Coel - The Shadow Dancer

Table of Contents

Praise for Margaret Coels national bestselling series ...

THE THUNDER KEEPER

Coel has obvious respect for the land and people who populate it... She creates dense and compelling characters in complex stories to entertain her loyal fans. The Denver Post

Coel gets the atmosphere just right. She is on original and interesting ground. Publishers Weekly

THE SPIRIT WOMAN

Intriguing Arapaho and Shoshone history and realistic treatment of contemporary Native American issues make this cozy a winner.

Library Journal

A well-drawn tale. Margaret Coel changes the direction of the series so that there is an added freshness that doesnt lose the essence of the Wind River mysteries. Midwest Book Review

Gives the readers a rare look into the lives of the Arapahos, and they can feel the pain of a nation forced to live by the white mans standards. This is one of those books that keeps the blood pumping. Tight tension keeps it moving at an accelerating pace.

Rendezvous

THE LOST BIRD

A truly touching story... the whole book is infused with the spirit of the Arapaho community.Sarah Smith, author of The Knowledge of Water

Among the best mysteries of the year. She writes vividly about western landscapes and Native American customs... Coel is clearly at the top of her game. Booklist (starred review)

An engrossing mystery and a great read. Margaret Coel manages to have enjoyable characters and a super mysterynot an easy task. The Literary Times

THE STORY TELLER

Vivid western landscapes, intriguing history, compelling characters, and quick, tight writing that is a joy to read... Holden is a unique mix of the modern and the traditional. One of the best of the year. Booklist (starred review)

All the strengths of this fine series are present here: Coels knowledge of and respect for western history, a solid mystery with a credible premise in Indian lore, and the struggles of Holden and OMalley with their powerful, but so far unconsummated, attraction to each other. Publishers Weekly

THE DREAM STALKER

Seamless storytelling by someone whos obviously been there.

J. A. Jance

Critics who have called Coel a female Hillerman are right on the mark. The Boulder Daily Camera

Murder, romance, a nuclear storage facility, and Indian lore blend appealingly in this third mystery... Another coup for Coel.

Publishers Weekly

THE GHOST WALKER

Margaret Coel guides us mystery lovers on another of her gripping tours of evil among the Wind River Arapahos.

Tony Hillerman

Coel is a vivid voice for the West, its struggles to retain its past and at the same time enjoy the fruits of the future.

The Dallas Morning News

A corking good read... Excellent... An outstanding entry in a superior series. Booklist (starred review)

A tautly written, compelling mystery, grounded in and sympathetic to the Arapaho culture. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

THE EAGLE CATCHER

Margaret Coels account of dastardly deeds among the Arapahos on the Wind River Reservation shouldnt be missed by anyone interested in either new trends in mystery writing or contemporary American Indian culture. Shes a master at both.

Tony Hillerman

An uncanny sense of dialogue... Coel merges her grasp of history with the mystery genre. The result is so successful, you wonder what took her so long. The Denver Post

Insightful commentary about Arapaho culture, well-drawn characters, and a lively pace. Publishers Weekly

If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either
are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously,
and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business
establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

THE SHADOW DANCER

A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author

Copyright 2002 by Margaret Coel.

All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without
permission.The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the
Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is
illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic
editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of
copyrighted materials. Your support of the authors rights is appreciated.
For information address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

ISBN : 978-1-4406-2774-3

Berkley Prime Crime Books are published
by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
The name BERKLEY PRIME CRIME and the BERKLEY PRIME
CRIME design are trademarks belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

http://us.penguingroup.com

Acknowledgments

Many people read all or parts of this manuscript and contributed the expertise and good judgment to make the story much better than it otherwise would have been. I am very grateful. My sincere thanks to:

Thomas D. Lustig, senior staff attorney, Rocky Mountain Natural Resources Clinic, National Wildlife Federation; Thomas Dougherty, senior advisor, office of the president, National Wildlife Federation; Mike Pease, bomb disposal officer, Boulder Police Department; J. David Love, Ph.D., retired research geologist, U.S. Geological Survey, and Jane Love, friends and excellent advisers, as are Swede Johnson, attorney, and Elizabeth Girard, M.D.; Elaine Long, author of Jennies Mountain , a friend and writer whom Ive long admired; Arthur Long, expert on many subjects, including dynamite; John Dix, my nephew and the best baseball player I know; Carl Starkloff, S.J., and Anthony Short, S.J., valued friends and consultants, both formerly of St. Stephens Mission on the Wind River Reservation; Beverly Carrigan and Carl Schneider, also valued friends and sharp-eyed readers; Karen Gilleland, another excellent friend and gifted writer; Virginia Sutter, Ph.D., member of the Arapaho tribe, long-time friend who has taught me much about the Arapaho Way; and Kristin Coel Henderson, my daughter, and George Coel, my husband, the best consultants and toughest critics of all.

Dedicated to

Eleanor Margaret Henderson

Father, the morning star!
Look on us. We have danced until daybreak.
We have danced until daybreak.
Take pity on us.
Take pity on us.
Hi i i !

Stand ready!
Stand ready!
So that when the crow calls you,
You will see him.
You will see him.

ARAPAHO SONGS

My relations, stand ready, stand ready. I bring you the words of the father himself, Hesunanin. The father sent the lightning that cleansed and burned me into the ground. He took me to the shadow land, where I saw the ancestors: Black Coal, Sharp Nose, Yellow Calf, Little Raven, Medicine Man, Left Hand. I saw the beautiful women standing tall and proud and the children running and playing with hoops and sticks. The father told me to tell you that the new world is coming. Already crow is flying on the clouds and bringing the ancestors back to us. They come with the mighty herds of buffalo, deer, and elk. Once again the white lodges will spread beneath the cottonwoods. Green grass will cover the plains. There will be wild fruits and vegetables, and the rivers will run clean. The father will keep his promise to us. The new world will slide over the old, like the right hand over the left.Next page