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Dela took Mugshot, the paperwork Rosie gave her, and the photos of the Indian Relay Race team home. After dressing for work, she left the papers and photos sitting on the table and put Mugshot outside with Jethro.
Before backing out of the driveway, she sent the best photo of the information about Theodore to Heath. He could change the name on the searches he’d been doing.
Her phone rang as she drove to the casino. She punched the button on her dash and answered. “Hello?”
“Where did you get this information?” Heath asked.
“Rosie found it while doing the genealogy for Grandfather Thunder’s birthday present.”
“I’ll get busy using this name. Did you learn anything else?” Heath asked.
“I have the photos of the relay team. They’re sitting on the table at home. But nothing new on Athena’s death.” She hoped this wasn’t a homicide that didn’t get solved on the reservation. While the victim wasn’t a tribal member and wasn’t very well liked, it would still be an affront to the people who lived here if her murderer wasn’t caught. Too many deaths on reservations were never solved.
“Quinn has been piling up more information about Athena from her real name. And they have been calling all the people with missing girls in our time frame to see if they knew anyone by both of Athena’s names. So far, they haven’t had anyone recognize a photo or the name.”
Heath sounded tired.
“Don’t worry. Something will come up and you’ll be able to catch whoever killed her.” Dela pulled into employee parking behind the casino. “I just arrived at work. Come by about seven and I’ll have dinner with you.”
“That’s something to look forward to. See you then.” The call ended.
Dela exited her car and headed to the back of the building and the entrance for employees. Her phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number. Leaning against the back of the building, she answered, “Hello?”
“Daddy’s mad. It scares me,” Harper’s young voice whispered into the phone.
“Harper? Are you safe?” Dela asked, pushing away from the wall.
“I’m in my bedroom closet. He’s yelling at someone. I’m scared.”
“I’ll call my friend and I’ll be right there. Don’t make a sound. I’ll be there.” As she dialed Heath, she ran back to her car.
“Couldn’t wait until—”
“Harper just called. She’s scared. She said her dad is yelling at someone. I’m headed over there.” She hung up on Heath and dialed Kenny at the casino as she roared out of the parking lot.
“Hey Dela,” her second-in-command answered.
“Kenny. I’m going to be even later. I just got a call from Harper, Athena’s daughter. She needs me. I’ll be in when Heath and I get this taken care of.” Dela ended the call. She didn’t have time to go into details.
Her foot pressed on the accelerator, racing down the road. She turned to the right at Mission Market barely slowing for the four-way stop and corner. The man might be yelling at someone else right now but he could direct that anger on the little girl.
Pulling up to the Kindale house, she didn’t see any extra cars in front. Dela pulled her foot off the accelerator and slammed it onto the brakes, while pulling the vehicle into park.
She could see Alex pacing back and forth in the living room. As she approached the door, she realized he was on his cell phone. Dela wondered if there was a landline and how did the child talk to her in the closet unless the phone was cordless. And how did the child get her number when the father had shoved it in his pocket when Dela handed it to Harper?
With all of these questions bouncing around in her head, she scanned the area for neighbors watching. None. Apparently, this neighborhood didn’t watch out for one another. She heard a siren headed this way. She quickly called Heath.
“Turn off the siren. He’s on the phone in the living room.”
The siren ended, and his car appeared at the turnoff to the housing complex. Heath parked behind Dela’s car.
She hurried over. “I need to get in the house to see Harper. I promised I’d come.”
Heath walked up to the door and knocked.
A minute later Alex opened the door. “What do you want now?”
“Dela wants to see Harper,” Heath said.
“Why? She’s in her room playing.” The man continued to stand with the door half open.
“She called and wanted me to come over,” Dela said, ducking under the man’s arm and heading to the hall.
“Hey! You can’t—”
Dela didn’t hear any more, she opened the girl’s bedroom door. “Harper? It’s me, Dela. You can come out.” She continued over to the closet. Opening the door, she found the child curled up on the floor of the closet with a blanket over her.
“I’m here. You’re going to be okay.” Dela put a hand on the girl’s shoulder.
“What’s going on?” Alex asked in a loud voice.
The child flinched.
Dela didn’t want to get the girl in trouble. However, the man needed to know he had frightened the child. “I’m here because Harper called me. She was frightened by your yelling and arguing with someone.” Dela sat on the floor by the girl, rubbing her back.
“She what? How?” Alex started across the room. Heath grabbed his arm, keeping him near the door. “You can’t hold me. This is my house.” The man became agitated.
“Take him to the living room,” Dela said, feeling the tremors in the child’s body. “He’s just making things worse.”
When the two men left, Dela spoke quietly to the girl and finally managed to get her to push the blanket off her head and sit up.
“There wasn’t anyone here. Your father was talking on his phone.” Dela pushed the child’s errant curls out of her face.
“He was so angry. I’ve never heard him yell like that.” Harper clutched something in her hands.
“What’s that?” Dela asked, pointing to the child’s hands.
“Mommy’s phone. I found it in Daddy’s room when I was looking for the paper with your phone number.” She held up the latest brand of cell phone.
Dela’s heart thudded in her chest. How had the phone made it from Athena’s possession to the bedroom? “How do you know it’s your mommy’s phone?” Dela asked.
“When she’d take me with her to visit friends, she’d give me the phone to play with.” Harper stared down at the phone in her hands. “I didn’t miss Mommy until today. She never yelled like Daddy. She just didn’t talk to me.”
Dela let the child talk. She was learning more about the family dynamics. “How did you get my phone number?”
Harper peered up at her and a smile tipped the corners of the child’s mouth. “Daddy washes the clothes on Sunday. It’s my chore to bring him the clothes baskets. I found the number in his shirt pocket.”
“That was smart of you. Why didn’t you just ask him for it?” Dela shifted her position.
The child’s bottom lip stuck out a little bit before she said, “He said I wasn’t to play or talk to you again. That you were with the police and they were digging up lies.” Harper’s dark brows met above the bridge of her nose. “He always told me police are good people.”
“Your daddy is upset about your mommy leaving. The police are helping to find out why she left.”
“Mommy’s dead. She won’t come back.” Harper peered into Dela’s eyes. “Natalie told me that my mommy would never be back, that she was dead. Like the bird we found in the yard. We buried the bird in a hole Natalie dug.” The child took a breath and asked, “Is Mommy going to be buried?”
“I’m not sure. It would be up to your daddy.” Dela now knew that Natalie had been here and spent time with Athena’s daughter and husband. Had she become tired of the other woman’s lies and Alex not doing anything to get out of his marriage?
Dela changed the subject. “I know your mommy’s phone is the only way you can reach me, but it would be helpful to the police to use it to find out why your mommy died.” Dela held out a hand palm up. “Could I give it to the police? I can bring you another cell phone you can use to call me.”
The child’s eyes lit up. “You’d give me my own phone?”
“Just one that you can call me with. Nothing fancy with games or anything like that.”
Harper pouted but placed the phone in Dela’s hand.
She texted Heath. I have Athena’s phone. You might want to take Alex to the station to question why it was in his bedroom.
Dela looked at her watch. Rae should be home. She could take Harper to her house until Alex returned from being questioned.
Standing, Dela reached out a hand. “Let’s go see if Rae can watch you until I can get you that other phone.”
Harper smiled and stood, taking Dela’s hand.
Heath walked into the room with Alex. “We’re going to the station. Are you going to stay here with Harper?”
“Only if Rae, next door, can’t watch her.” Dela studied Alex. The color drained from his face. His gaze was on the phone in Dela’s hand as she gave it to Heath.
“Thanks.” Heath grabbed Alex’s arm. “Come on.”
When the two had left the house, Dela took Harper next door. Rae’s car was in the driveway. She knocked on the door and waited.
The door opened and Rae’s gaze landed on Dela and then slid down to Harper. “What’s going on?”
“Harper’s dad was taken in for questioning. Can you watch her until he gets back? I need to get her a phone and get to work.”
“A phone?” Rae’s gaze bounced back and forth between Dela and Harper.
“Long story, I’ll tell you when I come back. Do you mind watching her?” Dela didn’t want to sound like it was being thrust on her even though it was.
“Not a problem, Harper and I like the same cartoons.” Rae backed up, opening the door further. Harper stepped forward. “Find which one you want to watch, and I’ll be right there.”
Harper skipped into the house. Rae stepped out and closed the door. “What’s really going on?”
“Harper called me frightened by the way Alex was talking.” She went on to tell her about the phone she called on being Athena’s.
Rae stared at her. “You mean Alex had Athena’s phone? That means he probably killed her. How else would he get it?”
Dela didn’t say one way or the other. “We’ll know more after Heath questions him. I have to go get a pay-as-you-go phone for Harper in case she needs to call someone again. I’ll drop it by on my way to work.”