She chuckled, and he finally joined her. “I know,” he admitted. “I know the only reason you didn’t qualify for state trooper was because of your height.”

“And whose fault is that?” she asked, archly, deciding to try and inject a little more humor into the conversation. “You’re the one who wasted all those good Osage height-genes on my brothers! And left me the runt of the litter! I call that unfair!” She made a face when he laughed, and went back to the original subject. “Look, Dad, as a P.I. I can get things done that need to be done. Sometimes I can actually do more than the cops can. There’s no one watching over my shoulder to make sure I have probable cause, telling me I can’t bodyguard someone because her nutcase boyfriend hasn’t already done something. And right now—well, I can do a lot for our people. My hands aren’t tied, there’s no one telling me I have to find a quick set of suspects, because CNN is watching and the mayor is embarrassed.” She rubbed the side of her nose. “In fact, if I drop some hints to the cops, they’re likelier to start watching their step, because they know me, they know I’m honest, and they know I’m watching.”

He reached up and scratched his temple, making a slight grimace. “I know all that,” he said uncertainly, “but honey, this job is different. Now, I know I told you that there wasn’t anything going on with the young bucks before the explosion—but—well, there is now.”

She sat straight up, sandwich forgotten. Outside, a blue jay called alarm.

“What?” she demanded. “Tell me!”

He sighed, and looked pained, but this time she could tell the frown was not for her. “I’ve been checking around some more, especially after I heard that David was in town and getting himself into this—well, I heard some things. For one thing, I heard Rod Calligan has been pointing a finger right at the Indians on his crews. ’Course, in some ways I can’t blame him, since David seems to be so set on making himself a target.” He shook his head. “But if you’d figured that Calligan and the cops would really like to pin this one on our people, well, you’re right. I heard they’ve been getting pretty heavy-handed with some of the guys involved, and that they aren’t looking real hard for any other suspects.”

She put the sandwich down, all appetite gone. It was one thing to speculate; it was another to hear your worst mundane fears confirmed. “Have you heard anything else?”

“Yeah.” The worry line came back. “I heard that David and his buddies were likely to play rough with anybody that gets in their way. Like—”