Dark Side of Noon (Wind Dancer Book 2)

by Tierney James

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Jacque watched Perez nibble on the last French fry out of her veggie burger basket, suck on the last of her lemonade from the bottom of her cup, then lean back in her chair. She leveled a hard observation at Wind Dancer and tried to smile, but it came across as a tight, narrowed appraisal.

  “Why don’t you start from the beginning, Joseph.” She tilted her head and appeared to be calm.

  Jacque didn’t like it. He’d used the same technique many times when he tried to subliminally get inside the suspect’s head and get them to trust him. Wind Dancer didn’t pick up on such tactics and was suspicious by nature. The Pawnee had learned a lot about the white man in the short time he’d lived among them in Chicago. One of those important lessons was to be careful. He once asked Jacque about why the white man spoke out of both sides of his mouth.

  “I don’t know, buddy. I don’t think all of us are that way. The people you’ve met have a hidden agenda, most likely.”

  “Agenda? I do not know this word.”

  “A plan. Like a menu at a restaurant. You know what I mean? There are things to choose from that you might want. With the people we meet in the police department, there are times it’s criminals and other times it’s politicians. But they all want something. They have a plan or agenda which will help them get it.”

  “If politicians and criminals want the same thing, why do you not arrest them?”

  The conversation had lasted into the night after he took a pizza to Cleo’s condo, just like every Wednesday night. She’d worked late and fallen asleep on the couch while the men talked. Jacque had to admit, he enjoyed the talks. Those nights, he and Cleo shared American history and life in general with their unusual friend. These moments made him feel like a teacher, given Wind Dancer’s lack of twenty-first-century knowledge.

  Jacque jerked his mental wanderings to the here and now. The Pawnee folded his arms across his chest before shifting those cyborg eyes to him for direction, he guessed.

  “Why don’t you just ask him what you want to know, Chief? That way we don’t waste a lot of unnecessary time.”

  Perez never wavered from her steely-eyed connection with Wind Dancer. “Okay. Where did you find the boy and Tonya?”

  “Where the flat rocks stack up. I hear water. Maybe a waterfall.” Wind Dancer became laser focused on the chief. “Boy was cold. No shoes.”

  “Yet, he had shoes on when we found you.” He didn’t respond. She switched her attention to Jacque with a bewildered gaze.

  “That wasn’t a question, Chief. You are going to have to be more specific.” Jacque rubbed his jaw in irritation before addressing his friend. “And you need to stop being hardheaded. You know the drill.”

  “Hardheaded? I do not—”

  “Yes, you do,” he snapped. “Answer the damn questions so we can get out of here. If you know something more, then tell her. I know you did nothing wrong. But you sure as hell act guilty.” Jacque thought for a split second a grin toyed with the corner of Wind Dancer’s mouth. He realized in that moment, the Pawnee had expanded his understanding of modern-day lingo, along with the art of “the stall.”

  Wind Dancer shifted his gaze to Perez. “The shoes were nearby. I helped him put them on. The woman hurt. I needed to get her to camp. I held the boy until he felt safe. He say the monster disappeared for a while then go get Tonya. Boy on a high rock. All alone. He could have fell if not for woman. She hurt but stopped boy from moving around so much. Told him help would come. That was me.”

  “That is at least five miles away from the camp, from what you’re describing.”

  “Yes. Long way.”

  “How did you get them down?”

  “I first bring boy then go get the woman. I worried monster come before I can get them to safe place. She heavy and rocks were…” He turned to Jacque and skidded his hand across the palm of his other hand. “How do you say it?”

  “Slick?”

  He nodded. “Slick. The rocks were slick. I almost fall two times. I think we should go different way so monster not find us.”

  “Did you smell him?” Jacque asked. For some reason, Wind Dancer’s senses and strength had increased immensely when he crossed over to this universe. Several times the Pawnee had helped him in his police work by using his sense of smell.

  “No. But I hear it. Slow.”

  “You can smell people? That’s preposterous.”

  Jacque groaned knowing that was a big word for his friend to know, but then he surprised him. He leaned in to explain when the Pawnee held up his hand.

  “I can tell by the sound of your voice, the squint eyes on your face, you do not understand the ways of holes in the universe.” He unfolded his arms and leaned on the table. “I smell the same blood in you as in me, and you know what I say is truth. There are things in our world, the world of our ancestors, you have forgotten to believe. I come from another time and place. This monster may be from a hole.”

  “A sipapu.”

  “Is this a hole?” Wind Dancer asked with interest.

  She nodded and waved her empty glass at the waiter to refill. When another drink arrived, Perez continued. “The hole is called a sipapu and found in the north corner of an underground chamber called a kiva. Native people say it represents the Ancestral Puebloan’s emergence from the underworld.”

  A shiver tingled its way up Jacque’s back. “Great. More spooky crap I have to get used to.”

  “A kiva was also used by Puebloans for rites and political meetings. It was connected to the kachina belief system.”

  “Field Museum have kachinas in gift shop,” Wind Dancer informed Jacque and slapped him on the shoulder, as if saying he should know this already. “Remember?”

  He shoved the Pawnee’s hand away. “Hell no. You know I don’t like all that creepy stuff in the Field Museum. Mummies. Voodoo. Shrunken heads. Pawnee earth lodge. Skinwalkers. I’ll do my shopping at a good old Army surplus store or a gas station like normal people.”

  This made Wind Dancer chuckle. Something he didn’t do often. “Out here, you are not normal people.”

  “Anyway, kachinas are benevolent spirits for the most part. But there are evil ones, the most noteworthy one being Chaveyo.” Perez took a long drink of her lemonade and motioned for the check. “He is portrayed as a giant ogre who trots around on the hunt for victims. He wears a skin mask with bits of cedar bark fixed to the top. Oh, and he carries a war ax and a saber which he uses as a staff more times than not.”

  “Sounds like a heck of a guy,” Jacque said as he snatched the check from the waiter. “It’s on me. Thanks for creeping me out. It’s not like I didn’t have enough to give me nightmares around here. So much for a relaxing vacation. If I wanted drama, I would have stayed home.” He stood.

  “Where are you going? I’m just getting started.” Perez jabbed a finger toward the chair. “Sit down.”

  Chapter 17

  “I don’t take orders from you, Chief Perez. Keep that in mind.” Jacque straightened to his six-foot height and squared his shoulders. “Unless you’re going to charge us with something, then I suggest you change your tone.”

  The chief let a dangerous smile spread across her generous lips that he really didn’t want to admire.

  “You’re absolutely right. I apologize. Let’s head to your car and we can finish this up like civilized adults.”

  Wind Dancer opened his mouth to make a comment, but Jacque held up his hand to stop him. “Not a word from you. Let’s go get our car then we can head out.”

  Once in the car, Perez casually asked a few more questions of Wind Dancer. This of course was a bad idea, since being in a car caused all kinds of sensations in him, one being fear. Fortunately, they didn’t have to go far before they exited the car and stood in the shade.

  “Okay. Wind Dancer, you started to walk out of the park. How did you know where to go?” Perez didn’t waste any time returning to the interrogation of the Pawnee.

  “I find trai
l and a sign had a map. Tonya had a flashlight so I could use it to see the sign. The boy hold it for me. Tonya heavy.”

  “Yes. I’ll be sure to tell her that when she wakes up.”

  “Good. She smell like those sweet round things.”

  “Donuts,” Jacque explained.

  “Yes,” Wind Dancer continued. “I think maybe she eat many of those. Jacque says they make you heavy.”

  Perez arched an eyebrow in his direction. “I bet he has a lot to say about women.”

  “He say better to lie than tell the truth to a woman so she doesn’t go postal.”

  Her jaw appeared to flex as her eyes narrowed at the detective. “Really?” She dragged the word out like a child pulling Silly Putty.

  “Well, I’m sure this is all taken out of context on your part,” Jacque interjected as he leaned against the car door and rubbed his face in a nervous act of trying to maintain control. “I was merely telling my friend here that sometimes it was better not to answer a question directly.”

  Wind Dancer nodded. “Like ‘does this dress make me look fat?’ I say yes and Cleo not happy.”

  “Does Jacque ever tell you to lie to the police?”

  Wind Dancer folded his arms across his chest again. “He tell me I have the right to remain silent.”

  “I think we’re getting off track here, Chief.” He nodded to Wind Dancer who mimicked an intimidating opponent. “You need to tell the chief what you did next, after finding the trail.”

  Wind Dancer shifted his eyes from Jacque to the police chief. If the narrowed expression had been a laser, her head would have been seared off and rolling across the parking lot. He clearly didn’t like her, and the feeling appeared to be mutual.

  “I follow. Hard for boy to keep up. Stop many times until I let him climb onto my back. He very tired.”

  Perez shifted her attention between the two men with bewilderment etched in her slow-to-blink eyes. “You carried both of them?”

  “I am very strong. It was”—he stopped and searched for a word— “awkward. But soon I knew the monster was not close. He go other way. We rested. I follow sound of water. I hoped it would lead to camp. Rested again until I hear you.”

  Now her attention turned to Jacque. “How is it this guy can do that and not break a sweat or be just a tiny bit frazzled? Is he some kind of freak of nature? And what’s with the way he talks? Are you guys messing with me?”

  Wind Dancer straightened and dropped his arms to his side. “I do not mess with woman called Tonya. That is against the law and evil. Jacque not mess with you for same reason. You think bad of us and not know we are good. I don’t like your words.”

  “It’s okay, buddy. She isn’t talking about messing with women to hurt them. She means she is confused and thinks we are tricking her, maybe teasing her about the information.”

  “I always tell the truth.” He paused. “Except when Cleo asked about that dress.”

  This, apparently, she found amusing because she grinned. “I apologize, Joseph Wind Dancer. You are such a throwback to another time that I just can’t wrap my head around what you’re saying.”

  Jacque knew that mental picture to his friend would generate a lot more questions, so he held up his hand, a signal to the Pawnee, not to speak or ask any questions until later.

  “Did Tonya ever regain consciousness. I mean wake up?”

  “Moan but no words. Open eyes once. Scared of me, I think. I tell her taking to get help. Then she sleeps more but can’t wake up after that.”

  Both Jacque’s and Perez’s phone started buzzing at the same time. Checking the caller ID, he realized it was Cleo again.

  “Hey, Cleo. Sorry, I’m just returning your call. It’s been…” He heard crying. “Cleo?” More sobbing. “Cleo,” he yelled. All he could hear was a distortion of his name. “Tell me where you are?”

  “Kewa—” The line went dead.

  “Cleo’s in trouble,” he said to Wind Dancer whose face had morphed into an angry, dark picture of rage. “We need to find her.”

  Perez clicked off and jumped in her car. “Better follow me. There’s been another murder, along with a missing and injured female.”

  “Cleo,” growled the Pawnee. “I will kill this monster if he has hurt her.” The man must have been a formidable warrior in his time because his taut posture and rage forming in those narrowed eyes, gave him an idea of what would happen if Cleo had been hurt.

  When they pulled out onto the highway, an ambulance was already driving up behind them. With lights flashing and the siren going full blast, for the first time in his life, Jacque felt a wave of panic for his friend whom he’d left in danger. He would never forgive himself if something had happened to her. Even as his speed increased, it felt like they were going in slow motion.

  Wind Dancer remained rigid and mute until he swerved in behind Perez and slammed on his brakes. Before he could put the vehicle in park, the Pawnee had removed the seat belt by jerking it from the connection. He threw open the door and jumped out. Jacque fumbled with his own restraints for a second then rushed after the Pawnee.

  The ambulance arrived, blocking their path, allowing Jacque to catch up with the Pawnee. Perez stood on the other side of the ambulance talking to the driver. Coming around the vehicle, Wind Dancer rushed forward as a woman lunged into his arms.

  “Cleopatra,” Wind Dancer breathed as he picked her up in a bear hug and buried his face into her red hair. He sat her feet on the ground, but she didn’t release him. “Are you hurt?”

  The paramedics swarmed in and touched her gently, only to have Wind Dancer shove them away.

  Jacque tugged her gently away from the Pawnee and felt sick at seeing the bruise on her face and clearly a broken wrist. He wrapped his arms around her and stared at his friend, feeling the same kind of rage well up inside him as he’d seen in Wind Dancer.

  “I’m so sorry, Cleo.” He rubbed the back of her head then kissed her cheek. “I didn’t know you were here.”

  “I was so scared,” she choked. She reached out to Wind Dancer and pulled him in for a group hug.

  “Okay. Enough of this kumbaya moment. Wind Dancer, the paramedic wants to treat her injuries. This isn’t up for discussion. Don’t make me shoot you.” Perez started talking to a ranger and motioned for Jacque. “Stay with her, buddy. She’s hurt. Okay?”

  “I kill this thing.” His voice sounded primal.

  “We’ll talk about this later. Don’t be making threats that could come back to haunt you.”

  The dark rage remained in his eyes in spite of nodding compliance as he moved to join the ranger and Perez.

  The ranger had a cut over his eye and panic filled his voice.

  “She’s a baby, Chief. We gotta find her. She’s my only child.”

  Perez touched his arm in a show of support. “We’re going to find her, Marty.” She turned to Jacque. “The girl vanished when Ms. Sommers turned away to make a call. To you, I’m assuming. You kept getting calls from her as I remember.”

  “Yeah. Wouldn’t go through.”

  “She got stranded here, and Abby, Marty’s daughter, ran out of gas. That’s her car down a ways. I remember seeing the driver getting it ready to tow. Anyway, the driver is dead and the girl is missing. I’ve called in search and rescue, along with the highway patrol. I’m sure locals will come in for the search, too. Still early afternoon. Plenty of time to find her.”

  “Ms. Sommers says my Abby was looking for her phone, but I found it near the pavilion in the middle of the road. Your friend found her shoes, but she was gone. Gone.” His voice cracked. Tears rolled down his cheek.

  “Marty, we’re going to send an officer after your wife, okay? Anyone else I should contact, a priest, friend, or other family members?” He shrugged and turned watery eyes to the sky. “Well I’m going to have Officer McClure wait with you a few minutes in case you think of anyone. In the meantime, I’ll send for Betty. I’ll be back in a few minutes to ask you a few questions.
Coffee is on the way and some food. I want you to keep up your strength.”

  “I have to go find Abby.”

  “Yes. But right now, you need to calm down and think clearly before you do that. It will make things easier. Now you go with Officer McClure.” She waved toward another officer with a bulging belly and red cheeks. A few quick instructions for the officer then she tilted her head toward Jacque to follow her.

  He shoved his hands on his hips impatiently as he caught a glimpse of the paramedics treating Cleo. The Pawnee turned slightly and met his gaze. They still held a controlled rage. Besides piecing together what had happened to the girl, he wanted to keep an eye on Wind Dancer. Dropping his hands to his side, he joined Perez at the ambulance.

  “Cleo. Right?” Perez had turned on the charm. She’d never spoken to him in such a personable tone. Maybe it was to keep his friend calm and clearheaded. “I have to ask you a few questions. Are you okay with that?” Cleo nodded as the paramedic wrapped her wrist. “Can you tell me anything about what you saw?”

  Wind Dancer frowned at the chief then nodded to Cleo and answered for her.

  “It was Chaveyo, the evil one.”

  Chapter 18

  The chief’s face contorted in disgust as her lips pooched out at the mere mention of Chaveyo. Jacque imagined if that kind of threat got out, it could affect the tourist trade around these parts. Considering how far apart these towns were and lack of industry, he guessed tourism to be the main bread and butter for the locals.

  “Chaveyo? Seriously?” Perez twisted her mouth where her speech spilled from the corner. It gave her the appearance of a bully, which he was coming to realize, she was exactly that. “That’s a folktale. Nothing to it. I should never have mentioned it at the restaurant.” She glowered at Wind Dancer for a few seconds before shifting her attention to Cleo. “Cleo.” The pit bull growl offered a warning when Jacque stepped up to defuse the moment.