Part 12 (2/2)

”Like a good-luck charm?

”Could be.

”And youre thinking this gold coin was a good-luck charm, too?

He looked at the coin. ”If it was meant to bring good luck to its owner, and the owner was attached to that arm, it sure failed of its purpose.

”No kidding. Because he seemed more contemplative than driven, she said, ”You got a feeling about this?

He thought about it before he replied. ”No, he said, seeming a little surprised by his own answer. ”I think Im just interested. He slanted a glance up at her. ”Im allowed to be interested without its requiring me to prophesy, aint I?

”You is. Somebody shouted for beer on the other side of the door. ”Dont hurt the computer, she said over her shoulder, and shut the door on his oath.

The customers had doubled in number and she took her first three burger orders. As she served the third she became aware of a conversation going on in a booth in the back, featuring Evan Gray. One of her minor frustrations was that Moccasin Man was as adept at getting out of jail as he was at getting into it in the first place.

”Its true, he was saying to the rapt audience gathered around him. ”They were smuggling gold into the Asian theater, gold for the resistance forces fighting with the Allies. Thousands, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth. Maybe even millions.

”And you think its up there?

”You saw that coin. You know where its from. I was over talking to John Kvichak and hes thinking about going back up to the crash himself. h.e.l.l, its only Bear Glacier; we can drive to Icky and four-wheel it the rest of the way in.

”Bags of gold so heavy youll strain yourselves carrying them down the hill, is that it, boys? Bill said.

They jumped and looked around. ”Oh. Bill. Hey.

”Hey, yourself. You thinking of mounting an expedition up to that plane crash John and Teddy found?

Moccasin Man gave her his best grin, a vast expanse of white enamel, a heated promise of full-blown s.e.xual fulfillment, and a total lack of sincerity. ”Well, h.e.l.l, Bill. We were just talking.

”The sites being treated as a crime scene, Evan. I dont think the troopers are going to be best pleased if you bunch of yahoos go up there and start messing around in search of this mythical gold.

Evan looked amazed. ”Why, Bill, wed never do that. He winked at the other men. ”Would we, boys?

There was a chorus of agreement. Over her shoulder Bill saw the men at the bar c.o.c.king a collective ear, even Eric Mollberg, who looked anxious, as if he hadnt quite remembered how to interpret data sober.

Better and better. She could only hope that Liam had covered the ground thoroughly and that there was no evidence left to be messed up.

Or that the glacier would calve on top of the Gray gang upon their arrival. Cheered by this vision, she returned to the grill and watched through the pa.s.s-through as the Gray gang sidled out the door.

ELEVEN.

Liam hadnt been able to go home the night before, not even as far as the Jayco popup in the front yard. He was embarra.s.sed and ashamed of his reaction to Karens advances. It bothered him that even in his sleep he hadnt been able to tell Karen from Wy. He knew it was irrational but it was how he felt. He didnt want to see Wy until he had calmed down. He wanted a shower before he saw her. He wanted to dip his p.e.n.i.s in a jar of disinfectant before he saw her.

He didnt want Wy to see him, was what it amounted to. He was afraid she would be able to read what hed been doing all over his guilty face. Besides, Jo and Gary might still be there, and if she couldnt read him Jo sure as h.e.l.l could. The reporter had the most unnerving stare Liam had ever encountered, one that cut right through any bulls.h.i.+t he might be able to throw up about where hed spent the last hour.

Besides, he told himself, with Gary there maybe Wy didnt want him in the house.

He knew it wasnt true, but it was an excuse he grabbed at. He went back to the post. He would have sacked out in the front seat of the Blazer, but he didnt want anyone driving by the following morning to see him. The chair behind the desk was on casters but it was well padded and leaned back pretty far, and it wasnt like hed never slept in it before. He loosened his tie, propped his feet on the desk, and prepared to wait out the night.

His mind wouldnt let him alone. Images of Lydia giving him the once-over, the pure female appreciation in her eyes even more unsettling when she depreciated thirty years in age and became her daughter Karen. The gold coin rolling out of the dead, desiccated hand, winding round and round and round on the dance floor of Bills Bar and Grill. Wys expression, comprised of horror at the sight of the arm and guilt at the presence of Gary in the booth with her. The slab of ice separating from the face of the glacier, falling he could believe almost intentionally right on top of the two of them.

The snarl of John Dillinger Barton over the phone: ”What the h.e.l.ls keeping you; get on the G.o.dd.a.m.n plane!

He grieved again for Charlie, but the grief was no longer the crus.h.i.+ng, debilitating force it had been. Instead it brought his son back in all his round-cheeked, dimpled glory, and he was grateful, would always be grateful. He wanted to remember Charlie, always and forever. His son. Likely the only child of his body he would ever have.

He must have dozed off at some point, because the next thing he heard was a loud bang! bang! For one disoriented moment he thought he was back at the foot of the glacier. ”Look out, Wy! he shouted, and dove for cover. For one disoriented moment he thought he was back at the foot of the glacier. ”Look out, Wy! he shouted, and dove for cover.

Only he fell out of his chair instead, into a sticky pool of coffee spilled the day before that he could swear he had cleaned up. He lay where he was, swearing feebly.

”Thats my boy, he heard someone say.

Oh, no.

He raised his head cautiously to peer over the edge of the desk.

It was.

Col. Charles Bradley Campbell of the United States Air Force, eagles and all.

But wait, there was more. Colonel Campbell had not come alone. Behind and slightly to the right of the erect figure in immaculate blue was a slender young man in neat chinos and a light blue b.u.t.ton-down s.h.i.+rt with a dark blue tie under a dark blue windbreaker. He had neatly cut straight black hair and round, no-rim gla.s.ses perched on the end of a thin, high-bridged nose through which he peered at Liam with some puzzlement.

Liam got to his feet. ”Hi, Dad.

Charles smiled. ”h.e.l.lo, son. Great to see you again.

Uh-huh. Liam shook the hand extended to him and offered no explanation of his swan dive out of the office chair. Charles was tactful enough not to ask for one. ”You must have had a late night.

”Yeah. Liam glanced surrept.i.tiously at his watch. It was past ten. Where was Prince?

Firm footsteps sounded on the stairs, and the door opened to admit Prince. ”Charles!

”Diana, Charles said, a wealth of information in that single word.

Prince recovered fast; Liam had to give her that. ”How nice to see you again, she said, eyes cast demurely down.

”How very nice indeed, Charles said.

More footsteps. Already the morning was not turning out well, and when he saw who it was, he groaned inside.

”Liam, Jo said, ”I need to talk to you about this crash site. How do I get to it, and At that moment Col. Charles Bradley Campbell sprang into her dazzled view. Liam, while not a vain man, knew that he was good-looking, and knew that he looked like his father, but although hed had his share of women there was something about the elder Campbell that made them go down like ninepins in his presence. Jo, the hardest of hard-nosed reporters, all but went over flat on suddenly very round heels.

Charles was a tall man, as tall as Liam, and the similarities didnt stop there. His eyes were as blue, if less warm, his dark red hair, if shorter in style, as thick and as yet not gray even at the temples. His jaw was as firm, his shoulders as broad, his waist and hips as trim, his legs as long, and he looked just as good in the snug jacket and slacks of his dark blue air force uniform as Liam did in his trooper blue and gold.

Liam, looking at Charles through Jos eyes, remembered his state of deshabille and snugged up and straightened his tie. It was pretty much all he could do without a dry cleaner.

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