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Shandra couldn’t believe how much she’d eaten. Between the delicious fish, the savory deer stew, potato, macaroni, and taco salads, and delicious fry bread that were provided by everyone, she felt as if her stomach would explode. She hadn’t even ventured toward the dessert table covered with pies and cakes.
Now she was in the women’s teepee with several other young women who were going to dance, putting on a traditional dress.
“Shandra that looks wonderful on you,” Sandy said, standing near the door in a traditional dress and knee-high moccasins.
Wendy handed Shandra a comb. “Comb your hair into two braids. We’ll tie this feather into some strands. It means you are unmarried.”
“If all goes well that will be taken care of in a few more weeks,” Shandra said, feeling giddy about participating in the dancing and the notion she and Ryan would soon be married.
Wendy’s cheeks grew redder, and her eyelashes fluttered down to rest on her cheeks. “Yes, but you are unmarried by white society. Since you and Ryan have been living together, the Indian ceremony, is only a formality. You are already husband and wife by the old ways.”
She hadn’t meant to cause her cousin any embarrassment. But in this day and age she had to believe that Wendy knew as much about the physical aspects of a man and a woman as anyone else her age. Velma couldn’t have kept her that much in the dark. Especially, considering who she was dating.
Wendy stepped away from Shandra to another area of the teepee to dress in her own regalia.
Sandy moved over next to Shandra. “Coop talked to Velma. Pim was invited and is here,” she whispered.
Shandra nodded her head and thought about this new information. She had a hard time believing that the young woman could have shoved a knife into Nelly hard enough to cause the damage Ryan told her about. But at the same time, she understood how badly Pim and her mother wanted the scholarship. With all the medical expenses for Mrs. Solomon, whatever grants they received from the government wasn’t going to cover all the costs of Pim living in Spokane and attending classes. Shandra wondered if it was Pim’s desire for the scholarship or if she’d finally mustered the courage to deal revenge for Wesley Tibble’s death.
But if she was out for revenge, she would have placed evidence to make it appear as if Duke killed Nelly. So far, Ryan said there was very little evidence other than the body.
The women filed out of the structure one by one. Shandra would have taken up the rear if Wendy hadn’t ushered her out ahead of her.
The golden glow of the setting sun, the raging fire, and the people gathered around, most in ribbons shirts and some in everyday clothes gave an ethereal feeling to the evening. Some men were already dancing. The singing and drums echoed around her as if she were in a 3-D movie theater. The images were shadowed with golden halos.
Velma arrived at her side. “Come.”
She followed her aunt to a spot where Aunt Jo, Uncle Martin, Andy, and Fawn sat on bales. Her aunt patted the bale next to her.
She sat and leaned toward her aunt. “Have you seen Ryan?”
Jo pointed to a line of men in regalia. It wasn’t hard to pick him out of the group. He was the only one taking in everything. The others seemed to be drawing into themselves, their feet stepping to the music even though they remained in line. The drumming stopped.
“All those joining in the celebration dance form your circles,” an elder called out.
Jo urged Shandra to stand. “Do what the other women do.”
Shandra walked out to the circle the women were forming.
A bell tinkled and the drumming began. The other women did small side steps to the beat of the drums. She followed and her mind absorbed the beats and the voices wailing in song. Her heart and feet moved to the pounding in her head. Shadows fell across her and the women on either side of her. She started and glanced up to see the men stomping and turning in a circle around the women. Her mind moved from the song, making her feet stumble as she watched each man go by.
Ryan was stomping and only turning side to side, not making a full circle when he danced past her.
She made note of how well the buckskin clung to his muscular legs. Knowing he was included in the dance, she allowed herself to dive back into the music. Slowly, she lost sense of the now and floated above the circles, tapping dancers on the head as if playing duck, duck, goose or counting coup.
The second the counting coup came to mind, she dropped back within herself. Counting coup meant they were the enemy and she was proving her strength or power by tapping them. These people weren’t her enemy. Most were family. Shook by the experience and thoughts, she stumbled out of the line.
Ryan saw Shandra fumbling through the dancing men and went to her aid. “What’s wrong?”
He grabbed her shoulders and gave her a gentle shake. “Shandra, what did you see?”
She shook her head.
He drew her away from the dancing, through the watching crowd, and into the dark cool air outside the spectators.
“It...I’ve never...” She stared at him as if she didn’t know what to say.
“Did you see your grandmother?” he asked.
“No. I floated above everyone and tapped them on the head, like...like counting coup.” She shuddered.
Ryan studied the level-headed woman he loved. “You tapped everyone? Dancers and those watching?”
She shook her head. “Just dancers.” She closed her eyes. “Not all of them. I didn’t tap you.” Her eyes opened. “I touched Wendy, Pim, and Tripp.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Tripp isn’t dancing. He’s pounding on the drum.”
“It was his face I saw when I tapped him.” She thought a minute. “And Duke.” Her head swiveled. “Is he here?”
“I don’t think you were counting coup. I think your grandmother was making sure you knew all the players in the murder were here.” Ryan grasped her hand, leading her back to the dancing and the bales where her immediate family sat. Fawn had fallen asleep on Martin’s lap.
“Why did you leave the dance?” Jo asked, worry creasing her brow.
Shandra glanced at Ryan. “I don’t know. A feeling came over me. I just felt like I needed some air.”
Martin nodded. “It’s hot, they make it hotter with that fire, and I bet you haven’t had enough water today.”
Ryan released her hand. “I bet that’s it. I’ll go grab a couple bottles of water.”
Shandra grabbed his arm. “Be careful,” she whispered.
He nodded and worked his way through the crowd to the coolers icing the cans of soda and bottles of water. As he bent to grasp two bottles of water, he heard a familiar voice.
Duke.
Shandra’s vision had been correct. He was here. Why? This was a private property.
Keeping his back to the voice, Ryan worked his way through the people mingling around the drinks. When Ryan judged he was behind Duke, he turned and ran into the back of Officer Logan Rider.
The big man put an arm around Ryan’s shoulders. “Look who slithered in.”
“That’s what I was trying to do when you blocked my view.”
Logan laughed and took one of the bottles of water from him. “Good one. We’ll make an Indian out of you yet. Ays?”
Ryan had learned when they made a joke, the people of the reservation added the ays to the end of the sentence. Most of the time he thought the added word was funnier than the joke. This was one of those times.
“Why do you think Duke came here?” Ryan opened his bottle and drank, making a mental note that he needed to grab another one for Shandra when he finished his conversation with Logan.
“From who he has talked to so far, he is fishing for information.” Logan frowned.
“Information? Is he asking about Fawn or Nelly?” Ryan hoped the man didn’t cause a scene over the child. And it struck him. Logan had been watching the man since he arrived. He was a good cop.
“He is trying to discover what we,” he narrowed his eyes, “the Tribal Police, have and who the FBI agent in charge is.”
“You think he’s greasing FBI hands to get his drugs in here?” Ryan took another swallow of his drink and didn’t try to hide when Duke looked his way. The drug dealer frowned at Logan watching him and moved through the crowd.
“I better get back to Shandra. She had a...” he wasn’t sure what to call it. “She about passed out from the heat.”
Logan put a hand on his shoulder. “Is she okay? My grandmother said she is special. Carries her grandmother’s magic. We must keep her safe.”
“She had an experience while dancing that upset her.” He nodded the direction Duke had disappeared. “She’d known he was here.”
Logan nodded and raised his hand. “I’ll keep track of him. You go tend to Shandra.”
“I will.” Ryan hurried back by the drinks, grabbed another bottle of water, and found Shandra standing by her family.
He handed the bottle to her and said in a low voice. “He’s here. Logan has been watching him.”
She studied him. “How did he get here?”
“Ask your aunt.”
“Jo or Velma?” She took a drink of water.
“Both.” He shrugged.
Shandra faced Jo and motioned for her to join them.
Her aunt stood and walked over, a puzzled expression wrinkling her brow. “Yes?”
“Why would Duke Waters be here?” Shandra asked.
Her aunt visibly shuddered. “Why indeed!”
“Don’t cause a scene,” Ryan said. “He’s here and we would like to know why he would be allowed at a family event.”
Jo stared at him as if he’d just sprouted floppy ears and whiskers. “Everyone is family during a celebration ceremony. But we would not have invited a known drug dealer.” She pivoted toward her husband.
Ryan put a hand on her arm to stop her.
She spun back around toward him.
“Don’t say anything. Logan is keeping an eye on him. We want to see who he talks to. I just wondered at why he would have come to an Elwood-Higheagle ceremony.” He smiled, hoping to ease her frustration.
“I don’t want him causing trouble for Fawn,” the woman said in a low tone.
“I don’t think he will. If he hasn’t claimed her by now, he has no intention of ever doing it,” Shandra said, putting an arm around her aunt’s shoulders.
“I hope so. She’s a darling.”
It was apparent Shandra’s aunt had become attached to the child already.
The drumming and singing stopped. The dancers moved into a large circle.
Velma stepped into the circle. “Coop Elwood and Sandy Baxter have agreed to show our soon-to-be-wed Shandra Higheagle and Ryan Greer the courting dance.”
Ryan clasped a hand with one of Shandra’s and they walked to the edge of the dancers to watch Coop and Sandy. If he hadn’t known better he would have thought they’d stepped back in time, watching the dancers in costume making the circle around the couple dressed in traditional buckskins.
Coop stood in the middle of the circle with a blanket pulled around him. The drums beat slow and low. Sandy tapped her feet on the ground and spun in circles around Coop, waving a bright shawl wrapped around her shoulders. When he opened his blanket, she danced away. They did this several times. Then Sandy slowed her dance. It resembled a butterfly trying to find a place to land. This time when Coop opened the blanket she entered, the drum boomed once loudly, and the crowd cheered.
Coop and Sandy walked over to them. “Now, it is your turn.” Coop handed the blanket to Ryan.
“Just dance how you feel,” Sandy said, placing the shawl around Shandra’s shoulders.
Ryan studied Shandra. “Are you ready?”
She nodded and they walked out to the middle of the circle. He knew he had the easy job. All he had to do was open his blanket when Shandra came near him. He was curious if she would instinctively know what to do.
The drum started. She pranced around him twice before approaching slightly. He opened his blanket, she winked and pranced away. If he hadn’t been standing in the middle of her whole family, he would have laughed and chased after her.
She danced toward him a second time.
A scream rang out in the cool night air.