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Shandra had a hard time not spinning toward Ryan. He had found out something while he was outside walking around. Instead, she studied her family, all thinking.
“I don’t remember seeing anyone,” she said to start the conversation.
“I told you what I knew,” Andy said.
Jo shook her head.
Martin looked around the table. “The only ones I saw were the wood crew. These two, Old Moses, Jared, Will, and you.”
“Why was Old Moses on the wood crew? Is he family?” Shandra asked, wondering why no one had said anything about that.
“No, he’s not blood family but he is a part of the community with all his work at the center,” Jo said.
“He always helps out with community events, like a celebration.” Uncle Martin studied Ryan. “Why are you asking about gloves?”
Shandra didn’t miss Ryan’s quick glance at Fawn who appeared to be ignoring the conversation.
“The knife that was dropped last night had only Tripp and Wendy’s fingerprints on it.” He glanced at Shandra.
She understood what he was saying. It was the same knife used to kill Nelly, but he didn’t want to say anything with Fawn in the room.
“And Wendy wouldn’t stab Tripp and Tripp wouldn’t stab himself,” Sandy said. “That means whoever stabbed him had to be wearing gloves.”
“And the knife had been used before.” Ryan glanced at the child and everyone else at the table nodded.
She was glad her family was smart enough to realize the meaning of Ryan’s statement and actions.
“You think the same person tried to kil-harm Tripp?” Aunt Jo asked, watching Fawn.
Ryan shrugged. “I’m not sure. Shandra has another thought on that. I’m still trying to figure out why Du-Waters was here.”
Shandra smiled at Ryan for realizing the girl would know the man’s first name but probably not his last.
“We know Andy invited him—”
Uncle Martin cut in. “Why did you do that?” He glared at his son.
Andy shrunk back in his seat as he sipped a cup of coffee. He hadn’t added any food to his plate. “I knew Ryan and Shandra were interested in him. Thought they could catch him at something.”
“But here?” Martin glanced at Fawn and back at his son.
“I know. I wasn’t thinking.” Andy dropped his chin to his chest.
“I wish someone could give me a clear rundown of who all he talked with,” Ryan said.
Andy perked up. “You could ask Samuel Red Cloud. He’s one of the rez cops. He was here just to keep an eye on Du-Waters.”
“How do you know this?” Shandra asked, wondering how her cousin, who she was pretty sure wasn’t involved in drugs in any way, could know so much.
“His brother, Dan, was one of the guys I partied with last night.” He glanced sheepishly at his parents. “He said his brother wasn’t dressed as if on duty but he’d been told to keep an eye on...” He glanced toward Fawn. “You know who.”
Ryan stood. “That means Logan should be able to fill me in.” He strode out the door pulling his phone out of the holster on his belt.
Shandra glanced around the table at her family. “Thank you for the celebration dance last night. It was thoughtful and helped me learn more about my heritage.”
“I’m sorry it ended the way it did,” Aunt Jo said.
“You couldn’t help that.”
Sandy stood. “Fawn, I’d love to see your pony, Princess.”
The little girl hopped off her chair. “She come to me.”
Coop started to stand.
“Stay here and visit with your family. Shandra might have questions you can answer,” Sandy said, taking Fawn’s hand.
“Thank you,” Shandra said, realizing the young woman was taking the child away so they could really talk about what had happened.
“This has to be cleared up before your wedding. It’s a bad omen to have something like this hanging over the family.” Sandy led the little girl out the back door.
“That’s a smart woman you’re going to marry,” Uncle Martin said, putting a hand on his oldest son’s shoulder.
“Thanks, Dad. She is.” Coop turned his attention to Shandra. “The knife that was used on Tripp is the same knife that killed Nelly?”
She nodded. No sense denying it. Her family knew to keep the information among them.
“I can’t believe a killer was at the celebration dance.” Aunt Jo said. “And I agree, we have to clear this up before your wedding.”
Shandra studied her family. Up till now, Ryan had been the only person she told her dreams to. However, it seemed like they would be able to help her with their knowledge of the people who lived on the reservation.
“I had a dream last night...”
They all leaned in to listen and she retold the dream.
“The man, woman, and child, to me represent Nelly, Fawn, and Fawn’s father,” she said.
Aunt Jo shook her head. “That doesn’t make sense. Her father has never come forward. Never tried to claim her. I can’t see him being upset over losing her or Nelly.”
“Excuse me.” Andy bolted out of his chair and headed to the bathroom under the stairs.
Shandra did quick calculations of the information she’d gathered. She peered at Coop. Andy was an adult now at twenty-one. “From the history I’ve been told, and Andy’s own account, along with the father having a conscience by putting money in a mailbox every month, I believe you may have taken in your granddaughter,” she said, shifting her gaze to Jo and Martin.
Jo gasped and Martin’s brows bunched together in a frown.
“Are you saying...” Coop glanced toward the bathroom door, “Andy is Fawn’s father?”
She shrugged. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. And that would also mean that the man in my dream isn’t Andy, the child isn’t Fawn, and the woman isn’t Nelly.”
Martin started to stand, but Jo’s hand on his arm settled him back in his chair. “Coop, go see if your brother is ready to come tell us the truth.”
Coop rose, glanced at Shandra, and walked over to the bathroom door. He rapped twice, said something softly, and entered the room.
“I can’t believe he hasn’t said anything,” Jo said, peering into her husband’s eyes. “Especially after Fawn came to stay with us. But you know, I kept seeing little things about her that looked familiar. This would explain what I was seeing.”
Shandra rose. “I’ll let you talk about this as a family.”
“You are part of this family,” Jo said.
Coop and Andy entered the kitchen.
“But this is something you need to discuss without me.” She stepped out the back door and scanned the area for Ryan. He stood over by the corral, his cell phone to his ear.
She sauntered over to him, still wrapping her mind around the fact her twenty-one-year-old cousin was a father.
“I understand I’m not part of this investigation, but I have a lot at stake.” Ryan reached out, putting an arm around Shandra’s shoulders. If this murder didn’t get cleared up, he had a feeling his wedding would be postponed and that wasn’t going to happen if he could help it. Logan hadn’t answered his phone and when he’d asked to talk to Officer Red Cloud he’d been getting stonewalled.
“I’m sorry, but we can’t give out that information.” The line went silent.
He growled and shoved his phone into his belt holster.
“I can’t believe Logan wouldn’t talk to you,” Shandra said.
“It wasn’t Logan. He didn’t answer his phone. Dispatch wouldn’t put me through to the officer who had followed Duke.” He’d noticed her furrowed brow and her slow steps as she’d walked over to him. “What’s going on in there?” He tipped his head toward the house.
“I told them what I’d uncovered while trying to find Nelly’s killer.” She sighed.
“And?”
“Andy is Fawn’s father.”
He released her and stared into her eyes. “How did you figure that out?”
“I pieced together things people said and it just made sense. I didn’t stick around to see if he denies it.”
Ryan whistled low. “You are not going to be his favorite cousin.”
“I know, but Jo and Martin had a right to know they wouldn’t have to worry about Duke trying to take away Fawn. Her father is right here.”
“True. If it wasn’t Duke, Nelly and Fawn in your dream...”
She shook her head. “I don’t know who it was. But it has to be something connected to drugs.”
“Why do you say that?” He studied her.
“Because Nelly, Duke, and I’m thinking Tripp, are or have been involved in the drug scene on the reservation.” She glanced at his phone. “Try Logan again. If he doesn’t answer, we need to talk to Tripp.”
Ryan dialed Officer Logan Rider again. The phone rang.
“Rider,” said an out of breath Logan.
“This is Ryan. Shandra and I would like to meet up with you if that’s possible.”
“I’m just returning to Nespelem. Duke Waters was run off the road when he left the police station early this morning.”
“Is he alive?” Ryan held up a hand as Shandra opened her mouth.
“Barely. They took him to the Coulee Medical Center.” A car door slammed. “I can meet you in Nespelem at my grandmother’s.”
“We’ll be there.” Ryan slipped his phone into the holster and grasped Shandra’s elbow. “Go get your purse and we’ll meet Logan at his grandmother’s.”
“Who?”
She didn’t have to say more. He knew what she wanted to know. “Duke Waters. He’s still alive.” Ryan told her what Logan had said.
“I’ll be right back.” Shandra jogged to the house.
Sandy stepped out of the barn leading Princess with Fawn on her back.
“It’s a good day for a horseback ride,” Ryan said.
Before Sandy could reply, Andy and Coop arrived. Andy took the lead rope from Sandy as Coop led her away from the young man and his daughter.
Ryan walked to his pickup as Shandra exited the house. She hurried over to him.
“I told Jo we’d be gone for a while. I didn’t tell her anything else,” she said, sliding into the passenger seat.
He nodded toward Andy leading the horse. “How is everyone doing?”
“The little time I had, Jo said Andy had planned to tell them, just knew how so many felt about Nelly and didn’t want them thinking bad about him. He’d figured it out when Fawn was born.”
Ryan started the vehicle and drove away from the ranch. “That’s why there was money in the mailbox every month. Did he say if Nelly mentioned it to him?”
“I’m not sure. Didn’t have enough time to ask.” Shandra buckled and faced him. “Did Logan say anything else?”
“Like if they had a suspect?”
“Yes.”
“No. Nothing else.” He glanced over at her before taking the turn onto the county road. “He could have been tired and ran off the road.”
“Do you really believe that?” she asked.
“No. Not if you are thinking this had to do with drugs. If you think about it. Nelly seduced young men into starting drugs for Duke. Duke supplied the drugs, and if Tripp was a target, he could have been a dealer. That could make the homicide and the attempts revenge killings.”