Weiden, David - Winter Counts by Weiden David

Author:Weiden, David [Weiden, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2020-06-22T00:00:00+00:00

19

I awoke the next morning to the smell of fried wild turnips. Marie was already awake and cooking, her pillow vacant. The aroma was sharp, nothing like the pleasant smell of hash browns and bacon. It was like a cross between boiled cabbage and burned popcorn, and I crawled out of bed, still partially enmeshed in my dream.

Then the events of the previous day came flooding back. After my conversation with Nathan, I’d been disturbed, worried that I’d given him bad advice. When I got home, Marie had seen the trouble in my face. She didn’t say a word, just took me in her arms, and I’d felt some peace then, a calm amid the storm winds.

I sat down at the table, and Marie poured me a cup of coffee. “Sorry, these are taking forever to cook. It’s my first time frying them, and I’m trying to get them to caramelize. I threw in some wild onions and a little garlic salt I found in your cabinet.”

I didn’t know what caramelizing was—it sounded like adding sugary sauce to a dish—but the fried turnips were excellent, a sweet and nutty flavor balanced with a little bitterness.

“I could get used to these,” I said.

“See? Told you they were good. Speaking of food, you going to join us for lunch today? Lack will be there, remember? I should warn you, though, my mother is going to come.”

Oh boy. It made sense that Marie’s mother would want to meet the celebrity chef. Anastasia Freeman Short Bear, Ann to her friends. A light-skinned Osage from a wealthy family in Oklahoma, she’d met Ben at some Native conference and then followed him to South Dakota, which she detested. Tall, thin, elegant, she wore her short hair styled in a modern bob cut and shopped for her clothes in Santa Fe, San Francisco, and Dallas. Marie once told me that she’d demanded a monthly clothing allowance from Ben in excess of what most people made here in a year.

Needless to say, she’d never liked me and hadn’t been shy about expressing her opinion. She felt Marie should follow in the footsteps of her older sister, who’d left the rez and worked in banking somewhere on the West Coast. I suspected that Marie’s med school applications were largely driven by Ann’s maneuverings. I had no desire to eat lunch with Ann, but I thought I’d better meet this Chef Lack.

“Yeah, I’ll meet you guys there. Sounds fun.”

I HAD ONE CALL to make before I did anything else.

“Charley? It’s Virgil Wounded Horse.” I’d called his direct line and was surprised that he picked up on the first ring.

“Virgil, how you doing? I’ve got about five minutes before I head out for a deposition.”

“Won’t need that much time. I’m calling to let you know I spoke to Nathan. He’s willing to wear the wire. Go ahead and set it up.”

I heard rustling noises in the background, like he was moving papers around.

“That’s great, I think it’s the right decision. Hold on, let me take some notes.

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