Innocent Blood

by Linda S. Prather

  Captain Adair, the temporary replacement for Benson, pointed at a spot on the map. “He’s got a cabin somewhere in this area. Used to brag about the bass he caught in the lake. I can send a couple of men out there to check it out.”

  Two officers entered the room and nodded to the captain.

  “We’re all working together here. What’d you find out?” the captain asked.

  “According to the rest of the parish, Sister Mullins visited her brother every weekend and then left only if she was ministering to a family. She was quiet, obedient, and a good servant to God,” one of the officers said.

  “You two ask around and see if anyone here ever went fishing with Benson. We need to find that cabin,” Adair said.

  “On the off chance it isn’t Benson, sir, Reggie and I need to make a trip back to Green Valley.”

  “For what?”

  “If she was visiting her brother every weekend, the director lied to us. She probably has a place there somewhere, and someone at the hospital might know where it is.”

  “Good thinking, Redmond. You ever decide to move to Mississippi, I hope you’ll let me know. We could use you.”

  Harry laughed. “Thanks, but no thanks, sir.”

  “All right, let’s get moving. We’ve got an APB out on both of them, and I’d like to wrap this up before morning.”

  “Let’s get on the road, Reggie.” Harry tossed him the car keys. “You’re driving again.”

  “Maybe you should drive. I had a beer.”

  Harry led the way out of the police station and climbed in the passenger seat. “So did I, but you’ve got some pull here, and I don’t. What do you think of your new captain?”

  “So far, so good. Usually reserve judgment on these things until something bad happens. That’s when you see what a man is really made of.”

  “Like Rafe Wilson?”

  “Yeah, like Rafe Wilson.”

  “From everything Don Ashton told me, Kirby Cain was the same kind of guy. Even took a bullet for him several years ago.” Harry stretched out his legs. “Makes you wonder why those two were chosen if Jake is wrong and it’s not a hate crime.”

  “We find Benson, we’ll ask the bastard.” Reggie grunted something else, but Harry couldn’t catch it.

  “It’s almost ten o’clock. I doubt anyone will be at the hospital who’s going to give us any information. Maybe we should look up Seymour Gardner and pay him a visit at home. I kind of like Adair’s optimism of wrapping this up tonight.”

  “I think we’re wasting our time. It’s got to be Benson. Mullins shooting Jake doesn’t make sense.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” Harry leaned back and closed his eyes.

  “Unless, of course, she wanted to make us think it was Benson, which is why she had Ashton put that in his confession.”

  Harry groaned. “You’re as bad as Jake.”

  “Let me finish my thought, Harry. She knows we’re coming to talk to her, so she calls Benson and tells him who she is, and she wants to take him to see Brad. She gets him off somewhere and kills him. We all think she’s been kidnapped by him, so she’s free to go. Did anybody ask how long she’d been a nun? Green River ain’t cheap, and he wasn’t drawing anything from the police department, or Benson would have been able to track him down a long time before now. Same thing goes for insurance. I don’t think the benefactor is Benson, so it has to be someone connected to Kathryn Mullins.”

  Harry pulled out his cell phone, Googled a number, and dialed it. “Yes, this is Officer Reginald Merriweather. I’m investigating the disappearance of Sister Mullins. Can you tell me how long she’s been with the parish?” Harry listened, ignoring the glare Reggie shot his way. “I see. Thank you very much.”

  “What the hell was that all about, and who did I call?”

  “You called the parish, and Sister Mullins has only been with them a month.”

  Reggie gripped the steering wheel and grinned. “So she’s not a nun. Hallelujah. Maybe I won’t go to hell after all.”

  Harry Googled another number and dialed it. “Hi, this is Officer Reginald Merriweather from Tunica. I’m trying to locate a Kathryn Mullins. Could you check your residential addresses for me, please?” Harry listened intently. “Yeah, if you’ll check, you’ll find there’s an APB out on her.” He glanced at Reggie. “I’m on hold. Sorry about using your name. It’s just easier this way.”

  “Okay by me. I like getting the credit when I don’t have to do the work.”

  “Nothing on a Kathryn Mullins?” There had to be a connection between Benson and Kathryn Mullins. “Could you check one more for me? Look for anyone with the last name Benson.” He opened the glove compartment and rummaged for a pen and paper. “Yeah, I’ve got a pen ready. Thank you.” He jotted down the address and ended the call.

  Reggie scratched his head. “Benson has got a place down here?”

  “Kathryn Benson does. She’s using her married name.”

  “So she’s not Mullins’s sister?”

  “She’s Mullins’s sister, but she’s also Benson’s wife.”

  “I’m even more confused than I was to start with, Harry.”

  “That was the whole idea of the nun identity. Create enough confusion, and even if we find them, a jury wouldn’t be able to convict either one of them. There would always be reasonable doubt about which one was guilty.” Harry sighed. “Like Rafe, Don Ashton gave me the answer. I just didn’t put it together. He wrote that confession the day Brad Mullins died, and I’ll bet when we’re finished checking, Don has been paying the bill there for ten years and hiding Mullins from his sister and Benson.”

  “So what do we do now? We’re gonna need backup if we’re planning on confronting them.”

  “We’ll call Adair and get a strike team ready to go. He wanted to end this tonight, and so do I.”

  “Dr. Coomer, this isn’t the way to the reservation,” Jules pointed out as Mary Ann took a sharp turn.

  “That’s because we’re not going to the reservation.”

  “Where are we going?” Grace asked.

  “To Tunica to see Jake. Promised him I’d bring you two there and hopefully pick him up to come home.”

  “I need to get to the reservation,” Jules grumbled. “My brother needs me.”

  “You may be right, Jules. And you may be wrong. The things you two see and hear aren’t an exact science. The Bible says no man knows the future, and I figure God’s got some pretty strict rules on the spirits too. Besides that, it’s just a few hours out of the way. We can still make it to the reservation before nightfall.”

  Jules turned around in the seat, his worried gaze seeking out Grace. “What do you think?”

  “I think she has a point. Some of the things we see don’t really make sense, and the whispers aren’t always clear. Let’s talk to Jake and see what he says.”

  Jules shuffled around in the seat, still not totally convinced. “There’s not enough room in the car for another person.”

  Mary Ann glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. “You’ve got your learner’s permit, don’t you?”

  Jules nodded.

  “Well, somebody has got to drive Jake’s car home.”

  They finished the ride in silence. Mary Ann whipped the car into a space, cut the motor, and climbed out. “Too old for this stuff. My back is killing me. I’m going to walk around a bit.”

  “Well, I’ll be darned, she done it.”

  Jules shook Jake’s hand, and Grace reached in to hug his neck. “How are you?”

  “Restless. Any word from Loki and Dadron?”

  “No. Nothing at all since they left for Tallahaga Ridge.”

  Jules’s voice was filled with anger. Jake understood, but now wasn’t the time for anger. “The last thing Loki wanted was for you to be on that reservation, Jules. I don’t know all of her reasons, but I know enough to know you shouldn’t go there.”

  “Then tell me, because no one else has. I’m not a kid.”

 
“What do you know about Nalusa Falaya?” Jake asked.

  Jules turned away from him. “It’s a myth. Something the old people made up to scare the kids so they wouldn’t stay out late at night.”

  “Your grandfather told Loki your mother angered Nalusa Falaya, and that’s the reason his son died. He wanted the three of you there to sacrifice you to this myth.”

  Grace’s face had gone deathly pale. “That’s enough, Jake.”

  Jake didn’t have to be psychic to see the guilt written all over Jules every time he looked at him. Jake had also seen the way Jules reacted to the brush pile at the ravine. “No, Grace, I don’t think it is. You saw what happened to your father and mother, didn’t you, Jules? And you know who the little girl is who runs across the road.”

  “Please, Jake, stop,” Grace whispered.

  “He wanted the truth, Grace. Truth isn’t always pretty. Jules is right, he’s not a kid anymore. He’s a man, and it’s time he started acting like one.” Jake lowered his voice. “A good man killed himself this week because of guilt. It eats at you until the pain is so great you’d rather die than face another day of it. Tell her why you want to go to the reservation, Jules. It’s time you told someone, son.”

  “Let’s go, Jules.” Grace rose from the bed and took Jules’s arm. “You may be right, Jake, but this isn’t the way to do it.”

  “No, Grace. Jake’s right.” Jules bowed his head. “It’s my fault Loki and Dadron are in danger. If I’d told the truth, she would never have gone there.” He took a deep breath and expelled it. “My grandfather is Nalusa Falaya.”

  24

  Harry hunkered down beside Reggie behind a small group of trees. “Any word from Adair? They look like they’re packing up to leave.”

  “Some big wreck on the interstate tied them up. They should be here any minute.”

  The door opened again, and Benson came out with two more suitcases. “Good thing is, there’s only one way out.” Harry stood and stretched. “I need to move, or when the time comes, I’m not going to be able to move.”

  Reggie nodded toward a row of lights turning off the main road. “Maybe we should try to sneak around to the rear just in case they decide to make a run for it that way.”

  Harry nodded. “Let Adair know what we’re doing. Not a big fan of getting caught in cross fire.”

  As soon as the front door closed behind Benson, Reggie sent a text message, stored his phone, and made for the back of the house. “I’m not a fan of any kind of gunfire.”

  Adair flipped on the sirens as they came closer. In less than a minute, the house was surrounded and a bullhorn blaring.

  A scream came from inside, followed by three quick shots. Harry rushed the back door, gun in hand.

  “We’re going in, Captain!” Reggie screamed out behind him, close on Harry’s heels.

  “Drop the gun!”

  Kathryn dropped the gun and covered her face. “Thank God you’re here. He was going to kill me.”

  “You got cuffs, Reggie?”

  “Yeah.” Reggie pulled the cuffs from his belt as the front door crashed open. “We got it under control, guys.”

  “What are you doing?” Kathryn stared at them incredulously as Reggie pulled one arm behind her back. “He made me come with him. He wanted my brother, Brad. He was crazy. He was going to kill me and blame everything on me.”

  “We know everything, Mrs. Benson,” Harry said.

  The fake tears dried up as quickly as they’d come. “All right. So he’s my husband. You still can’t prove I had anything to do with this.”

  Harry glared at her. “That’s where you’re wrong. We compared the handwriting on the pictures to yours. A perfect match.”

  Her face paled. “I didn’t kill anyone. It was all Anthony’s idea. Everything would have been fine if Ashton would have just kept his mouth closed.”

  “But he wouldn’t, would he?” Harry took a step toward her. “After your brother died, Ashton decided to come forward and tell the truth. That’s when you went after his partner and showed him what would happen if he continued.”

  Reggie clamped the cuffs and spun her around. “So why not just kill Ashton? What the hell did Rafe Wilson ever do to you?”

  Her chin jutted forward, and her green eyes flashed. “I want a lawyer.”

  Harry holstered his gun as Captain Adair stepped forward and took her arm. “I can answer that, Reggie. Ashton had written his confession, and until they knew where it was and how many copies there were, he had to be kept alive. But they would have gone on killing until he gave it up.”

  “We’ll take it from here.” Captain Adair handed her off to another officer. “Merriweather, I want your report on my desk first thing tomorrow morning.” He grinned to take some of the sting out of his words. “Damn good work, guys. Take the rest of the day off.”

  Reggie followed Harry to their car. “So what’s up for you now? Sticking around for a while or heading back to Texas?”

  “I’ll be heading out to the reservation to help Loki with the case she’s working there. Once that’s settled, I’ll probably head home.”

  “Want to stop by the hospital and give Jake the good news? Hate to admit it, but I’m gonna miss having you two around. It certainly hasn’t been dull.”

  Harry laughed. “Trouble seems to find Jake everywhere he goes. At least this time we can clear the names of two good officers. Not everyone will be forgiving, but the majority will.”

  “I still don’t understand why Ashton didn’t just go ahead and come forward.”

  “Family. If he’d come forward, they would have killed his family because they had nothing to lose then. That confession wasn’t just to clear his conscience. It was also a safety net until he could figure out what to do.”

  “Wish she hadn’t killed Benson. We lost eight good men because of him. Would have been a real pleasure to sit in that room and watch him die.”

  “I doubt she’ll get the death penalty. Technically she’s right, she didn’t actually kill anyone.”

  “Mrs. Ashton invited Ruth and the children to stay with her and Sharon for a while. Thought it might help the three of them to heal if they worked on it together,” Reggie said.

  “I hope it works.” Harry climbed behind the wheel and started the car. “There’s a lot of evil in the world, Reggie.” He nodded to where Kathryn Benson was being placed in the car. “Gardner said a young woman visited Brad shortly before his death. If this were my case, I’d have an autopsy performed on Brad Mullins. Maybe she did kill someone. I doubt he died from natural causes.”

  Reggie frowned. “I’ll do that. And speaking of things I didn’t know, when did we have a handwriting analysis done on those pictures?”

  “We didn’t.” Harry chuckled. “You should take notes. That’s another thing for you to do right after you buy me breakfast.”

  Loki folded the blanket and kicked dirt on the fire. The odds were against anyone seeing the smoke signal she’d sent, or understanding it if they did see it. Only the older ones like Mr. Blackwell would know it was a cry for help. And thanks to Grandfather, most of them wouldn’t help me even if they saw the message.

  Taking off at a run, Loki put distance between her and the creek, careful to avoid the traps she’d set at dawn. Even if no one else had seen the smoke, the guys looking for her would have. What she needed now was a place to sleep until the sun set.

  A shot rang out behind her just as she made it to trees, followed by a scream. Loki glanced behind her before disappearing into the forest. Sully wouldn’t die unless infection set in, but those spears through his foot would keep him off her trail. If Pete had told the truth, that was two down and three to go.

  She traveled another mile before shimmying up a hundred-foot oak. The cabin Pete had mentioned was a small dot in the distance. If Dadron hadn’t made it out, he would be there, and tonight she’d do a little scaring of her own.

  Heat and exhaustion crept through her muscles, and she wiggled to
find a comfortable spot between two branches. Most of the night had been spent sharpening spears, digging small holes, and making traps like the one Sully had stepped into. The guys following her weren’t professionals, but they weren’t stupid, either, and they wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice. Eventually they’d tire of the cat-and-mouse games her grandfather was making them play and shoot her.

  Loki removed her belt and tied the backpack to a limb. Tim and Neta would be getting worried by now, and no matter what her grandfather said or did, they’d send someone to find her and Dadron. A quiet stillness settled around her, and she closed her eyes.

  “Grandpa, what’s a half-breed?”

  He glanced to where her mother was playing kickball with Jules and Dadron. “It’s an ugly racial slur, honey.” He stroked her hair. “Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about.”

  “Grandfather calls Mother a half-breed. He called me one too.”

  He sighed heavily. “Some people, usually mean people, use that term when a person has the blood of more than one culture. I’m not Choctaw, and when I married your grandmother, a lot of people didn’t like that idea.”

  “I wish I was like you. I don’t want to be Choctaw anymore.”

  Grandpa pulled her onto his lap. “You are Choctaw, and you should be proud of that. You come from a long line of good people. Strong people, Little Warrior, and you will grow up to be strong.”

  Loki stirred and shifted on the branches. The dream wasn’t the first time Grandpa had reminded her she was Choctaw. Last time, it had saved Jules’s life. Maybe this time it would save Dadron’s life and her own.

  25

  Jake softened his voice. “What happened the night you were lost in the woods, Jules?”

  “Dadron fell into a well. I tried to get him out, but I couldn’t, so I went to find our father. I don’t know how much time passed, but I heard voices. Angry voices. And one of them was Grandfather. I watched from behind a tree. He killed the man he was arguing with, dragged him to a hole, and tossed his body in. He put on this dark thing that flowed like a dress, and a mask. I must have screamed because he turned and came toward me. I wanted to run, but I couldn’t. He picked me up and laughed before he tossed me in the hole with the body. He said if the ghosts didn’t get me, Nalusa Falaya would. Then there was this slithering and rattling sound that went on for a long time. I don’t remember much else about the night. My father found me the next morning.”