Lakota Justice Read online

  DeShay into her pocket. “Hawke, I almost forgot. Just before I found the body, I found this.” She handed him the feather.

  He studied the item and the area. “Thank you, DeShay. It could belong to the killer.” A red-tailed hawk flew in his path. It delivered a message from the heavens. The feather, brownish-gray with some stains on it, and the presence of the hawk meant one thing, connection. All things were connected. Just like the circle of life, all things remained as one, even in death.

  He glanced closer. There a spot or some kind of dark stain on the feather, maybe blood? He put the feather into a plastic evidence bag, marking it.

  “I will get the feather to the lab today. It could hold the key to our perpetrator’s identity. This is a horrible crime and the spirits are upset. I sense this.”

  The spirits told him… more to come, a lot more. Dread seeped into his soul. How could he help his people? He would wait for the FBI to arrive then the search of the entire area could resume. His clenched fists revealed he vowed justice would be served for the person who lost their life here as if they’re garbage.

  DeShay could feel the sadness at the site. She felt the presence of Abby Winters and the ancestors who stood with her. It was normal when a person dies so violent for them to roam Mother Earth until they could get justice for their death. DeShay realized Abby’s presence , standing beside them in total disbelief. She shook her head; the girl was so young to die so violently, away from her loved ones.

  “Hawke, I knew Abby. She’s a very good person with a gentle spirit. Always trying to help anyone, she could. I know she enjoyed writing.. She planned on writing a book and becoming famous. I remember her mother telling her she could do anything as long as she put her heart into it.”

  Hawke stared at the sky. “I know this is Abby, and I hate to have to tell her mother she is dead. The hardest part is knowing she met her demise in such a horrible manner. Having to tell the parents and watch, them break down and cry. Well, I just hate having to do it.”

  DeShay eyed the ground, taking in all the words from a gentle, caring man. She hoped he would find some way to ease the pain in his heart. His job carried many responsibilities and often much emotional pain and anger.

  She reached out and touched his arm. “I know you will find the words when it is time to face the mother. The Creator walks with you, Hawke.”

  Chapter Three

  Hawke leaned against his official vehicle, waiting for the feds to arrive. The beauty and serenity of this spot always drew his soul. His gaze swept over the vistas before him. Eagle Nest Butte known as a sacred place to Lakota people, and other Native American Tribes. Did it speak to DeShay, as well? Had she lost some of her Native spirituality during all the years she’d forsaken her heritage while getting her education? Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her watching the fluttering of a butterfly. What kind of person had she become?

  A dragonfly flew nearby His thoughts went to the image his grandfather had painted so vividly in his mind so many moons ago. His gentle voice echoed as a whisper:

  “My grandson, the dragonfly was admired and used by our warriors long ago. It is fast and hard to kill. They fly close to the ground and make clouds of dust, so they will be hard to see. The warriors painted them on their horses because the image would help elude upcoming danger. It is an energy being that darts about and seems to outwit capture.”

  DeShay’s gaze followed his. The dragonfly darted over his head.

  “Hawke, the dragonfly seems to be acquainted with you. He is a sign of the warrior.”

  , she did remember some of her Native culture. He pointed to the dragonfly woven onto his shirt. “They are special to me. The one on my shirt is flying downward so I will always return home safe.”

  Dust penetrated the air while an unmarked black SUV pulled up. The feds pulled in. When the engine shut off, the door opened, and Agent Melina Wolfe emerged.

  DeShay watched Hawke out of the corner of her eye. His expression revealed what DeShay had already known. He still loved Melina. After all, he had been in a relationship with her before she left the reservation to pursue her career. They had not seen each other for several years, so far as she knew, but eyes still sparkled at the very site of her.

  Melina Wolfe was well-known on the rez because of her grandfather and also for the tragic deaths of her parents to a drunk driver. Everyone said she grew more beautiful with age. Her straight black hair hung to her tiny waist. Her radiant smile would send any man’s heart leaping.

  “Hello, Wolfe, long time since we have seen the likes of you around here,” Hawke shouted.

  “I am here on official business. Now, let us get started. Who found the body?” She was also known for her professionalism.

  DeShay stepped forward. “Hello, Melina. I found the body while preparing for a dig.”

  Agent Wolfe turned to face her, smiling. “Hello, DeShay. Glad to see you again.”

  “Well, you know me. Constantly out doing the job I love.”

  The smile slid off Agent Wolfe’s face. “Tell me everything you saw.”

  “When I scanned the area for my dig, the body stuck out in plain sight.”

  “So, it lay there without anything over it? No signs someone tried to camouflage it?”

  DeShay shook her head. “No. Whoever put her there didn’t try to conceal her body. I didn’t see any clues except for something I’d picked up. I forgot to give it to Hawke”

  Agent Wolfe’s gaze slid to Hawke and then back to DeShay. “What? You found some clues?”

  “I found a feather close to the body.”

  Hawke nodded. “There is also a medicine wheel keychain tucked inside her grip, Melina, but we did not want to remove it until you got a chance to see it.”

  “Detective, where is this feather? And from this point on, address me as Agent Wolfe?”

  He held out the evidence bag

  “I’ll take that. It could have blood splatter on it and might lead us to the person responsible for this crime.” Agent Wolfe instructed.

  As he passed it to her, his hand swept across hers DeShay watched as the their eyes met and locked. After a long moment, Agent Wolfe blinked.

  “Okay, show me the site.”

  Melina had missed the reservation. She’d missed her time with Hawke, too. And her wise grandfather, Joseph Whitehorse. Her last living relative was a respected elder and medicine man, the Sacred Calf Pipe Bundle he carried sacred to the Lakota culture.

  She moved through the rusty gate leading to Eagle Nest Butte, watching for clues.

  “So, Melina, will you be staying with your grandfather while you’re here?” DeShay asked, coming up to walk beside her.

  “Yes, he insisted I stay with him.” She hesitated then went on. “He says he has many things to discuss with me.”

  The crime scene lay just ahead. The victim’s family would be torn apart once the devastating news about the death of their loved one was revealed to them.

  Hawke waved toward the body. “Okay, here’s the area. We did not touch the body. Note the medicine wheel, which appears to be painted with an arrow pointing to the southwest. We flagged the tire prints and waited for you to arrive so you could decide what to do next.”

  “Great, Detective. I need all the help you can give me. This entire area must be searched and anything found will be sent to the lab in Sioux City. With any luck, the blood on the feather belongs to the killer..”

  Wolfe nodded, turned, and headed back to his vehicle. He glanced at DeShay and rolled his eyes.

  Once he was out of hearing range, DeShay turned to Melina. “You know, he never got over you.”

  Melina pursed her lips and nodded. Her heart still belonged to him, but she could not let him know, at least for now.

  ***

  DeShay started the tedious task of helping Melina in any way she could. This would be a long day. Her cat, Tail Feather would be okay until she returned, although he grew attached to her and expected his meals on time
or he would ignore everything anyone would try to do for him.

  Without warning, an eagle flew overhead. Its flight led it to the area where its babies waited. A sacred site nestled high in the butte.

  The body had waited on this sacred site for the right time to be found. Why had Abby Winters met her demise and her body dumped.

  Hawke and Wolfe were once again a team, and they would uncover the truth so Abby could rest in peace. In the meantime, maybe the stubbornness of the two would redevelop into a love nobody could touch.

  DeShay sensed they loved one another just as much as they had many years ago. They had been torn apart by the heartache of the sudden deaths of Melina’s parents, and now it appeared death would reunite them.

  Chapter Four

  The dark, menacing clouds manifested as though they battled one another in the heavens. Lightning slashed through them as if to rip them apart. Thunder boomed in the distance. The Great Mystery indicated his disapproval. Under the dazzling celestial light show, Hawke stepped out of his SUV and headed into the police station.

  As he entered the small building with paint peeling off the sides, his thoughts moved on to the job ahead. Agent Wolfe was the toughest thing he would have to face today.

  He walked through the glass doors and approached the lone dispatcher on duty, Kylee, a member of the Sicangu Lakota or “burnt thigh” tribe from the Rosebud Reservation. Her head was bent over her work.

  He cleared his throat to get her attention.

  “Oh, hello. Sorry pretty busy this morning.” She spared him a smile.

  Hawke smiled in return. “Has Melina, or should I say Agent Wolfe, arrived?”

  “Yes, she is in the back office with DeShay Greywater.”

  “Okay, great. Do I have any messages?”

  She shook her head as she answered the phone. “Hello, Pine Ridge Police Department. How can I help you?”

  Hawke headed to the back of the building.

  Detective Hawke!” Kylee shouted after him.

  He pivoted on his feet. “Yes?”

  “It’s the newspaper wanting more information about the body found at Eagle Nest Butte.” face exhibited confusion. “Do you want to take this one?”

  “Okay. Send it to my desk.” His boots squeaked as he walked down the hall to his office. He reached into his pocket for the key, let himself in, and flipped on the light.

  The phone rang, and, with a sigh, he picked it up. “Homicide Department. How may I help?”

  The shrill voice on the other end brought his mind back to the present.

  “Hold on, sir. I am the investigating detective. We have not received any information from the lab to confirm anything. I will get back to you as soon as I know more.”

  He hung up, angered by the newspaper reporter from The Painted Horse News. His kikipapi, fears, appeared true. He stared out the window, glancing at the sacred mountains known as Paha Sapa, the Black Hills, in the distance. Somewhere out there, a coldhearted murderer walked. His job to find this evil person rattled his brain. He ran a hand across the back of his neck; he hadn’t slept well last night. Between finding Abby’s body and seeing Melina again, he’d tossed and turned all night.

  When he turned from the window, his gaze focused on his tasina, blanket hanging on his office wall. Every day he marveled at its amazing detail. Earth browns with the symbol of the medicine wheel in the middle, feathers hanging from each tapered side.

  The phone rang again. He reached across his desk and picked up the receiver. “Homicide Department, Detective Hawke. How can I help you?”

  The panicked voice on the other end sent chills through his bones. “This is Abby Winters’ mother. We heard you found a body in the area of Eagle Nest Butte. Well, with her still missing I feared, uh….”

  “Ma’am, calm down. We have not confirmed anything yet.”

  “Sorry, but I’m so worried. She has been missing for over a week now, so when I heard the news I feared it could be her.”

  Hawke not bring himself to say the haunting words to this mother. Not over the phone.

  “Ms. Winters, the evidence has been sent to our crime lab in Sioux City. The body is at the hospital morgue, awaiting an autopsy. Once I have something concrete, I will contact you.”

  The heavy breathing on the phone turned to sobs. “I am having a hard time not knowing what has happened to my daughter. She had such a big heart. She wanted to do good in this world, but now I fear she is gone. There is emptiness in my heart.”

  Hawke understood. “Ms. Winters, I do need to ask a couple of questions. First, I need both parents’ names.”

  Her voice grew quiet. “My name is Amy, and my late husband, Daniel Winters. killed by a drunk driver when Abby was fifteen. Abby could not get over his loss. She was daddy’s little girl, you know? Now, she has gone missing. I just don’t know what to do anymore.”

  Sobs echoed through the phone. Could she handle such a loss? Did she have anyone to lean on? She would need the support of her family and tribe when he delivered the terrible news.

  “Okay, Detective. I will wait for you to call me.”

  She must have laid the phone down, instead of hanging it up. As he listened to her sobs, his heart wept. He hung up. He could not stand to hear the cries of this loving ina, mother.

  Footsteps came down the hallway. He tensed when Agent Wolfe stopped at his door.

  “Good morning, Detective.” Her smile warmed his heart.

  Why did she insist on calling him Detective? She knew his name. She knew his heart, too. If that was how she wanted things, so be it. “How is the investigation coming along?” he asked. “How is DeShay coping with all of this?”

  “Well, she says she wants to help find the person responsible for doing such a horrible thing to a young girl. She has a way of connecting to the deceased, and I feel she could help us out.”

  “Yeah. I agree she has a special closeness to the spirit world, one she does not realize herself.”

  “She’s waiting for us.”

  They made their way to the back of the building, They had to solve this mystery and help bring closure to a family who would always mourn.

  Hawke prayed for them. With the help of the Nagi Tanka, Great Spirit, and wicasa wakan, holy man, the distraught mother might one day be able to carry on in the spirit of her daughter.

  Chapter Five

  Hawke sat in the sweat lodge. He wanted to cleanse his soul so he could get closer to the Great Spirit. His soul needed guidance. His wasicun, ceremonial bag, hung around his neck.

  He tilted his head toward the skan, sky, as the elder sitting with him began his prayer, asking that words spoken between them be done in a good way. The scent of burning sage calmed the soul.

  Hawke needed guidance with his feelings about the body found near Eagle Nest Butte and about Agent Melina Wolfe. With the wise words of a medicine man, the truth might be revealed to his heart.

  ***

  Agent Wolfe sat outside the police department holding the lab results in her hands. It had taken three weeks but now she had the truth, and it would determine if she would leave or stay on. Her heart said to stay, but she would have to learn Hawke’s feelings. Her grandfather had agreed to teach her his wise ways.

  Where was Hawke? Of course, running late. She stared at the envelope delivered to her in the early morning hours. Where would this lead her? Was her work here done? Her heart ached. She loved Hawke. She had been stubborn and foolish. Her grandfather helped her to see many things covered up by her own stubborn heart. How could she find the right words to show Hawke how sorry she felt?

  Rain clouds developed on the horizon. The fog hanging over the Black Hills caused more emptiness in her heart. Her people had suffered so much. In the distance, the skan, sky glistened on the horizon . The sound of clapping thunder came shortly thereafter. As her eyes followed wanbli, the eagle, soaring high above the field across the road, a tap came on the window.

  “Deshay.”

  “Me
lina, I have to talk to you.”

  She rolled down her window. “I’m glad you’re here We have to wait on Hawke, but I have the results from the lab.”

  “I am sure he will be here soon. Sometimes, when he’s having a hard time dealing with a case, he takes time to enter the inipi in search of help for his spirit.”

  Agent Wolfe smiled and nodded. He would arrive soon, and she could not wait to see him.

  ***

  DeShay and Wolfe sat quietly as Detective Hawke sipped his coffee and studied the report. His stomach cramped, and his head throbbed. He hated this part of the job. He loved keeping an eye on his people and yearned to help them find peace and serenity on the rez, but this hurt. He shook his head as he read and reread.

  Confirmed blood match 99.9% -Abby Winters, Positive drugs in her blood.

  Now, he must make contact with the mother. The most dreaded part of his job, telling a mother her daughter’s body had been found .

  Hawke set his cup on the table and rubbed the heels of his palms in his eyes. Sleep. He needed sleep. No doubt, it would come in fits and starts until this case was solved. He glanced at the two women. “Does anybody have any ideas? I mean, somebody killed this young woman, for some reason. We have to find out why and put them in jail for the rest of their lives He would go to the end of the world to bring justice to this family.

  “Her mother may give us an idea of who could have done this.” Agent Wolfe sat back in her chair and folded her arms across her waist.