Richfield & Rivers Mystery Series 3 - Venus Besieged by Andrews, Austin Page A

offended
the ancestors. The most recent death of a Native American woman by wolves was
cited as further anger from the departed.
    "First
it was one wolf, now it's wolves. Before it's over she'll have been carried off
by ten thousand wolves brandishing spears," Callie said.
    “Is this mall going to be built over Indian ceremonial
grounds?" the anchor asked the television screen. "We asked Cy
Blackstone, owner of Blackstone Development."
    "Remember
up on the ceremonial site when Blackstone told your friend Manaba that as a
favor he wanted her to go on TV and settle things down? Looks like he's having
to do it himself."
    The
videotape editor cut to a pre-taped interview with Blackstone, and there he was
in all his wiry, old-cowboy glory aw-shucksing the on-the-spot reporter in such
a charming way I could almost like him. Easy to see why he was elected to the
legislature.
    "If
it turned out this was Native American ceremonial land, we would be the first
to stop excavation and call in the tribal elders and do what's right because
this great state is built on our Native American heritage. We in Arizona don't
treat our people any way but with respect and honor. But we've checked that out
thoroughly, and we are miles away from anything remotely related to that site." He tipped his hat at the end of the
interview, to the cameraman, I supposed. It was a nice touch and apparently his
trademark.
    Back
in the studio, the mouse-voiced anchor said, "Some of the locals are
saying this is reminiscent of Thanksgiving in ninety-seven when concrete
wouldn't set up and Native American workers walked off the job due to the
unexpected death of one of the elders of the tribe. Well," the anchor
turned to her starched male co-anchor and bubbled, "sure hope things
get better 'cause us girls like to shop at the mall. " She beamed and
he laughed and they both moved on to the next story.
    "I
don't think that little news clip will get it done if Native Americans are
walking off due to their ancestors."
    Callie
bolted out of bed and dashed to the computer, looking at the astrological
chart. "Venus was squaring Saturn in the Venus-besieged chart—another
heavy placement showing structural breakdown involving a woman."
    "The
mall seems to be the only structure causing women to have a breakdown," I
quipped, but Callie took me seriously.
    "It
could be a physical structure, or her grandmother's own structure—her death.
Venus is squaring Saturn in the Twelfth House of something behind the scenes.
Of course in matters like these something is always going on behind the scenes
or we wouldn't be looking at the problem, so I don't know what that means,
really."
    "So
what does 1997 have to do with a woman being killed by a wolf years
later?"
    "I
don't know. The bigger question is who is putting these women under attack,
because we know it's not wolves."
    "We
do? I mean you say that, but I read the accounts and looked at the newspaper
photo of the tracks found at the site."
    "Close
your eyes," she commanded and I obeyed. "Clear your mind, relax,
focus on the Native American girl, Nizhoni, who went over the cliff. Say her
name in your head again and again and again." I did as she asked.
"Drift.. .think.. .listen. Now ask the gods if Nizhoni was killed by
wolves." Pause. "What do you hear, league?"
    "I
don't hear anything but I think you're right. She wasn't killed by
wolves."
    "Now
ask the gods, ask your inner self, if Nizhoni is dead or alive.. .dead or
alive.. .dead or alive?"
    "She's
alive." My eyes popped open and I was startled by what I'd said.
    "Yes,
she's alive," Callie said firmly and smiled at me, seemingly in
appreciation of my newfound ability to know things. "You're tuning
in."
    "So
where is she?" I asked, uncertain what exactly I'd tuned into.
    "I
don't know..." Callie said in a tone that seemed to deny what both of us
had said.
    Having
no idea how we might determine if the woman was alive and who had shape-shifted
into a wolf, I headed for my laptop to