Merciless

Other things got moved around. Pictures. Clothing. Kitchen items. I snapped at Lex about putting things back where he found them. Hope intervened. I snapped at her, too, ignoring how irrational it was to lose my cool because I couldn’t find a fucking spatula.

Carsten tried to get me to talk. If I could’ve talked to anyone, it would’ve been her. She was a genuinely thoughtful and kind person, not a pushover-Turnbull had pegged her completely wrong.

But talking to her meant I had to consider that my life might change drastically in the next week. I refused to give voice to “what ifs” about Dawson.

• • •

A few people stopped into the Victim Services office to ask me about Dawson’s condition. Sheldon War Bonnet. Tribal Police Chief Looks Twice. Officer Orson. Fergie. It bothered me a little that I hadn’t heard from Sophie because I knew she was fond of the sheriff. I blamed John-John. If nothing else, blaming him made me feel better.

So I was surprised when Latimer Elk Thunder ambled into the offices on Thursday afternoon.

“Agent Gunderson, I just heard about what happened to Sheriff Dawson. What a shock. I came over right away to tell you how sorry I am.”

“Thank you.”

“If there’s anything you need, anything I can do, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Here was my opening. Hopefully, if the FBI got wind of this, they’d chalk up my nosiness and crap attitude to stress. “Does that offer include lending me money for hospital bills? I heard you’re the go-to guy around here for a short-term loan.”

He stiffened briefly, then smiled. “You heard right. Sadly, banks aren’t an option for many of our tribal members in need… So I fill the need. It’s not like I’m getting rich for providing this service.”

Bullshit.

“Are you in a financial bind, Agent Gunderson?”

“No, I’m more concerned for a family friend. Devlin Pretty Horses owes you money. I’m betting not a small amount, either.”

“I don’t normally discuss my business, but I can assure you that I’m not worried. Devlin is good for it.”

“How can that be? He doesn’t have a job. He lives with his mother. Devlin has nothing of value.”

Latimer parked his behind on the corner of my desk. “Now that’s a harsh judgment. You can’t possibly know everything about the Pretty Horses family or their financial situation, current or future.”

I fought the urge to stab his casually swinging leg with a letter opener. “And you do?”

An indulgent smile. “Of course. I’m in a position where I have full budget oversight for the tribe. We have several well-pensioned employees, and it’s my job to make sure our financial experts stay on top of the employees’ investment portfolios. Penny worked for the tribe for over twenty years. She had a better-than-average wage, so she had a better-than-average pension, too.

“And she had decent health insurance coverage, thank goodness. Although aggressive cancer treatment will eat up that lifetime maximum pretty fast. But it doesn’t appear to me that Penny’s family will have outstanding medical bills, which is a plus in this horrible situation.” He shook his head sadly. “Imagine getting such a dire cancer diagnosis one month before retirement.”

He wore an expectant look, like he wanted to keep talking. And I realized, as he alternately smirked, preened, and showed sympathy, that his ego would be his downfall. Latimer Elk Thunder needed to prove to me that he was smarter than me.

Rollie’s warning popped into my head: Mark my words, whoever is doin’ this is one smart SOB.

Not only was Elk Thunder smart, he was slick. So I had to ask him the right questions so he would feel he was doing me a favor as well as putting me in my place. “It is sad. No one can prepare for something like that.”

“True. But between us, Penny was better prepared than most. The tribe provides a great benefits and retirement package to employees, complete with 401k, disability insurance, and life insurance.”

A life insurance policy.

Whoa. Why had he specifically mentioned that?

Because it mattered that Penny had a life insurance policy now that she was dead.

Penny would have had to name a beneficiary.

But who? Not Sophie. Before the cancer diagnosis Penny probably assumed she’d outlive her mother. Plus, Sophie would call a financial windfall from death “blood money.”

Would Penny name her son the beneficiary? Most likely. But John-John ran a successful bar, and he’d have the same attitude about the money as Sophie.

That left one other family member.

Surely Penny hadn’t been dumb enough to list Devlin as her beneficiary?

John-John and Sophie would both feel too guilty to take the money from Penny’s life insurance policy. But Devlin wouldn’t feel the slightest bit guilty. He’d snatch that cash like it was his due.