew what he had done, Ashwin. He was talking to developers who wanted to come in and take our land and build some huge, fancy shopping mall and casino here. Hell, even the chief knew about that. But that decision wasn't up to Lone Wolf. The developers soon found that out and abandoned their plans, especially when the chief firmly refused to negotiate with them.”
Ashwin got a sudden sinking feeling in his gut as Little Bird's explanation sank into his sleep-deprived brain, and he knew the story was about to get even worse when Little Bird stopped pacing and added, “Silver Moon had been expecting Lone Wolf to bring a huge check home to her,
the check the developers had promised Lone Wolf in exchange for his information and help. Well, when no check came, she kicked him out, even though the baby was due soon. The day before you got here is when her husband died. That night she went to Lone Wolf's mistress's house and killed them both. Yes, his body was found in his truck in the creek, but we all know that she killed him.”
“And how did she kill his mistress?”
Little Bird swallowed hard and gripped the window sill as she stared out at the early morning mist. “Are you really sure you want to know?”
“I asked, didn't I?”
“There was...there was blood everywhere. She had stabbed his mistress in the stomach with a butcher knife. What she didn't know was that the mistress was pregnant. So she really killed two people that night.”
“So why wasn't she arrested?”
Little Bird sighed. “As soon as she had the baby, she disappeared. The mistress's body wasn't discovered until the day after Silver Moon disappeared.”
“But didn't she show back up to take Sani?”
Little Bird shook her head. “None of us saw her. Sani was outside playing. When we called him to come inside, we thought it was odd when he didn't respond. When we went outside to look for him, he—he was already gone.” She slowly turned away from the window, her pale face testament to the torture she'd suffered as she'd wondered and worried about Sani for the past week. “You really don't know how much I appreciate you bringing him home.”
Ashwin shrugged. “It was the least I could do.”
“Where is Silver Moon now?”
Ashwin sighed and shoved his fingers through his hair as he wondered just what he was going to do about Silver Moon. “She's at my apartment, sleeping off the drug I slipped into her Pepsi last night.”
Little Bird actually chuckled. “You didn't.”
Ashwin smiled. “Yes, I'm afraid I did.”
Little Bird shook her head and chuckled again before she grew serious. “What are you planning to do about her?”
Ashwin sighed. “I don't know yet, Birdy.”
Little Bird mulled over his answer before she inquired, “Do you know about the chief?”
The Medicine Man, Book 2 Page 6