"Yes, sir.Thank you for—"
"Detective, I don't know what you think you're investigating here, but David is a respected cultural preservation officer.He's done more for this community than—" He stopped himself, seemed to reconsider his words."I have to go.If you have further questions about David or anyone else on my council, you can submit them in writing to my office."
The line went dead.
Kari sat for a moment, staring at her phone.The chairman's tone had been defensive, almost protective.But his statement had been clear and unequivocal: David had been at that meeting all night.
Which meant David couldn't have attacked Emma.
She walked out to the main squad room, where Polacca was refilling her coffee."I talked to the chairman."
"And?"
"He confirms David was at the council meeting the entire time.Says he was sitting across from him, watched him give a presentation at nine-fifteen, saw him participate in discussions until after eleven-thirty."Kari shook her head in frustration."The chairman wasn't happy about being asked, but he was very clear.David's alibi is solid."
Polacca absorbed this, her expression troubled.They were both silent.
"Has the hospital called?"Kari asked."About Jake, I mean?"
"No, but I called them about twenty minutes ago.Jake's awake and coherent.Doctor says we can talk to him.I was about to come in and tell you."Polacca grabbed her jacket."Want to head over there now?"
Kari glanced back at her laptop, at the genealogical files still open on the screen.There was so much more to review, patterns she hadn't fully explored yet.But Jake was their only witness to his own abduction.Whatever he could tell them might be more valuable than anything in Patricia's data.
Then again, why not divide and conquer?
"You go," Kari said."I want to keep working through these files.See if there's something here that explains why Jake was targeted, or if there's another connection we're missing."
"You sure?"
"Yeah.Call me if he tells you anything significant."
Polacca left, and Kari returned to the conference room, settling back in front of her laptop.She pulled up a new section of Patricia's notes—correspondence with participants about unexpected findings, families who'd been surprised by their results.
She was reading an email exchange about a family who'd discovered Zuni ancestry they hadn't known about when Chief Lomayesva walked in.His expression was serious, troubled.
"Detective Blackhorse.What are you working on?"
"Patricia Lomahongva's genealogical research files," Kari said, not looking up from the screen."Lucas Saufkie cracked the encryption last night.I'm reviewing the data, looking for connections to—"
"Where did you get authorization to access those files?"The Chief's voice was sharp.
Kari looked up, confused by his tone."Authorization?Lucas is our tech.He cracked the password on evidence from an active murder investigation.That's his job."
"Those files are protected under tribal privacy laws."Chief Lomayesva moved closer to the table."The council specifically refused your request to access the genealogical data.That decision doesn't change just because your technician figured out the password."
"With respect, Chief, this is evidence in a homicide investigation.Three people are dead—"
"And those files contain private genetic information about dozens of families who participated in good faith, believing their data would be kept confidential."He reached over and gently but firmly closed her laptop."I understand your frustration, Detective.But you don't have the authority to review this information without proper authorization from the tribal council."
Kari felt anger flare in her chest."Two people were murdered specifically because of what's in these files.A third was nearly killed.I need to understand what they discovered that was worth killing for."
"I agree.Which is why I've called an emergency council meeting this afternoon to request they authorize your access."The Chief's voice was calm but unyielding."But until they do, you can't continue reviewing data they've explicitly protected.It's not about the investigation, Kari.It's about tribal sovereignty and our right to control information about our own people."
"So I'm supposed to just stop investigating?Wait for politicians to debate privacy concerns while the killer is still out there?"
"You're supposed to respect the legal and cultural boundaries that exist here."Chief Lomayesva pulled the laptop toward him."I brought you in because I thought you understood that.Because your mother understood that.She knew how to work within our systems, how to ask the right questions without trampling over the things that matter to us."
The invocation of her mother stung.Kari wanted to argue that her mother had also fought against bureaucratic barriers, had pushed for truth even when it was uncomfortable.But she also knew the Chief was right about one thing: Anna had learned to navigate these tensions with more grace than Kari was currently displaying.
