Lakota Justice

by Melinda Williams

  “Melina, look! We have been blessed today. The Creator has sent us many sacred animals for us to see on our journey.”

  Melina glanced up. “Well, we shall be lucky. Seeing the buffalo, the hawk, and the wolf in the same day is a sign of good fortune and love.”

  Hawke smiled. “So, do you think we will have such luck with love, huh? I hope your grandfather is right.” Melina stiffened at his remark, and he reached over and grabbed her hand.

  She pointed to the side of the road. “Pull over now, Hawke. We must talk.”

  He eased the vehicle to the shoulder, shoved it into Park, and faced her.

  She glared at him for several seconds, and then he pulled her close. “I can no longer hide my feelings, Melina. You know everything is considered sacred, sent to us by the Great Mystery, including our feelings. I feel our love is meant to be. We’ve been drawn together again, and our hearts feel the same pain. Are we to deny our love once more? My kokipa, fear, is we will choose our work over our love. I want you to become my mitawin.” His wife. “Let’s walk the same path together.”

  She kept her eyes locked on his , and he trailed a fingertip down her soft cheek.

  She leaned into him, placing a kiss on his cheek. “I love you, Hawke. Am I mistaken, or did you just ask me to marry you? My heart wants this more than anything does. Are you sure, this is what yours tells you to do? Can our relationship work?”

  Hawke placed his lips on hers, gentle sipping kisses to taste her sweetness. He kissed her forehead then claimed her mouth again. His lips rested against hers when he whispered, “You are my life. Without you, there is a void. Yes, we can make this work as long as both our hearts are one.” He’d never been more sure of anything than of the rightness of them…together…forever.

  “I am full of joy.” Tears streamed down her face. “Hawke, my heart is one with yours. It always has been, but when my parents died I did not know what to do, so I shut out everybody who cared for me. Can you forgive me?”

  “There is nothing to forgive. You are here now, and we will become one. You needed time to sort things out. Now is our time and it will be. The Creator has brought us back together, and we will make it.”

  They held each other for a short while, gazing out the window under the watchful, piercing eye of the red-tailed hawk, the white wolf, and the giant buffalo. From time to time, they shared a kiss and gentle words of love, both at peace with the decisions made.

  “My love, I’d sooner keep you in my arms, but we have a duty to our people.” Melina nodded and Hawke placed his seat belt back on, turned the key, and continued the drive to Cactus Flat to speak to Ian Guidara.

  He kept his thoughts about the investigation to himself. He didn’t want her hurt by too much concern over solving the case. He could tell already the situation pressed on her tender heart. If Ian Guidara had killed Abby, he prayed they could prove it.

  Otherwise, Melina would let it haunt her for the rest of her life. She took her job very seriously. From what he’d heard, she worked endless to solve the cases the FBI assigned to her. Hawke vowed he would solve this murder and get justice for all involved. He would protect the woman he loved from worrying too much and assist her in her deep determination to solve the murder.

  DeShay was one key he would use to help with this investigation. She could see into the future and reveal things that would help. She would not interfere, but would help if invited.

  Chapter Eight

  Cactus Flat came into view. Would Ian Guidara run? He had a lot to lose and Detective Hawke feared the worst. He was a white man, according to Amy Winters. She felt he loved her daughter, but Hawke had reservations.

  Hawke had contacted the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office to accompany them to the residence. Since he had no jurisdiction off the reservation, help from the sheriff’s office was required when he approached to speak to this man.

  The dirt road slung the tiny particles all over the place. Silence grew thick as they closed in on Ian Guidara. Hawke’s vehicle led the way followed by the local law enforcement’s white SUV.

  The residence came into view. A small rundown trailer in the middle of open land with tall trees surrounding it. Guidara had a wonderful view of the surrounding mountain vistas. To the right of the trailer stood a barn with horses grazing about.

  His grandfather’s words echoed in his head, “The horse has unearthly powers. Remember, to follow your pathway, and destiny will follow.” As always, his grandfather’s words brought him serenity and a feeling of connection with all his wise ancestors who had crossed to the other side.

  They stopped in front of the trailer. The grass was knee high, garbage piled all over the yard.

  “It looks abandoned,” Hawke said as he opened his door to step out.

  Just then a man ran out the back door. “There he goes!” Melina called

  The deputies darted in pursuit. Hawke and Melina followed, guns drawn.

  Determined to catch the man, Hawke rounded the tree line just below the barn. “Ian Guidara,” he called. “You run like the rabbit, in fear. We are here to help you. If you loved Abby Winters, come out and we will work on the situation, whatever it may happen to be.”

  Agent Wolfe stood beside Hawke, waiting. Would his words manage to get this man out of the woods?

  A crunching of leaves drew his attention. A deer appeared. The sign of gentleness. Quickly, the animal turned and leaped into the obscurity of the brush and briars.

  Then their man came out of the woods, holding his arms toward the sky.

  “Okay, I surrender,” the man they assumed was Ian Guidara said.

  “I am Detective Hawke with the Pine Ridge Police Dept., and this is Special Agent Melina Wolfe with the FBI. These other men are from the local sheriff’s office. Why did you run? We’re here to speak to you about Abby. We need to know everything you can tell us about her disappearance. Running makes it look like you are hiding something.” He wouldn’t mention her death just yet. He’d wait to see if Guidara incriminated himself.

  “Listen, I don’t know why you’re here. Strange cars come rolling onto my property, I get scared.” His eyes darted around to the other officers, their handguns drawn. “Abby worked for me, and we dated, but I know nothing about her death. The first I heard about it was when I read in the paper about her body being found at Eagle Nest Butte. I thought she ran away because she changed her mind about marrying me. I loved her, planned on marrying her, but now that will never be.”

  Hawke listened close to his words. “Why would Abby think she had to marry you?”

  “Well, she was pregnant. We were going to have a baby. We loved each other and planned to be together forever. Her mother didn’t know about the pregnancy. We planned to tell her over weekend about the baby, but we never got the chance. Suddenly Abby vanished, and I had no clue where she had ran off to.”

  Hawke sensed lying. He would play along just to gain his confidence. Hawke placed a hand on his shoulder. He glanced at Melina as he said, “Son, I know you are hurting inside and will probably never get over this. I can say I understand for I love someone very deeply, too.”

  A blush kissed her cheeks. She cleared her throat before turning her attention to Abby’s boyfriend. “Ian, we need you to answer some questions. The last time you saw Abby was when?”

  He wiped the tears away and replied, “The day she went missing. She left work at the end of her shift and as far as I knew was headed to her home on the reservation. She never made it. I called her mother after I couldn’t reach her by cell.” He shrugged. “She claimed she hadn’t seen her. Abby wasn’t one to run around, so her mother and I searched and filed a missing persons report.”

  Melina’s gaze swept to Detective Hawke

  He nodded. “Yes, I found the report in her file.”

  “Can you tell us of anyone who would want to hurt her?” Melina asked.

  “No, she had no enemies. The only other thing I can think of is we went out to this bar one night, th
e one in Cottonwood, near Interstate 14. She had a few cross words with this other girl, but they did not know each other, I don’t think. So, I’m drawing a blank as far as enemies.”

  “Do you know this girl’s name?” Melina looked up from the pad she jotted her notes on.

  “No. I didn’t know her either. Probably whoever done this to Abby is long gone and will never be caught.” Ian sobbed some more. Hawke couldn’t help but wonder if these were false tears.

  Perhaps Melina wondered the same thing. She stared at Ian for a long moment. “Okay, Ian, that will be all for now, but if you remember anything, please call us.”

  “We may be back to question you some more. Don’t leave the area. No vacation until this murder is solved. Mark my words: We will find who killed Abby and dumped her body like she was garbage.” Hawke promised.

  Ian nodded. “Sure. I ain’t goin’ nowhere. I’ll call you if I think of anything. Please find the person responsible for doing this.”

  Hawke glanced at Melina. “Are you ready to go?”

  She nodded. “Ian, please follow Hawke’s instructions. Make sure you stay in the state. We need to be able to get in contact with you, anytime, day or night.”

  “Sure. I’ll be here or at my restaurant, if you need me. I’ll speak to Abby’s friends, too, and ask if they saw anything on the last day we seen her.”

  “Mr. Guidara, we’re headed to your restaurant now to speak to the employees.”

  The tearful man tensed.

  “I’m sure somebody knows something. Abby will not rest until we catch her killer.” She gave Ian a hard stare. “Neither will I. Our solving the case will help Abby to cross over into the spirit world where she will be with our ancestors.”

  “Please make sure you let me know what happens. If you want, I could accompany you down to the restaurant. I love Abby. She had a beautiful heart. My love for her will always be. I mourn for her every day. I wanted to be her husband and father to our child.” His sobs echoed off the trees and rocks. It almost seemed as if he could turn them on and off like a faucet. “My employees will feel freer to talk if I’m there with you.”

  “No need to bother yourself. We’ll leave you to your grieving.” Melina snapped her notebook shut.

  “Ian, we’ll need for you to stay here with the local authorities and answer some more questions. They will want a list of Abby’s friends, as well We haven’t been advised by the medical examiner she was pregnant, so please refrain from stating this until we get official word. We don’t need you to accompany us while we speak to your employees, or Abby’s friends, for that matter. Call my office in the next couple of days and maybe I will have more information to go on.” Hawke handed him a card with his contact information. So did Melina.

  Ian nodded as he took their business cards.

  A few minutes later, Hawke and Melina sat in their vehicle, comparing their impressions. Hawke shifted in his seat. “I sense he’s hiding something. Did you notice how he pretended to be a victim, himself? Maybe he’s the killer in a tearful disguise.”

  “Yes, he gave an Oscar winning performance, didn’t he? No doubt he wanted to be nearby when we interrogated his employees. I’m thinking to give them a hard glare to intimidate them.” She removed her cell from her purse. “I’m calling my office to have a background check run on him. Ian Guidara bears watching.”

  Hawke backed his vehicle and then executed a wide U-turn. “Looks like we’ll have a long day. The first of many, I’m afraid. It’ll take us a couple of days to speak to the local people. I have a feeling there is more to this Ian Guidara then we can imagine.”

  Melina nodded as she made a call. He drove toward the center of Cactus Flat. Tonight would be interesting when they arrived to speak to the employees of Guidara’s Streak House. They’d forgotten to tell him they would be back many times so they could speak to all three shifts and to the local people of the town of Cactus Flat. Hawke grinned. Forgotten or neglected?

  Was Ian the killer? Det. Hawke hoped not for the sanity of Amy Winters. She’d welcomed him into her life, her home, and perhaps her heart.

  Chapter Nine

  Hawke stared out the window at the sheriff’s department, taking in the beauty of Cactus Flats. The department had offered them an office to work out of for the next few days. It was small, but adequate for their needs. Thoughts of Abby Winters spiraled in his mind. He could not wait to learn more about Ian Guidara. He prayed the man’s sobs were for the loss of the woman, he professed to love and not for fear of spending the rest of his life in jail.

  He turned to gaze at the woman he loved as she entered data on her laptop. “Melina, I confess to feeling conflicted about Ian. Although he seemed brokenhearted, a strong feeling tells me he has something to do with this. He says he loved Abby and could never hurt her, so why do I feel he’s lying? When I heard his words, I couldn’t help but think how destroyed I’d be if I ever lost you.” The tickle in his throat forced him to stare back out the window.

  Melina walked over to him, touched his shoulder, and fingered his long dark hair. “Yes, the same thoughts ran through my mind, as well. I’m glad we’re working on our relationship.”

  He turned to face her, wrapping his arms around her narrow waist. “I love you, and I know we can make this work.” He inclined his head, intent on kissing her. Suddenly his cell phone rang, interrupting their moment.

  “Hello., Detective Hawke speaking.”

  A short pause and then a female voice spoke . “Ian Guidara is hiding the truth, and you must find it.” Then the phone went dead.

  He snapped it shut and slipped it into its leather holder on his belt. “Wow, interesting. A female caller who stated Ian knows more than he’s telling us. I wonder if she knows we’re here in Cactus Flat? Are we being watched?”

  “You’re right. That’s very interesting. If someone wants to watch us, let them. The spirits will tell us. All we have to do is be in tune with the spiritual world. Perhaps we better get going to Ian’s restaurant before he threatens all his employees.” Melina closed her laptop and grabbed her purse. “Ready?”

  ***

  The drive to the high-class restaurant gave Melina a new outlook on many things. An eagle soared high then spiraled toward the ground. The symbol of spirit and urbanity achieved through hard work. Hard work came naturally to her. She welcomed the symbol.

  Then she focused on the medicine wheel hanging on the rearview mirror of Hawke’s vehicle. The wheel of life forever evolving.

  Hawke’s cell phone rang. He stretched to remove it from his belt. “Melina, I’ll put the speaker on so you can hear, too.”

  “Thanks.” She liked how Hawke showed respect toward her. Many men would have a hard time handling the FBI’s help, especially in a personal relationship. On the job, she became his superior, yet he handled it like a man. Hawke’s persona as a strong man revealed his inner strength. He’d never be intimidated or put off by a woman’s strength.

  “Hello, Hawke here.”

  “Detective, DeShay needs to speak to you. Hold on.”

  A short pause then she came on the line. “Hawk, I had to speak to you. Ian Guidara is hiding something very crucial to the investigation. He thinks he can fool everybody. He is dangerous, so please be careful. I feel this very strongly. The spirits have spoken to me.”

  Hawke’s gaze swept to Melina’s. “DeShay, don’t worry., We’ll be very careful. We will find the underlying cause of this. I know we planned to meet tonight, but Melina and I are in Cactus Flat. Looks like it’ll be a long day for us., I’ll have to reschedule.”

  As he ended the call, Melina felt a sense of pride for knowing such a caring person. She hoped DeShay and Officer Ryan Creek could work things out in their relationship, too. Both of them revealed stubborn streaks. so it would take time. She glanced at Hawke.; Good things often took time.

  The rest of the drive continued in silence. Thoughts of the unknown ran through Hawke’s mind. He eased the SUV to a stop in front of th
e restaurant, and the door to the establishment swung open. Drunks staggered out.

  “Looks like a lovely place, huh?” Melina applied lip-gloss, her bearing stiff with disgust.

  Hawke gave her a wink. She had hated drunks since the night one killed her parents.

  Ian stood behind the bar.

  Hawke pressed against the small of her back, leading her to a table near the large windows. “Yeah, the mourning man seems to have pulled himself together quite well.” Hawke scanned every person in sight as they sat at their table. All eyes scanned them . They stuck out like a sore thumb. They, after all, were Lakota. Most of the people in the town of Cactus Flat were white folks. Did Abby feel out of place here, too? Could she feel everyone’s eyes on her?

  Ian disappeared from their line of vision.

  “I don’t see him. Do you think he’s hiding?” Hawke raised his hand to the a bartender, and the red haired woman walked over.

  “What do you want?” Her voice was husky as if from years of heavy smoking or drug use.

  Hawke pulled out his badge and flipped it open. “We’re here to speak to all of the employees of this restaurant. Could you please have your boss gather everybody together in the back room so we can speak to them in private?”

  The expression on her face revealed disgust. “Hell, I’m busy. We ain’t got nothin’ to say to you. Oh, we know why you’re here. Ian is a wonderful boss, so why don’t you just leave.”

  “Ma’am, need I remind you we’re here on official police business? If you don’t cooperate, then we will have to arrest you.” He put his badge away and shrugged. “Your decision. But if you continue not to cooperate, then you’ll go to jail, so which will it be?”

  The middle-aged woman grew agitated. “I told you there’s nothing I can tell you about Abby.” Her eyes darted around the restaurant. “She dated Ian. He’s hurting over her death, so why can’t you folks just let him be? He is having a hard time dealing with this. I’ve worked here for the past twenty years, so I know what goes on.”