Lori Armstrong - No Mercy: A Mercy Gunderson Mystery

Levi. Hes staying here, right?

Why would he be here?

Dont patronize me. I know you told him he could move in with you after all the junk that happened yesterday. She angled her head so her crown nearly touched the door frame. It made her neck look broken. I thought of Albert Yellow Boy and fought a shiver.

We talked about it, but nothing was set in stone. He was supposed to discuss it with you first.

He didnt talk, he yelled. And he wasnt in his bed when I checked on him this morning. But he left that damn dog locked in his room, barking like a fiend. I swear

I tuned her out for a second. Levi wouldnt have gone far without Shoonga.

besides, hes never up this early.

Maybe hes turning over a new leaf.

She gaped at me as if Id lost my mind.

Did you ask Jake if hes seen him? A couple of times since Dawson brought him here in cuffs, Id seen Levi hanging out and helping Jake early in the morning.

Hes not with Jake. Whenever Levi gets his mad on like this, he runs off. I dont know where.

You should. Give him some time.

Time? Ive hardly seen him since Daddy died. Acting all secretive. I think hes sneaking off to meet a girl.

Sue Annes pretty face swam into my minds eye. Would that be so bad?

No. But why wouldnt he tell me?

Why didnt you tell him you were pregnant?

Temper put color back in her cheeks. You trying to turn my boy against me?

I powered down my computer, using it as an excuse to gather my thoughts and smack a lid on my anger. When the screen blanked, I looked at her. Thats what you think? Im trying to turn Levi against you?

Her lip wobbled. She nodded.

Instead of responding with a nicety, the devil on my shoulder jabbed the pitchfork in my tongue. What came out was, Why would I have to turn him against you when youve been doing such a good job of it yourself?

That was mean, she whispered through her tears.

A man metastasized beside her. I agree.

Who the hell are you?

Theo Murphy.

Great. Mr. Wonderful. Mr. Fertile.

Hope thought we should meet.

I heaved myself off the couch and thrust out my hand. Mercy Gunderson. I studied him. Didnt care if it made him uncomfortable. He epitomized the soft, intellectual type, who tried too hard to be hip. Square glasses centered on a pudgy face that wouldve been handsome a decade ago. Limp, dulled brown hair, thinning on top. Hed secured his shoulder-length hair in a leather tie at the base of his neck. A tan, V-necked tunic, probably made of hemp, hung off his slight frame like an antique flour sack. Stick-thin, hairy calves stuck out from the bottom of faded khaki cargo shorts. On his feet were ratty-fringed moccasins the color of bleached deerskin.

Wow. So not impressed.

I gestured to the kitchen. We can talk in there.

After he pulled out two kitchen chairs, he set his elbows on the table and smiled earnestly. I imagine you have all sorts of questions.

Yeah, like why the hell have you been lurking in the background? Probably not the best way to phrase it. I do. First off, why the secrecy about your relationship?

Theo gave Hope an indulgent look. Your father was dying. I didnt want to intrude on the time he had left with his family. And Hope didnt want to cause him any more worry. Especially when you didnt come home before he passed on.

Bringing up my daughterly failing first thing? Zero brownie points for him.

I can see where Dad wouldve been stressed about some stranger knocking up his daughter and then that guy not having the balls to face him. Dammit. It just slipped out.

Mercy!

Its okay, Hope, your sister has a right to her concerns. His shit-brown eyes never wavered from mine.

Maybe I was being too hard on him. Lets start over. Why dont you tell me about yourself, Theo? Where youre from, what you do for a living, all that jazz.

Im from Oklahoma.

Are you Indian?

He preened. My great-grandfather was part Cherokee.

I barely resisted rolling my eyes. A big joke on the rez was if everybody who claimed to have some Cherokee blood stood in a line, itd stretch from reservation to reservation across the country, without a single red face in the crowd. What did you do before you moved here?

For the past few years I worked in North Dakota doing research and studying the effects on the land and the culture of introducing buffalo back to their native habitat.

Research like returning a big chunk of the Midwest to a gigantic buffalo commons?

Youve heard about it!

Crap. The gleam in his eye meant one thing: I was in for a lecture if I showed my ignorance. Or interest. I was so screwed. When in doubt, pull a standard South Dakota trick and change the subject to the weather. It mustve been a big change, from humidity to the desert-dry conditions here.

Yes, but I missed teaching.

So thats all you do? Teach summer school part-time at the community center?

Mercy!

I can provide for Hope and the baby, if thats what youre insinuating.

Whoa. Testy. And Levi? I prompted. You willing to provide for him?

Until hes of age.

A pall fell over the room.

So tell me about you. Theo smiled benignly. What do you do in the army?

Heavy-equipment transportation.

A truck driver? Seen any combat situations?

A couple of close calls. We were out of range in the field outside of Beiji and majorly affected by a massive communication breakdown, which is a big reason I didnt know about Dad. That lie never got easier.

He nodded sympathetically and reached for Hopes hand. Well, youre here now, if only temporarily. Hope has talked about the decision you two have to make and how much shes going to miss this place.

Hopes mouth opened, ready to dispute him, but Sophie bustled in. Hope compressed her lips and looked at her hands.

Sophies gaze encompassed the empty table. You didnt get them coffee, Mercy?

As far as I was concerned, company manners didnt apply to my sister and her freeloading boyfriend.

Thats okay, Sophie. We were just leaving. Im dropping Hope off before I head out of town for a seminar in Rosebud. Theo pushed to his feet. Im sure well be seeing each other again.

For one scary second I was afraid hed try to hug me. Instead, he helped Hope up. Whew. I probably wouldve punched him. Overgrown pothead. He was the pseudo-intellectual type whod call marijuana peyote and pretend smoking it was a cultural thing when in actuality he just liked getting stoned.

Yeah, doubtful he and I were going to be best friends.

called again. You really should call them back, Mercy, Sophie chided.

Everyone was looking at me. What?

That pushy nurse from the VA. Second time this week. Said you never called her back.

Was nothing around here private? How many people had Sophie told about my visits to the VA?

VA? Is everything okay? Theo asked.

My answering smile was pure plaster. Fine. Just some routine tests while Im stateside.

He patted Hopes stomach. Plenty of doctor appointments coming up for us, arent there, blossom?

Blossom? Oh, youve got to be fucking kidding me.

Theyd nearly reached the door when I remembered the real reason Hope barged in here. Let me know when you hear from Levi, okay?

If the hangdog expression on her face was any indication, shed completely forgotten about him.

Thats when I started to worry.