“All right, calm down. Get in and I’ll go take a look.” He radioed for backup.
The officer made a U-turn and parked behind the rental car in the driveway. “Stay in the car. We don’t know what we’ll find. I’ll let you know when it’s clear.”
A few minutes later, two patrol cars with flashing red-and-blue lights screeched to a halt out front.
While she waited in the car Rita and Barry drove up and stopped at the curb. They jumped out and ran to the patrol car in the drive.
Sunny stepped out. “Stay outside. The police are in there. They’ll let us know when it’s safe.”
“Lord’s sake, Mom. Are you all right?”
“What happened?” Barry asked. “When you didn’t come back right away we got worried.” He grabbed her in his arms.
“I came home to change and the lights were out. I know we left some on. Someone was in the house. When I tried to get out the front door I was knocked down. They went out through the kitchen.”
Rita’s eyes widened as she looked at her. “I was scared when we saw the cop cars here. Glad it’s not anything worse.” Tears ran down her cheeks.
Barry took out his handkerchief and wiped her face.
“Are you hurt?” Barry whispered to Sunny.
“No, but I could have been. But listen.” Sunny pushed her hair from her face. “Gina was there. When I was down on the floor, Gina came. She said she was with me.”
Flashlight beams swung back and forth in the dark house.
“I thought, Is this what’s going to happen to me? Is this how I’m to going to die? They’ll find me with wine on my sweater.”
“I’m glad you’re okay, but after that remark—” Barry grinned, glancing at the stains on her sweater “—I think maybe you’re in shock.”
“Now I know Gina didn’t kill herself. I believe I have enough evidence for them to question the person I think did this.”
“What do you mean?” Barry asked. Both his and Rita’s eyes were on Sunny.
“I mean. Someone killed her. It’s clear now. That’s what she meant by ‘I wouldn’t leave my boys.’”
Barry said, “You’re going to need facts. Hard evidence.”
“I’ll get it. I have my intuition right now, and the papers. But the fact that someone broke into Rita’s house and tried to hurt me makes me more certain than ever. I’m going to put my faith in Gina. She’ll help.”
Rita hugged her.
Barry turned to Sunny. “This has gotten ugly.”
The front door opened and Officer Boyle came out. The other officers returned to their cars and drove away.
“I don’t think this is a random burglary. You may have surprised the burglar. It looks like they were looking for something. Drawers were pulled out and papers are all over the floor. Of course, you’ll have to go through the house and see if anything’s missing. Are you having bad luck, or do you have something someone wants?”
He faced Barry. “And you are?”
“Her husband.” Nodding down at Sunny, he put his arm around her waist. “I came up from San Francisco, where we live. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get to the bottom of this.”
Sunny wondered if that were possible. Now she was alarmed. She didn’t want anything to happen to any of them.
“Is it all right if we go in the house?” asked Barry.
“You and your daughter can. I need Mrs. Davis here for a few minutes. Won’t take long.” Officer Boyle added, “You’ll need a couple of light bulbs. It’s unusual that they took out the lights. Very thorough.”
Rita and Barry thanked the officer. Rita hugged her mother fiercely. Barry kissed Sunny.
“Mrs. Davis, let’s sit in the car, out of the cold.” He pointed Sunny to the passenger side.
“I need to take a statement from you, to file a report. So please tell me, the best you can, exactly what happened. We know how they got in. The back door was jimmied … the lock forced.”
Sunny sat in the car; her sweat had evaporated. Now she was shivering. Is she always with me, or does she come and go? Sunny had never talked to any spirit before as she had Gina. When she said, “I wouldn’t leave my boys,” she was telling me she didn’t kill herself. Gina couldn’t journey on until they found out who killed her.
“Mrs. Davis, did you hear me? Are you all right?”
“Yes, sorry. This is such a shock.”
He nodded. He took the pertinent information and asked her to check to see if anything was missing. He explained how to fill out the form and told her return it to the police station ASAP.
“Thank you, Officer.” Sunny got out of the patrol car and started for the house, then turned and came back. She leaned into the car window. “Oh, Officer? Did you smell anything, like aftershave or perfume, when you were in there?”
“The other officer said he did, but he thought it belonged to you ladies. Mrs. Davis, please be careful.” A light came on inside. “Guess they found the light bulbs.”
Sunny stepped up onto the porch and went inside. Papers were scattered on the floor, drawers pulled out of the tables. It was a mess.
Barry had started a fire in the fireplace. Rita’d made coffee. Sunny collapsed on the couch, her eyes closed. She was exhausted.
Barry sat beside her. He took her hand in his and caressed her fingers. “Shit, Sunny, what would I do if something happened to you?”
Rita came in with steaming mugs on a tray. “It was so scary. What do they want? Who’s doing this?”
“I’ll tell you, I was terrified. I could hear them breathing. You know, I thought I smelled a familiar odor, like aftershave or perfume, but not one that belongs in this house. I also know I have to get those papers I found at Jesse’s to the police and show them what I’ve put together, and then tell them what I suspect. I can’t say Gina told me she didn’t kill herself. They’ll think I’m psycho. Rita, why don’t you smudge the rooms again?”
“Good idea, I’ll ask Victor if he’ll come and help me.”
“We’re going tomorrow to file a report. Then we’ll go to the tribal police,” Barry said.
“I feel bad. She’s told me before about never leaving her boys. I didn’t listen. I didn’t put it together. It doesn’t make sense, if she wouldn’t leave her boys she wouldn’t kill herself, right? I’ve wasted a lot of valuable time, damn it! I want to talk to Jesse before we go to the police.”
“Do you think that’s smart?”
“I don’t know, but I have to.”
“I’m going with you.”
“Fine. Let’s see what he has to say about Eva.”
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
MONDAY MORNING
Sunny and Barry drove toward Jesse’s house in comfortable silence. She glanced at him as he drove. It was nice having him with her. It would be wonderful if he’d only stick to his word and not drink. She could even handle him having a beer at home. It was the going-out drinking that got to her.
Barry startled her when he spoke. “Rita seemed a little nervous about going to work this morning.”
She nodded. “This whole thing has everyone on edge. I have to find out the truth, just for our sanity.”
“Well, let’s make this quick, and go on to the police.”
They parked in Jesse’s driveway, stepped onto the porch, and knocked. Jesse opened the door and stepped back, jerking his head in surprise. He squinted at them through a black eye, and smelled hungover.
He moved out of the way and invited them in. He covered a yawn with one hand. “What are you two doing here so early this morning?”
They followed him into the kitchen.
“Hey, if you’re here because of the other night, I’m sorry about that. I called Rita and apologized. That was real stupid of me.”
Barry nodded. “I can’t argue with that. And sorry isn’t good enough. You need to get your shit together, buddy. And quit the boozin’.”
Sunny grinned at him, then spoke up. “We’re here because I need more informati
on about a few things. I want to know where Eva was during the party. When was the last time you saw her?”
Jesse exhaled, looking around the kitchen before he answered. He picked up a pack of cigarettes and offered one to Barry, then to Sunny, who declined. Barry accepted and took out his lighter.
Jesse continued. “She came here yesterday afternoon, drunk as a skunk. Her car’s bumper was smashed—like her. Said she scared the shit outta someone with it. Thought it was funny. She put her arms around me, trying to hug me.” He grimaced and shuddered. “She asked if I remembered how it was between us. Before Gina. She said it could be the same now. I told her, ‘Never in a hundred years.’ I had to kick her out. She was talking nonsense.”
“What kind of nonsense?”
He spoke slowly. “She’s trying to run someone out of town. She wants to help me … like she did already with some papers.” He frowned and shook his head.
“Do you know what she meant?” Sunny saw Jesse’s jaw tighten and twitch.
He gulped, jiggling his Adam’s apple. “Nah, just Eva’s crazy talk.”
Barry watched him. “Yeah, she’s crazy like an eagle.”
“I just wanted her out of here. I always have to tell her, ‘Get out.’ Hey, what’s this I hear about Gerald being Rita’s dad? Man, that’s some shit. Wow, who knew?” He looked at Barry. “Did you know that?”
Barry fidgeted in his chair and chewed on his lower lip. Sunny’s eyes told him she was sorry. “Yeah … I knew.” He wasn’t giving Jesse anything more.
“When I left the party, everyone was still here, I think. Hey, man, sorry. I gotta use the head.”
“Well, thanks anyway. We’ll just let ourselves out,” Barry said.
As they walked past the laundry room Sunny stopped dead in her tracks. She lifted her head and sniffed. There was that odor. The same one she’d smelled in Rita’s house last night. She sniffed again. “Yes, it is.” She looked for where it was coming from. On the floor, next to the washing machine, was Jesse’s plaid flannel shirt. She grabbed it and held it to her nose, then stuck it in her purse.
Barry grabbed her arm. “What are you doing? You can’t take someone’s clothes.”
“Shh. Hurry up. Let’s go.”
Back in the car, Barry asked, “What’s with the shirt?”
Sunny explained. “That’s what I smelled last night, when the burglar was in the house. I’m going to see if the officer remembers this smell. Now I know why it was familiar. It’s Eva’s cheap-ass perfume.”
“Then, after, we’ll go to the tribal police,” said Barry.
She nodded. “Now I’m nervous. I know Eva had a lot to do with the things that happened to us, and maybe even Gina’s death. She was drenched in that perfume. Wears it all the time. She even got it all over Jesse’s shirt when she was hugging him up.”
“Let’s go to the police station, then we’ll come back and go to the tribal police. Do you want to go to the BIA?”
Sunny took her notebook from her purse. “Shit. That shirt made everything in my purse stink like Eva. We’ll see what the cops say first. We might have to.”
She kept quiet, hoping Gina was close by. She kept trying to contact her, but nothing was happening. She needed her now.
“What do you make of Jesse?” asked Barry.
“I’m sorry … about the Gerald crack. The Indian Telegraph, you know. I believe everything that’s happened to us, from the hang-ups, the dead roses, the break-in, and especially my car getting rear-ended multiple times, are all Eva’s doing.”
“You might be right.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s responsible for Gina’s death.”
“You mean, she killed her?”
“That’s what I have to find out.”
Oh, Gina, where are you? I hope you can hear me. I think we know how you died.
“Sunny. Are you all right?”
“Sure.” She was upset she couldn’t connect with Gina.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Sunny and Barry walked up the wide concrete steps and made their way inside the Reno police station. Several long hallways with shiny linoleum floors went off in different directions. Sunny looked at Barry and shrugged.
He approached the information desk and motioned for the clerk to open the sliding glass window. He explained why they were there, and they were directed toward the hall to the right.
It seemed to go on forever because the ceiling, walls, and floors were all the same pale yellow. They found the door they were looking for and went up to the clerk. Sunny smiled. “Hi, I’m here to return the report form from a break-in last night. I have another report I want to file on the same person. I believe there’s one on her already.”
“Do you want to leave those with me or do you need to see an officer? What’s the nature of your business?” asked the clerk.
“Yes, I’d feel more comfortable talking to one of your officers.” She explained some of the things to the clerk.
“Why don’t I take the form, and then you can go back down the hall on the left, to the detective division.”
She motioned for them to have a seat in the row of padded chairs along the wall.
“Feels like I’m waiting to go into the courtroom at home,” he said.
“I was thinking the same thing. As if we’re at work.” She smiled.
While waiting she tried again to contact Gina and wondered why she was having trouble finding a way to her.
A very tall, very slender man in dark blue pants and a light blue shirt introduced himself. He held out his hand. “Detective Long.”
Sunny thought his name appropriate. They introduced themselves. Barry shook his hand and Sunny followed.
“Please step into the office. Have a seat.” He pointed to the two chairs in front of his desk. “What brings you here?” Rubbing one hand over his white crewcut, he fumbled in his drawer for pens.
Sunny began telling him about last night’s breaking and entering. How Officer Boyle had given her the form to fill out. She had given it to the clerk.
“The name on the form is the person we think did this, the same person who did all these things.” She handed him the paper on which all the events were noted. “I also have Mr. Wilson’s shirt with her perfume on it.”
“What for?” the detective asked, frowning.
“Because when someone broke into the house last night, I smelled this same perfume. I’m a woman; I notice cheap perfume. I borrowed it from Jesse Wilson. She climbs all over him every chance she gets. I was hoping the officer who was at the house last night would be here to verify it. But I believe he works night shift.”
“So, you think she was the one in your house last night? Or the guy with the shirt?”
“I’m pretty sure it was her. But, I don’t know, it could’ve been both of them.”
Detective Long looked at the papers and notebook Sunny had given him. “I can get your form and file that. As far as the other paper on the damages, we’ll send someone out. We’ll talk to her, this Eva person. Marshall, is it? Do you have an address? What about the brother-in-law?”
Sunny sat and crossed her legs, hands folded on her lap like a schoolgirl. “Eva lives on Ryder, one block before the reservation. Her brother-in-law’s name is Jesse Wilson. He lives on the reservation, here in town.”
The cop bounced his pencil back and forth on his desk. “Do you have a reason to think she’d do these things to you and your daughter?”
Barry and Sunny answered yes. Barry pointed his hand to Sunny, “Go ahead. You tell him.”
Sunny uncrossed her legs and leaned in closer. “Yes, Eva’s in love with her brother-in-law. They dated before he met her sister, Gina. Long story short, he fell in love with Gina and married her. They had two children together. After Gina died, Eva thought she’d get Jesse back. She sees my daughter as a threat, for no reason.”
“I see. A love triangle. The other woman’s name is …” said the detective.
“No! It
’s all in Eva’s mind,” answered Barry. “The love triangle was Eva, Jesse and Gina. My daughter was not involved.”
“How did Gina die?”
“It was declared a suicide but I don’t believe it. I’ve been investigating for the last few weeks. And I believe I have the proof you need.” Sunny’s neck started to get hot and her stomach tightened. “I’m an investigator for the Department of Social Services in San Francisco. Gina was my best friend. When I arrived for her funeral, too many things didn’t add up. That’s why I’ve come to you.”
Her mind veered off.
Gina, are you here? Can you hear me? Answer me.
Yes, I hear you. I wouldn’t leave my boys. Help me, Sunny.
“Mrs. Davis, are you all right? Would you like a glass of water?”
“Yes, please.” She glanced at Barry and nodded. She drained the glass and returned it to the officer. They thanked him and stood to leave.
“I’ll look into what I can. Go to the tribal police. Have you talked to anyone at the Bureau of Indian Affairs?” He walked them to the door.
“Thank you for your help. The tribal police is our next stop. I don’t know yet whether we need to go to the BIA.”
CHAPTER FIFTY
Sunny and Barry stopped by Rita’s house for lunch on the way to the tribal police office. Sunny made sandwiches while Barry got sodas out of the fridge.
Over lunch they discussed what had happened at the police station and what the next step would be. Their meal was interrupted by the phone. Sunny got up to grab the receiver off the wall. “Let someone be on the other end, please.”
“Hello.”
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