CHAPTER THIRTY

Junior was sitting on the top step of the rickety wooden stairs leading up to his front door Saturday afternoon when Starr cut the engine and left the old Bronco cooling.

Telling Sherry Ann Awiakta’s father about her death had been hell that morning, and the miles she’d walked were still with her. She could feel the ache of them in her shoulders, where the backpack straps had dug in, and there was something else now too. Learning about Byrd’s missing daughter and his suspicions about Junior made things notch into place. He was related to Chenoa, so he obviously knew her. And where had he been when Sherry Ann was murdered?

“See you got your door patched.”

Junior glanced at the thin slab of plywood covering the space where a door had been.

“No thanks to you.”

They were both quiet for a while, Starr watching the knife in his hands work the end of a stick.

It seemed like forever since she’d taken him home, found the dead dog and watched him bury it, but only three days had spanned the interim. Starr was still shaken by what she’d seen in his cabin, but even a haunt like that seemed harmless in the clear, bright afternoon sun. She was relieved that Deer Woman, if that’s what she had really seen at Junior’s that night, was an omen that fled in the light of day.

“You want something?”

“You know Odeina is worried about Chenoa. And yesterday at the Trading Post, you obviously knew about the Awiakta homicide, saying that’s why you were handing out those protection things you made. I also have it on good authority that another missing girl used to spend a lot of time out here, about ten years ago.” Better that she came in soft. “So, now I’ve told you what I know at this point, and you know this is an ongoing investigation, right? You’ve got a pretty good perspective on these girls from the rez. And I’d obviously like to hear it.”

“I don’t know shit about nothing.”

“You hang out with a younger crowd a lot?”

“Used to. I was younger too, then.”

“Maybe you buy beer for some high school kids once in a while. Happens all the time. Young girls not too shy to ask for a favor, and the next thing you know, they’re staying over, running around your house like they don’t care who’s wondering where they are. Maybe they get older. Maybe you still keep tabs on them, or maybe they don’t want to hang out with you anymore and that makes you mad. So, who comes out here now?”

“Nobody. Keep to myself.” He set down the knife and the wood. “You don’t know how it is here. My side of things. I was there for those kids, mostly rez kids. Watched out for them.”

“How?”

“Look, this was a long time ago, but sure, we partied. Safer here than anywhere else.”

“Safer? It wasn’t safe for those girls. Maybe you liked them; maybe it went wrong. I know you get upset.”

“Trouble happens when I get out. People getting in the way of my fist, that sort of thing. So now I keep to myself. Don’t want trouble. Don’t want it coming around either.” He stared pointedly at Starr. “I’ve been in a lot of bad situations. I regret that. But now you’re suddenly the ‘law’? I guess pinning this on me would be a pretty big get for you, huh? Way to prove yourself?”

“Yeah, I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about what happened to Sherry Ann. You walk down to the creek after you buried the dog Wednesday night, Junior? You know where Chenoa might be right now? What about Loxie? What can you tell me about her?”

Junior couldn’t hide his surprise quickly enough when she said Loxie’s name. Starr saw it flash across his face.

“When I left you here Wednesday night, what did you do? I need to know your whereabouts from the moment you walked back into your cabin until—let’s just say—Thursday noon.”

Junior’s body tensed, his hands flexing while he eyed the ground. Beside him, the knife caught the light. Starr took a step back, unclipped her service weapon.

“If you move on me,” she said, “I will draw. If you come at me, rest assured, I will put you down.”

Junior didn’t respond.

“You need to talk to me, Junior, because I promise you that if I leave here without the information I need, I will pick apart your life. You want me to do that?”

“Odeina.”

“What about Odeina?”

“I was on her couch until Thursday morning, and then I made my way back home.” He didn’t tell Starr about the creek, the way he’d woken up with sand in his shoes, on his clothes.

“You better be sure about that, because I’m going to check. And you’d better know where you were when Loxie disappeared. And, Junior?” Starr said, walking backward to the Bronco. “If you know anything about Chenoa that you’re keeping from me, I will come for you.” She patted her Glock. “Like you said, I’m the law. Anything can happen on the rez.”