Whispering Spirits (28 page)

“After she left you went back into her room
and got that piece of paper…Little Lawrence’s birth certificate,
right?”

Summer glance from Domonique to Running
Crane. “That doesn’t make sense, since Borden was the one who had
it.”

“I gave that certificate to my father and he
was furious. He told Winter they were going to get married and she
would be the wife he always wanted her to be. If she crossed
him…he’d make her pay…most likely with her life.”

“He still wanted her?” Summer asked.

“Exactly. I couldn’t believe it. He said he
loved her…and in time she would love him, too.”

“That must have pissed you off!” Running
Crane said.

“That’s an understatement. So I…got my
father’s hunting knife and I climbed inside Little Lawrence’s
bed…and I stabbed. . . and stabbed…and stabbed him.”

“What happened next?” Running Crane
asked.

“Winter came into the room and screamed and
cried hysterically. She called Borden and he came over and took all
sorts of pictures.”

“Your father came home and hearing the
commotion came upstairs to find you with his hunting knife and
blood all over. He checked the boy to see if he was alive, then ran
from the room.”

Summer nodded. “Of course, that’s the picture
where he’s fleeing with blood on his hands.”

“I’m not sure what was said after that. I
know Winter left that night and I later heard people saying she ran
off and married some Indian man from Montana. The police came and
talked to me. I said…what my father told me to say. I didn’t know
it was going to hurt Little Lawrence. I was just playing. I talked
to some lady for months…and then it was over. No one ever brought
up Little Lawrence’s name again.”

“Why didn’t Winter and Borden get married? I
don’t understand why she tricked my father into marrying him.”
Summer glared at Domonique.

“My father threatened them if they ever got
together he’d reveal the truth about Little Lawrence’s death.”

“The truth?” Summer shook her head.

“His truth. He came home from a meeting and
found me in the crib with a knife and his son covered in blood. He
checked to see if Little Lawrence was alive, but he was dead.
Winter and Borden were taking pictures and he ran from the room to
call the police. He did just that. There was blood on the phone and
before they arrived he told Winter and Borden what was going to
happen. He was going to tell the police he found me in bed with the
knife and Little Lawrence was dead. If Winter and Borden ever got
together again, he’d see to it they were brought up on murder
charges.”

“Why not accuse them right then and there? He
had them both by the balls?”

“Because father had control of them and he
might need them later. Make them sweat is what he always said. He
had the pictures to prove it.”

“How could he prove they were behind the
camera?” Summer asked.

“You forget, I was not only the killer…I was
the witness to what happened before and after. I also would have
said anything my father told me to say. Father warned them I could
say I overheard them say they’d kill Little Lawrence if my father
didn’t sell Borden oil leases on the outskirts of Waco. Just so you
know, those land lease sales were drawn-up, and father made it
known that he refused to sign them. I could have told the police
Winter and Borden set me in Little Lawrence’s bed and put blood on
me, then took pictures. Who wouldn’t believe a little ten-year-old
girl?”

Chapter Fourteen

Running Crane cleared his throat. “What did
your father tell you to say?”

“Borden and Winter agreed they’d never
communicate with each other again. Father told me to say I was just
playing and I didn’t know it would really hurt Little Lawrence. I
had to talk to a shrink and then that was the end of it. I was
certain he’d finally kick Winter out…but he didn’t.”

“So your father still wanted Winter to stay?
After all that happened?”

“That was hard for me to understand. I did
all that for father…and he still wanted her? He shouldn’t have done
that. I told Winter to leave and never come back…or I would tell
the police I didn’t stab Little Lawrence, that I watched her do it.
Then Borden came over and they took pictures of me with my brother.
Father had the pictures to prove it. Winter knew I wasn’t just
threatening…if she didn’t leave I’d tell my shrink all she needed
to know. Everyone would have believed me…no kid could lie about
such a thing.”

“Borden could collaborate Winter’s story.”
Summer said.

“I’m the one person who could put them in
prison for Little Lawrence’s murder. There’s no question that I was
at the scene when the murder took place. I could either take the
innocent fall…or I could accuse Winter…and even Borden. She didn’t
want him involved, so I had her by the throat.”

“So Winter left…and met my father and boom,
just like that they were married?” Summer glared at Domonique.

“Just like that. She said nothing to father.
She just packed her bags and left. Winter told the police she was
too distraught to stay. Once she left it was just father and me
again, and I was never happier.”

Running Crane reached down and picked up the
computer shell. “You know everything that’s in here, don’t you?
This wasn’t about Winter and Borden getting even—”

“Wait…a minute,” Summer took several steps
toward Domonique. “Your father has been threatening to disown you
hasn’t he?”

“Why would he do that?” Running Crane
asked.

“Bradley Wild Horse—that’s why,” Summer said.
You really loved him, but your father hated him…didn’t he? He
wasn’t good enough and all that, was he? You threatened him with
those documents and pictures. That picture of your father running
from the scene…blood on his hands…birth certificate…need I go on?
You involved Winter and Borden because you needed help and they had
a score to settle with him, too. Once and for all you’d be getting
even with a father who should have loved you…but never did. He went
from woman to woman, putting them ahead of you. You could never
measure up to a son—the one thing he wanted…but no longer had. The
one thing you took away from him.”

“He never forgave me—”

“For killing Little Lawrence?” Summer
coaxed.

“He…hated himself for loving Winter and her
betrayal turned him mean. He used women…and he hated I was not his
son. The more I loved him…the more he rejected me. I…told Borden I
didn’t kill Little Lawrence…that my father did. I took the fall,
because they’d never charge a ten-year-old child.”

“How often are you going to change this
story?” Running Crane asked.

“Fuck you!”

“He didn’t mean that, Domonique. I want to
know the truth. I…believe you loved Bradley and when your father
had him killed that was…all you could take. Bradley wasn’t the
first man you loved…that he didn’t approve of…even paid off to
leave, or made sure they’d never pursue you again, was he? You
didn’t get involved for a long time…then you met Bradley and the
two of you fell madly in love with each other.”

“Can it be so wrong to love? Can it be so
wrong to want a normal life? I didn’t care if father didn’t give me
one red cent from his estate—I just wanted to be free. Bradley and
I were going to go to Browning and…it doesn’t matter. He’s dead and
my father’s going to pay.”

“You went to Borden to help you before
Bradley was killed. Why?” Running Crane asked.

“Because father had already ordered me to
break it off with Bradley. He didn’t care we were in love. He
didn’t care I was pregnant with Bradley’s baby. He said we’d
split-up…or he’d make it happen. I knew what that meant. So Bradley
went to his father and warned him about the kind of man Germaine
Worthington was.”

“The land contact isn’t legal, is it?”
Running Crane asked.

“That was the idea. Borden helped Kevin Wild
Horse slip in a few words throughout the document that weren’t
noticeable, but made the entire document invalid. The courts would
argue it was the intent that showed my father’s character, along
with the core sample results proving he intended to swindle the
Blackfeet. Plus that added hazardous waste document Borden and
Winter drafted. I gave Borden those pictures and the birth
certificate and my father no longer controlled them. Borden had
everything he needed to put my father away—”

“Except Winter wanted
Nah’ah
to be
implicated…and she wanted those documents to be real and damaging
to both Worthington and my grandmother. My mother changed the
documents before they were signed, and that’s what we have here.
Then she made sure he found out Borden had the goods on him. It was
payback time.”

“That’s when my father paid Jordan Perkins to
steal from Borden every last document that incriminated him.”

“I suggest we head to the claim and face your
father. We have all the goods he’s looking for. He releases
Nah’ah
and the others in exchange for their silence and no
charges if he destroys the land contract.” Running Crane kicked a
rock in disgust.

“He’ll never agree to that and neither will
I. I won’t let him get away with…killing Bradley. We have enough
evidence to put him away for life.”

“Really, Domonique, think about it and face
the fact you’re never going to get away with this. First off, the
contact for the land deal has been tampered with—”

“That can’t be proved and I’ll deny I ever
said that.”

“Kidnapping just can’t be forgotten or
ignored, and there are several murders that need explaining. You
knew everything that was going on—that makes you an accessory,”
Running Crane said.

“I’ll plead a deal for immunity. There’s a
lot I know.”

“It just might be too late for that.” Running
Crane shook his head.

“So you’re not interested in knowing when the
mine is going to accidentally blow…collapsing and killing every
worker? The office is close enough to be leveled and if you haven’t
guessed it, that’s where your father, grandmother, and Bradley’s
father are being detained. And if I’m not mistaken, my father’s
actually meeting with Borden and Winter in the conference
room…right about now. How convenient, don’t you think? When they
ask him where he was during the explosion he’ll have to admit he
was right there. All my problems solved in one big accident that
can easily be proved my father’s doing. It’s not my fault, you
know.”

“What’s not your fault, Domonique?” Summer
asked.

“My fate was dealt the moment Little Lawrence
was dead. You have no idea what it’s like. Every time I looked at
my father…I saw the look on his face when he realized Little
Lawrence was dead. He blamed me for that every day of my life.”

“Not really,” Running Crane motioned for them
to get going. “Let’s take the chopper and get there before it
blows. There are people who can help you, Domonique. Let’s go to
the mine and you can tell us how to stop that explosion. By saving
all those people – you’ll—”

“It’s too late.” She looked at her cellphone.
“It’s set to go off in twenty minutes. We don’t have enough time
to—”

“Call your guy and tell him the explosion’s
off. Tell him to—”

“I can’t! You have any idea how long it took
to get this setup…to put all the players into action get them at
the mine all at the same time? It’s been near frickin’ impossible.
I don’t want to call it off.”

“Domonique, think about it, please. There are
too many innocent people at that mine. Can you live with their
deaths?” Running Crane stopped walking and faced her. “I’ll make
sure we throw the book at your father. He’ll be inside prison walls
the rest of his life. You stop this from happening and I promise
you, you’ll never be charged.”

“I…would call it off…but I don’t have Terry’s
phone number with me.”

“Terry Running Crane—my brother?” He glanced
over at Summer and swallowed hard. “I was afraid he was mixed up in
all this.” Running Crane pulled out his cellphone and pressed
Terry’s number. It rang and rang…he didn’t answer.

“Text him and tell him Domonique called the
whole thing off,” Summer said. “Add - just do it and you’ll explain
later—”

“Get your guy to fire up that chopper,
Domonique. We have to try to get there before that thing
blows.”

“I don’t want to be anywhere near that place
when it explodes, and neither do you. Besides, this is our alibi…I
had nothing to do with the place exploding.”

Running Crane pulled his gun, aiming it at
Domonique. “I’ll say this once…we either go to the claim with you
collaborating and no gun, or with my gun pressed against your side.
Which do you prefer?”

“That place is blowing in about ten minutes.
You really think it’s wise to go anywhere near there? Think about
it, I know you’re not stupid.”

“If there’s even a chance we can save them…we
have to try, Running Crane,” Summer ran toward the chopper.

“She’s right, Domonique. Help us with this
and I’ll do my best to keep you out of prison.”

“We’re going to be too late, I’m telling you
that right now.”

“Let’s get going—the quicker the better.”

Summer glanced back and noticed he’d slipped
his gun back into the back side of his jeans and ran after the
Domonique.

“Charlie, get the bird fired up and us to the
claim as fast as you can,” Domonique shouted.

Silence settled around them as they rose in
the air and the chopper thrust northeast without hesitation.

“It won’t take us more than ten minutes to
get there…we’ll be able to see the mine right over this ridge—”

A booming blast and a bolt of fire shot
upward with a force big enough to be felt even skyward.

“Oh my God…no!” Summer cried.

“I warned you it was too late,” Domonique
said.

“Look…the blast really isn’t at the claim
sight or the office building.” Charlie flew the chopper closer.