CHAPTER ELEVEN #2
"I pushed too hard," Kari said.
"They needed to hear it." He shook his head. "But the chairman is dug in. If he opposes authorization, he'll carry most of the council with him. He has that kind of influence."
"Why is he so opposed?" Polacca asked. "It's not just about general privacy concerns. There's something specific driving his resistance."
Chief Lomayesva was quiet for a moment, clearly weighing how much to share.
"The chairman's daughter married outside the tribe.
Her children are enrolled, but it's been challenged before—questions about blood quantum, documentation issues.
If Patricia's research includes data about the Namingha family, if it reveals anything that could be used to challenge his grandchildren's enrollment. .." He trailed off.
Kari understood immediately. The chairman wasn't just protecting abstract principles. He was protecting his family. And that made him a formidable opponent because his opposition was personal, not just political.
They waited for forty minutes. Kari paced the small antechamber, her mind churning through alternatives.
If the council refused, what options remained?
Could she get a warrant? Probably not, given the political sensitivities and the lack of concrete evidence tying the genealogical data directly to the murders.
Could she convince Emma to share the information anyway?
No, Emma had made it clear she wouldn't defy the council's instructions.
Which left them with the encrypted computer files and Lucas's increasingly frustrated attempts to crack them. Not exactly a promising path.
The door opened. A council member gestured for them to return.
Back in the chambers, Chairman Namingha's expression told Kari everything she needed to know before he even spoke.
"Detective Blackhorse, the council has decided that we cannot authorize the release of the genealogical research data at this time. The privacy concerns are too significant, and we're not convinced that the information would be relevant to your investigation."
"Not relevant?" Kari couldn't keep the disbelief from her voice. "Both victims worked on this project. They were killed days before they were scheduled to present their findings. How is that not relevant?"
"Correlation is not causation, Detective. Yes, both victims were involved in the project. But you haven't demonstrated a direct link between the specific data they collected and their murders. You're asking us to compromise dozens of families' privacy based on speculation."
"With respect, Mr. Chairman, I can't demonstrate that direct link without seeing the data. That's circular reasoning—"
Chairman Namingha held up a hand. "Our decision is final.
However, we're not unsympathetic to your investigation.
We're authorizing Chief Lomayesva to provide you with whatever resources and personnel you need.
We're also directing Emma Talayesva to share general information about the project's methodology and scope—nothing that identifies specific families or individuals, but enough to help you understand the context. "
It was a compromise that gave Kari almost nothing useful. General methodology wouldn't tell her what specific discoveries had gotten Patricia and Robert killed. It wouldn't reveal which families might feel threatened by the findings. It wouldn't point her toward a suspect.
"Thank you for your consideration," Kari said, forcing the words out through clenched teeth.
"We hope you'll solve these crimes quickly, Detective. For all our sakes." Chairman Namingha's tone made it clear the meeting was over.
Outside, the late afternoon sun was harsh and bright. Kari walked to Polacca's vehicle in silence, her mind racing through the implications of the council's refusal.
"That was bullshit," Polacca said quietly once they were alone in the vehicle. "Complete bullshit."
Kari looked at her, surprised by the open frustration in Polacca's voice.
"They're more concerned about politics than justice," Polacca continued.
"More worried about enrollment disputes and family embarrassment than catching whoever killed Patricia and Robert.
" She gripped the steering wheel hard enough that her knuckles went white.
"I know the chairman has personal reasons.
I get it. But two people are dead. That should matter more than protecting his grandchildren's enrollment status. "
"You agree with me?" Kari asked. "About needing the data?"
"Of course, I agree with you. I've agreed with you since the beginning—I just knew there was a good chance the council would refuse." Polacca's voice was bitter. "I wanted to believe they'd do the right thing. I was wrong."
It was the most honest, unguarded thing Polacca had said since they'd started working together. Kari felt a surge of gratitude. They were truly partners now, united by a common obstacle—the institutional barriers that were preventing them from doing their jobs.
"So where does that leave us?" Kari asked.
"With encrypted files that might take weeks to crack. With general project information that won't tell us anything specific. With nothing concrete linking anyone to the crimes." Polacca started the engine. "We're stuck."
"There has to be another way to get the information we need."
"Like what? Breaking into Emma's office and stealing the files? Hacking Patricia's computer ourselves? Both of those are illegal and would get us fired, and the evidence would be inadmissible anyway."
Kari knew Polacca was right. They needed to work within the system, even when the system was actively impeding the investigation. But that didn't mean there weren't other angles to pursue.
"The crime scenes," Kari said slowly. "We've been so focused on the genealogical data that we haven't fully analyzed the physical evidence from the murder sites. What if there's something there we missed?"
"Both scenes have been processed thoroughly already."
"But maybe we're not asking the right questions about what's been found. The specific artifacts used, their arrangement, the locations chosen—Michael said those details suggested someone with deep knowledge. What if we can narrow down who has that exact combination of knowledge and access?"
Kari was thinking out loud now, trying to find a path forward. "And we go back to the victims' lives—not just their work on the genealogical project, but everything. Relationships, conflicts, people who might have felt threatened by them personally."
Polacca pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the police station. "That's a lot of legwork with no guarantee it'll lead anywhere."
"You have a better idea?"
"No." Polacca sighed. "I just... I want to solve this. Patricia and Robert deserved better. The community deserves better. And I'm tired of hitting walls."
"Me too."
They drove in silence for a few minutes, both processing the frustration of the council meeting and trying to recalibrate their approach.
Kari's phone buzzed—a text from Ben checking in.
She sent a quick reply letting him know she was okay, but that the investigation had hit a significant roadblock.
As they approached the police station, Polacca said quietly, "I'm sorry I made this harder for you at the beginning. The whole testing-you thing, making you prove yourself. It was petty."
"I get it," Kari said. "I'm an outsider. I don't have the automatic credibility someone from the community would have."
"But you've earned it. The way you've approached this investigation—you've been respectful, you've listened, you've tried to understand our ways without pretending to be something you're not.
" Polacca pulled into a parking spot and turned off the engine.
"The council might not see it, but I do. You're good at what you do."
"Thank you." The words felt inadequate for the significance of what Polacca was offering—genuine partnership, mutual respect, the kind of trust that made good police work possible.
They got out of the vehicle and walked toward the station entrance. As they did, Chief Lomayesva's truck pulled in beside them. He climbed out, his expression weary.
"I'm sorry that didn't go better," he said. "I pushed as hard as I could, but the chairman wasn't budging."
"We understand," Kari said. "Political realities."
"It's more than politics. It's fear." The Chief looked toward the mesas rising in the distance.
"Patricia's research threatened to reveal truths that would force people to confront uncomfortable realities about their heritage, their identity, their place in the community.
That's terrifying for a lot of people. The council is protecting people from information they're not ready to handle. "
"But someone was ready," Kari said. "Ready enough to kill to keep it secret."
"Yes." The Chief's voice was heavy. "And until we figure out who, this cloud is going to hang over the entire community. Everyone wondering who knows what, who might be next, who among them is capable of murder."
He headed into the station, leaving Kari and Polacca standing in the parking lot as the sun dropped lower toward the horizon.
"What now?" Polacca asked.
"Now we regroup. We go through everything we have from the crime scenes.
We look at our suspects more carefully. We find another angle.
" Kari pulled out her notebook, flipping through pages of notes, looking for anything they might have overlooked.
"And we hope that Lucas cracks those encrypted files before the killer decides anyone else knows too much. "