Montana Summer Ch. 16

Angus still held one folder. "What story are you going to give to Cliffy?"

Milt leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head. "The way I see it, they were getting ready to leave and a fight broke out over the distribution of the gold. A shootout ensued, fatally wounding all of those involved. I think it's a pretty open and shut case."

"Aye, it is." Angus' face was grave with concern. "I'll certainly not be arguing with you once the inquest is held." He held up the last folder. "What you do with this is your business, but I would like to talk to you about it."

"What is it?"

"I took pictures of the arrows I pulled out of that fellow who was killed a few months ago. I compared them with the ones found at the crime scene."

Milt felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He leaned forward and put his elbows on his desk. "What did you find?"

"They're identical to the ones found in the earlier case." Angus opened up the folder and showed the pictures of the arrows.

Milt shrugged his shoulders. "They could have looted one of the old burial sites."

"Aye, that's a possibility." Angus produced another photograph. It was a close up of the shaft of one of the arrows. "See those markings on the shaft? All of the Lakota put marks on their arrows so when they hunted, or went to war, they would know who could claim the kill."

Angus put photograph after photograph on Milt's desk. "Five of the arrows match the ones we pulled from that fellow. The sixth is a new one. It would lead me to believe there was at least one more person involved in this incident."

Milt tapped his pencil on the desk as he studied the photographs.

"Were there any fingerprints on the bow you found?"

The sheriff shook his head. "No." He almost added thankfully.

Angus studied Milt's face for a minute. "You know what really happened out there, don't you?"

"No, not really." Milt was being honest.

"You have your suspicions then?" Angus raised his eyebrows.

Milt sighed and leaned across the desk. "Yes, I do. I will deny ever saying this. There are things out there which can't be explained, or proven."

Angus smiled and nodded his head. "Aye, I've heard whisperings of late about spirits in the mountains. Sane men like you and I, we don't pay much heed to tales of ghosties and things that go bump in the night." Angus winked at Milt.

He closed his briefcase. "Well, I'm off to see Cliffy. I promised I'd drop by and give him copies of the files I gave you. I seemed to have forgotten to make a copy of the seventh file though. I've probably forgotten it existed. I wouldn't remember it if it got lost."

"What day is the official inquest?"

"I think Thursday, at ten o'clock. I need to check with Cliffy. With the election only a month away, I would imagine he would be anxious to get this cleared up as soon as possible."

"Yeah," Milt agreed. "I would, too."

Angus stood up. "You look over the files and get back to me. Like I said, I will support your conclusions at the inquiry."

After Angus had departed, Milt studied the file with the photos of the arrows. He wondered whom the arrows with the new markings belonged to. He took the folder over to the shredder. One by one, he fed the photographs into the machine. He looked at the negatives for a moment and inserted them into the shredder, too.

He scooped the shredded material from the bin, placed it in a garbage bag, and carried it back to his office. Tonight when his wood stove was burning brightly, and his wife had gone to bed, he would feed the contents of the bag into the stove and watch it disappear into oblivion.

---

Jessi sat on a bale of hay and watched as Ryan groomed Bernie. "What was it like? The other night?"

Ryan stopped brushing his horse and turned around. "It's hard to describe. It was surreal. It was like being in a dream where you had total control of your actions, and were completely aware of your surroundings."

"I'm glad Spotted Owl and the others are at rest now. I can't imagine what it was like for them, having to wait for so long."

"I asked him about that." Ryan sat down beside Jessi. "He told me the place where they were, there was no real sense of time."

"I would have liked to have known him when he was alive." Jessi remembered when Spotted Owl touched her arm when Ryan was in the hospital. "He seemed like a kind man."

"Kind?" Ryan thought for a moment. "I guess that's one way of describing him."

"How would you have put it?"

"I think he was a strong leader, a man who led with wisdom and compassion. I think his friends would see him as compassionate, and his enemies would see him as ruthless."

"Were you worried about getting hurt?"

"A little. Especially when they started shooting. I knew they couldn't do anything to Spotted Owl, and I knew my body was still in bed with you."

Jessi put her hand in Ryan's hand. "I wonder what would have happened if I would have tried to wake you up?"

He shook his head. "I have no idea."

She squeezed his hand and kissed him on the cheek. "All I care about is you're here and you're safe, cowboy."

Ryan grinned. "Me, too!"

"What do you think about your dad building a house around here?"

It had been the main topic at dinner. What surprised everyone present was Margaret's apparent enthusiasm for the idea.

"A few months ago, I would have hated the idea, but now I like it."

"Your mom seems to have changed."

Ryan had seen the change as well. "Yeah. I really think Dad not being your biological father had a lot to do with it."

"I think you're right." Jessi leaned her head on Ryan's shoulder. "Mom had a talk with me this morning."

"About what?" Ryan asked.

"She wasn't too happy about Dad catching me in bed with you the other morning."

"I wondered if anything was going to be said about that." Ryan put his arm around Jessi.

"She said although we were both technically adults, and can do what we want, she would prefer we show a bit more discretion."

Ryan couldn't help but chuckle. "Neither of us expected your dad to come barging into my bedroom at four in the morning."

"I just sat there with my mouth open."

"Are you going to 'sneak' up tonight?" Ryan looked into Jessi's eyes as he kissed her.

"You know it, cowboy!" Jessi returned his kiss. "It's my last night here."

---

Charlie was exhausted. His wife was playing bingo with Walter's wife at the community center, and the house was quiet. The tribal council had called an impromptu meeting to discuss the news of the gold.

A quick knock came at the door and Walt peered in. "Meeting over?"

"Come in. Yeah, it's over." It took a considerable amount of self restraint for Charlie not to add thank god.

Walter poured himself a cup of coffee before joining his father at the table. "Well, how did it go?"

"A little rocky at first, but in the end, I think it went well."

"Oh, yeah?"

Charlie nodded. "Some of them had visions of striking it rich. And some of them were suspicious of Ryan's plan, thinking he was out to cheat us."

"That's not likely." Walter scoffed at the idea as he took a sip of his coffee.

"No, it's not." Charlie looked at his son.

"Do you think they might be more accepting of him after the Hunka ceremony?"

"I'm hoping they will. I want them to see his sincerity about our history and our way of life."

"Too bad we already hadn't performed the ceremony. Some people might say he is doing this because of the gold," Walter speculated.

"There is nothing we can do about people like that. It shows their feelings and judgment is being blinded by the gold. This is our big chance, Walter. We can make a difference in people's lives. We can use it so our young people get the education they need. There's a lot we can do to make the community better."

Walter studied his father for a moment. "It's a big responsibility."

"Yeah, it is. It's going to be a lot of work. Money doesn't make life easier, it makes it more complicated." Charlie paused for a moment. "There's going to be a vacancy on the tribal council in January. I want you to run for the position."

"Me?" Walter laughed. "Who'd vote for me?"

"A lot of people. You're well respected."

"Why would I want to be on the council?"

"I want you to think about becoming chief when I retire. Being on the council will be good experience for you."

Walter laughed again. "You? Retire? That's a good one."

"Yes. I've been thinking more and more about it. Now that we are going to be mining the gold, it's going to take a younger man, a stronger man."

Walter realized his father was serious. The laugh disappeared from his voice. "You are a strong leader. Probably the best we've seen in many years. I don't know if I'm the man for the job─if I were elected, that is."

"You are the right man, Walter. Just trust in yourself."

"I'll think about it," Walter promised. "When are you planning on retiring?"

"Probably within the next year or two, depending on how things go."

"What do you plan on doing after you retire?"

"Enjoy life, enjoy my grandchildren."

Walter chuckled. "You don't have any grandchildren."

Charlie nodded. "I know. That was a hint."

---

Ryan glanced at the clock. It was past the time Jessi should have been here. He was beginning to wonder if she was going to be able to sneak out of the house when a light knock sounded at the door.

His face lit up when the door opened and Jessi appeared. "I was beginning to get worried you weren't going to be able to make it."

Jessi shook her head. "My mom and your mom were still talking, so I decided to take a shower and by the time I was done, they had gone to bed."

"Do you think they know?"

"That I was planning on coming out here to be with you?" Jessi giggled for a moment. "I think they know. They just don't want us to make it too obvious."

Jessi removed the coat she was wearing over top of her pajamas, sat down beside Ryan, and leaned against him. "I've been looking forward to this all day."

Ryan wrapped his arm around her shoulder and hugged her tight against him. "So have I."

She felt warm with his arm around her, in both her body and soul. Her conversation with Ryan's mother came back to her. This was the feeling she had tried to convey earlier in the afternoon.

"I love you, cowboy." Her voice was as soft as new-fallen snow.

Ryan hugged her tighter and touched her face with his free hand. "I love you, too." He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips.

"What do think our future is?" Jessi looked into Ryan's eyes as if she were searching for the answer there.

"That we'll get married," Ryan replied without any hesitation.

"Is it what you want?"

"More than anything else."

Jessi smiled and kissed Ryan. "That's the answer I wanted to hear."

"What about you?" Ryan asked. "Is it what you want?"

No words came from Jessi's mouth, her face gave Ryan the answer he wanted. Finally, she whispered, "I can't imagine wanting anything else."

"When?" Ryan asked.

"Yesterday," Jessi answered.

Ryan's face glowed with love and happiness. "Yeah, sounds good to me, too."

"I think we should wait until we are both done with school, though. If nothing else, it should convince my parents and yours that we're serious." Jessi held her breath and waited for Ryan's response.

"It seems like such a long time, but I think it's the right thing for everybody. Especially us." Ryan paused for a moment and kissed Jessi again. "It's not like we are going to be apart for four years."

Jessi kissed him back and whispered, "Take me to bed now."

Ryan stood up, scooped Jessi off the couch, and carried her to his bed. As he laid her down, he smiled. "I thought you'd never ask."

---

"Josh is taking me to meet his parents tomorrow night." Becky looked up from her books.

"Wow!" Jessi put her pencil down on her notebook. "This must be getting serious. You've taken him home to meet your folks, and now you're going to get to meet his."

Becky let out a small grin. "I think he likes me as much as I like him. I wouldn't exactly call it serious though."

"I know he likes you a lot." Jessi laughed. "I somehow think it's a bit more serious than you are letting on."

Becky's face turned a light shade of pink. "Well, I hope it is. Tell me what you think, and be honest. Do you think he's the right guy for me?"

"I think you're the only one who knows for sure," Jessi sat back in her chair and studied her best friend for a moment. "If you want my opinion, I think he's the perfect guy for you."

The sound of Becky's cell phone ringing interrupted the conversation.

"Look, he called an hour ago, and he's calling again," Jessi teased.

"No, it's Mom." Becky looked at the caller ID on the phone. "Hi Mom."

Jessi watched as Becky's eyes grew wide. "No way!"

Becky's hand went to her mouth as she gasped, "Oh, my God!"

From the look on Becky's face, Jessi knew whatever the news was, it had to be juicy. She whispered, "What is it?"

Becky held up one finger and mouthed the words, "Hold on."

"Wow! So when..." Becky nodded her head as she listened to her mother.

"Yes, I will definitely call." Becky looked at Jessi and grinned. "I love you too, Mom, and tell Dad that I love him."

"Well? What is it?" Jessi was almost bouncing up and down on her chair.

"I can't believe it." Tears began to flow down Becky's face. "I'm going to be an..." She stopped and her smile got wider. "We're going to be aunties. Stan called Mom to tell her Lindsey's pregnant!"

"Aunties? Us?" Jessi squealed with delight, jumped up from her chair, and gave Becky a hug. "Are they going to get married?"

"Yes! Mom isn't sure when because they haven't set a date yet, but the baby is due in May. They might wait until after the baby is born."

---

The inquest into the death of the six men began promptly at ten a.m. on Thursday morning.

"Have you determined a cause of death for all six of the individuals?" Cliff Thomas, the district attorney, directed his question to Angus Ferguson, the county coroner.

"Yes, I have." Angus pointed to a diagram he had made on a marker board, which indicated where all the bodies were found. "Antonio Scarlucci was killed by blunt force trauma to the head. This occurred when his head struck a rock on the ground. A large bruise was found on his chest which indicated that he was likely struck by a blow which caused him to fall backwards."

Angus referred to his notes. "The cause of Vincenzo Napolinni's death was a gunshot to the anterior portion of his skull. The bullet exited the front of his skull and was recovered at the scene. This bullet matched the gun found on the person of Eugene Kuzsko."

"Two more bullets matching the gun used by Mr. Kuzsko were found in the chest of Paulo Antonetta and caused his death. One bullet was found in the abdomen, and two more in the chest of Mr. Kuzko, these bullets matched the gun found in the hand of Alfonse Rickard."

Angus took a drink of water and continued. "One bullet was retrieved from the skull of Alfonse Rickard, and it was from the gun found next to Gaston Garabaldi. Three bullets were found in the chest of Mr. Garabaldi, and were from the gun found next to Mr. Antonetta."

"On what basis did you determine which bullet came from what gun?"

"I had the sheriff provide samples of bullets fired from each gun and compared them to the bullets removed from each of the deceased," Angus replied.

Cliff referred to the yellow legal pad in front of him. "Were your results confirmed by anyone else?"

"Yes, images were taken and forwarded to the crime laboratory in Missoula where all of my findings were confirmed, and a copy of their report was sent to your office."

"Will the physical evidence be sent out for verification?"

Angus nodded. "Yes, Milt said he has talked to the FBI in Denver and they will perform another test to confirm my results."

"Thank you, Angus, that's all I have for you." Cliff turned in his chair. "Okay, Milt. We'll hear from you next."

After being sworn in, Milt sat down in the chair across from Cliff and opened a folder.

"How did you happen to be at Baxter's Mountain on the morning of the killings?"

"I received a call from Walter Red Elk. He had information that Charlie might in the vicinity of Baxter's Creek, and his life could be in danger."

Cliff checked off a question in his notes and looked back up at Milt. "What happened when you got to Baxter's Creek?"

"We stopped about a mile short of the turnoff. I was waiting for more backup to arrive when we heard a large volume of gunfire. We then proceeded to the turnoff and began to reconnoiter the area."

"What did you find when you arrived at the scene?"

"Six dead men, and Charlie Red Elk."

"What is your professional opinion as to what happened?"

"Based on the information provided by Norm Campbell, we believe a fight broke out over the stolen gold, and a gun battle ensued."

"What leads you to believe there was a gun battle?"

"A total of one hundred and twenty empty shell casings were retrieved at the crime scene," Milt answered.

"Did you find any evidence which would lead you to believe that any other person or persons were involved?"

"No." Milt shook his head. "No evidence was found at the scene which would lead us to believe there was anyone else involved. This is corroborated by information obtained from Charlie Red Elk and Norm Campbell."

"One more question. Angus mentioned you have coordinated with the FBI office in Denver to look at the bullets to confirm his findings. Can you tell us the status of their investigation."

"The bullets have arrived in Denver, and I'm told they should have results back to us by early next week."

"That's all I have for you, Sheriff." The district attorney referred to his notes for a moment before calling Charlie's name.

"Tell us what happened in your own words on the morning in question."

"They had my hands tied, and while they were packing up, I must have fallen asleep. I woke up when I heard the gunfire. I didn't know who was shooting at who, so I ducked down to the floor. The two guys that were in the motor home went outside. A short time later, I heard some yellin' and then a short time later, some more gunfire. It got quiet after that, and I finally got up from the floor and went outside. Milt and his deputies showed up a few minutes later." Charlie and Milt exchanged knowing glances for a moment.

"So, to the best of your knowledge, there were no other individuals at the scene at the time of the shooting?"

Charlie shook his head. "No, I didn't see anyone else."

It was Norm Campbell's turn to testify. His testimony took up the rest of the morning. He provided details on the makeup of the group, and backed up Charlie's statement that no other individuals involved.

"There's no sense in continuing these proceedings," Cliff announced as he looked up from his yellow legal pads. "I accept Angus' findings in this matter and declare the investigation closed."

---

"Can I buy you lunch, Charlie?" Milt caught up to the older man in the parking lot.

"I'm always available for a free lunch," Charlie replied. "Walt probably won't be here to pick me up for another hour or so."

"What do you plan doing about the gold?" Milt inquired as the two men walked down the sidewalk together.

"I think we're going to start mining it in the spring. Bill and Ryan have talked to me about it. I've talked to Mr. Campbell, and he is willing to move here and help us."

"He seems like a decent fellow." Milt held the café door open for Charlie.

"Yeah, I think so, too."

The eatery was full with the lunchtime crowd. When Charlie and Milt walked in together, the buzz of the conversation dropped noticeably. They found an empty booth near the back and sat down.