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Hillerman, Tony - [Leaphorn & Chee 02] by jpg] Dance Hall Of The Dead (v1[1].0) [html Page A
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Whoever it was was looking for something. Searched through everything in the hogan. O.K. Think about it a little bit. Somebody kills the Cata boy. Two days later somebody kills George's dad and searches George's hogan." He looked at her. "What do you think? I'm nervous about George. Two killings, very much alike, and George is the only thing that connects the two of them."
"You mean George's father was killed. And you think somebody might be…"
Leaphorn shrugged. "
Quién sabe
? His friend gets killed, George disappears, his daddy gets killed, what's next? It makes me nervous."
"I didn't know his dad had been killed. I thought he just died."
"After George talked to you Monday, he went to their hogan. When Cecil got home Monday night, he found their horse was gone and their 30-30, and some of George's clothes. And George had left a note. He told Cecil he had some business with a kachina, or kachinas, and he was going to take care of it, and he'd be gone several days. Now, does that suggest anything to you? Did he say anything here about that?"
Susanne was frowning. "He was in a hurry. I remember that. Sweating like he'd been running." She squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating. "He said he wanted to get some venison. And when Halsey said no, George and I went out of the hogan. Then he started asking me about the Zuñi religion. I remember what he said, and what I said."
She opened her eyes and looked at Leaphorn. "I already told you that, about telling him I only knew what little Ted told me. And then he asked me if the Council of the Gods forgave people for breaking taboos. I said I didn't know anything about it. And then he said something about going to a dance hall, or to a dance, or something like that." She frowned again. "I think I must have misunderstood him. It sounded something like that, but that doesn't make much sense."
"Dance hall? I don't seem to…"
"It was something about a dance hall. I remember because I thought it sounded crazy at the time."
"I'll do some asking around," Leaphorn said. "Another thing. I don't think you should stay here anymore. I don't think it's safe."
"Why not?"
"It's not much more than just a feeling," Leaphorn said. "But George didn't have very many people close to him. And now two of them are dead. So that leaves you, and maybe Ted Isaacs, and as far as anybody knows, that's about all."
There was more to the feeling than that. There was the hostility of Halsey and Hair in Bun, and there was Mr. Baker grinning in the background, smelling heroin in the wind. And O'Malley's uncasual remark about low-flying planes. Whether or not Halsey's commune was a cover for delivery of Mexican narcotics flown up across the Sonoran desert, there were narcotics around. The condition of the man called Otis testified to that. It would be only a matter of time before Baker moved in.
"By the way," Leaphorn said. "How's Otis?"
"He's gone. Halsey took him into the bus station at Gallup yesterday."
"Was he better?"
"Maybe a little," Susanne said. "I don't think so." She paused. "Look," she said, "do you think Ted might be in any danger?"
"I don't know," Leaphorn said. "I wouldn't have figured Shorty Bowlegs was in any danger. Either somebody had a reason for killing him that we don't know about, or somebody was looking for George and he got in the way. To tell the truth, after that I'm nervous about
anybody
connected with George. That includes you."
"Have you warned Ted? You ought to warn him. Tell him to go back to Albuquerque. Tell him to get away from here." She looked distraught.
"I will," Leaphorn said. "I'm telling you, too. Get away from here."
"I can't," Susanne said. "But he could. There's no reason he can't."
"You can, too," Leaphorn said. "Go. What keeps you here?"
She moved her shoulders, opened her hands, a gesture of helplessness. "I don't have anyplace to go."
"Go back to your family."
"No. There isn't any family."
"Everybody's got a family. You said you had a parent.
"You mean George's father was killed. And you think somebody might be…"
Leaphorn shrugged. "
Quién sabe
? His friend gets killed, George disappears, his daddy gets killed, what's next? It makes me nervous."
"I didn't know his dad had been killed. I thought he just died."
"After George talked to you Monday, he went to their hogan. When Cecil got home Monday night, he found their horse was gone and their 30-30, and some of George's clothes. And George had left a note. He told Cecil he had some business with a kachina, or kachinas, and he was going to take care of it, and he'd be gone several days. Now, does that suggest anything to you? Did he say anything here about that?"
Susanne was frowning. "He was in a hurry. I remember that. Sweating like he'd been running." She squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating. "He said he wanted to get some venison. And when Halsey said no, George and I went out of the hogan. Then he started asking me about the Zuñi religion. I remember what he said, and what I said."
She opened her eyes and looked at Leaphorn. "I already told you that, about telling him I only knew what little Ted told me. And then he asked me if the Council of the Gods forgave people for breaking taboos. I said I didn't know anything about it. And then he said something about going to a dance hall, or to a dance, or something like that." She frowned again. "I think I must have misunderstood him. It sounded something like that, but that doesn't make much sense."
"Dance hall? I don't seem to…"
"It was something about a dance hall. I remember because I thought it sounded crazy at the time."
"I'll do some asking around," Leaphorn said. "Another thing. I don't think you should stay here anymore. I don't think it's safe."
"Why not?"
"It's not much more than just a feeling," Leaphorn said. "But George didn't have very many people close to him. And now two of them are dead. So that leaves you, and maybe Ted Isaacs, and as far as anybody knows, that's about all."
There was more to the feeling than that. There was the hostility of Halsey and Hair in Bun, and there was Mr. Baker grinning in the background, smelling heroin in the wind. And O'Malley's uncasual remark about low-flying planes. Whether or not Halsey's commune was a cover for delivery of Mexican narcotics flown up across the Sonoran desert, there were narcotics around. The condition of the man called Otis testified to that. It would be only a matter of time before Baker moved in.
"By the way," Leaphorn said. "How's Otis?"
"He's gone. Halsey took him into the bus station at Gallup yesterday."
"Was he better?"
"Maybe a little," Susanne said. "I don't think so." She paused. "Look," she said, "do you think Ted might be in any danger?"
"I don't know," Leaphorn said. "I wouldn't have figured Shorty Bowlegs was in any danger. Either somebody had a reason for killing him that we don't know about, or somebody was looking for George and he got in the way. To tell the truth, after that I'm nervous about
anybody
connected with George. That includes you."
"Have you warned Ted? You ought to warn him. Tell him to go back to Albuquerque. Tell him to get away from here." She looked distraught.
"I will," Leaphorn said. "I'm telling you, too. Get away from here."
"I can't," Susanne said. "But he could. There's no reason he can't."
"You can, too," Leaphorn said. "Go. What keeps you here?"
She moved her shoulders, opened her hands, a gesture of helplessness. "I don't have anyplace to go."
"Go back to your family."
"No. There isn't any family."
"Everybody's got a family. You said you had a parent.
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