Whispering Spirits (2 page)

“Hmm, interesting idea. But what about
Derek?”

“Maybe Derek didn’t plan to find Jordan. What
if he was looking for Joshua instead?” Summer pressed her forehead
into the heel of her hand.

“You don’t exactly like Joshua, do you,
Summer? Why would they be at Jordan’s apartment and not at Joshua’s
place?”

“You really don’t know the answer to that?”
Summer glared at Detective Buggeta, certain he couldn’t be that
inept.

“You mean because poor Joshua doesn’t really
have a true place of residence.”

“Exactly. He sponges off his family and
friends. Jordan on the other hand worked full-time for Lawrence
Borden’s campaign for a Democratic senator. He…was at the
center…endless hours and made a very nice income. I don’t think it
was Jordan who was in trouble. I think Joshua—”

“We considered the cocky brother. He has an
alibi.”

“Interesting. I don’t think he came with
anyone…for all I know he could have been in the other room and
first came out after I hit that guy. Joshua always has a way of
appearing innocent. He’s…involved one way or another…I’m sure of
it.”

“Did Jordan have any enemies you know
of?”

“I can’t think of anyone.” Summer wished he’d
stop asking questions and would just leave her alone. For him the
murder was ten days ago, for her it was hours.

“Is there anything else you might have
noticed or heard that might be of interest to the
investigation?”

“Goodness, Detective Buggeta, you still
questioning my girl?” Steam escaped from the cup in her hand. “I
expected you’d have finished some time ago. Maybe you should let
her rest a bit to collect her thoughts. If she thinks of anything,
she can call you.”

“I’m capable of handling this myself, Mother.
In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a little girl anymore. My time
for needing a mother is long past.”

“No need to be rude, dear. Detective, as you
can see, Summer seems a bit stressed and out of sorts. You might
check in later tomorrow if you like.” She leaned toward him,
revealing firm breasts pressing the low edge of her shimmering gold
tank top.

Summer glared at her mother, then glanced at
Detective Buggeta. His flushed cheeks revealed he hadn’t missed the
display. “Why don’t you both go? I have a splitting headache and I
just want to be alone.”

“Here’s my card. You think of anything, call
me day or night. That’s my personal cell phone number I jotted on
there.” He dropped it into her hand.

She took the card and tossed it on the
bedside table. “I can’t imagine there’s anything more I can tell
you. Everything happened so fast.”

“You never know. I’ve had witnesses remember
things months after the fact. Thanks for your time, Miss Timber
Wolf.” He strode out of the room and disappeared down the corridor.
The clicking of his steps against the tile floor faded quickly.

Summer closed her eyes then opened them. “I
thought you were leaving, too.”

“Could you be any more rude? I’m…I’m trying
hard to be here for you.”

“Not necessary. I can take care of myself.”
The pasty white of her mother’s skin always annoyed Summer. It
being the only reason her skin had a paleness. In the summer she’d
tan and look no different than the full-bloods. But come winter…her
skin transformed…becoming lighter and lighter. She’d been blessed
with high cheekbones and the broad Blackfeet forehead, but she
truly prayed for dark, moody, brown eyes like a fawn.
Nah’ah
often said her eyes were as blue as camas flowers that spread
across the meadows. In early times the people mistook camas fields
for distant lakes. Every time she looked in the mirror they
reminded her of how her mother deserted her and
Inn
.

“Really? You just finished college and you
don’t have a job. What are your plans?”

Summer glared at her mother. “You have any
idea how…devastated I am over Jordan’s murder? I don’t think you
really care, do you?”

“Like I said, I never thought he was right
for you. You should marry a boy with money and purpose and
definitely not a Native boy.”

“Who I marry is none of your business.
There’s nothing wrong with Native men…they certainly are handsome.
I just don’t seem to be attracted to any at the moment. It’s a
little late for you to be mothering me now. You weren’t there when
I needed you…and I definitely don’t need you now. Why don’t you go
back to…who is he now…Jack? No, wait he hasn’t been in the picture
for a couple years. I know it must be Adam…oh, no it’s not Adam or
even James. I think father said the latest greatest boyfriend and
love is Henry…right?”

“That’s enough, Summer. Who I choose to date
is none of your business.”

“My sentiments exactly. I don’t even know why
Father includes you in decisions about me. As far as I’m concerned,
you left us and we don’t really need you in our lives. Why he
believes I need you is beyond me. I never will. I’ll call and ask
him to bring
Nah’ah
here.”

“In order words you don’t want me here?”

“I don’t need you here.”

“But you need Morning Star?”

“I’ll always need my
nah’ah.
”

“Well, then you’re going to be happy with the
decision your father and I made for you last night.”

“You and father made a decision for me?
Together? That must have been interesting. Who won the fight?”

“You’re becoming quite the snarky, aren’t
you?”

“Decision, mother, what decision are you
talking about? Last time I looked, my birth certificate said I was
born twenty-four summers ago. Why would you and father make any
decisions for me?” Summer drew in a deep breath and slowly released
it.

“We told you we would support you while
you’re going to school. You’ve just graduated. You either get a job
or—”

“Or what?”

“You…take care of your beloved grandmother
for the summer or until you get a job.”

“I have no intention of returning to the Res,
other than to visit Father and
Nah’ah
.”

“I know you swore you’d never to return to
the reservation to work, but your grandmother needs you. As much as
I’d like to say go your own way—and good luck, your father wanted
me to explain your choices.”

“I’m ready to make some choices and…start a
new life. I’ve been offered a position to teach creative writing at
Carroll College in Helena and I’ve also been offered a similar
position at Montana State University here in Missoula.”

“I thought your degree was in Native
History.”

“I have my Masters in writing and a BS in
Native History. Wouldn’t you think a mother would know such
things?”

“Summer, that’s about enough from you for one
day. Even if you start teaching at one of those colleges in the
fall, you’ll need work for the summer. I’m not certain spending the
summer with your grandmother is going to put much money in your
pocket, though. You have your choices, think them over, and let me
know tomorrow when I return.”

“Don’t bother coming back. Like I said, I’ll
call Father and ask him to bring
Nah’ah
here.”

“Aren’t you ever going to forgive me,
Niipo
?”

“Don’t talk Blackfeet to me, mother. You hate
everything that’s Native…including Father. You walked out of my
life when I was ten. Don’t expect you can just walk back into it
when I’m twenty-four.”

“Your father has forgiven me.”

“I’ve forgiven you, too. That doesn’t mean I
have to accept you as my mother and welcome you back. It just means
I don’t hate you anymore.”

“Fine, if that’s the way you want it. You do
realize I paid for half of that fancy degree you hold. A little
gratitude and respect would be nice.”

“I’ll pay you back.”

“That’s not my point or what I meant and you
know it. Your grandmother has turned you against me, hasn’t
she?”

“
Nah’ah
tells the truth. She doesn’t
play games with people’s lives. She was there for me when I needed
a mother. She nursed me back to health when I fell off my horse,
and she was there when my first boyfriend broke my heart. She’s now
eighty summers and I’d be honored and happy to be there for her
when she needs me.”

“That would mean going back to the
reservation. Do you really want to spend your life in Browning,
Montana?”

“It wouldn’t be a sacrifice to take care of
Nah’ah
for the summer. It’ll give me time to think about
which university I’ll want to teach at.
Nah’ah
can help me
make that decision. The further away from here and Jordan’s death
the better.”

“You…missed the funeral last week. I sent a
bouquet of white roses from you.”

Summer swallowed hard. Tears flooded her
eyes, then spilled onto her cheeks. “Thank you for doing that. I’m
surprised you even bothered. You never liked him.”

“It’s not that I didn’t like him…you never
gave me the chance to get to know him. I had to form an opinion
from information I read on the internet. Your father wasn’t much
help.”

“Can you blame him? You left him, too. His
family ranch couldn’t be picked up and moved…so he had to face his
family and friends…humiliated his wife ran off to California with
some rich salesman. I’m glad Father’s finally over you and
has—”

“Has what…who?”

Summer smiled. “You really thought he’d never
find love again, did you? Isn’t it funny you seem so surprised and
almost angry? I can see it in your expression. You thought he
couldn’t love anyone but you, didn’t you? You revel in the idea
he’s never remarried.” She studied her mother’s face. “What? No,
don’t tell me you really thought in time he’d take you back…did
you?” Summer laughed, then pressed her forehead into her palm.

“No, I don’t want to return to your father.
You really think I’d put myself out there to be ridiculed by—”

“You’d never be accepted back, or you’d try
to get Father to take you back, wouldn’t you? He’s moved on,
Mother. He found a really nice woman to make him happy. She treats
him with respect—”

“Shut up, Summer. I don’t want to hear it. If
he’s found someone, as you put it, he’d have told me.”

“Why? You think he owes it to you? You think
he needs to explain himself to you? He didn’t tell you because it’s
none of your business. He doesn’t owe you any explanations. I wish
he’d found her years ago.”

“She’s probably some Blackfeet whore!”

“Careful Mother, I’m half Blackfeet and I
take offense to that kind of comment. One thing I do know, she
won’t desert him like you did. She’s very much in love with
him.”

“What’s her name?” Her mother’s brow
furrowed.

“What does it matter to you?” Summer paused,
realizing her mother looked devastated by the news.

“What’s her name?”

“If you must know,
Wapun Peta.
”

“Dawn Golden Eagle…my best friend?”

“
Used
to be your best friend. Her
husband passed away about five years ago. Father hired her to do
the cooking during branding and roundups…since you weren’t there.
Guess a way to a man’s heart is his stomach.” Summer laughed, then
grabbed her forehead again.

“You want me to call a nurse for some pain
meds?”

“If I need a nurse I can push the help button
all by myself. Would you please just leave?”

The phone next to her bed rang. Summer turned
and grabbed it before her mother could cross the room.

“Hello?”

“Summer?”

“Yes. Who’s this?” She didn’t recognize the
voice and it sounded like he had muffled the tone.

“You shouldn’t have killed Derek
Wallace.”

“He shouldn’t have killed Jordan
Perkins.”

“Who’s that on the phone?” Winter stood at
the end of Summer’s bed.

“Give us the documents and we won’t hurt
you.”

“Who is this?” She tried recognizing the
voice but it was definitely muddled. “I don’t know what you mean?
What documents?” She swallowed hard and looked at her mother. The
last person Summer wanted to know about the phone call was Winter
Timber Wolf.

“When we got to Jordan’s apartment we found
him and Ali taking a shower together. Kinda stinks to know that
about your boyfriend, doesn’t it?”

“You’re lying. He had pants and a shirt
on.”

“Yep, I told him to get dressed and sent him
to the living room with Derek. I had a chat with Ali.”

“And you killed her.”

“She had a choice to cooperate or die. The
last thing she said was Jordan admitted he had the documents.”

“And you believed her? She told you what you
wanted to hear…and you killed her anyway.”

“Actually I was going to let her go. She
hadn’t seen either of us since we were wearing masks.”

“Then why did you kill her?” Summer fought
past the pain in her skull and the nausea that set in again.

“She called me by name. Bitch knew me and was
too stupid to keep it to herself. Too dumb to live is what I say.
Derek didn’t plan on killing Jordan either. Derek was only after
information. The gun went off accidentally. You ‘ll pay for killing
him.”

“I just wanted to knock him out. I’m not sure
it was me who killed him.”

“You trying to fuck with me, Summer? I was
there, remember? You hit him and he dropped to the floor.”

“I know that…but I didn’t mean to kill
him…just knock him out. He was going to kill Jordan and I had to do
something. Except…I did it too late.”

“Find the documents and we’ll call it even.
Not…and you’ll be buried right alongside your cheating boyfriend. I
hope you’re smarter than Ali.”

“What are these documents for?” Summer closed
her eyes and pressed her fingertips into her forehead.

“Don’t play stupid with me, Summer. I’ll be
in touch.”

“Wait!” A steady beep answered. Summer stared
at the phone.

“Who was that? What documents did they want?”
Her mother’s expression revealed more curiosity than concern.