So sure of death by Dana Stabenow Read Free Book Online Page B

back to his boat. Darrell, who had been watching from the deck, started the engine, and Larry had just enough time to release the bow and stern lines and jump on board before the gillnetter pulled away from the slip and increased to a slow, no-wake speed.
    As they pulled alongside, Larry cut power and let theMary Jdrift. “There was a skiff last night, he called. “About ten o'clock, coming out from the village, going toward the head of the bay. One person in it. Dad saw him.
    “Did he recognize him?
    Larry consulted with Darrell, and shook his head.
    “Did he recognize the skiff?
    More consultation. “Big New England dory, Dad says. Guy was standing up, rowing forward. Larry shrugged. “Dad says that's all.
    “Okay, Larry, Liam said. “Thanks, he added, and meant it. Eliciting information was hard enough. Volunteers were always welcome. Always supposing the dory wasn't a figment of an alcohol-induced imagination, always a possibility with Jacobsonpère et fils.
    TheMary Jheaded straight for the mouth of the harbor, a narrow channel between two arms of steeply piled rock. She made the entrance and picked up speed. Soon all he could see was the masthead.
    “Mr. Campbell.
    Liam started and turned to Ekwok. “I'm very sorry to have kept you waiting, sir. What was it you wanted to say?
    “I know who did this, Ekwok said, with a jerk of his head toward theMarybethia.“I know who killed them.
    FOUR

    The white Blazer with the shield on the door was parked right in front of the post, and any hope Wy had had of just leaving a note (Liam, Dig gofer stabbed, body at X longitude, Y latitude, Wy) died aborning. She raised her chin, climbed the steps, opened the door and halted in her tracks.
    There was a trooper on the phone behind the desk, but it wasn't the trooper she was expecting.
    “Thank you, the trooper said. “We'll be waiting for your call. She hung up the phone and looked at Wy. “Yes?
    “Who are you?
    “I'm Diana Prince of the Alaska State Troopers. Who are you?
    “Wyanet Chouinard. What are you doing here?
    The trooper looked amused. “I work here. More to the point, what are you doing here?
    “What do you mean, you work here? Wy knew a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Where's Liam?
    Up with the eyebrow again, as if to say, Liam, is it? “Trooper Campbell is away on a case. How can I help you?
    The sick feeling eased. “He still works here, then?
    “Last time I looked.
    “He's still assigned to Newenham?
    “He is still assigned to Newenham, the trooper affirmed gravely. “Now, how may I help you, Ms. Chouinard?
    “Call me Wy, Wy said automatically.
    Mercifully, Trooper Prince did not as automatically respond with Why not? Instead, she said, for the third time, “How may I help you?
    Her manner was so indulgent that Wy bristled. “I found a body. She was pleased when the trooper sat up straight in Liam's chair.
    “You found a body?
    “Yes.
    “Where?
    “On an archaeological dig about fifty miles south of here. Ten miles more or less west of Chinook Air Force Base.
    The trooper stood up and went to the map of Bristol Bay tacked to the wall. “Show me. Wy showed her. “There's a strip there?
    “Not a strip, exactly. More like a flat piece of ground just long enough for a Super Cub to roll out before it falls into the river. I own and operate the
    “Nushagak Air Taxi Service, Prince said.
    Wy turned from the map. “Yes. How did you know?
    “Trooper Campbell may have mentioned it.
    “Oh. I see. Of course. Ah. What had she been saying? “Right. I'm on a three-month contract to the state to fly the people working on the dig in and out.
    “And this morning?
    “And this morning I was flying the archaeologist
    “One moment, please. The trooper produced a notebook and a pencil. “Go ahead.
    “His name is McLynn, Desmond X. McLynn, and I was flying him to work this morning. We landed and found the body of his gofer, Don Nelson. Wy hesitated. “Uh, it didn'tit wasn'tI don't thinkoh