Leaves drifted past AJ the next morning as she walked across the loading docks at Adams Delivery looking for Sam. It was a perfect September day, missing only one thing. Katie. She absently rubbed her hand across her heart.
Sam was stacking boxes by his van. She yelled at him to wait. If they traded some deliveries, she could stay in town and keep an eye on Grace at the police station.
“Hey,” he said. “I was just going to call you. I had to stop at the bank and saw one of the motel guys with Donna Seesom in an office there. The man wore a suit and actually looked very businesslike. What if it’s connected to what Frog reported?”
“That’s a thought. Be sure and put it on the computer.”
He nodded. “I stopped by the lodge on the way in and talked to Jeff about last night. That thing at the motel is weird. They should use the house Donna is trying to sell for a private club. It’s isolated, out in the country, and would take a lot less to refurbish.”
AJ blinked. She hadn’t thought of that.
“Maybe that’s why they were at the bank,” he continued. “What if they’re thinking of two locations? Or maybe they need the money for the work they’re doing.”
They readjusted deliveries, and as he drove away she had a thought. It might be a good idea to call Donna Seesom and ask to see her house. At the very least, they could go through the place. It might even add pressure on the Seesom woman.
* * *
Tag stood inside the police station listening to Jay joke with the young female officer at the front desk. Grace stood beside him, very straight in her black suit and dressy boots, calm and poised. Tag felt that little “ping” she’d gotten the first time they’d met at the Milwaukee airport, and she placed her hand on Grace’s back.
Leaning backward into the hand on her back, Grace murmured, “I like that,” and turned with a smile that reached her incredible blue eyes. “Is it true the Menominee are ‘People of the Tree’?”
The question was completely out of the blue and a million miles away from the Niagara Police Station.
Tag grinned. “You have the most interesting mind.”
“I found some things online and meant to ask last night, but…” She quirked her mouth. “Sleep got in the way.”
“It’s true,” Tag said. “The Menominee were here hundreds of years before the Europeans and managed the trees. White pines and sugar maples mostly. It’s one of the healthiest forests on Earth. It grew into a business after this area became a state, and the Menominee—”
“Gabrial, Tag, follow me,” Jay interrupted. “We’re meeting Lieutenant Lithscom, the man in charge. Remember Deputy Miller at the sheriff’s? That’s his cousin. The Millers and Lithscoms have been law enforcement here for decades.”
An older, tall man with dark, graying hair opened the office door, and Jay introduced them. He looked nothing like Deputy Miller, but Tag certainly remembered his face. She took the chair at the back of the office. Lithscom never smiled. He completely ignored her.
Over an hour later, they sat at the local diner, hungry and unhappy about the meeting.
“Thanks again, Jay,” Grace said, reaching for her iced tea.
“Wait until you get my bill,” Jay teased her. “I love it that they have no idea who you really are, but I wish they had a clue about the shooting. Lithscom’s crap attitude doesn’t help.”
“Yes, but he knew Gabrial decked his cousin. I almost laughed when he said, ‘You’re the one that had Deputy Miller on the ground?’” She dabbed hot sauce on her plate of ribs. “Bet the family hotline is sizzling after he had a look at you. He’ll give his young cousin a hard time.” Her smile faded. “I certainly remember him.”
“We barely speak unless we have to.” Jay shook his head, disgusted.
Grace dug into her chicken salad. “What’s the story?”
“He killed a man outside of our high school when he was a young cop here,” Tag said.
Grace looked up. “Did he shoot him?”
“The victim was a Menominee who drank too long and hard here in Niagara. Lithscom chased him all the way back to Keshena and cornered him in the parking lot at the high school as the football game ended and the crowd was leaving. He drew his gun and shot him in front of everyone.” He bit into his sandwich. “I was in college, but Tag and her family were there.”
“We were all getting into our cars, including the victim’s family. Lithscom never even paid attention to any of us. The Keshena Police were there, but he warned them too,” Tag added, then stopped eating and stared at the front of the diner, giving Grace’s leg a little nudge. Luckily, Jay had his back to the cash register.
AJ stood at the checkout with several boxes on a cart. Right ahead of her was one of the men from the motel with a young girl beside him. AJ was turned away from them with her head down, studying the clipboard in her hands. She slid a glance at Tag and Grace before she turned away to the manager. The place was busy, and she pulled it off easily. Grace’s hand briefly covered Tag’s hand under the table.
“Everyone took cover,” Jay continued the story. “I’ll never be able to look at him without thinking of that. He isn’t shy about his feelings for the Menominee. Any time he can create a problem down there, he works at it. I salivate every time I get him on the stand in court.”
Tag changed the subject, keeping Jay’s attention. “I caught a ride into town with Gabrial and left my car at the resort. Do you need me this afternoon?”
“Actually, here’s what I’d like from you two.” Jay wiped his hands on a napkin and stood. “Take Gabrial to my office and show her our computers or whatever you think she should see. I’ve told my staff that I’m thinking of upgrading so she can pose as a company rep for a new system. That way, when it gets around town that I was seen with her, it’ll look like she belongs to my office.”
“It’s the least I can do.” Grace smiled at him, and Tag grinned watching him react to that smile. She knew exactly how he felt.
“Then all ‘fees’ are covered,” he said and stood to go. “I have a meeting in Iron Mountain. I’ll be back this afternoon.”
Later, in Jay’s office, Grace ran through the home site and a list of his clients. Everyone was introduced to “Gabrial Frank,” and she did a credible job asking the right questions. Her interaction with Jay’s employees intrigued Tag. She listened carefully to everything they said to her.
Grace bumped her with her elbow. “You told me to remind you to make a phone call.”
“Thanks, I forgot,” Tag said and dialed her friend Dr. April Stewart at the hospital about the autopsy results on the young girl from the motel. After a brief conversation, they agreed to take a coffee break at the little shop around the corner.
* * *
The doctor was easy to spot in the crowded café. April Stewart was the only person in scrubs with long black hair over her shoulders and skin that matched Tag’s. She reminded Grace that April was the head of the hospital’s pediatrics department. Tag introduced Grace as “Gabrial,” but April didn’t take much time for small talk.
“I have to be quick,” she said, checking her watch. “As to what you called about, something’s off. Officially, it was an overdose, the usual mixture of local drugs, but our gossip says a lot more. There was evidence of rough, severe sex and some kind of mutilation. My gut says they’re covering this up.” She raised her dark eyebrows over a sip of coffee and looked at Grace. “My grapevine also says a woman was at the motel that night and got arrested by the sheriff’s department. Jay was involved…and you?” She lifted an eyebrow at Tag and left the question hanging.
Grace spoke before Tag could say a word. “That woman was me.” She faced April. “I was on my way back to the resort, saw the ambulance and sheriff’s vehicles, and stopped. It was just curiosity but a dumb thing to do.”
April gave them both a shrewd look. “I was in Keshena with my folks and ran into your parents, Tag. They said you’d be working with Jay for a while but you’re going to work for a government agency?”
Tag thought a little honesty would work here. “I’m just taking a little rest before I have to get back to full-time. Gabrial is Jay’s consultant while he changes his computer system.”
“I see.” April leaned back into the booth. “Have you seen Jay’s new office and home he’s building out by the lighthouse?” She turned to Grace. “You’ll be out there?”
“I don’t know. I’ve only looked at his system and it’s doable, so far.” Grace took a long drink of coffee and looked out into the crowd.
“And I ran into Emma yesterday morning. She’s got a new honey,” April said to Tag. “She hasn’t changed a bit, has she? Goes through men like Kleenex.”
Tag laughed. “My mother keeps me informed. We had dinner and Em seems happy. I’m proud of her work too.”
April checked her watch again and stood. “You’re a lot, Tag. Emma’s always fighting to keep up with you.” She tossed some money on the table and bent, holding Tag’s necklace in her fingers for a closer look. “What’s this?”
Tag moved away from April’s fingers. “My unit’s Dragon necklace that we all wore.”
April let go of the silver chain and ran a finger down Tag’s neck. “Gotta go. Nice to meet you, Gabrial, but I’d stay away from that motel if I were you. I’m trying to get this one out for dinner, but no luck so far.” She gave Tag a mischievous smile and left, threading her way through the crowd.
Grace blew out a breath. “If one more person tells me to stay away from the motel…” She gave Tag a long look. “You know her well?”
“Ah, we were young and in college. She went her way. I went mine.”
Grace grinned and gave her a light punch on the shoulder. “Should we go back to Jay’s?”
“Let’s go to the resort. I’d like to check some things on the computers.”
“I’m going to the stables to check on Crow.”
“Can I go too?”
“I was hoping you would.”
* * *
The day held on to its beauty as they checked the horse. Grace read the notes Emma had left and put a lead on Crow, walking her out into the ring.
“Stand here, beside me,” she said to Tag. “I want to see how she runs.” She urged the horse forward to circle around them. A little breeze picked up and the horse trotted away, tail up.
“She looks great, Grace.”
“And that’s a big load off my mind.” Grace turned slowly with the lead held firmly. “Who do you think shot at me?”
“No idea. It’s the same question as why someone shot at AJ in Milwaukee. Where are the trees that AJ and the police talked about?”
Grace pointed up the hill. “Those two tall pines are where Lithscom said they found tracks.”
Tag scoured the area. As far as she could see, no one was there now, but there was plenty of cover to be had.
“So…what do you have against helicopters?” Grace said.
“What do you mean?” She turned and faced Grace.
“Twice. Two times. I’ve seen you freeze when there’s a helicopter above us. Once in Milwaukee at the Owens house and the other night at the sheriff ’s office here.” Grace kept turning slowly with Crow, her voice calm.
“I can’t get past the sound of them. It was our last day as Dragons,” Tag said, the word stumbling out of her mouth and every muscle in her body rigid. She looked up at the sky. “This was all in the notes when I arrived.”
“It was there, but just stats. It was only who was there, a kind of vague description of the action, and that was it.”
“After we were ambushed, we ran toward the incoming helicopters, people going down all around me. My second-in-command, Jane, was running toward me. I had one of the medics, one of the first hit. I got there and turned as Jane went down. She didn’t make it, and I almost didn’t either. It’s the one thing I still have nightmares about. I think I have a handle on it, and then, wham, it gets me.”
Grace stood very still, a sad look on her face. She dropped Crow’s lead and hugged Tag hard. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, her breath warm against Tag’s neck.
“I don’t talk about this. Maybe I should.” Tag swallowed hard. “When I was recovering in the hospital, I had a great therapist, but that was a long time ago. I’m never prepared. The sound of a helicopter brings it back in a heartbeat.” She held on to Grace, heart racing. It still hurt worse than anything she knew.
They stood for a moment, unmoving, until Grace picked up the lead and reined the horse back. “Let’s go back to the resort.”
* * *
AJ used her private phone to dial the number Donna Seesom had given her, but a man answered and she hung up. She called Sam and asked him to call the same number in about twenty minutes and, if Donna answered, set up an appointment. Driving toward her next delivery, she tried to remember the information they’d found on the computer, the taxes and assessment of Seesom’s house, but her memory was fuzzy. She called Grace and pulled over to the side of the road, jotting down the numbers as Grace gave them to her.
“Sam and I are trying to set up an appointment to see Donna Seesom’s house that she’s selling. It might make us a little late, but I want a meeting with everyone tonight. Did you see Sam’s notes from this morning and the bank? Oh, and how’d it go at the police station?”
“I read Sam’s notes and am adding the police information right now,” Grace said. “They found footprints and shell casings but they don’t have a clue, and I don’t think they cared much. That cop we talked to, Lieutenant Lithscom, has quite a history with Jay and the Menominee. Good cover in the diner, by the way.”
“Is Tag still with you?”
“Yes,” Grace said, lowering her voice. “She just went to change clothes. I talked to her about the helicopter business, and it’s exactly what you said. Something she brought home.” She raised her voice to normal. “You want me to remind Greg and Jeff about the meeting tonight?”
“I do and I’ll get back to you if we get an appointment to see that house tonight. You were asleep when I was there last night. Everything okay with you about the shooting yesterday?”
“It just scared me,” Grace said, and AJ heard her pull in a breath. “I left some information on our private email for you. Talk to you later.”
AJ pulled out onto the road, thinking about Tag’s conversation about Grace last night. It had left her staring at the dark for a long time before she slept. If Tag had been unprepared for Grace, she had not been prepared for either of them. And she hadn’t been prepared for Grace’s childhood either.
Sam called her back and confirmed a six o’clock meeting at Seesom’s house. “Let’s have a meal at the meeting tonight,” he suggested.
They left it there and ended the call.