| |
Shandra hooked her arm in Ryan’s. “Let’s get out of these clothes and see if we can help with the clean-up.” The crowd had started to disperse as Ryan and Logan talked with the people involved in the stabbing. All that remained were close family and a few friends who had begun cleaning up.
“Did you learn anything?” she asked as they walked toward the two teepees.
“Not really.” He told her everything that was said.
“There’s something between Wendy and Pim,” she said when they needed to go to their separate teepees.
“What did you pick up on? More than Wendy being scared of Pim?” Ryan asked, hanging onto her hand.
“They don’t like one another, which is realistic, but there’s something else. Wendy is fearful of Pim. She knows something.”
He nodded. “I had the same feeling. We need another talk with your cousin.”
Shandra released his hand. “Tomorrow we can catch up with her and Tripp.”
In the teepee, she spotted Wendy’s clothing. She’d followed Tripp still dressed in her regalia. Shandra undressed and pulled on her regular clothes, then picked up Wendy’s belongings, and stepped out of the teepee.
Pim stood to the side of the structure. She hadn’t worn traditional clothing or joined in any of the dancing.
“Are you helping with clean-up?” Shandra asked.
“I wanted to speak to you.” The young woman’s gaze dropped to the clothing in Shandra’s arms.
“What about?” Shandra hoped Ryan was still in the teepee. She wasn’t comfortable being alone with Pim.
“The scholarship. Have you made a new decision?” The hopefulness in the women’s voice made Shandra wish she could tell her she had the scholarship.
“We haven’t had time to make a new decision. I promise we’ll have a person picked by Monday.”
Ryan exited the men’s teepee.
Pim’s gaze shot to him. “Thank you.” She spun around and walked away.
“What was that about?” Ryan asked, joining her.
“She was asking about the scholarship, but I think she was lurking around the teepee to get her hands on these.” Shandra held out Wendy’s clothing and small leather purse.
“I say we leave the clean-up to the people who know what they’re doing and return Wendy’s belongings to her.” Ryan put a hand on her lower back, urging her away from the celebration area and toward the house.
“I don’t like leaving Aunt Jo.” She glanced over her shoulder and saw two dozen people loading the wood and bales into pickups and carrying the trunks that held the traditional clothing out of the teepees. “I guess they do have things under control.”
At Ryan’s pickup, he turned on the inside lights. “Go through her pockets and check her purse. If you think Pim wanted Wendy’s belongings there has to be a reason.”
Shandra put her hands into the jean pockets and only found a couple sticks of gum and a five-dollar bill. There were no pockets in the shirt. She opened the doeskin shoulder bag, it was evident Wendy had made, and found a folded piece of paper.
“Careful, only touch the corners,” Ryan said.
She lifted it out by the corners and touching only the points, opened the paper.
I KNOW WHAT YOU DID. YOU WILL PAY.
Shandra glanced over at Ryan. “This sounds like whoever wrote this believes Wendy killed Nelly. Do you suppose that’s why they stabbed Tripp? To make her feel a loss, too?”
Ryan reached over the seat into the back of his extended cab and pulled his forensic bag onto his lap. He opened a large plastic evidence bag and pulled on one latex glove. Grasping the note by a corner, he placed it in the evidence bag, sealed it, and wrote the time and date on the bag.
“We’ll ask Wendy about this. If Pim was after it, then she is possibly the one who sent it and stabbed Tripp.” Ryan put his bag in the back, turned off the inside lights, and started up the pickup.
“But she had love in her eyes when she looked at Tripp. Do you think she wanted revenge so badly she’d hurt a person she loved?” Shandra didn’t think they had the recipient correct. “Maybe Tripp received the note, showed it to Wendy, and she put it in her purse?”
“But why didn’t either of them mention it?” Ryan headed the vehicle down the lane.
Shandra shrugged. “I could tell Wendy was scared of Pim and the two didn’t like one another.”
“Call Logan and ask him where they took Tripp. That will be where we find Wendy and can ask her about the note.” Ryan turned onto the county road and picked up speed.
“Do I tell Logan about the note we found?” She’d been chastised before by Ryan for withholding evidence because she wanted to ask someone a question.
“Yes. Tell him we’ll meet him there.” Ryan kept his attention on the road. This time of night any number of wildlife could decide to cross.
Shandra turned her phone on and found Logan in her contacts. His phone went straight to voicemail. “Logan, this is Shandra. I have Wendy’s belongings and would like to get them to her. Where can we find her and Tripp? Also, we found an interesting note in Wendy’s purse.” She hit the off button. There was no need to go into detail on the phone.
“I left him a message.”
Ryan glanced over at her. “Who else would know where they are taking Tripp?”
“I’ll call Coop. He delivered Tripp to the ambulance.” She found Coop’s number and waited for him to answer.
“What’s up Shandra?” he asked.
“Where was the ambulance taking Tripp?”
“The Dam, Coulee Medical Center. Is that why you and Ryan disappeared? Liz was looking for you.” He didn’t sound annoyed, more interested.
“We have Wendy’s clothes and thought she might like them. I’m sorry I missed Liz. Is she still there? Maybe she could meet us at the medical center?” She knew Coop was hoping for something juicier but that was all she could give him.
He laughed. “That’s a good reason to get out of cleaning up. Ays. If I see Liz again, I’ll let her know where you are.”
“Thanks. Will you and Sandy be around tomorrow to visit?” She wanted to change the subject.
“We won’t go back to Spokane until Sunday night.”
“Great. I’d like to visit with you about something other than this mess.”
“See you tomorrow.” Coop hung up.
She laughed.
“Is he unhappy you didn’t tell him more?” Ryan asked.
“Yeah. I’m sure he’ll grill us tomorrow.” Shandra sat back in the seat. “He said the Coulee Medical Center at Grand Coulee.”
He swung onto the highway and headed south. “So, off the reservation?”
“Yes. Cross the river below the dam and there should be a sign on the highway that will take us straight to the building.”
Within minutes they were driving by the Community Center, Tribal building, and Trading Post. Ryan continued on down the highway at a legal speed.
Shandra sent out a prayer to find the truth as they passed the area where the metal shapes of the women root diggers stood off the side of the highway. They crossed the Columbia River and continued down the highway to Grand Coulee.
The building appeared to be fairly new. They drove around the building until they spotted the emergency entrance. Ryan parked and they both walked up to the doors.
Shandra peered through the large glass windows as Ryan pressed the entrance buzzer. Wendy sat in a chair, her head bent. She looked as if she’d lost everything.
A nurse appeared at the door. She scanned them both. “What’s your emergency?”
“We don’t have one. I’m Wendy’s cousin,” Shandra pointed to her cousin sitting in the waiting area. “I have her clothes.”
The nurse let them in. “Please remain in the waiting area.”
Shandra went straight to Wendy.
“What are you doing here?” her cousin asked, glancing up at them.
“I found your clothes in the teepee and thought you might want to change,” Shandra placed everything in her cousin’s lap.
“Thanks.” She glanced toward the door. “Did mother come with you?”
“No. Do you want me to call her?” Shandra sat in the chair next to Wendy. Ryan stood a short distance away.
Wendy shuddered. “No. She’s already mad at me for liking Tripp. I’m sure I’ll get a talking to soon enough about how bad he is for me.”
“Have they said anything about his condition?” Shandra asked.
“The doctor said he was lucky. The blade only nicked a couple of organs. They will all heal in time.” Wendy flipped up the flap on her purse and froze. She’d been about to reach in and changed her mind.
“We have the note,” Ryan said, walking closer. Up till now, he’d stayed back, but seeing how the woman had remembered the note at the last minute and hadn’t wanted them to see it, he was interested in her explanation.
Wendy’s gaze shot to him. “What note?”
He grinned. Typical evasive maneuver. “The one that was in your purse. The one that said ‘I know what you did. You’ll pay.’”
She flinched and glanced at Shandra.
“I’m sorry. I picked up your clothes to bring them to you. When Pim was lurking by the teepee and appeared interested in your things, we looked.”
“Pim! I should have known she was the one who put that note in my purse.” Wendy shoved her belongings to the side of the chair and stood. She paced back and forth.
“What did you do that she thinks you should pay for?” Ryan asked. The woman was upset more from who sent the note than the note itself. “Does it have anything to do with Nelly?”
Wendy stopped and stared at him. “Nelly? You think she saw me kill Nelly?” Her gaze narrowed on Shandra. “Is that what you think?”
“No. But I could tell you and Pim don’t like one another.” Shandra patted the chair her cousin had been sitting in. “Is it because of Tripp?”
Wendy seemed to believe Shandra. She sat, folding her fingers around her purse. “I’m not sure. Tripp said Pim is clingy. That once she believes she loves someone, she can’t let them go.”
“I’ve noticed that the girls Tripp dates tend to hang on to him. Nelly, Pim, can you name any others?” Shandra asked.
Ryan shifted, wondering what she was getting at.
Wendy stared at her cousin.
“Haven’t you noticed how he tends to have very loyal past relationships?” Shandra touched Wendy’s hand as if to break her from a trance.
“Now that you mention it, every girl he’s dated would take him back if he looked their way.” Wendy’s brow furrowed.
“Any idea what Pim thinks you did?” Ryan asked, not understanding what the two women were really talking about.
Wendy’s cheeks reddened. “I think I know, but if my mother ever found out, I would be the next murder you investigated.”
Ryan glanced at Shandra. She seemed to understand but he was lost, again. “What might cause your mother to kill you?”
Shandra glared at him. “It’s a figure of speech. Velma would never kill her child. She,” Shandra tipped her head toward Wendy, “and Tripp have had sex.”
Wendy’s face turned bright red.
Now he understood. That was making Velma’s good girl, not so good. “I see. And you think Pim found out. But why the threat?”
Wendy shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe she plans to tell mother.” She shot to her feet. “Oh no! If she does...”
“But what would that gain her?” Ryan didn’t see why Wendy and Tripp having sex would make Pim threaten her unless she planned to break them up, which telling Velma would do. Then Pim could sweep in and be Tripp’s girl again. But it just didn’t play out right in his mind. And why kill Nelly? It seemed Tripp wasn’t interested in her at all anymore.
“This love triangle isn’t helping with Nelly’s murder or the reason Tripp was stabbed.” Ryan paced over to the window and back to the two women. “Pim was quick to finger Duke for stabbing Tripp. We’ll know who had anything to do with it when forensics comes back with fingerprints or DNA on the knife.”
“I can’t believe someone took the knife I gave Tripp and stabbed him with it.” Wendy’s eyes filled with tears. “It’s my fault he’s here.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s the fault of the person who did it,” Shandra said, patting her cousin’s shoulder.
A door banged open down the hall.