Montana Midwife

by Cassie Miles

  “Yes, I have. If you’re planning to stay in this area, I might have a proposition for you. Recently, some grant money has come available for rural medical care, and I’d like to focus on women’s health.”

  “On the reservation?” Tab found it hard to believe there would be any significant financial aid for the relatively small Crow population. Any money at all surprised her.

  “I’m thinking of a wider area.”

  “So am I.” The women in this wide-open country—on and off the rez—had a long way to go to reach a hospital. Many were too poor to afford decent medical care. Even the services of a midwife stretched their budgets. “Are you saying the BIA could help?”

  Laura combed her fingers through her short brown hair and smiled as she held out her business card. “Give me a call. We need to talk about a women’s clinic.”

  In spite of the current problems, Tab’s spirits lifted as she imagined being able to help those who had so few resources. A grant from the BIA might be a dream come true.

  Grandma interrupted her thoughts, taking the satchel with the pie and cornbread from her hands. “Where are your manners, girl? I came here to comfort Sylvia.”

  “In the kitchen,” Laura said.

  “I’ll take care of her,” Grandma promised. “You two should go into the living room. The boys sound like they’re arguing, getting ready to lock horns.”

  Through an archway to the left was a paneled living room with heavy leather furniture and rugged coffee tables. In front of the moss rock fireplace, Sheriff Steve Fielding stood toe to toe with Aiden. Since the sheriff wasn’t much taller than Tab, Aiden towered over him and the two deputies he’d brought with him.

  Aiden’s voice was a low, dangerous growl. “I see no valid reason to take my sister into custody.”

  “If that’s the only way you’ll let me talk to her, I’ve got no damn choice.” The sheriff waved his men into action. “Deputies, I want you to arrest—”

  “Hold on.” Laura inserted herself into their argument. “What’s the problem, gentlemen?”

  Aiden spoke first. “I wanted Sheriff Fielding to handle this investigation because I believed he was better equipped to pursue the trail of evidence in a thorough manner. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe all he wants is a quick arrest.”

  “You’re the one who’s wrong,” Fielding said. “I came here to talk to Misty. Just to talk. I need some answers.”

  “You already took her statement.”

  “That cockamamie story about a mysterious shooter?”

  “I won’t have you harassing my sister. She’s been through enough today.”

  Though Tab agreed that Misty shouldn’t be subjected to more stress, she realized that Aiden was behaving in an unreasonable manner. And his overprotective attitude made it look like he had something to hide. “I have a compromise. What if the sheriff questions Misty while Aiden is present?”

  The sheriff pointed his long, sunburned nose at her and squinted like someone who needed glasses. “You’re Tab Willows, right? I need to take your statement.”

  “I’m happy to cooperate,” she said.

  “But that’s not why you came here.” His squint became even more pronounced. “You live with Maria Spotted Bear. Are you here to speak for your tribe?”

  The politics were getting annoying. Just because Tab was half Crow, it didn’t automatically make her a representative of her people. She was miles out of touch with local issues. Most of her life had been spent in Billings and Missoula. Not on the rez.

  “I’m here as a concerned person,” she said. “Young women are being murdered and their bodies dumped on the rez. I want to see the killer brought to justice.”

  “That’s the voice of common sense,” Laura said, backing her up. “Listen to her.”

  “You have no standing here, Agent Westerfall.” The sheriff hitched up his belt. “You arranged for Joseph Lefthand to cede jurisdiction. This is my purview.”

  “Don’t forget that I’m a federal agent, Sheriff. I’m not here to give orders, but I see no reason why we can’t do as Tab suggested.”

  “Here’s your reason,” the sheriff said. “I can’t get the truth from Misty while she’s hiding behind her big brother.”

  Before Aiden exploded again with righteous anger, Tab grasped his forearm and squeezed hard, compelling his attention. He wasn’t helping anything by being pigheaded. She stared into his eyes. “I’ll be with Misty while she’s talking to the sheriff. Is that all right with both of you?”

  “It’s done.” Laura gestured toward the hall. “Sheriff Fielding will wait down here in the office. Tab will bring Misty to talk with him immediately.”

  Everybody moved quickly, anxious not to destroy the fragile moment of truce. Tab found herself being escorted up the staircase by Aiden. This time, he was holding her arm above the elbow in a tight grip. His outrage manifested in a bodily heat that sizzled in the air around him.

  Under his breath, he said, “I’ll be damned if I let the sheriff connect Misty to these murders. He’s delusional.”

  “Calm down.” She fought to keep from being drawn into the vortex of his anger. “We have only a few minutes. Fill me in.”

  “The first victim was raped,” he whispered.

  “And the girl they just found?”

  “We won’t know until after the autopsy. They’re transporting the body to Billings.” His jaw clenched. “Usually, the sheriff would call on me for transport in the chopper. Now he’s treating me like a suspect. It’s crazy. These are sex crimes. How could Misty be involved?”

  On the landing at the top of the staircase, she gazed into Aiden’s gray eyes, searching for the truth. “The sheriff must have a reason.”

  “He talked to Wally who went into detail about the wild parties he’s seen up and down the river.”

  “Did he tell the sheriff that he saw David with a blonde girl named Ellen?”

  Aiden nodded. “If Wally can be trusted, David knew the victim, but so did a lot of other people. She’s a local girl. The sheriff thinks these disappearances might be a bullying thing gone wrong. When the second victim was found wearing Misty’s wristwatch, he figured she was part of the gang.”

  Aiden had said that the sheriff wanted a quick solution, and she thought he might be right. Supposing these murders were the actions of a gang tied Welling’s death to those of the missing girls. It made for a tidy solution.

  She asked, “Why would he think Misty was involved?”

  “She has a reputation for being wild.” Aiden shook his head and looked away. “Whenever there’s trouble, she seems to be the ringleader.”

  Tab attempted to put a positive spin on his words. “She’s a leader. Headstrong. Determined.”

  “Great qualities if you’re doing something good. And if not…” He drew in a breath and exhaled slowly. “It’s not her fault. I haven’t done a good job raising her.”

  “You’re not her parent.”

  “Gabriel Ranch and everything that happens here is my responsibility.”

  He spoke with calm conviction as though his words were indisputable. When Aiden’s father died, he took on that mantle. The buck stopped with him. He was the protector, the caretaker and the final authority, even though his mother had taken over the day-to-day chores and the running of the ranch.

  Seeing Aiden with his head bowed made her realize that he wasn’t the perfect, ideal man she’d cherished in her memories. He was real. He suffered just like any other man. Beneath his strength was a thick layer of sadness. He’d given up everything for his family. Somehow, that made him even more attractive to her. She wanted to comfort him and tell him that everything was going to be all right.

  “Let me handle the sheriff,” she said. “If Misty is under too much stress, I’ll call an end to the questioning.”

  He looked doubtful. “What if—”

  “Stop,” she said quietly. “There’s only one thing that needs to happen. Misty has to tell the truth.”

&n
bsp; “That’s what scares me.”

  His fear touched her.

  Though it seemed impossible, Misty could be involved in these dark, terrible crimes. Tab didn’t want to believe it was possible.

  Chapter Six

  In the downstairs office at the ranch, the decor showed a more feminine touch than the rest of the house. Sylvia spent most of her time behind the polished-oak desk, surrounded by antique wooden filing cabinets. A jar of jelly beans sat at the corner of the desk beside a bowl of fresh yellow roses. The computer screen saver showed a Degas painting of ballet dancers.

  Sheriff Fielding perched on the edge of the desk facing Tab and Misty who were at opposite ends of a blue love seat. From what Aiden had told her, Tab knew that the sheriff considered Misty to be a prime suspect. But she saw hesitation and doubt in his eyes.

  With a flannel robe belted above her pregnant belly, Misty couldn’t have looked less like the ringleader of a murderous gang. Under the pink velour robe, she wore striped yellow pajamas. Her freshly washed hair piled on top of her head with wispy blond curls escaping to frame her face. Her eyes were red-rimmed as though she’d been crying.

  The sheriff cleared his throat. “Misty, it’s very important for you to be honest with me and tell me everything, even if you think it might get somebody else in trouble. This isn’t like high school. People are getting killed.”

  “I know,” Misty said. “I saw David die.”

  “Do you know Ellen Jessop?” the sheriff asked.

  “Is she…is she dead?”

  “I’m asking the questions, young lady.” His voice took on an authoritative edge. “Were you and Ellen friends?”

  “We were both cheerleaders, but she’s a year older than me. Oh God, this is awful. The last time I saw her, we argued.”

  “About what?”

  Fidgeting on the sofa, she plucked apart a tissue she clutched in her hand. “I don’t want to say.”

  Tab reached over and placed her hand on Misty’s arm. “You need to cooperate. Tell us about Ellen.”

  “We were never really good friends. She used to date Clinton, and she hated that he was the father of my baby. She said that the only reason Clinton was with me instead of her was because my family is rich.”

  Tab watched as the sheriff nodded. Had he heard this story before? In a small town like Henley, word traveled fast.

  Misty continued, “Ellen’s family was going through hard times. After she graduated high school, they couldn’t afford to send her to college, and she had to work at the Feed and Seed store in Henley.”

  “When was the last time you saw her?” Tab asked gently.

  “About a month ago. She was coming out of the drugstore, and I was going in. She asked me what time it was because she was late for work.” Misty giggled, and then frowned. “She said work was something I’d never had to think about, and she made it sound like I didn’t have a care in the world. But I do.”

  The sheriff cleared his throat. “What did you say to her?”

  “Everybody thinks my life is a breeze, but it’s not.” Her small fist clenched. “I’m having a baby. That’s going to be hard, really hard. Why don’t other people understand? All they see is money. They think being rich makes everything right.”

  “It helps,” the sheriff said.

  Misty lifted her chin. “I’d burn every dollar if I could have my daddy back. That’s what I really want. People are all that matters. I miss my daddy. Every day, I miss him.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” the sheriff said.

  His perfunctory tone made Tab think that his former empathy was fading fast. In this part of the world, people assumed that Misty Gabriel was a pretty, rich girl without a care. Tab knew better—she remembered the seven-year-old who tried to make everyone happy with the sound of her laughter while she cried herself to sleep every night.

  The sheriff leaned forward. “Let’s get back to what happened when you saw Ellen for the last time.”

  “I told her the time, and she made a snotty comment about my solid gold wristwatch. It made me mad. I took off the watch and threw it at her. Then I walked away.”

  “Did you try to get your watch back?” the sheriff asked.

  “I wanted to. Aiden gave it to me on my sweet sixteen, and he had it engraved with my name and birth date. I meant to call Ellen, but I never did.”

  Her explanation sounded plausible—childish but believable. And yet, Tab sensed that Misty was holding something back. There was more to the story of the wristwatch. “Is there anything else you want to say?”

  Misty refused to meet her gaze. Instead, she giggled and placed her hands on her belly. “The baby is kicking, really hard. I think it’s a girl, a dancer.”

  Was she being deliberately evasive? Sheriff Fielding seemed to think so. His attitude toward Misty turned more hostile. “Tell me about the party at Heather Gardener’s house last weekend.”

  “I didn’t go. Parties aren’t much fun when you’re pregnant and you can’t drink and you dance like an elephant.” After another giggle, she asked, “Who told you I went to that party?”

  Though the sheriff said nothing, Misty’s eyes narrowed as she stared at him. “I know who it was,” she said. “Your deputy’s daughter. Christina? It was her, wasn’t it? She told you I went to the party. But she’s mistaken. I wasn’t there.”

  “What about Clinton? Did he go by himself?”

  “I don’t know.” With an effort, she pushed herself to her feet. “Are we done here?”

  “Not yet,” the sheriff said.

  Tab fully expected Misty to win this standoff. Sheriff Fielding might have the law on his side, but Misty was a stubborn, pregnant woman with the power of rampaging hormones. Hoping to mediate, Tab stood. “Sheriff, it might be time for us to take a break. You still need to take my statement.”

  “I have more questions for Misty.”

  “No,” Misty said as tears spurted from her eyes. “There isn’t anything else to say. I just can’t—”

  From outside the house, gunfire exploded. Tab heard loud whoops and several shots as though two or more guns were being fired. In an instant, the atmosphere inside the house shifted from simmering hostility to a fierce, boiling anger. She heard people running, shouting, gathering their weapons and preparing to defend their property.

  Whether the sheriff liked it or not, this interview was over.

  * * *

  AT THE SOUND OF SHOTS being fired, Aiden dashed from the kitchen where he’d been having sweet potato pie and tea with his mom and Maria Spotted Bear. In the front entryway, he saw both deputies peering through the window by the front door with their handguns drawn. They signaled for him to stay back.

  Like hell, he would. In his house, Aiden gave the orders.

  The ranch foreman, Blake Henry, pushed the front door open. “They’re gone. The gunfire came from a pickup truck. They threw something and took off, heading south.”

  “Did you get a license plate?” a deputy asked.

  “I barely had time to see the truck,” Blake drawled. “If you drive like fury, you might catch them.”

  The sheriff stalked down the hallway from the office. “You heard him. Go.”

  Aiden knew the deputies didn’t have a chance of catching up with a speeding truck. It was only about seven miles to an intersection where the paved county road led to Henley in less than ten miles. Though the sheriff already had his cell phone out, he didn’t have enough manpower to set up an effective traffic net in a matter of minutes.

  A crowd spilled into the front entryway. His mom and Maria Spotted Bear came from the kitchen. Two other ranch hands entered through the front door. Misty and Tab followed the sheriff down the hall. There wasn’t time for Aiden to discuss his plan with the whole group. He knew what was needed, and he intended to do it. Pivoting on his heel, he bolted through the front door.

  Anger pounded through his veins as he ran across the yard and past the barn. His home and family had been endange
red. Shots were fired at his house, and he’d be damned if he let anyone get away with that kind of threat.

  Behind his cabin, his chopper stood ready and waiting. As he flung open the door to the cockpit, he heard a shout.

  “Wait for me.”

  “Tab?” What the hell was she doing here?

  “Don’t waste time talking. I’m coming with you.”

  There wasn’t time to argue. He helped her into the cockpit where she dove into the copilot seat and fastened her belt. He hit the starter, throttled back and took off. Over the roar of the rotors, he heard Tab yelling as they swooped across the darkened landscape.

  A quick glance told him that she wasn’t screaming in fear. The lights from the instrument panel reflected the excitement in her big, beautiful blue eyes. Her mouth opened wide in the biggest grin he’d ever seen on her face.

  “Headset,” he said as he pointed to the equipment. “Put it on.”

  After a bit of fumbling, she got the headset on and activated so they could talk to each other.

  “This is great,” she said. “I know we have something else to be thinking about, but this is just so much fun.”

  “Why did you come after me?”

  She leaned toward the windshield and peered into the night. “I had a pretty good idea about what you were doing, and I wanted to help.”

  “To help,” he said. “How?”

  “I’m a second pair of eyes. We’re looking for a truck, right?”

  Instead of discussing her plan, she’d acted on instinct, which was exactly what he’d done. He shouldn’t be mad at her for that, but he sure as hell didn’t need her help. Taking care of problems was what he did. He maneuvered the chopper until the graded gravel road leading to the house was beneath them, and then he turned on the wide-angle searchlight.

  “How did you keep up with me?” he asked. “I was running.”

  “You’re wearing stiff-soled boots,” she pointed out. “I’m in sneakers. Plus, I’m pretty speedy.”

  “Is that so?” Her smile was adorable, but he refused to be charmed. As far as he was concerned, she’d stuck her pretty little nose into his family business. Misty might need the kind of comfort that Tab could offer, but he worked alone.