"Mercy Gunderson. What're you doing here?"

If the gleam in his eye was any indication, he believed I'd shown up to talk to him about Kit's offer. I'd keep that as an option to keep him talking. I used the old standby: "I was in the neighborhood."

"Really? So you here on official business?"

"Might say that. I was just at the VA. I ran into your brother."

Hiram stopped. "You saw Josiah? Umm. How is he?"

"As good as a partially blind, crippled veteran can be, I suppose. He said you don't come to see him much." The little white lie was a test to see if Hiram regarded his relationship with his brother in the same light that Josiah did.

"Nope, I don't. I ain't got a lot of free time," said the man standing in his bathrobe, late in the afternoon.

I nodded. "I imagine working as Kit's gopher keeps you scrambling."

"I am not his gopher. I am his a.s.sistant." His hands came out of his pockets, and he crossed his arms over his chest in a defiant posture. "He's taking me to a real estate seminar in Spearfish next week."

"Sounds promising."

"Josiah put you up to this? Making me feel guilty for having a job?"

"No, I just wondered why Josiah's so unhappy about you working for Kit. When it seems you're apparently having some success. Is it jealousy?"

Hi relaxed slightly. "No. Josiah just don't understand how the world works; he never has. He went from Ma taking care of him to the marines taking care of him to the VA taking care of him. He ain't ever had to punch a clock. Never had to worry about being hungry. Never had to worry how he was gonna come up with money for living expenses. And he thinks being a wounded Indian soldier makes him a warrior like our ancestors, and gives him the right to... forget it."

I understood what Hi left unsaid. Some guys in the service were total jerks before getting injured, and a permanent disability made them only jerkier, more demanding and, in most cases, more impossible to be around. "Well, he talked about honor and pride, saying something along the lines about you doing stuff he didn't approve of."

"Which would be almost everything, in his opinion."

I pointed to the sweat lodge. "Does Josiah know you take part in the sweat?"

"It ain't something I advertise."

Neither did Jake or John-John. "Too bad I've got another stop to make or I'd ask you to show me how to do a cleansing ritual."

"Why? Seeing my brother make you feel dirty or something?"

"No, I need one after finding another dead body at my place this morning."

Hiram's twitchy body went still. "What?"

"You haven't heard? I figured it'd be all over the county by now."

"I haven't been to town. I've been out here all day getting ready. Who'd they find?"

"Not 'they'-I found her. Sue Anne White Plume."

Her name didn't bring any reaction. Hiram was just as stone-faced as his brother.

"Did you know her?"

"Just because I'm Indian don't mean I know every Indian around these parts," he snapped.

"I didn't mean-"

"Forget it." Hi looked over his shoulder, then back at me. "So now that you're done nagging me about my brother and spreading bad news, didja wanna talk about Kit's offer on your place?"

I must've gotten that deer-in-the-headlights look because Hiram offered me the sly, mean smile he'd learned from Kit.

"Didn't think so. I got stuff to do. See ya."

Don't let the gate hit you on the way out went unsaid. He trudged to the sweat lodge and disappeared inside.

Despite my desire to go home, I had to stop by the sheriff's department to fill out the paperwork from last night.

Jolene, the second-shift secretary, gave me a sympathetic look as I approached her desk. "Mercy, hon, how you holdin' up?"

"I admit all this c.r.a.p is getting to me."

"I imagine so. Anything I can do?"

"No. But thanks." I peeked around the corner. "Is Dawson here?"

"I'm sorry the sheriff isn't in." She smiled wistfully. "Seems strange, saying that to you. When your daddy ran the county, we knew better than to make either of you girls wait. Didn't matter what he was doing, whenever you called from overseas, he gave me explicit instructions to patch you right through."

Jolene had worked for my dad forever. I wondered how she fared working for Dawson. "Bet you didn't love those interruptions."

"I didn't mind." Jolene straightened a stack of folders on the corner of her desk. "What can I do for you?"

"There's some paperwork floating around I'm supposed to fill out. Thought I'd try to catch Dawson before he went home."

"Too late. He's gone."

My raised eyebrows weren't entirely faked. "Dad never took off before six. Dawson keeping banker's hours?"

"Not usually. Seems he's always here. Think he's afraid if he isn't he'll get lost in your dad's shadow."

"That would be easy." I hesitated, hoping she'd buy my unease. "Can I ask you something about my dad and the department?"

"Sure."

"Why'd he pick Dawson as his successor when there were other deputies who'd worked for him longer?"

Jolene lived to gossip. She tossed a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure the coast was clear before she mock-whispered, "Caused a big stir. Bill O'Neil was the only one interested in the position. And he's close to retirement. Wyatt wanted new blood in here; that's why he hired Dawson."

New blood or bad blood? nearly tripped off my tongue. Instead, I manufactured a puzzled look. "Remind me again where Dawson came from?"

"Bennett County Sheriff's Department in Minnesota. He called here about a year ago and asked if we were hiring."

"Convenient."

My sarcasm was lost on Jolene. "Very. Dawson moved here right after his interview. He's renting that old trailer on the Lohstroh place."

"You'd think if he planned on sticking around he'd want to buy, not rent."

"Oh, he's talked plenty about it. He even keeps regular contact with McIntyre's realty office. But I suspect he's holding off on buying anything permanent until he knows how the election goes."

"Sounds to me like he's got it sewn up."

"Not necessarily." She looked at me expectantly.

"What?"

"Some folks are hoping maybe you'll stick around and give him a run for his money."

That absolutely floored me.

Jolene laughed. "Hadn't considered running for sheriff? Ain't that the way it goes in this county? If it involves you, you're always the last to know."

I practically ran out of the building, visions of Suzanne Somers's bad '80s sitcom She's the Sheriff, replaying in my head.

As I reached the door Jolene said, "Don't write it off as craziness, Mercy. There's a lot of your dad in you. He always did the right thing. You will, too."

As I drove, I thought about Dawson and his place in the sheriff's department. My dad had always been an exceptional judge of character. He definitely would've double-checked Dawson's background before he'd hired him. So Dawson's apathy bugged the c.r.a.p out of me.

But was it truly indifference?

Dawson wasn't doing his job solving murder cases. But... if I gave him the benefit of the doubt, his lack of progress could be blamed on inexperience. Homicides were rare in Eagle River County. With three suspected cases of murder, Dawson might be in over his head and trying to hide it.

Naturally he'd bristle if the former sheriff's daughter started questioning his experience, his commitment to the community, and his methodology. Especially in light of the rumors circulating I might have my eye on his job.

Jesus. No wonder he always seemed to be following me, showing up when I least expected it, and asking me a million questions.

The more scenarios I ran, the more guilt I felt. Yet my main focus hadn't changed: finding out who'd killed Levi. As soon as possible. By any means necessary. With or without Dawson's help.

However, the next time Dawson and I crossed paths, I'd be... nice to him. Pleasant even.

Yeah, that oughta throw him off balance.

I pulled up to the house. A bag of trash was piled alongside the outer wall on the porch, and for the briefest second, it morphed into the shape of a body. Sue Anne's body. My stomach lurched. I closed my eyes. When I reopened them, it was just garbage. I didn't have the mental fort.i.tude to walk across the porch. My ankle hurt as I limped around the corner of the house and entered through the front door.

Despite the ghastly vision of Sue Anne's b.l.o.o.d.y body propped on my porch, the time had come to track down Moser and Little Bear. Chances were slim they'd talk to me. Chances were high I'd try to change their minds.

Tomorrow. I'd had enough of today. Exhausted and in pain, I wolfed down a protein bar and crawled into my bed.

Some time later, loud voices in the kitchen woke me. I ventured downstairs. Theo's arm was draped across Hope's shoulders. She rested against him, her posture the picture of dejection. My chest cavity ached, as if she'd jammed her hand inside and squeezed my heart in her fist.

Theo looked at me and frowned. "I didn't think you'd be here."

I live here, a.s.shole. "Yeah? Well, I didn't think you'd be here. After what's happened, maybe this isn't the best place for Hope to be."

Hope raised her tear-filled eyes. "Is it true? Was that girl found here today Levi's girlfriend?"

"'Fraid so."

"First Albert, then Levi, and now her? What is going on?"

"Dawson can't believe those kids were some kind of random victims," Theo said angrily. "Isn't it obvious there's a common tie? Especially when Levi and Sue Anne were seeing each other. This certainly is a-"

"Cl.u.s.terf.u.c.k?"

Poor Theo seemed p.i.s.sed I'd cut off his impromptu lecture.

"Funny. If you were in my cla.s.s..."

He rambled. I tuned him out until something clicked. "Hey, wasn't Sue Anne in your cla.s.s?"

"Yes. I hardly see what that has to do with anything."

"Did she come to cla.s.s last night?"

"No. Lately she's been missing more than she's been there, which makes it difficult to talk to her about her excessive absences, doesn't it?"

"It's kind of a moot point now." I took a mental step back. Hope would probably appreciate it if we dropped it. "What are you guys doing tonight?"

"Theo is making supper at his place." Her eyes glistened again and she said softly, "I have to get out of that house."

"And I have to make sure she eats properly."

I was afraid they'd invite me over. Okay, when a decent interval pa.s.sed and they didn't issue even a half-a.s.sed invitation, I felt slighted. Hypocritical, I know. Just to be ornery, I asked Hope if she needed a ride.

"No. I'll drive myself."

"You sure you're feeling up to it?"

"She'll be fine," Theo a.s.sured me. "I live about four miles out of town. Small place, but it does have a barn. Nothing slick like your setup here. You should come out and ride with me sometime. I've got an old paint horse that won't spook you."

I went rigid.

Panic flared in Hope's eyes. She stepped away from Theo. "Mercy doesn't ride horses. Ever."

"Why not?"

Hope waited for me to answer.

I didn't. Instead, I said, "See you," and scrambled up the stairs. By the time I'd reached the top, my ankle hurt and my heart hammered. I flattened myself against the wall to regain control. Normally I didn't have such a visceral reaction at the mere mention of horseback riding. The blood and the death and the bad memories were getting to me.

I heard Hope say, "I can't believe you said that to her."