MURDER IN TRUST©
By Pamela Garza

Divorced and single again, Maka Sioux agreed to join the Satellite Program the Counsel Elders conceived to help the youths of the Sioux Nation. She agreed to leave the reservation, get a job she was trained for, and take on as an apprentice anyone whom they chose. But as she sat in her patrol car at the train station, waiting for her next pupil, all she could think of was going back home. She felt she could do the most good there, not in some small town in Texas.

"Hi, Sheriff Maka."

"Hi, yourself, Tommy. Why aren't you in school?" She frowned disapproval at the youth with the rampant run of red hair and a toothless grin.

"Did you know that Humphrey Babbit Crankshaw checked into the hospital? Do you think they found him a kidney?"

"You haven't answered my question, Mister."

"School don't start for another 10 minutes. Anything on the hospital break-in, yet?"

"At this hour, police business is none of yours. Now get, or I'll arrest ya for truancy."

He took off running down the street without another word, for he knew she was true to hers. She smiled after him because she could identify with and appreciate his insatiable curiosity. When she heard the footsteps behind her, she automatically placed her hand on the holstered weapon at her right side, a Glock .45.

"Sheriff Maka Sioux?"

She faced a tall, lean man of about 35, who, if his eyes told the truth, had seen the horrible things in life. But they were still clear and sharp. Maka scanned him from top to bottom before she said, "What can I do for you, Stranger?"

"I'm your new pupil. I'm to apprentice under you according to the Counsel Elders."

She lifted her brow in a quirky thing she did when she thought she was being lied to. "Aren't you a little old--?"

"Here are my papers. "

She took them. "What's your story, then?"

"While in prison, I got my college degree in Criminology."

"Why did they send you to me?"

"I need the job and a chance. And on a side note, I didn't do what I was sent to prison for."

"I didn't say you did. What's your name?"

"Jacy Moon of the Sioux Nation."

"Well, Jacy Moon of the Sioux Nation, it's just that I don't know why they sent you to me. The Program is suppose to help--."

"Sheriff Maka, come in." An urgent voice came over the radio.

"What is it, Jimbo?"

"The housekeeper at the Logan place just heard a shot from the library. And she said that the old man's in there."

"Meet me there. Moon, get in." She barely waited for the man to reach the passenger's seat before she rigged the car for an emergency and peeled from the curb. Within minutes, the car slid to a stop in front of the rambling spread of Pete Logan. The housekeeper stood within the frame of the door.

"Sheriff Maka, I was just going to serve him breakfast when I heard the shot. When I called to him, he didn't answer."

"Are you sure he's in there?"

"Yes, the door's locked from the inside."

"Did you hear anything else?"

"No."

Jimbo just pulled up in his cruiser on a cloud of dust.

"Go 'round back," she ordered, as he got out of the car. "Don't go near the windows. Just watch outside until I call you."

Jimbo rushed to the back.

"Ms. Lesh, I want you to stay out of the way. Understand?" The old woman nodded looking pathetic with silent tears and a trembling body.

"Stay here, Moon. Keep everyone out. Everyone! When I want my team, I'll let you know."

She drew her weapon. She listened. The last time she walked this hall, they celebrated the sale of Logan's book at a lavish dinner party. There would be no laughter or silver on china this day.

When she came up on the library door, it was locked. There wasn't a sound coming from the other side, so she bent to pick the lock. With weapon drawn once again, she pushed the door open all the way so she could see behind it. She switched her position to the other side of the door.

The body humped over the desk was the first thing she saw. But no matter what her first assumptions were, she had to secure the room. She checked every closet and niche. The room was empty.

After holstering her weapon, she checked for a pulse. Mr. Logan would not be finishing his latest book. Maka Sioux took a moment to regret the loss of life in such a violent manner, and to swallow the lump of revulsion that was building in her throat. She had to suppress her personal feelings at the sight of a friend killed by his own hand.

The man's head was face down on the desk. A .22 revolver, Black Hawk was still in his left hand, the barrel not far from the impact wound in his head.

His desk was littered with the usual equipment of a writer, pens, paper, reference books on the right, but there was no suicide note.

"Jimbo!" She got his attention by the 2-way. "Logan's killed himself. Rope off the area. All of it. Don't let anyone in here, except the new guy, Jacy Moon. He came in with me."

When Moon appeared at the doorway, she said, "You have everything you need in that bag to start on your first case?"

"Yes, Sheriff. Is it a suicide?"

"It appears to be, but there's no note. What person bent on taking his own life could resist getting in the last word?"

She slipped on plastic gloves as she spoke. "Get a picture of how the body is situated from the left side, a wide angle and a close-up of the hand."

"Maka?" It was Jimbo. "The Justice of the Peace is here with Crankshaw's physician. Should I let them in?"

"How'd they get here so fast?"

"Well, news travels fast in a small town."

"I'll be right there." She turned her radio off. "Moon, I don't want anyone else in here."

"So I have a job?"

She smiled. "...And a chance. You're working for me, you realize. On the scene, on the job, you only take orders from me. Think you can handle that?"

She didn't wait for an answer. If the Counsel thought he'd have a problem with that, they wouldn't have sent him.

Just before she came upon the entrance, the housekeeper came out of the shadows.

"Sheriff?"

"Ms. Lesh, I'm afraid the worst has happened. Mr. Logan is dead. Can you stay in your room until I call for you."

"Sheriff Maka." Fred Hart called from the door. "You can't keep me out of there. I'm the Justice of the Peace in this town. You know it's my job to be on the scene to declare him dead."

"Trust me, Fred. He's dead. And I'm not finished, yet. What's the rush?"

"Mr. Logan is a compatible kidney donor for Mr. Crankshaw. I've been asked to declare him dead so the doctor here can take the kidney."

Maka looked past him at the Doctor Kelly.

"We have to work fast here, Sheriff."

"How did you know he was a donor, Doc?"

"What difference does it make? He's got no family. Release the body so I can get that kidney. We're talking about saving Mr. Crankshaw's life, the most leading citizen in this community."

"You'll just have to wait, Doctor. And the longer I stand here arguing about it, the longer Crankshaw waits for that kidney." She turned abruptly.

"Keep 'em here, Jimbo." Once back in the library, she addressed Jacy Moon. "How much more time will you need"

"I just have to check a few more things, why?"

"Nothing. Just let me know." She put fresh gloves on, examined the locks on all entrances to the room. The French door in direct line with his left hand was locked and so was the large window behind the desk.

"Are you finished with the French doors?"

"Yes, Ma'm."

She opened them, and dropped to her knees to examine the ground. She glanced back at the body.

"Jacy, come here." The order was almost a whisper.

As soon as he came up on her, he saw what she saw, and started taking pictures.

"You can barely see the imprint of the overturned pebble. How did you know?" His query matched hers in tone.

"Mr. Logan was right handed. We need to act fast. You go out this way. Jump to the grass so you don't disturb the dirt. At the bottom of this hill is a road. Check for signs of a car having parked there. Collect all the evidence you can. I have to check a few things here."

"Are you sure? You might be in danger."

"Just be quick."

She watched him cross the lawn and closed the door. She hustled to find and open the man's wallet. There was no indication on his license that he was an organ donor. Two hundred dollars was still in the billfold. Next, she lifted the thumb of the victim's left hand. Ridges from the hammer were still imprinted on the pad.

Then, she quickly broke the gun down into pieces. She knew it was Logan's gun. There was a empty display spot on the wall above the fireplace. The firing pin had been recently filed down to make a hair trigger. The metal where the filing occurred was still shiny.

The murder scenario was forming in her mind, a scenario that told her the who as well as the how. Jacy was right. She was in a lot of trouble. There was only one person in town who knew weapons well enough to file the firing pin of Logan's own gun, and rig it with some kind of line to pull the trigger while standing outside the locked French door.

There was only one person in town who'd have access to the kind of drug needed to keep Mr. Logan subdued while his body and the gun were rigged to make it look like a suicide. Lastly, there was only one person with the authority to confirm a suicide in order to cover up a murder.

A noise at the door! In a covert move, she withdrew her side arm, and kept it out of sight.

"Maka."

"Jimbo."

They stood staring at each other for a long time. Doctor Kelly and Fred Hart appeared behind him. She watched as they entered the room.

"A conspiracy, then?"

"Does it make any difference?"

"No, I suppose not. You're all under arrest. Jimbo, you need to stay where you are."

"Can you be reasonable?"

"About as reasonable as you were with him."

"Mr. Crankshaw offered us a lot of money."

"Why didn't you share it with him?"

"He hated Crankshaw. He wouldn't give a kidney to save his life."

"He would have if the price had been right. Obviously Crankshaw wasn't prepared to go high enough, a man who puts a low value on human life. The 3 of you do well to remember that when you face execution for murder."

Jimbo turned toward the 2 at the door. "I told you she'd have nothing to do with it."

"We had to try considering the alternative," said Hart. "You'll have to step aside now. I must declare this murder a suicide."

Suddenly, Jimbo reached for his gun. Maka raised her weapon and shot him. She turned to Hart and Kelly.

"Crankshaw will not be getting Mr. Logan's kidney. He was not an organ donor. Of all the documents you stole from the hospital to hide that fact, you can't alter the records from the Department of Motor Vehicles. Now, up against the wall. Feet back, further!"

Coming out from behind the desk, she picked up Jimbo's gun and retrieved the back-up weapon from his ankle holster. Only after holstering her weapon to handcuff her prisoners did she hear the sound behind her.

Jimbo stumbled into her with a grip that pinned her arms to her sides. The others helped him to wrestle her to the floor. Maka stopped thrashing when a slow Jimbo leveled the gun to her head.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"You mean Jacy Moon? The 3 of us have the power to neutralize him."

Moon had been silent before the jump. He had Jimbo on the floor in a flurry of grunts. Maka took advantage of the others' indecision to act. Lifting her left leg, she caught the Doctor by his head and crushed it to the floor. When he let go of her arm, she thrust up the heal of her hand to hit Hart under his chin. When he let go of her arm, she brought both hands together to deliver a double-fisted blow to the back of Kelly's neck. A quick jerk of a back fist to Hart's nose freed her from the entanglement of their grasp.

She leaped from her prone position, kicked Hart in the face and Kelly in the gut. When they were motionless on the floor, she turned to watch Jacy cuff the wounded man. Their eyes met.

"You alright?"

She could only nod, but held his eyes for a long time. The Counsel Elders had sent him here for a reason different than him training as an apprentice. He was here to stay for as long as she needed him to support her.

Suddenly, she no longer felt the need to go back to the Reservation. Her work in helping her people was right here... for a long time.