CHAPTER FOUR #2
A woman studying the ground not far away looked up. She was in her early thirties, Kari guessed, with dark hair pulled back in a practical bun and sharp, intelligent eyes. She wore a Hopi Tribal Police uniform and moved with the confidence of someone who knew her job well.
She approached, her gaze flicking between Kari and the chief with an expression that was not particularly warm.
"Officer Polacca, this is Detective Kari Blackhorse from Navajo Nation PD.
She's going to be working the Lomahongva case.
" Lomayesva's tone made it clear this was an order, not a request. "I want you to assist her in whatever capacity she needs.
Show her around, provide cultural context, and make introductions.
She has my full authorization to investigate, but she'll need your help to navigate. "
Polacca's expression didn't change, but Kari saw something flicker in her eyes—surprise, maybe, or resistance. When she spoke, her voice was measured and professional. "Understood, Chief."
Lomayesva turned back to Kari. "Sarah has been with the department for eight years, knows the community well, and has experience with sensitive cases." Lomayesva looked at Polacca. "I'm counting on you to provide Detective Blackhorse with everything she needs. This case is priority one."
"Yes, sir." Polacca's gaze shifted to Kari, and for the first time, their eyes met directly. The officer's expression was polite but distant, the look of someone who was going to follow orders but wasn't necessarily happy about it.
Kari recognized the dynamic immediately.
Polacca viewed her as an outsider, someone who shouldn't be here, someone who was only here because the chief had made a choice that probably wasn't popular with the rank and file.
The historical tensions between their peoples were a current running beneath the surface of every interaction, unspoken but present.
"Officer Polacca," Kari said, keeping her tone respectful. "I appreciate your willingness to work with me. I know this situation is… unusual."
"It is." Polacca's response was flat, giving nothing away. "But if the chief thinks it's necessary, then I'll do my job."
The message was clear: this was duty, not partnership. At least not yet.
"Good." Lomayesva seemed either oblivious to the tension or deliberately ignoring it. "Polacca, bring Detective Blackhorse up to speed on everything we have so far. She'll need access to all the evidence."
"What about her partner?" Polacca asked. "Detective Tsosie. Is he involved in this investigation as well?"
"That's Detective Blackhorse's call," Lomayesva said, looking at Kari. "Do you need him?"
Kari hesitated. Every instinct told her to keep Ben close—his steady presence, his analytical mind, the way they could work a scene together with the kind of shorthand that came from months of partnership.
She'd told him just an hour ago that she understood his concerns about her being alone in unfamiliar territory investigating something the locals couldn't handle themselves.
But she could also see the calculation in Polacca's eyes, the way the officer's jaw had tightened when Lomayesva assigned her to work with even one Navajo detective.
Bringing in two would feel like an invasion, like taking over rather than assisting.
And right now, before she even understood what she was dealing with, she needed cooperation more than backup.
It was a strategic sacrifice, and she didn't like making it.
"Not for now," Kari said, the words feeling heavier than they should. "I'll call him if I need him. He can head back to our station and coordinate from there." She had a feeling this might hurt Ben, but she knew that his highest concern would be what was best for the case.
Lomayesva nodded approvingly. "I'll have someone let him know.
" He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text, then looked at both women.
"I have to brief the tribal council this afternoon about the investigation.
They're going to want assurances that we're handling this appropriately, that outside involvement is minimal and controlled.
I need results, and I need them fast. The longer this goes unsolved, the more people are going to demand I shut down the outside help and keep it internal. "
"Understood," Kari said.
"Polacca, you report directly to me on this. Anything Detective Blackhorse needs, she gets. Any resistance from the community, you bring it to me immediately." His tone made it clear this was non-negotiable. "Clear?"
"Clear, Chief."
Lomayesva took one more look at the crime scene, his expression heavy with a mix of grief and anger, then headed back toward his vehicle. "I'll leave you two to it. Stay in touch."
When the chief's vehicle had disappeared down the dirt track, leaving a trail of dust hanging in the still air, Kari pulled out her phone. "Give me a minute," she said to Polacca. "I need to update my partner."
Polacca nodded and moved off toward the evidence markers, giving her space.
Ben answered on the second ring. "How bad is it?"
"Bad. Murder, desecration of an ancient burial site, victim posed with artifacts." Kari kept her voice low. "Chief wants me to work it, but he's assigned me a local officer to partner with. Bringing you in right now would... complicate things."
There was a pause. She could practically hear Ben processing this, weighing his concern against the practical realities. "You sure about this?"
"No. But I don't see another option. The community's already going to be resistant to one Navajo detective. Two would feel like we're taking over."
"And if this gets dangerous?"
"Then I call you." Kari glanced at Polacca, who was crouched by one of the evidence markers, pointedly not listening. "The officer I'm working with—Polacca—she's not exactly thrilled about this arrangement. But she's a professional. I think we can make it work."
Another pause. "Alright. But Kari, if anything feels wrong—"
"I know. I'll be careful." The concern in his voice had made her chest tighten. "Tell Captain Yazzie what's happening. I'll send a full report tonight."
"I'll pass that along."
She ended the call and pocketed her phone, then turned back toward Polacca and the crime scene. The officer was standing now, watching her with an expression that was carefully neutral.
"All good?" Polacca asked.
"All good."
They were both silent for several moments.
Finally, Polacca spoke. "The tech finished processing about an hour before you arrived.
She's already taken preliminary samples back to our lab.
The ME is planning to do the autopsy this afternoon.
" She gestured toward the taped area. "Everything's been photographed and documented.
If you want to see the case file, I can take you back to the station. "
"I'd like to look around a bit more first," Kari said. "Get a feel for the scene. If that's alright."
Polacca's expression remained neutral. "It's your investigation. Apparently."
The edge in those last two words was subtle but unmistakable.
Kari decided to address it head-on rather than let it fester.
"Look, Officer Polacca, I know this situation isn't ideal.
I'm not here to take over or to tell you how to do your job.
I'm here because your chief asked for an outside perspective. That's all."
"An outside perspective from a Navajo detective." Polacca's tone was flat. "You don't think that's going to cause issues?"
"Probably. But less than if this case goes unsolved because everyone's too close to it." Kari met her eyes steadily. "I'm not your enemy. I'm just trying to help find whoever killed Patricia Lomahongva."
Polacca was quiet for a moment, her jaw tight. Then she gave a short nod. "Fine. What do you want to look at?"
"Everything. But let's start with the approach. Show me how someone would have accessed this site without being seen."
Polacca hesitated, then gestured for Kari to follow.
They walked the perimeter of the crime scene, Polacca pointing out the terrain features, the sight lines, the places where evidence markers indicated someone had walked.
As they moved, she explained the layout of the area, which dirt roads led here, which families had traditional claims to this land.
Kari listened carefully, not just to the words but to what wasn't being said. Polacca was thorough, but there was a distance in her voice, a holding back. She was sharing information because she'd been ordered to, not because she trusted Kari or wanted her here.
It was going to be a long investigation.
As they completed their circuit of the scene and returned to where they'd started, Kari said, "Officer Polacca, I need you to be honest with me about something."
"What?"
"Do you think someone from your community did this?"
Polacca's eyes flickered with something—anger, maybe, or fear.
"I think someone who understands our ways did this.
Whether they're from here or whether they learned it elsewhere.
.." She shook her head. "I don't know. And that's what scares people.
The idea that this kind of knowledge, this kind of violation, could come from within. "
"Scares you too?"
"Yeah." The admission seemed to cost Polacca something. "It does."
Kari nodded, recognizing the honesty for what it was—a small opening, a crack in her defenses. It wasn't trust, not yet. But it was a start.
"Then let's figure out who did this," Kari said. "Together."
Polacca studied her for a long moment, then gave another short nod. "Alright. Let's start with the victim's background. Patricia's office is at the Cultural Center. I can take you there, let you see her workspace, talk to people who knew her."
"That would be helpful."
As they walked back toward Polacca's patrol vehicle, Kari took one last look at the crime scene. The ancient burial site, violated and exposed. The careful arrangement that spoke of ritual and knowledge. The death of a woman who had been helping families understand their heritage.
She thought about the seventeen unsolved cases in the archives, about deaths at sacred sites explained away as accidents, about patterns that spanned decades and crossed tribal boundaries.
Her mother's voice echoed in her memory: The present and the past aren't separate. They're threads in the same weaving.