Read Online Cause for Murder by Betty Sullivan La Pierre - Free Book Online
Authors: Betty Sullivan La Pierre
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wiping tears from her cheeks.
"No, Mom, it's okay.” She studied the dark eyes of her father, identical to her own.
Lilly tossed a quick look at Maduk, whose expression didn't change as he stared at his child.
Maryann took a step forward. “Maduk, how do you know so much about Burke's death?"
Lilly's hands flew to her mouth. “Honey, how can you ask such a thing? You act like your father might have done something bad."
"I'm not asking you, Mother. I'm asking Maduk.” Her gaze locked with his.
"As I told Lilly, I have my sources."
"If people know Mom has a boyfriend, then why should it bother you to be seen around here?"
"Because no one really knows who I am except you. But the police have their suspicions and are going to be looking for me as a suspect involved in Burke's death. They'll be looking for a Native American. The only other person who has ever seen me in this house was Burke. And I'd have killed him then, if your mother hadn't stopped me."
"I wish you had.” Maryann's eyes narrowed. “But it's hard to believe after all these years living in this little town, no one has ever connected the two of you."
"We were very careful."
Maryann threw up her hands. “Why the hell didn't you take us away from this place?"
Lilly shot her daughter a hard look. “You have no right to ask that question."
"Yes, I do. He's my father."
Maduk stared fixedly at Maryann. “I had no money and no shelter."
She advanced toward him, her shoulders set in defiance. “You could have taken us to the reservation. They'd have made sure we had a roof over our heads and food to eat. And we wouldn't have had to contend with Burke anymore."
His gaze never swayed. “They'd have turned their backs on us."
Maryann frowned. “Why?"
"Because I'd been banned from the tribe."
Her head jerked up. “What! How come?"
Lilly stepped between her daughter and Maduk. “Maryann, that's enough. You're going where it's none of your business."
Maduk put a hand on Lilly's shoulder. “Maybe it's time she knows."
Maryann gave her parents a questioning look.
Lilly clenched her hands together, and moved out of the way. “Do whatever you think best."
Maduk took a deep breath. “I killed one of my own people."
Maryann dropped into the overstuffed chair in the corner of the living room. “I can't believe what I'm hearing.” She glanced up at her father. “How and why did you kill a person of your own tribe?"
"He was an evil man and had been harassing me for a long time about going out with a married lady. Even though he came into town regularly to take advantage of the white women in the bars. One night after he'd had too much whiskey, he came back to the reservation, yelling for me to come out of my house. By the time I stepped outside, a large crowd had gathered. He claimed I dishonored our people."
"How did he know?"
"Our people know many things about each other. Not much goes by they don't see."
"So what happened?"
"He walked to the center of the yard waving a long blade and challenged me. I took my knife and met him."
Maryann's eyes were wide. “You mean, you killed him in self-defense."
"The white man called it that, but they never got involved. They let the tribal council handle it. My people said I won because I proved the better fighter. But they banned me, saying, if I killed once, I'd probably kill again and they didn't want me among them."
"That's stupid,” Maryann said in disgust. “What if it'd been the other way around?"
"The same thing. The evil one would have been run out."
Maryann rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands, then shoved her hair behind her ears. “So what are we going to do?"
Lilly stepped forward and took her daughter's hand. “Nothing for now. If you and I disappear, it will look bad. But Maduk must leave until he's cleared of suspicion. When it all blows over, we'll join him.” Lilly glanced at Maduk. “Hopefully far away from this place."
Maryann thought she noticed a tic in
"No, Mom, it's okay.” She studied the dark eyes of her father, identical to her own.
Lilly tossed a quick look at Maduk, whose expression didn't change as he stared at his child.
Maryann took a step forward. “Maduk, how do you know so much about Burke's death?"
Lilly's hands flew to her mouth. “Honey, how can you ask such a thing? You act like your father might have done something bad."
"I'm not asking you, Mother. I'm asking Maduk.” Her gaze locked with his.
"As I told Lilly, I have my sources."
"If people know Mom has a boyfriend, then why should it bother you to be seen around here?"
"Because no one really knows who I am except you. But the police have their suspicions and are going to be looking for me as a suspect involved in Burke's death. They'll be looking for a Native American. The only other person who has ever seen me in this house was Burke. And I'd have killed him then, if your mother hadn't stopped me."
"I wish you had.” Maryann's eyes narrowed. “But it's hard to believe after all these years living in this little town, no one has ever connected the two of you."
"We were very careful."
Maryann threw up her hands. “Why the hell didn't you take us away from this place?"
Lilly shot her daughter a hard look. “You have no right to ask that question."
"Yes, I do. He's my father."
Maduk stared fixedly at Maryann. “I had no money and no shelter."
She advanced toward him, her shoulders set in defiance. “You could have taken us to the reservation. They'd have made sure we had a roof over our heads and food to eat. And we wouldn't have had to contend with Burke anymore."
His gaze never swayed. “They'd have turned their backs on us."
Maryann frowned. “Why?"
"Because I'd been banned from the tribe."
Her head jerked up. “What! How come?"
Lilly stepped between her daughter and Maduk. “Maryann, that's enough. You're going where it's none of your business."
Maduk put a hand on Lilly's shoulder. “Maybe it's time she knows."
Maryann gave her parents a questioning look.
Lilly clenched her hands together, and moved out of the way. “Do whatever you think best."
Maduk took a deep breath. “I killed one of my own people."
Maryann dropped into the overstuffed chair in the corner of the living room. “I can't believe what I'm hearing.” She glanced up at her father. “How and why did you kill a person of your own tribe?"
"He was an evil man and had been harassing me for a long time about going out with a married lady. Even though he came into town regularly to take advantage of the white women in the bars. One night after he'd had too much whiskey, he came back to the reservation, yelling for me to come out of my house. By the time I stepped outside, a large crowd had gathered. He claimed I dishonored our people."
"How did he know?"
"Our people know many things about each other. Not much goes by they don't see."
"So what happened?"
"He walked to the center of the yard waving a long blade and challenged me. I took my knife and met him."
Maryann's eyes were wide. “You mean, you killed him in self-defense."
"The white man called it that, but they never got involved. They let the tribal council handle it. My people said I won because I proved the better fighter. But they banned me, saying, if I killed once, I'd probably kill again and they didn't want me among them."
"That's stupid,” Maryann said in disgust. “What if it'd been the other way around?"
"The same thing. The evil one would have been run out."
Maryann rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands, then shoved her hair behind her ears. “So what are we going to do?"
Lilly stepped forward and took her daughter's hand. “Nothing for now. If you and I disappear, it will look bad. But Maduk must leave until he's cleared of suspicion. When it all blows over, we'll join him.” Lilly glanced at Maduk. “Hopefully far away from this place."
Maryann thought she noticed a tic in
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