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Shandra’s heart raced. Why would anyone want to hurt Nelly? Her gaze landed on Wendy. The woman looked surprised but not horrified.
“Where is she?” Shandra asked the man.
“Down by the sweat lodge.” The man shook his head. “It will have to be purified before we can use it now.”
Shandra grabbed Velma’s wrist. “Show me.”
“This isn’t good,” Velma said, huffing.
Velma led the way out of the Community Center and down a road to the west of the building.
Shandra saw a fenced in area. “Why didn’t he call for help instead of leaving her there by herself?” Frustration banged at Shandra.
“Old Moses doesn’t believe in cell phones.” Velma stopped at the opening in the fence and pointed.
To the right of the gate, Nelly lay face down in a pool of blood.
Shandra wanted to check her to see if she was still alive, but also didn’t want to ruin anything that would help catch her killer.
Velma put a hand on Shandra’s shoulder. “She’s gone.”
“How do you know?” She shook her aunt’s hand off and took a step.
Velma grasped her arm, stopping any forward motion. “I know.”
Shandra spun around to stare at the woman as sirens wailed in the distance. The shrill sound grew closer as she continued to peer into her aunt’s eyes. Velma had seen Nelly’s spirit leave her body.
She returned her gaze to the young woman she’d planned to have as her first scholarship recipient. Nelly’s fingers were curved as if she were digging into the ground. Shandra studied her arms and feet. Nelly appeared to have been crawling toward the gate. She was a fighter right down to the end, trying to find someone to help her.
From what Shandra could see of the young woman’s clothing, she had been the woman arguing with the young man this morning in the community center parking lot. If only I had realized you were the woman, I would have been looking for you. Sorrow for the woman’s lost life and the impression she could have prevented this overwhelmed Shandra.
She shook off the notion as a car slid to a stop outside the fence, pluming a cloud of dust into the air.
Officer Logan Rider unfolded out of the tribal police vehicle. He stood close to seven feet, broad shoulders, barrel chest, and had a round jovial face with a smile as broad as the Cheshire cat.
“Shandra! Heard you were coming to visit. My grandmother hasn’t stopped talking about it since Jo called and asked if you could come by.” His gaze slid from her to Nelly. “Damn!”
Logan pulled out a notepad. “Did you see anything?”
“We were up at the center having lunch and waiting for her to arrive for a meeting,” Velma said.
“She had an appointment with you?” Logan stared at Shandra.
She nodded. “Yes. We were going to make her the first recipient of my scholarship.” Tears burned the backs of her eyes. “I didn’t even get a chance to tell her how proud I was.”
Velma put an arm around Shandra. “She worked hard after you talked to her.”
“What time was her appointment?” he asked.
“One.”
He glanced at his watch. “It’s two-thirty now. Did you come looking for her?”
“Old Moses burst into Jo’s office and said he found her. Me and Shandra came to see if we could help.” Velma murmured something in Nez Perce and added, “We were too late.”
“You two need to step outside the fence, please. I have photos to take and I need to place a call to the feds.” Logan herded them out of the enclosure.
Shandra shuddered. “Not that man Weatherly again.” The FBI agent had nearly caused Ryan’s death by going back and digging up old cases after recognizing him.
“He’s no longer in the agency.” Logan grinned.
“I’m glad they put another agent here in his place.”
The officer shook his head. “Not this agency. He’s no longer in the FBI. Word is he let information leak about an undercover cop and he was tossed out.”
He’d gotten what he deserved for digging up Ryan’s undercover identity. “Can’t say as I’m sorry for him.”
“Me either. He always acted like he was better than everyone on this reservation.” Logan walked over to his vehicle and began talking on the radio.
“I need to get back to Wendy. She has to go home,” Velma said.
“You can’t go. You have to stay here and answer questions.” Shandra shielded her eyes, staring back toward the center. “Where do you think Moses is? He should be down here, too.”
“I’ll take my car keys to Wendy and get Moses.” Velma took off back toward the center in long strides.
“Where is she going?” Logan called from over by his car.
“To give her keys to Wendy, so she can go home, and to get Moses.” She had a feeling there had been something else on Velma’s mind.
Shandra shifted her position to where she could see into the area and study the body position and anything that looked out of place. Had she known her attacker? Had she put up a fight? She studied the clothing. There appeared to be a rip at the shoulder of her shirt. As if someone had grabbed her sleeve to make her stop or keep her from getting away.
She studied the area. “Why here?”
“Why here what?” Logan asked, stopping beside her. He held a camera in his hands.
“Why was she attacked here? Did someone lure her?” Shandra drew her attention from the enclosure and the body. “I saw her and a young man arguing in the center parking lot earlier today.”
“Why didn’t you go looking for her sooner if you knew she was at the center this morning?” Logan stared at her without his usual grin.
“At the time, I didn’t know it was her. All I saw was her back. She has on the same clothes.”
“What did the man look like?” Logan shoved the camera in a vest pocket and pulled out his notepad.
“Tall, thin, long hair—”
“That’s half the population on the reservation,” Logan interrupted.
“He drove off in a dark blue jacked-up pickup that looked pretty new.” She chastised herself. “No plate. I just thought it was a lover’s quarrel and didn’t think anything of it until I realized Nelly was the young woman he was arguing with.”
“Few people write down plate numbers or even think they should.” He shoved the notepad back in his pocket and pulled out the camera. “I’m going to take photos, you can leave when Velma gets back and I take her statement.”
She nodded and found a place to stand in the shade where she could watch Logan work and see the area. Her heart stopped beating. What about Fawn, Nelly’s daughter? Shandra thought back to the time she’d visited Nelly at her grandmother’s home. It hadn’t been the best place to raise a child then and with her mother gone, it would be even worse now.
Velma arrived with Old Moses on her heels.
“What will happen to Nelly’s little girl, Fawn?” Shandra asked.
Velma shrugged. “If Birdie don’t want to take care of her, she’ll go to children’s services and be fostered out.”
Shandra didn’t like the idea of the little girl being in foster care, but she wasn’t part of the reservation and wasn’t ready to take on a child at this time. And there was Ryan to consider. They were getting married and while they both knew she was getting on the older side for becoming pregnant, they had talked of children. Just not right now.
“What is the foster system like here?” she asked as Logan walked over to them.
“Velma, I’ll take your statement. Then you and Shandra can go.” Logan led her aunt over to his car as the ambulance pulled down the road to the fenced area.
Moses greeted the woman. “Hó. You will not be able to help her today.”
“Hó, Uncle.” The woman pulled the gurney toward the body.
“Wait!” Logan yelled, leaving Velma and hurrying over. “I haven’t finished with the photos yet.” He smiled at the woman. “Judy, you may wait in your air-conditioned vehicle. I have to finish getting Velma’s statement and then your uncle’s before I can finish taking the photos.”
Shandra wanted to offer to take the photos but knew she wouldn’t be allowed near the body anymore now that an investigation had started.
Logan wandered back over to Velma. Shandra sidled her way over to where Moses was talking with his niece.
“I came down here to get a hose to water the grass in front of the center and found her laying just like that.” Moses nodded his head, making his graying braids move up and down over his 2001 Powwow t-shirt.
“Was it the first time today, you’d come down here?” Shandra asked.
He glanced her direction.
“Was the gate open from you having been down here before or was the gate closed?” she asked.
“It was open, but it was the first time I came down here today.” He shrugged. “The gate isn’t always closed.”
“Anyone can come and go as they please?” she asked.
He nodded. “It’s sacred. People know to give it respect.”
Shandra glanced over her shoulder at the body. What would this do to the sacred place?