"Or reveal that he couldn't have done it alone," Polacca added.
"Either way, we need to know."Kari grabbed her jacket."Chief, call us if Martin's lawyer shows up early or if the search of his apartment turns up anything significant."
"Will do."
The afternoon sun was bright, casting long shadows across the landscape.When they reached David's house, he answered the door before they knocked, as if he'd been watching for them."Detective.Officer.Come in."
They followed him into the familiar living room, where they settled down on the couch.
"Can I get you anything?"David asked, taking a chair across from them."Water?Coffee?"
"We're fine, thank you," Kari said.
"So," David said, folding his hands in his lap."Tell me about this suspect.What do you need to understand about the ceremonial aspects?"
Kari pulled out her phone, showing him photos of the crime scenes—Patricia's body surrounded by pottery shards, Robert's staged with the broken ceremonial bowl."These arrangements weren't random.Whoever did this understood the significance of what they were creating."
David studied the photos, his expression growing more troubled with each image."This is...deliberate desecration.The pottery pieces—they're not just placed randomly.There's a pattern here, a mockery of traditional burial practices."
"Could someone without extensive cultural knowledge have done this?"Polacca asked."Could they have looked up information online, copied images from books?"
"Some of it, maybe.But the specific placement, the way the artifacts are oriented—that suggests actual understanding, not just imitation."David handed the phone back."Who is your suspect?Does he have a background in traditional practices?"
"His name is Martin Kooyahoema.He has a criminal record but no known connection to ceremonial life or cultural preservation."Kari watched David's reaction carefully."Do you know him?"
David's brow furrowed."The name sounds familiar, but I can't place it.Let me think..."He pulled out his own phone, scrolling through something."Wait.Martin Kooyahoema.He did some work for us at the Cultural Center a few months ago.Moving boxes, minor repairs.Is that the same person?"
Kari felt a surge of interest."What kind of work?"
"Basic handyman stuff.We had some heavy pottery pieces that needed to be moved from storage to the museum, and Martin was hired to help with the labor."David's expression grew troubled."He had access to our workspace, saw some of the artifacts we were cataloging.But he wasn't there long—maybe two days total."
"Would that be enough time to learn about ceremonial staging?"
"Not unless someone taught him directly.The knowledge required for what's in these photos comes from years of cultural immersion, not a couple of days moving boxes."David set his phone down."But if Martin had help, if someone with knowledge guided him..."
"That's what we're trying to determine," Kari said."Is it possible Martin is working with someone who has the expertise he lacks?"
David was quiet for a long moment, thinking."It's possible.But who?And why would someone with cultural knowledge partner with a criminal to desecrate sacred sites?"
It was the question Kari couldn't answer.The logic didn't quite work—unless the person with knowledge was using Martin as a tool, keeping their own hands clean while directing the violence.
Kari was beginning to wonder if coming here had been a waste of time when Polacca's phone rang.
"It's the station," Polacca said, stepping into the hallway to take the call.
Kari and David sat in awkward silence for a moment.
"This must be frustrating for you," David said."Having a suspect in custody, but not enough to charge him."
"It's part of the process," Kari said."Building a case takes time."She paused, remembering something."How is your aunt, by the way?The one in Flagstaff.You mentioned you needed to visit her—a family emergency."
"She's doing better, thank you for asking."David's expression softened."It was a scare—she fell and we thought she might have broken her hip.Turns out it was just badly bruised, but at her age, you can't be too careful."
"I'm glad it wasn't more serious."
"Me too.She practically raised me after my parents died when I was young.I don't know what I'd do without her."David pulled out his phone, scrolling through photos."I took this when I was there the other day."
He turned the phone to show Kari a photo of himself with an elderly woman, both smiling.They were in what looked like a hospital room or care facility, the woman sitting in a wheelchair with David kneeling beside her, his arm around her shoulders.The metadata at the bottom showed it had been taken yesterday, when David had said he needed to cancel their appointment.
