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“Can you believe that man?” Shandra said when Ryan had pulled out onto the highway.
“Not a word,” Ryan replied. “Call Logan and hand me the phone.”
Shandra looked up Logan’s number on her phone and hit dial before handing it over to Ryan.
She could hear Logan’s voice but not make out what he said by way of greeting.
“Logan, this isn’t Shandra, it’s Ryan.” Ryan listened and said, “Could you do a background check on Duke Waters—”
Ryan nodded. “Yes, I know he’s dealing drugs. I want to know where he was on Tuesday.”
He listened again. “He lit up like a flare when I asked him where he was. From past experience that means he either had something to do with Nelly’s death or had been nearby when she was killed.”
Another pause. “Yeah, I want to know why he has an office in the Twelve Tribes Casino and if any of the employees at the casino have prior records.”
Ryan rolled his eyes. “Yes, I know the Feds are working on this. But it feels like they’re going the wrong direction. If we-you come up with more information in the case, they might switch gears.” He nodded and handed the phone back to Shandra. “He wants to talk to you.”
She took the phone. “Hi Logan.”
“Shandra, you and that man of yours need to be careful. Duke might look dumb, but he is dangerous.”
“Don’t worry, we know that.” She glanced at Ryan. Had they just put targets on their backs for pushing Duke? “Could there be anyone else who fathered Nelly’s daughter? Duke says when he asked for a paternity test, she refused to do it.”
Logan let out a breath. “That was five years ago. I’ll have to think on that. She has always been available for anyone who was interested, if you know what I mean.”
She thought of Andy’s confession. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
“You might ask Pim Solomon. She and Nelly were friends before they both left school.”
“Thanks, I’ll do that.” She started to close the phone.
“Don’t forget your visit to grandmother, she’s looking forward to it,” Logan reminded her.
“Thank you, with all of this I had forgotten.” She slid her finger across the phone.
“What was that about?” Ryan asked, glancing over and then back to the road.
“Logan wanted to make sure that I showed up to visit his grandmother. She’s looking forward to it.” She grimaced. “And it’s today at two.”
Ryan glanced at the clock on his dashboard. “We’ll have time to eat and you can show me the crime scene before we go to see Logan’s grandmother.”
She nodded, uncertain if the agent would have someone watching the area since she and Velma had breached the locked gate.
~*~
Ryan could tell by the way Shandra fidgeted she was worried about them checking out the crime scene. “Don’t worry, we won’t go near it if there is a policeman on guard.”
He turned down the road to the community center and into the parking lot.
“Let’s walk from here,” Shandra said.
He’d planned to suggest the same thing. Less conspicuous to walk, see a police car and turn around, than in a vehicle.
He noticed Jo’s car was parked near the community center’s entrance. “Does your aunt work here every day?”
Shandra nodded. “She’s the Community Coordinator. She has to make sure things are open and ready for groups that use the building, and she books events and makes up the schedules. It keeps her busy.”
“Which way?” he asked.
“The road around the side of the building.”
He grasped her hand and they followed the road to the back of the building. That’s when he spotted the privacy fence and roofs of outbuildings. Studying the enclosure, he noticed what looked like the top of a fair-sized sweat lodge. He didn’t see a vehicle in the area. If they had swept the area for evidence, they wouldn’t be making it off limits anymore.
“It looks like no one is here,” Shandra said, lengthening her strides.
Ryan kept up with her and noted there wasn’t a lock on the gate. “Looks like they’ve finished gathering evidence.” He opened the gate and stepped through.
Shandra followed, stopping inside the gate. “Over there.” She pointed to a spot not far from the gate. “That’s where she was laying. She looked as if she were trying to crawl for help.”
Ryan walked toward the area. There were faint darker stains in the dry dirt. He had to agree with Shandra’s comment about the victim crawling. There were definite drag lines in the dirt. It surprised him the Feds gathering the evidence hadn’t messed them up.
He crouched at what appeared to be where she’d lost her struggle to stay alive and faced the direction the crawl marks pointed. “She came from over there. By the pile of wood.” Ryan stood and walked toward the less than a cord of wood stacked to the side of the sweat lodge.
“Who would she have been meeting in here?” he asked.
“According to Moses, young people use this for a place to make out.”
He studied Shandra. “Tell their parents they are going to the community center then meet here?” He shook his head. “I guess kids are kids and will use whatever quiet place they can find. But Nelly was a young woman, why would she need to meet anyone here?”
“She lived with her grandmother and daughter.” Shandra shrugged.
“But any man she would be with should have a place.”
“Unless he were married or wanted their relationship hidden.” Shandra stepped up to the blanket covering the sweat lodge. She’d been told this was a sacred place. Sweat lodges were used for purifications and religious reasons. However, if the weapon was in here, it would be more disruptive to the sacredness than her and Ryan looking.
“Do you think the police looked in here?” She ducked in and he followed.
They stood inside the opening a moment, allowing their eyes to get accustomed to the dim lighting.
He took a step to the left.
“This is a sacred space so be respectful of the area as you look,” Shandra said, not moving.
“It could also hide evidence,” he said, continuing toward what appeared to be the fire pit.
“What kind of evidence?” Shandra’s voice came from directly behind him.
“Something left behind by the killer. The murder weapon.”
“What was it?” Shandra asked, standing beside him, staring at the pit.
“A long, wide bladed knife.” He felt along the sides of the pit, sticking his fingers in the crevices between the rocks. “The coroner said the bruising from the handle made a mark that reminded her of the base of an antler.”
Shandra straightened and stared at Ryan. The last time she’d visited, Wendy had shown her all the regalia she’d made for powwows and traditional ceremonies. She’d been proud of several knives with antler handles.
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly to slow down her racing heart that feared her cousin had committed this crime, she grasped Ryan’s sleeve. “Wendy makes knives like that.”
He stopped searching and faced her. “What are you talking about?”
“I told you Wendy and Tripp are dating. Tripp said he was breaking it off with Nelly, but she wanted him to come to Spokane with her.” She swallowed and added, “And Wendy was missing around the time Nelly was murdered.”
“Was she carrying anything that could conceal a knife?”
Shandra thought about the day. “She had the doeskin for my dress wrapped up in a blanket, but she didn’t take it with her to the restroom.” What had Wendy been wearing? Jeans, shirt, and vest. “I don’t remember her having anything that would have allowed her to carry a knife around, but she could have hidden it before entering the center or left it in Velma’s car.”
“We need to have a talk with your cousin.” Ryan did a quick circle of the fire pit, looked into the crannies of the sweat lodge and led her out.
“We have to see Logan’s grandmother first. It’s almost two.” Shandra had hoped her visit with Mrs. Rider would have been while she was calm and focused only on her upcoming wedding. Now she had so many things bouncing around inside her head, she hoped she was a good guest for the old woman.