Death Along the Spirit Road Read Online Free

folder on the desktop. “Crime scene photos, Hotshot. You might take a look-see before Willie shows you to the scene.”
    Manny handed Willie the folder. “All the same to you, I’ll wait until I view the scene. Maybe make some observations of my own. If that’s OK with you.”
    Lumpy shrugged. “Suit yourself. Just a suggestion. And by the way, you need anything here that Willie can’t get you, you come see me. With the chief laid up, I’m the go-to man around here.”
    “I’ll remember that.”
    “And here.” Lumpy pulled a key ring from his pocket and tossed it onto the desk. “This is for the apartment the tribe’s letting you use while you’re here. Willie will show you where it is in the housing.”
    “That’s thoughtful of you.”
    “It’s the least I can do. I picked the apartment myself.” Lumpy grinned. “You might find it quite enjoyable while you’re here.”
    Manny thanked him and turned to Willie. “I’d like to view the scene while it’s still light out.”
    “Sure thing, Agent Tanno. Your ride or mine?”
    Lumpy tilted his head back and laughed. “If you’re smart, you’ll do the driving. Agent Tanno here was never the best driver in the world.”
    He’d tell William about his accidents some other time. “Your car will do fine. And it’s ‘Manny.’”
    Willie grinned. “Sure thing, Manny.” As they walked through the front office, everyone stopped typing and watched him leave the station. Indeed, by now the masses were all aware that the “Living Legend” of Pine Ridge had come back home. At least for one last case.

CHAPTER 2
     

     
    Willie started east out of Pine Ridge on Highway 18. “He doesn’t like you very much.”
    “Lumpy?”
    “Lieutenant Looks Twice.”
    “No, he doesn’t, William.”
    “I’d like the lieutenant to call me by my Christian name, but he doesn’t. I always thought it sounded more dignified. But you can call me ‘Willie.’ ”
    “OK then, Willie, but don’t let that man back there take anything from you. And no, Lumpy doesn’t like me. It goes way back.”
    “From when you lived here before?”
    Manny nodded. “We wrestled the same weight class when we were kids.” Public Pine Ridge High versus Catholic Red Cloud School was a matchup people anticipated. “Each time we met Red Cloud, I had to wrestle the only boy in my weight class: Leon Looks Twice. I beat him on the mat every time. He’s held on to that grudge all these years.”
    And they competed for the hottest girl on the reservation, Desirée Chasing Hawk. Manny had even gone out for cross-country his freshman year, confident that Lumpy would never be in good enough shape to be a runner and get close to Desirée. The girls’ and boys’ cross-country teams traveled together, something that Lumpy resented.
    Manny also wanted to tell Willie how he had gone out of his way to torment Officer Looks Twice when they were both rookie cops. From the time Manny poured putrid coyote lure into the heat vents of Lumpy’s squad car, to the time he sent a gay porn subscription to Lumpy at the station house, he had made Lumpy’s life miserable. Even though Lumpy couldn’t prove it, he’d known it was Manny, and he had never forgotten it.
    Highway 18 was newly paved and smooth, the traffic nonexistent, yet Willie fidgeted in his seat. He said nothing as he was avoiding looking at Manny, wanting to say something. “You know I was assigned to help you just ’cause I’m the rookie, don’t you?” he blurted out. “The same reason they give me this old beater to drive.”
    Manny smiled. “Don’t worry. You’ll do just fine.”
    “Jeeza. I got no experience. I’ve never done an investigation. The lieutenant threw you a bone with me, and a not-too-juicy bone either. I got nothing to offer you.”
    “You want to help me?”
    “Of course I do.”
    “Then that’s more than I had when I walked into Lumpy’s office this morning. I got me a sidekick.”
    “Like Gabby