Better To Rest Part 17

The smile was back and full-bore. "Of course. But why dont you stay and have dinner with us?

Her gaze rested for a speculative moment on Liams face. "Sure. Why not?

"I cant stay long, Liam said.

Mason took a gulp of beer.

They ordered, ribeye for Charles, filet mignon for Jo, New York for Liam, steak sandwich for Mason. All the fishermen whose boats were still in the water had taken one look at the horizon and had stayed inside the breakwater that morning, so there was no fish or sh.e.l.lfish on the menu that night. Charles ordered a bottle of wine, and Liam, recognizing the signs, wondered if he ought to give Jo some kind of alert. He decided not to. He didnt like her job, but he liked her just fine, and in spite of the c.r.a.p shed dumped all over him on Wys behalf he was glad Wy had such a staunch friend. But she was a grown woman who made her own choices.

He winced away from the prospect of Wys best friend and his father in the sack together, but then hed winced at the reality of Diana Prince and his father in the sack together and it hadnt killed him. His father was a rounder. If a woman was even halfway presentable and even a tenth of her was willing, it was as inevitable as the sun rising in the east that Charles would hit on her. Liam still thought the impulse to nail everything in sight came from Liams mothers abandoning the both of them for a German nightclub owner when Liam was barely six months old, but that was his fathers problem to work out, not his. He didnt do therapy. He kept his nose buried in his beer and spoke only when spoken to.

The bar was about half-full, mostly of drinkers. Moses was at his usual table, playing chess with Clarence Saguyuk, another old geezer who looked twice Moses age and had maybe half as many teeth. Neither factor seemed to affect his playing ability, if the forest of p.a.w.ns, knights, rooks and one queen at his elbow was any indication. Eric Mollberg sat a little behind Clarence, a gla.s.s in one hand. He looked almost sober. Maybe he was finally coming out the other end of the tunnel. Liam had been down that same tunnel and he knew just how long it was.

Moccasin Man was holding forth in his usual booth, too, and Liam saw him make at least two sales. Gray was getting bolder with every day that pa.s.sed without an arrest. Fine by Liam. Pretty soon Evan Gray would have enough rope to hang himself, and Liam would be there, ready to haul on the other end of it.

He wished with all his heart that the politicians in Juneau and Washington, D.C., would get a clue and legalize and tax all drugs, from dope to crack to ecstasy. If people wanted to go to h.e.l.l in a pile of white dust or at the end of a needle, let them, instead of overworking law enforcement and overcrowding the jails to the point that every third bust was a drug bust and that the U.S. had more people in jail today than the Soviet Union ever did in all their gulags combined.

The result was the Evan Grays of this world, with a marijuana grow stashed somewhere in or near Newenham and a profitable and growing retail business. Admit him to the ranks of businessmen and be done with it, and while were at it, tax the h.e.l.l out of him, Liam thought, watching Tasha Anayuk slide out of the booth opposite Gray, tucking something into her pocket. She saw Liam watching, and instead of flushing and scurrying away like the lawbreaker she was, she flashed him a brilliant smile and a little wave.

"Dont you think, Liam?

"Sorry? he said, turning back to his father. "I didnt hear you.

"There ought to be a museum dedicated to Alaskas World War II effort.

Liam cut a piece of steak. "Why not?

"Really, Charles insisted. "The Alcan was built to support Lend-Lease planes to Russia and China. The war in the Aleutians drew enough j.a.panese strength north to make the victory at Midway possible. He was at his most winning and it was all directed straight at Jo Dunaway, who was looking, in spite of herself, a little dazzled. Although that could have been the face Jo always put on when she got ready to seduce more information out of a source than they had previously known they had. According to Wy, such sources were legion, and Jo left them all lamenting their failure to recognize this fact.

"Maybe you could get in touch with the air museum in Anchorage, Jo said. "Theyre underfunded and going out of business every other week. If you could find a sponsor, theyd probably greet you with open arms.

"Its a thought, Charles said, with a warm smile that applauded such a wonderful idea and the wonderful person who had had it.

Be careful what you wish for, little girl, Liam thought. Half a steak to go, some chitchat, and he was out of here.

"Liam.

"Dad?

"How have you been?

"Fine.

"Catching a lot of cases?

"No more than usual.

"Now theres a modest statement if I ever heard one, Colonel, Jo said. "Just last month Liam busted a serial killer whos been kidnapping and murdering women around these parts for the last twenty-five years.

Charles nodded at the stripes on Liams arm. "I noticed the promotion. Good job.

"Thanks.

"Still flying out to the Bush?

"Yes.

"Still hating it?

"Yes.

Charles fortified himself with a drink. "I know Ive said it before, but it bears repeating.

"No, it doesnt.

Charles plowed on. "If you learned how to fly, if you learned the reasons why planes stay up in the air and how to keep them there, you wouldnt be nearly as afraid to travel in one.

Liam made no reply.

Jo met Special Agent James Masons eyes. Special Agent James Mason had been careful to keep his mouth full of food during this exchange, which made Jo think highly of both his intelligence and his sense of self-preservation.

Clearly there was a problem of communication going on here strong enough to overwhelm any residual parent-child affection. She wondered how hard Charles had pushed Liam to learn to fly as a child. She wondered how hard Liam had resisted. But that wasnt all there was to it. On the surface, Charles was trying to reach out to his son, and Liam was refusing to see the outstretched hand. On the surface, Charles appeared fatherly and, well, maybe not loving, but at least proud and friendly.

Liam, on the other hand, looked sullen and churlish and about twelve years old. Charles had done something to make Liam angry, and Liam had not forgiven him for it. Charles was pretending it had never happened. Liam was reminding him.

She wondered what it was, and if there was a story in it. She was immediately, if only mildly, ashamed of herself. Looking for the story in everyone she met was an occupational hazard. There was always a story, though, and it was never the story the person wanted told. Some were worthy of her editors attention and some werent. A very few she kept to herself. She nearly always got the story, though, and she idled away a few moments, letting Charles questions and Liams monosyllabic replies join the slipstream, while she pondered what this one might be. Had Charles broken a law? Had he broken it in his sons posting?

"Wheres the arm? Charles said, and she woke from her reverie.

"At the crime lab in Anchorage.

Jo looked down at her plate. Her filet mignon stared back up at her. With a shrug, she took another bite.

"I should take custody of it.

Liam was uncertain of the protocol involved, but on general principles he decided that the arm should stay in the custody of the state of Alaska. "Theyll take fingerprints. Did they take fingerprints in World War Two?

For the first time Charles looked uncertain. "I dont know. I think they relied more on dog tags back then. Seriously, Liam, I can take charge of the arm and fly it back to D.C. Ill turn it over to the FBI lab. He hooked a thumb at Special Agent James Mason. "Theyll track him down. Its what they do, and really, its only a matter of deciding between which of the three. It was a military plane, the property of the federal government. The FBI probably has jurisdiction. He looked expectantly at Mason.

Mason, caught with his mouth full, chewed and swallowed without any noticeable embarra.s.sment. "The only interest the FBI might have is if the wreck was anything other than accidental. We dont really think it is. He smiled, and Jo noticed because she was incapable of not noticing that it was a very nice smile, if not of the full wattage of Colonel Campbells, then with its own amount of shy charm. "Im here mostly on a field trip. My boss wants to get as many of the Anchorage-based agents into the Bush as possible. This was an opportunity for him.

An expression pa.s.sed over Charles face that was as unpleasant as it was fleeting.

"I think Ill stick with the plan, Dad, Liam said. "The ME will turn it over in due course.

"There are families waiting for word, for some kind of closure. These men have been missing a long time. They deserve an honorable burial as soon as possible.

"Its not like the families dont know how or when they died, Liam said. There was no answer to this. "Oh, and I guess youll probably want the gold coin, too.

"The what!

Charles exclamation was somewhere between a bark and a shout. It had a parade-ground kind of feel to it, and if activity in the bar did not come to a halt, it slowed down and heads turned their way.

Liam, not expecting this reaction, said, "The gold coin in the arms hand. It, uh, fell out. He didnt say where or when.

Charles had himself under strict control. The smile was gone, though, and Jo gave him a long, thoughtful look. This was the face behind the gun sight on his jet. She wouldnt care to have that face on her tail. He lowered his voice. "There was a gold coin in the hand?

"Yeah. Liam, for his part, didnt know what this was leading to. "Its an American twenty-dollar gold piece. Bills got it.

"Get it.

Liam raised an eyebrow at the snapped order, but he got to his feet and walked to the bar, aware that most of the bar was eyeing him, openly or covertly. Moses was one of the former, that connoisseur of upheaval and disaster, and he grinned at Liam as he walked by. Eric Mollberg was one of the latter, nearly tucking his head beneath his arm to avoid eye contact. Clarence took advantage of Moses distraction by nipping off with Moses other knight. Liam and rest of the bar learned some new Yupik when Moses turned back and discovered the loss.

"Well? Bill said.

"He wants the gold coin.

Bill jerked her head. "Top drawer, in the office.

"Thanks. He found it and brought it back.

Charles almost s.n.a.t.c.hed it out of his hand and then seemed to notice the odd looks he was getting. He laughed. It didnt convince them. He saw it. "Im sorry, he said. "It took me aback a little. I have a list of personal effects from the families, things the flight crew might have had with them on board. One of the copilots grandchildren said he remembered his grandmother talking about a lucky gold piece that her grandfather had carried. It had quite a legend attached to it, was supposed to have been won from Wild Bill Hickok in the poker game before the one he got shot in, and been in the family ever since. In the normal course of events, it would have gone to the son and then to the grandson. Itd be nice to get it back to him.

It was a charming story, told with style and just the right touch of sentimentality. It was a pity that the only person at the table who believed it was the storyteller himself. He seemed to want to move on, and quickly, too. He looked at Liam and said, "Does anyone else know about this piece?

Liam thought back to the scene in the bar two nights before. "Pretty much everyone in Newenham by now, Id guess.

"d.a.m.n it. Liam, we cant wait until spring to recover the bodies. We have to do it now.

"Dad, I told you, and so did Wy. Thats pretty much next to impossible. Its Octoberh.e.l.l, its almost November. Winters coming on. Its snowing right now. That airstrip isnt maintained, and theres no way to get the wreck down off the glacier even if it were.

"Well use helicopters. Ill call Elmendorf, see whats available. And theres an Air National Guard base, tooKulik, isnt it? Ill ask them what theyve got.

"I know those guys, Dad, Liam said evenly. "Theyre on call for rescues all over the state. I dont think theyre going to volunteer their crews and their equipment to recover bodies that have been lying there for sixty years. Were coming up on storm season. Theyll have plenty of work on their hands rescuing the living.

Charles eyes narrowed. "Those guys who came busting up on the four-wheelers when we were out at the wreck...

"What about them? Liam said, wondering where this was going.

"They were treasure hunting.

"They said they were caribou hunting.

"c.r.a.p. They knew about this gold coin and they went looking for more where it came from.

Liam couldnt deny it. "So?

"So if we dont get that wreck out of there youre going to start losing Newenhammers who think there might be gold in them thar hills.

Liam remembered the slab of ice that had nearly killed him and Wy the previous morning. "Youll lose just as many going after it.

"Not if I round up good equipment and good equipment operators. Leave it to me. Charles stood up and threw down a couple of bills. "Excuse me. Ive got some calls to make.

The three of them watched him stride out the door. When it closed behind him, Liam looked at Mason and said, "Whats going on?

"I dont know, Mason said. "I dont, he added when he saw Liams skepticism. "My boss heard about the wreck and called the commander out on Elmendorf. The BOC told him that Colonel Campbell was flying in. My boss asked him to ask Colonel Campbell to let me hitch a ride to Newenham. He said okay. I have to say we were all a little surprised. I mean, the United States Air Force doesnt exactly hand out rides on an F-15.

"So the inference is he wanted you here. Why?

Mason was using a french fry to mop up the last drop of steak juice and was very intent on the job. "He said that co-operation between federal organizations was essential to the smooth working of government, and that he was happy to be able to contribute to it, in however small a way. He met Liams eyes with a bland expression in his own.

"What can you do here?

"Not much, Mason said. "I dont have a lot of authority over the sixty-year-old wreck of a military plane. If it was sabotaged, or the flight was in any way related to espionage of some kind, then I could step in, maybe. And only maybe. He smiled. "In Alaska the FBI is more concerned with Russians importing underage girls who come thinking theyre going to be part of an ethnic dance group and who wind up shaking it down in the strip clubs.

"Were you on that case? Jo said.

"From the start. Mason didnt sound happy about it.

"Were the girls in on it?

"The older one, the twenty-year-old, maybe. The two younger ones, no way.

"Are they still in jail?

Mason winced. "We prefer to call it protective custody.

"Waiting on the INS?

"That, and the fact that we need them to testify against the guys who brought them into the country.

Liam reached for his wallet. "Im due home.

"Give Wy my love.

"Wheres Gary? Liam said, suddenly noticing her brothers absence.

"Relax, Jo said. "Hes doing some patchup work for a guy he knows in Ikikika.

Liam tried not to show his relief.

She waited until he was inches from a clean getaway. "Whats going on with your father, Liam?

"I know as much as you do, Jo. And sometimes I think, he added, a trifle grimly, "a lot less.

"Man, she said.

"What?