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Dela sat up in bed. There it was again!
“Haw-eee-haw-uh-haw-eee!”
Light streamed through the slits in the blinds of her bedroom.
Mugshot walked into the bedroom, whining.
“I hear you and your friend. You both want breakfast. Hold on.” Dela sat on the side of the bed, grabbed her crutches, and rose. At the French doors, she noticed the donkey was staring at the gate where the hay had come from the night before. She wore the shorts and tank top she’d slept in and wasn’t ready to put her prosthesis on. There had to be a way to get to the hay by opening the gate and grabbing it without anyone seeing her.
Mugshot exited the door in front of Dela. “Keep your friend busy,” she said to the dog and made her way over to the gate. The backyard fence was solid wood. She’d asked for a privacy fence so she could come out in the summer and enjoy the sunshine without putting her prosthesis on and not having to worry about anyone seeing her.
She opened the side gate and grabbed a flake of hay. The sound of the donkey walking toward the gate had her spinning around to toss the hay to the side of the opening in hopes it would keep him inside.
When she spun, her crutch caught on the handle on the gate and she went down. “Double frickin’ shit!” she shouted and hastily struggled to get back on her foot. Mugshot came over to give her something to push off of. Jethro even walked over. He didn’t step on her, he stood beside Mugshot giving her one more level to raise up to and right herself on her crutches.
She smiled. “You two make a good team for this one-legged woman.”
Jethro raised his nose in the air and curled his lips back, showing off big yellow teeth. Dela laughed and patted his neck and Mugshot’s head. “I’ll be more careful getting the other flake of hay.” She finished feeding the donkey and then fed Mugshot.
While the new friends ate, she made coffee and poured a bowl of cereal. Today was weight day. She’d set up one of the rooms with weights. That way she could work out at home and keep up the muscle in her arms and legs that she needed to function with a prosthesis and only one full leg. An hour later she finished her workout and was getting ready to take a quick shower when her phone rang.
A glance at the name and a moan slipped from her lips. Bernie Moon.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Dela, it’s Bernie Moon. What’s this I hear you are a suspect in a murder investigation?” He didn’t even say hello.
“Good morning to you, too, Bernie,” she said. “I am a suspect but I didn’t kill the victim.”
“But you and the man have a history?” It was a statement that sounded like a question.
“I kept him from killing his wife a few months ago. But I didn’t kill him,” she restated.
“I’m having a meeting with the board this morning. I think it would be best if you took some vacation days until this is cleared up.”
“Bernie, I didn’t kill anyone. I don’t need to take a vacation.” If she didn’t go to work the people who worked under her would think she was guilty. If she kept on working and doing her job while the police did theirs, it would show she didn’t have anything to hide. She voiced this to Bernie.
“We’ll see what the other board members say.” He ended the call.
Dela took her shower and dressed in her work uniform of khaki slacks and blue polo shirt. The blue polo shirt deepened the blue of her eyes. Growing up she’d worn her long dark hair like the girls she went to school with. As long as no one saw the blue eyes she’d inherited from her Swedish mother, she resembled a member of one of the tribes. Cayuse, Walla Walla, or Umatilla. Which pleased her as they were the only family she knew, even though they weren’t blood-related.
Dressed and feeling she had to prove to the people around her she wasn’t worried, Dela prepared for work. After putting her dishes in the sink, she checked on Mugshot and Jethro in the backyard and headed to the front door. She picked up her purse and stepped out the door.
Travis pulled up in his pickup. His friend, Melvin, was in the passenger seat. Travis exited his vehicle and said, “We’re here to measure how much fencing we need.”
“Just worry about fencing off a section closest to the house and backyard to start with. I’ll probably need a shed to keep hay and feed in as well.” Dela opened her car door.
“Do you want us to put a gate out your backyard fence into the pasture we make?” Travis walked over to her. “I’ll also make one out here.”
“That sounds good.” She lowered into the car seat.
“Mom says to give her a call if you need to talk.” The concern in the young man’s eyes told her he and his mom had heard about her being a possible murderer.
“I’m fine. But she could come over and check out Jethro. I’m not sure if he needs anything. Shots or dewormed.” She’d been around animals enough growing up to know they needed maintenance to be healthy.
“I’ll let her know.” Travis stepped away from the car.
Dela backed out of her driveway. There were two ways she could leave her house and get to the casino. She didn’t have to go by the Winter residence and normally didn’t when she drove to work, but she wanted to see what area the police had taped off as the murder scene.
As soon as she spotted Quinn’s SUV, Dela wished she hadn’t been curious. All she needed was him watching her drive past. Instead, she drove on by, her face forward, and at her normal speed. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the neighbor who had called in the murder. The one who had said Dela was in a fight and the man was dead when she left. Did anyone say the woman’s name?
She continued on to work trying to remember if anyone had mentioned the name. As she turned into the parking lot it came to her. Jacob had said the neighbor who called the stabbing in was Sadie Swan. If she couldn’t talk to the woman, she could ask Heath to talk to her or one of her relatives. Someone at the casino might be related to the woman. She’d like to know how well Sadie understood the concept of time.
Dela parked in her usual spot and walked up to the employee entrance at the back of the casino. She tapped her employee key card against the box by the door and it opened.
“Dela? I didn’t expect you,” Margie said.
“Why not?” Dela stood in front of the security member in charge of making sure all employees carried nothing in or out of the casino that wasn’t allowed.
The woman ducked her head. “Bernie Moon told Kenny to find someone to take his shift as he would be working yours.”
Dela cursed under her breath and stomped over to her desk. She opened the cabinet door and shoved her purse inside. “Where is Kenny?”
“He went home to get a few hours of sleep before coming back in.” Margie’s eyes widened as Dela picked up her radio and attached it to her belt.
“Then I guess I’m in charge until he gets back. I haven’t been arrested because I didn’t kill anyone. Make sure that goes around the casino and Nixyáawii gossip.” Dela finished attaching her mic and slipped an earbud in her ear. “I’ll be making my rounds.”
Margie nodded.
Dela walked out of the security office and scanned the casino. Tonight was Wednesday night Bingo. After lunch, the Bingo fanatics would be filling the Spotted Pony. She wasn’t about to leave the casino short-staffed just because Bernie Moon didn’t know her.
She glanced at the deli. Rosie, a cheerful woman a few years older than Dela who had a photographic memory, waved her over. Dela turned to her right and walked up to the deli counter. “Hi, Rosie. Did you want to talk to me?”
The woman reached out patting Dela’s arm. “We know you didn’t kill Paul. But what were you doing over there? You know he blamed you for losing Ina and Micah.”
Dela nodded to a table. “Can we sit down?”
“Sure. You sit, I’ll be right there.” Rosie called to the back she was taking a break and then she filled a cup with coffee and a large cup with a soft drink and carried them over to the table. Her full colorful skirt swished around her athletic shoes as she walked over to the table. Rosie placed the coffee in front of Dela and settled her short, round body on the chair across the table.
“It seems Bernie has decided I killed Paul. He told Kenny to find someone to take over his job while he does mine.” Dela stared into her friend’s round face. “I’m being treated like a murderer before anyone has even found proof. Of which they won’t find any, because I didn’t kill him.”
“It’s Detective Jones. He’s always had it out for you. Now he thinks he can bring you down.” Rosie sipped her drink and continued. “My cousin who works in family services said that Paul sent threats to several people in her office trying to get them to tell him where Ina is.”
“Why would he care about her and the child if all he did was abuse them?” Dela asked.
“Word is, Ina not only hid Micah from Paul but also money he was given by someone who expects something in return.” Rosie nodded her head.
Dela stared at her. “Does this money have anything to do with the fact he was cooking meth?”
Rosie leaned back, looked around, and then leaned forward, whispering, “You didn’t hear it from me. But yes. I heard Gus Sander, he lives in Pendleton, was the one paying Paul to make it.”
Dela pulled out her phone. “He would have more motive to kill Paul Winter than I would. Because I didn’t have any motive.” She found Heath’s number and dialed.
“Is your morning going better than yesterday?” he answered.
“Not much. Bernie believes I need to take a vacation. But that’s not why I called.” Dela went on to tell him what Rosie told her.
“I’ll check out Sander. Maybe you should go home. That way you won’t make matters worse with Bernie and no one can say you are tampering with the investigation.”
“Are you saying I should keep my nose out of proving my innocence?” She couldn’t believe Heath would suggest she sit idly by and think Detective Dick and Quinn would find the real murderer.
“I’m saying that maybe a vacation would give you time to talk to people.” The innuendo in his voice clicked a lightbulb in her head.
“You don’t think my bowing to Bernie’s demands makes me look guilty?” She had never backed down from hard tasks in her life. Not when her best friend was murdered, not when she lost a leg. She was a fighter and giving into Bernie’s request she take a vacation felt like weakness to her.
“No. It makes you look smart to step back and let law enforcement do their thing.” His voice was muffled as he talked to someone on his side of the line then said, “Are you at work?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be by and visit with you.” The call ended.
Dela stared at her phone. Was he correct in thinking no one would think the worst of her if she took a vacation right now? It would give her lots of time to find out more about Gus Sander and the victim.
“You look upset,” Rosie said.
Dela glanced across the table at her friend. “Heath thinks my taking a vacation is a good idea.” She studied the woman who knew everyone who worked here. “What do you think the employees would think if I did?”
“That you need a vacation. You haven’t really taken one since you started this job three years ago. A day here and there is not a vacation.” Rosie picked up her soda and stuck the straw in her mouth.
“I happen to enjoy my job,” Dela said.
Rosie set her cup down. “So do I, but I also like to take time to visit people and go on trips.”
“The only people I have to visit are all right here. Where would I go?” Though in her mind she didn’t plan on going anywhere. All the answers to who really killed Paul Winter were right here in Nixyáawii and Pendleton.
