Whispering Spirits (22 page)

Running Crane cleared his throat. “I’ll bet
there’s one thing you didn’t count on…Stuart didn’t know where that
document disappeared to. You brought Worthington into the plan when
you found out about the gold. He’s a likely partner, since he’s all
about the dollar and to hell with the law. So, where does that
leave us?”

“It leaves you nowhere, because you can’t
prove a damn thing. There’s nothing that links me to Worthington or
that Blackfeet land deal. I have legislature that backs me up
regarding the efforts I’ve taken to protect the Blackfeet and to
get their lands returned to them.”

“Except a little piece of paper,” Summer
stated quietly. “I’m guessing you’re not as confident as you want
us to believe.”

“Don’t look so smug, young lady. Here’s the
deal. You want your grandmother and I want that document. You find
it…and you’ll see her again.”

“Kidnapping and extortion, you’ll be put away
for a long time, Senator,” Running Crane said.

“It’s never going to happen. Even if things
go south, Worthington will be the fall-guy. Nothing ties me to any
of this. I know people and you can be sure there’s no way I’ll be
cast even in the shadow. I can have you eliminated with the wave of
my hand.”

“But you won’t do that until we find that
document…the one thing that will tie you into this grand theft of
the Blackfeet land.” Running Crane moved back to Summer’s side and
slipped his arm across her shoulder.

“So the two of you are…what?” Winter leaned
forward and wrapped her arms around her legs. “No, you wouldn’t be
that stupid, would you Summer? He’s an Indian with no future. He
was never good for you and never will be what you need or want. You
have an education now so why don’t you be smart and put it to good
use outside the reservation.”

Summer gave her mother another glance and
noticed she leaned against the pillows, relaxed and smug. If there
was ever any respect or love left in Summer’s heart for the woman,
it had quickly faded away to nothing now. Is this what her
ancestors were warning her about? Were they trying to show her it
wasn’t the Blackfeet she needed to be wary of…it was her
Napi’quan
mother. Didn’t Summer feel the danger
?
Where was she when
Nah’ah
needed protection? It suddenly
clicked…the direction and the strength she could pull from knowing
she had ancestors. They would guide and show her the way if she let
them.

“You’ve been trying to get me to reject my
Blackfeet heritage since I can remember. Why is that? You stepped
between me and every Native connection I’ve wanted. But you
couldn’t destroy the love and connection I have with
Nah’ah
.
That’s why you’re here…isn’t it? You want them to get rid of her
and her power.”

“She filled your head with Indian nonsense.
She steered your father away from me…and now I’ve lost him forever.
Everything bad that’s happened in my life is somehow connected to
your grandmother. Yes, I want her dead. More than that…I want her
destroyed. I want the People to believe she’s responsible for the
sale of that land to Worthington. They’ll believe she betrayed them
and her legacy will be destroyed.”

“That’s never going to happen…I won’t let
it.” Summer grew tired of the conversation. “You’ll never see this
happen. I won’t stand by while you destroy her.”

“The choice isn’t yours, besides…the damage
is already done. Both Kevin and Bradley Wild Horse, who could have
substantiated her story, are dead. Plus the people, ignorant as
they can be, will believe those three were in on the land sale.
Their checking account balances will prove it.”

Summer glanced over at Borden and realized he
supported her mother in every way. “The two of you will regret
going up against
Ipiso-wa’ahsa O’mahkapi’si
.”

“What?” Borden asked.

“It’s just a tongue-twisted way of saying
Morning Star Timber Wolf. The girl likes trying to impress with her
native language. I’m tired of all this…I’m going to take a shower.
Make sure they’re gone when I get done.” Winter moved out from
under the sheet. Naked, she boldly walked to the bathroom and
closed the door.

Running Crane looked away and Summer noticed
Borden watched her every move. Without warning, he swung at Running
Crane and knocked him to the floor with a cheap shot. Scrambling to
his feet he dived at Borden and they wrestled, punching at each
other.

Chapter Eleven

Running Crane expected he’d make an alpha
move soon or later…but the physical attack surprised him. The man
didn’t seem to have it in him to use his own fist to punch someone.
A quick right, then left caused Borden to stagger backward.

Smiling, Running Crane waited for Borden to
right himself. “If you’ve had enough, let’s stop this nonsense. Let
Summer and me leave and find that document so we can get
Nah’ah
back. You even think of double-crossing us and you’ll
be sorry.”

“Get the hell out of here, but Summer stays.
That way I’ll know you’ll be back without your posse.”

“I’ll need Summer’s connections to find that
document and she’ll need me to keep her alive. You have
Nah’ah
to secure your anonymity for now.” He backed up and
returned to Summer’s side.

“Call me when you have the document,” he
tossed Running Crane a cellphone. “You’ll be watched. Don’t even
try to send people to get Morning Star. My men have orders to shoot
her first and ask questions later…if you get my drift.”

Running Crane drew in a breath and slowly
released it. “You’re a bastard, Borden. It’s going to give me
immense please to take your ass down one day.”

“I look forward to you trying. All you’ll
have is a respected senator’s word against an Indian’s accusations?
You really think all that much has changed in politics? Go back to
your reservation while you still can, Running Crane.”

“Come on, the quicker we leave the sooner
we’ll get
Nah’ah.
” Summer tugged on his arm.

Running Crane nodded and pocketed the
cellphone. They left the hotel room knowing more than when they’d
arrived. Having Borden in the mix explained a few things. It also
made it a trickier situation. The man did have connections. He had
no words for Winter Timber Wolf and only felt sorry for Summer.

Once outside Running Crane chuckled. “Get
in,” he shouted.

“Isn’t this Borden’s car. He’s going to be
pissed.”

“Like I care.” He tipped the visor and nearly
choked when a set of keys dropped into his hand. “You’ve got to
love a good old Montana boy’s habits.”

“This is one incredibly sexy Packer yellow
screaming give me a ticket car.”

Running Crane laughed out loud. He wondered
when the last time he did that. “It’s a 2015 Corvette Z06. This
puppy has a V-eight, six hundred fifty horse power with six hundred
fifty pounds of torque.”

“I guess I should be impressed, huh?”

He chuckled under his breath. “Let’s just say
it pushes the envelope of performance on the street and the track.
Don’t think anyone could catch us in this thing.” He swung by the
Glacier’s Edge Café and picked-up breakfast burritos and coffee and
quickly headed out of Babb.

Six and a half hours later they pulled into
the back parking lot. “Are you sure no one would think to watch
Candice’s house?”

“Nothing’s for certain, but Candice and I
have been friends for about a year. She never socialized with us
because she didn’t like Jordan and hated Joshua’s constant hitting
on her. We had several classes together and most days we had lunch
together. We shared a lot and I know she would do anything for
me.”

“Let’s hope that includes letting us crash at
her place. If no one really knows about her, then that gives us an
edge. You go on inside and I’m going to park this neon light about
four blocks away.”

“That’s the best idea you’ve had in a long
time. Unless…maybe Candice will let us park it in her garage. Let
me run in and check.” Summer hurried into the back entryway and
knocked on the door.

Running Crane gave the neighborhood a quick
scan, then noticed the garage door going up. It didn’t take him
long to pull into the small space and turn off the engine. He sat
for a moment, relieved to finally be back in Missoula with
Summer.

Now the most daunting of challenges faced
them. Where to start looking for Borden’s document. They’d have to
be aware there could be Worthington’s men to evade since Running
Crane wasn’t certain they were working in tandem with Borden. No
one could be trusted.

After several minutes of quiet thought,
Running Crane realized no one came to turn on the garage lights or
to even open the house door. Easing himself out of the car, he
closed the door with barely a click. Adjusting to the darkness, he
moved closer and closer to the house door, using its half-moon
window as his only light.

Sliding his palm over the doorknob, he turned
it right and smiled when it opened. What seemed like minutes, he
edged into the kitchen area. Arguing caused him to stop and drop
below the kitchen island.

“Come on, Summer. I know you and Jordan had
your problems but you can’t tell me he never shared any of this
with you. I just don’t believe it.”

“I don’t care if you believe it or not. I’m
telling you right now, I knew nothing was going on. We’d agreed
we’d split after I graduated. Sorry Jordan didn’t let you in on our
little plan.”

“You’re pissing me off, Summer. I’ve looked
until I’m blue in the face. I moved his stuff to the basement here
and I’ve been through it all a hundred times. Nothing, not a
fucking clue. That document has to be there somewhere.”

Running Crane eased a glance around the
island and realized the voice came from Joshua Perkins. So he was
still alive and looking for that paper as expected. If he hadn’t
found it in Jordan’s apartment, then where could it be?

“I don’t have a clue. Who are you working
for, Joshua? Were you in on kidnapping my grandmother?”

“What the fuck you talking about? Kidnapping
your grandmother? You’ve got to be kidding! Worthington said
nothing about that. He…hired Stuart and he came to Jordan and me
with his brother. We thought it was a slam dunk and an easy fifty
thousand each. Then Derek and Stuart turned on us. They killed Ali
in the shower and they tried killing me, too. Next thing you know
Jordan’s dead and I have cops down my throat and Worthington’s men
are watching my every step. I’ve managed to give them the slip but
it’s only a matter of time before they find me. That’s why I need
to find that document. If I bring it to Worthington myself I cash
in on two hundred thousand dollars.”

“Why don’t I really believe you? Besides,
that’s not the figure I heard.”

“What you talking about?”

Running Crane smiled. Summer was smart
stirring up doubt.

“Stuart said the document was worth five
hundred thousand. He was going to screw you and Jordan over. That
won’t happen now…he’s dead. You’re the last man standing, so to
speak. Tell me something, how did Jordan get that document in the
first place?”

“I don’t know.”

“So you don’t really know if he actually had
it at all, do you?”

“No, but he was the one who found it at work
and…it was his idea to blackmail Worthington.”

“Is Worthington the only one you were
blackmailing?”

Leaning against the island, Running Crane
strained to listen.

“Uh…what you asking, Summer?”

“You know…don’t you, Joshua? Come on, if I’m
going to help you at all…come clean with me.”

“Jordan started acting squirrely right after
he told me about those papers.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, he started carrying around his
computer case without his computer. I asked him about it…I even
tried finding out what was in it. Ali and Jordan were in the back
bedroom and I snuck in to check the case. That was the time your
dad showed up at your apartment. I did my best to get rid of
him…and get out of the apartment before Jordan realized I was
there.”

“And the flowers and wine?”

“Nice touch, don’t you think?”

“Shut up, Joshua. What did you find in the
case?”

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Which means
he’d hidden it somewhere safe before he got to the apartment.”

“Maybe that’s what he wanted you to think.
What if he hadn’t managed to get the documents out of his office?
What if he never brought them home?”

“Damn! I never thought of that. I’m sure they
tore that sucker apart and would have found them if they were
hidden in his office. They’re still looking, so they haven’t found
them.”

Summer leaned forward. “Have you checked
Jordan’s car?”

“Son of a bitch! I never thought about it
and…I haven’t seen it anywhere around here since he died. I don’t
have a fuckin’ clue it is.”

“You should try to find it. How about his gym
locker?”

“Yeah, I checked it. I had to bring them a
flippin’ death certificate before they’d let me clean it out.
Assholes! After all that, the papers weren’t there.”

“Tell me this, how close were Ali and
Jordan?”

“You really want to know…cause it ain’t going
to—”

“Joshua, you know damn well I’m sad that
Jordan’s dead. But you also better get it into your head we were
splitting up. What was his relationship with Ali?”

“Hot and heavy. She was quite the piece
of—”

“Josh, enough with the—”

“Okay…okay … just saying. They were like
rabbits, couldn’t get enough. He told me to make it look like she
was my girl if you happened to come around when Ali was at his
place. That didn’t take much since she liked fucking me, too. That
girl loved her sex.”

“You’re a real sleaze, Joshua. Did you happen
to go over to her place and see if Jordan had hidden the papers
there?”