William Krueger - Tamarack County

“No,” Manydeeds said. “But I got a piece of advice for you.”

“And what’s that?”

“Watch yourself with Stella Daychild.” Manydeeds picked up his beer, finished it, and with his great paw of a hand, crushed the can. “Heard you slept over at her place last night.” When Cork didn’t deny it, Manydeeds said, “Holding a lit firecracker in your hand, O’Connor.”

“Meaning?”

“Packaged real pretty, that one, but dangerous.”

Cork picked up his coat from the floor and stood. He put his nearly empty beer can on the end table atop the National Geographic . “ Migwech, Carson. Appreciate your help.”

Manydeeds gave a nod and watched without further comment as Cork left the apartment.

Back at Wakemup’s, the women were drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes, and talking quietly. When Cork came into the living room, they ceased their conversations and looked up at him.

“I’m taking off, Stella. You and Marlee want a ride back to your place?”

“Thanks.” Stella got up and helped Marlee stand.

Patty LeBeau, one of the women in attendance, said, “Don’t worry about the place, Stella. We’ll get it ready for Ray Jay.”

Cork walked with the Daychilds out to the Forester, and they headed away from Allouette, back to the isolated house on Iron Lake. Cork waited near the front steps while Stella got her daughter inside. She came out a few minutes later, without her coat. She crossed her arms and stood with Cork in the bitter cold. It was late afternoon, and the sun lay low in the sky, and Stella was bathed in a soft yellow glow.

“Will Shorty show up tonight?” Cork asked.

Stella gave her shoulders a shrug. “Probably don’t need him. Whoever’s got it in for Ray Jay took it out on Dexter.”

“If that’s true, why did they go after Marlee?” Cork asked. “Until we know for sure what’s going on, I think it’s a good idea for you not to be here alone at night.”

She was shivering now, and Cork’s instinct was to draw her close and warm her.

“I’d be willing to come back and stay,” he offered.

She looked toward the low sun, and there was a little flame reflected in her dark eyes. “Folks on the rez are already talking.”

“Talk’s never bothered me much.”

She looked at him and smiled. “Me neither. The truth is that I’d feel a lot safer with you here.”

“I’ll be back before dark,” he promised. “In the meantime, keep your door locked, okay?”

She didn’t answer. Instead, she drew her arms from across her chest, reached out, took his face gently in her hands, which were frigid, leaned to him, and kissed his cheek. “You really are unbelievable, you know that?”

Cork said, “Better get inside before you freeze.”

She turned and mounted the steps. Before she disappeared inside, she gave him one long, last, enigmatic look.

Cork walked back to the Forester and paused with his gloved hand on the door handle. He stared at his shadow, which lay across the snow next to the vehicle like a supine man quite comfortable on that icy white mattress. He knew it was a good idea for someone to stay with the Daychilds that night. He knew Shorty was unreliable in that regard. He knew that if he didn’t stay and something were to happen, he’d blame himself. But he also knew that, deep down, Stella’s safety was only part of the reason he would be coming back. The rest of it had to do with how he felt when her cold hands cupped his face and her warm lips pressed his cheek. It had to do with a moment the night before, which he’d chosen to let pass but couldn’t help hoping might come again. Maybe Stella was, as Carson Manydeeds had observed, something dangerous in a very pretty package. Against his better judgment, Cork found himself wanting very much to unwrap that package and find out for himself.

When Cork parked Jenny’s Forester in the driveway and saw that the Land Rover and Bearcat were still gone, a worm of concern began to crawl through his belly. Why hadn’t Stephen returned yet? He hurried into the house through the side door to the kitchen and was relieved to find his son sitting at the table. Waaboo was on the floor surrounded by pots and pans, having a great time trying to fit lids on them and making a hell of a racket while doing so. Stephen looked up glumly when his father entered and said nothing.

“Where’s your sister?” Cork asked.

“Jenny?”

“Yeah, that sister.”

“With the other sister. Crow Point.” Stephen went back to watching Waaboo.

“I thought Annie wanted to be alone.”

“Guess not.”

Cork hung his coat on a wall peg near the door, removed his boots, and left them on the doormat. He went to Waaboo, who stood up and offered his grandfather a lid. Cork accepted it, sat down, picked up another lid, and used them as cymbals, banging out a beat as he sang “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Delighted, Waaboo dropped onto his bottom and joined him. To Stephen, Cork said, “Everything go okay with Skye?”

“Got her out there and back.”

Cork put his lids down and studied Stephen, who wouldn’t look at him. “You okay?”

Stephen didn’t answer that one. He said, “How’s Marlee?”

Waaboo went on playing, but Cork got up and took a chair at the table. “Pretty beat up,” he replied. “She wants to see you, but she doesn’t want you to see her, not the way she looks right now. Here’s something that might interest you, though. I took her and her mom out to Ray Jay Wakemup’s place, so they could get it cleaned before he gets released tomorrow. Somebody left Dexter’s head in a cake box on the kitchen table.”

Stephen’s demeanor changed in an instant. He looked like a guard dog on alert. “Who?”

“The only person who saw anything was Carson Manydeeds, and he didn’t see enough to be very helpful. Did say that whoever it was drove a pickup.”

“The guy who went after us?”

“That’s where my money is at the moment.”

“So if it’s Mr. Wakemup he’s after, why did he try to run Marlee off the road?”

“From what you’ve told me, it seems like Marlee ran herself off the road.”

“That pickup was definitely following us, Dad.”

“I believe you. But the question is what was his motive. Did he really intend Marlee harm?”

Stephen’s eyes went to the window. Outside, only the thin, bare tree branches seemed to be holding the sun above the horizon. “It’ll be dark soon,” he said. “Is somebody staying with Marlee and her mom tonight?”

“That would be me.”

His son’s face clearly showed the deep desire for the night’s watch to fall to him, but Stephen only nodded and said, “Good.” Then he said, “It’s your turn to fix dinner. What were you planning?”

Cork reached into his back pocket, drew out his wallet, and pulled from it a twenty and a ten. “I was planning on ordering pizza. Why don’t you give Skye a call and ask if she’d like to join you?”

Stephen seemed reluctant.

“That’s okay, isn’t it?” Cork said.

“Yeah, sure, I guess.”

“Good. I’m going to put a few things together for tonight.”

Cork went upstairs, threw a change of clothing into a gym bag, tossed in a toothbrush and toothpaste. Back in the kitchen, he found Stephen on the floor spinning pan lids like tops, much to Waaboo’s delight. Cork kissed the top of his grandson’s head. “You be good,” he said. He walked to the door, pulled on his boots, and took his coat from the peg.

“Dad, there’s something else,” Stephen said.

“What is it?”

Stephen seemed to wrestle with himself a moment, then shrugged. “Forget it. It can wait.”