"How long?"Kari asked, her voice tight."How long until this council meeting?"
"Three PM.I'll make the case that you need access to solve these murders.But I can't promise they'll agree."He picked up the laptop."I'm going to secure this in my office until the matter is resolved.You can review other evidence, interview witnesses, pursue other leads.But the genealogical data is off-limits until the council authorizes it."
Kari stood, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.Every instinct screamed at her to fight this, to argue that murder investigations didn't pause for political considerations.But she also recognized the reality: She was an outsider here, working at the Chief's invitation, subject to rules and authorities that transcended her badge.
Throwing a fit wouldn't do any good.
"Fine," she said, the word coming out harder than she intended."I'll wait for your council to decide whether solving murders is more important than protecting secrets."
The Chief's expression tightened, but he didn't rise to the bait."I'll call you after the meeting.In the meantime, talk to Jake Honanie.Follow up on physical evidence.Do your job, Detective—just do it within the boundaries we've established."
He walked out with her laptop, leaving Kari alone in the conference room with her notes and her frustration.She sat for a moment, trying to calm the anger that threatened to cloud her judgment.Then she pulled out her phone and called Polacca.
"How's the interview going?"Kari asked when Polacca answered.
"Just finishing up.Jake's groggy but talking.You should come over—he's got some interesting details about the attack."
"On my way."
The drive to the hospital gave Kari time to process what had just happened.The Chief wasn't wrong about tribal sovereignty, about the community's right to control their own information.But the timing was infuriating.Those files could have helped her understand the full scope of what Patricia had discovered, to see the complete picture that would explain why someone was willing to kill to keep that information hidden.
Now that picture was locked in the Chief's office, waiting for a council that had already demonstrated they valued privacy over justice.
She found Polacca in Jake's hospital room.Jake Honanie looked better than Kari had expected—pale and bruised, with a bandage wrapped around his head, but alert and sitting up in bed.A nurse was checking his vitals as Kari entered.
"Mr.Honanie," Kari said."I'm glad to see you're recovering.I'm Detective Blackhorse.I was there when we found you last night."
"Officer Polacca told me."Jake's voice was rough but steady."Thank you.If you hadn't gotten there when you did..."
"Can you tell me what happened?Everything you remember from the moment you were attacked."
Jake took a breath, wincing."I was closing up my workshop.It was around nine-thirty, maybe a little later.I'd been working on a set of katsina dolls—they're for a ceremony next month, so I was putting in extra hours to get them finished."
"Was anyone else around?"
"Thomas Pavatea owns the silversmith shop next door.But he may have already gone home.The whole area was quiet."
Kari knew that Pavatea had not, in fact, gone home, but she didn't want to interrupt Jake to say so.
Jake's hand went to his head, touching the bandage carefully."I heard something behind me.Before I could turn around, something hit me.Hard.Here, on the back of my head."
"You didn't see your attacker?"
"Not his face.Everything went blurry, and I fell.I remember being on the ground, trying to get up, and then he grabbed me.Pulled me up, got his arms around my chest from behind."Jake's breathing quickened with the memory."I tried to fight, but I was so disoriented.And he was strong.Really strong."
"Did he say anything?"
"No.Nothing.He just dragged me toward a vehicle.An SUV, I think—I saw it briefly before everything went dark again."
"What about his breathing?"Kari asked, remembering Emma's description."Did you notice anything about that?"
Jake's brow furrowed."Actually, yeah.He was breathing really hard.Not just from exertion—there was something wrong with it.Wheezing, maybe?Like he was having trouble getting enough air.I remember thinking it was strange that someone struggling to breathe could be so strong."
The same detail Emma had mentioned.Labored breathing.
"Anything else?"Polacca asked."Any smells, any sounds, anything unusual?"
Jake was quiet for a moment, his eyes closed as he tried to recall."Therewasa smell.Something chemical, maybe?Paint or..."He shook his head."I can't place it.My head was pounding, everything was confused."
