“I’m Jax Stonewood.” I eyed her, knowing she wouldn’t take my hand if it was offered. So, I offered it to the officer who stood just a bit taller.
“I’m Sheriff Jim Nacotee.” His handshake crushed mine.
I read men like this every day. They wanted empty praise for their title and recognition, for doing something they hadn’t done yet. Men like this I handled every single day.
While the older woman scoffed and Aubrey tried to jump in, I spoke over them both, maintaining my presence and steering control of the situation. “Jim, you know how to do your job. It sounds like someone’s missing from the lineup today.”
He smiled, happy to be talking to someone he thought would side with him. “Happens all the time around here, Mr. Stonewood. These girls aren’t well disciplined. They run away or go off with a group of friends …”
Aubrey cut in, her voice low. “That’s not the case with Ollie. She’s not even a teenager. Do your job and set up a search party. We need to get ahold of her mom too.”
Jim rolled his eyes and winked at me. “Honey, we know how to handle these situations. If she doesn’t turn up by tomorrow and her mom calls, we’ll file a missing persons report, all right?”
The older woman took a step closer to him. “Thousands of reports of missing Native American women and girls have been documented. Thousands more aren’t being documented at all. You want to be a part of that number climbing? A little girl is missing. You want her blood on your hands?”
He rolled his eyes again. “You’re overreacting.” He pivoted pointedly toward me. “Mr. Stonewood, this girl’s mother has had issues with the law before. Drugs.”
I let him continue without responding to his explanation.
He eyed me and shrugged, his whole body moving with the motion. “She probably got caught up in something and just forgot to bring Ollie here.”
Aubrey crossed her arms. “Ollie walks here every day, rain or shine. You’ve had the ability to issue an Amber Alert since 2017 according to the Indian Country Act. If you don’t, I will utilize all of my resources to make it public knowledge that you’re not doing anything to improve the national statistics of women and children going missing under your watch.”
Jim squinted at her and shifted on his feet before jutting out his gut. “You think anyone is gonna believe you, Ms. Whitfield? I don’t mean much disrespect but you and your mom shunned the reservation years ago when you took up with men outside of it.” He waved my way. “I’m doing my job the way I see fit. You don’t get to tell me how to do it.”
Aubrey took a step toward him, but I grabbed her arm. She tried to yank free while I held her close, grabbing her waist and drawing a circle into her bicep, trying to calm her.
When she glanced up at me, nothing was calm though. Ruthlessness, empty and dark and violent, swirled in her eyes. Aubrey resembled her father for the first time ever. Her stare was motivated and lethal.
That look had me pulling her behind me and taking over. “Jim, let’s agree to disagree here.”
“You disagree with me?”
“I’m saying some of us disagree with you. I think we should start with a drop by the mother’s, huh? Let’s do that. Get some answers. Go from there.”
“Sure, sure. I’m going to get to that. We gotta do our due diligence. I’m just preparing you all for what the outcome will be. And if we’d give it a few hours, we probably wouldn’t have to waste our time going over there.”
I wanted to punch his teeth down his throat. I knew every minute counted here and his lack of enthusiasm might cost a little girl her life.
Jim wouldn’t respond well to my candidness though, and I needed him to move. “Let’s just take a ride now. Tell you what, Aubrey and I will take you in my car. Not every day I get to drive over the speed limit in that thing.”
Jim’s eyes lit up and both Aubrey and the older woman looked at me in disgust. “Ma’am, Aubrey and I will call you as soon as we know more.” I pressed a button on my key FOB and nodded at Jim, “After you, man.”
I followed him out as Aubrey hugged the older woman and murmured a few encouraging words before she turned to the children. She told them she’d be back soon, and that there was nothing to worry about.
As she caught up to me, she whisper-yelled, “What the fuck are you doing?”
“Getting answers and making him move. He’s only going to listen to what he thinks is another man’s reason.”
She was vibrating near me with rage as she walked quickly toward my car. “You better be right, Jax. I swear to God, she’s only seven and if we can’t find her …”
“I’ll tear apart this whole fucking reservation if we can’t, Whitfield, starting with that man sitting in my car.”
She nodded and whispered before she went to get in, “I’ve never been so close to wanting to leave someone for dead than I was with him.”
I didn’t look away from her. “I have. And I’ll do it again and again for you if I have to.”
Her eyes glassed over, and I saw her shiver before she looked away.