She moaned and he wanted to cry.
“I was scared to death there was going to be an earthquake the whole time I was there,” she said, “and that we were all going to fall into Cook Inlet.”
Disregarding this, he said, “Who was there?”
“Anyone who is anyone in Alaskan power politics.” She reflected. “Well, most of them. Seemed to be a contingent or two missing.”
“Like maybe from the nonwhite races?” Jim said.
“How did you guess.”
It wasn’t a question, and he didn’t bother answering it. “Why did you go?”
“Because Erland invited me.”
“How did you come to meet Erland Bannister? Did his sister introduce you?”
“No,” Kate said, “I have it on the best authority that Erland and Victoria haven’t spoken since she went inside.”
“Thirty years?” Jim said. “What, she’s been cast off by her family?” He reflected. “Yeah, well, she killed their nephew, their grandson, their cousin. I can see it. I wouldn’t feel all that kindly toward her myself in that situation.”
It occurred to Kate that she had not thus far discussed in depth her current job with Jim. “No, I think it was her choice. She’s cut herself off completely from her family. I hear she still talks to friends, however, hitting them up for money to fund the school she’s running out at Hiland Mountain.”
“She runs a prison school?”
Kate nodded, and told him about it, and about the case.
“No wonder,” Jim said when she finished.
“No wonder what?”
“You’ve got that thing about teachers.”
This brought back memories of the week she’d spent picking morel mushrooms in the north of the Park, and of the teacher who had been killed there. She still grieved for him. But she said, “Doesn’t mean I think she’s innocent.”
He raised an eyebrow but forbore to comment. “So if Victoria didn’t introduce you, how did you wangle an invitation to Erland’s party?”
“He invited me,” Kate repeated thoughtfully.
“How did he know to call you?”
“Brendan gave me a list of the names of witnesses at Victoria’s trial.” Jim scowled. Kate ignored it. “I started calling them, and one guy sounded really upset and wanted to know if Erland knew what Charlotte was doing, reopening her mother’s case. I think he called Erland, and Erland called me.”
“Why?”
“Good question.”
“Why were you yelling at me?”
Warmth was spreading up from her feet through her body, and her mind was starting to wander from the case. “Oh. Because I thought you might have pulled some strings to get me the VPSO’s job at the new trooper post in Niniltna.”
“Why the hell would I want to do that?”
She fluttered her eyelashes. It had seemed to work at the party.
His hands were warm and firm on her feet. The caress contrasted with the rise in the volume of his voice. “Why the hell would I want you around even more than you already are?”
She could have asked him what he was doing at the town house this evening, with her feet in his lap. Instead, she just smiled. “But I’m thinking now that there was something else going on there.”
He did his level best to resist the come-hither in her smile. “What?”
“Bruce Abbott was the one who made the offer.”
“Jesus. You really were flying high tonight, Kate, the governor’s right-hand man.”
Kate snorted. “Yeah. Real high. This guy doesn’t have a thought in his head that the governor didn’t put there.”
“It’s how he earns his salary.”
“Well, he didn’t earn it tonight.” She paused. “There was an implication-nothing overt, just a hint-that if I didn’t return home immediately, the job would go to someone else.”
“What? Bullshit. The department hasn’t even posted the job specs yet.”
“That’s another thing. He said that my attendance at the trooper academy in Sitka would be waived because of my prior education and experience.”
“What! Over my dead body! We want more than glorified security guards to back us up in the villages, Kate. VPSOs have to be trained in procedure, case preparation, and firearms, at the very minimum.”
“Don’t shoot the messenger, Chopin. I’m just reporting here.”
“Besides,” he said, “no offense, Shugak, but you’re not exactly known for following the rules.”
She grinned. “I admit, not my strong point.”
“Strong point, my ass. You never met a rule of evidence you liked.”
“And the courts are so picky about that ‘fruit of the poisoned tree’ stuff.”
“I don’t think you even know what Miranda means.”
“If someone wants to talk, why wouldn’t I listen?” she said wide-eyed.
“I could never be absolutely sure I could make a case with you working for me.”
“Probably not.”
But she caught perps, they both thought, and both had to bite back a smile.
There was a brief silence. “It was a bribe,” Jim said on a note of discovery.
“Indeed it was,” Kate said.
“What for?”
“I don’t know.” She let one foot slip down from his hands and let it rest in the notch between his legs.
He stilled. “Kate?” It came out like a croak.
She leaned forward and smiled into his eyes. “I’ve got to get out of these smelly clothes.” She nuzzled him, her nose against his nose, her lips against his lips, a gesture of warmth and tenderness that should have scared the hell out of him. “They’ve got all these”-she fluttered a hand-“buttons.”
He swallowed hard. “I noticed,” he said hoarsely.
“Mmmm. I don’t know if I can manage all of them on my own. I might need a little”-she ran her tongue around the curl of his ear-“help.”
She might just as well have led him up the stairs by his dick. It was doing all his thinking for him anyway.
The next morning, there were three boys waiting on the doorstep. “Okay,” Kate told Kevin, “you’re beginning to overgraze your range.”
“Hello,” the third boy said, and stuck out his hand. “I’m Garrett Hyde.”
Kate shook it. “How do you do,” she said, going formal on instinct. “I’m Kate Shugak.
Garrett was Jordan’s age and had straight blond hair neatly cut and direct brown eyes.
“I was about to start breakfast.” She stood back from the door. “Would you like to join us?”
Garrett didn’t budge. “I’m not supposed to go into strange people’s houses.”
“I’m Kevin and Jordan’s friend,” Kate said. “But don’t come in if it feels wrong.” She walked away from the open door and went into the kitchen.
Breakfast this morning was oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar and sourdough toast dripping with butter. Kevin and Jordan ate like horses, with Garrett eating just as much, only not as quickly. Afterward, Kevin disappeared into the living room with Mutt, and shortly thereafter the television could be heard.
Jordan, who was helping Garrett load the dishwasher with the breakfast dishes, paused and looked at Kate. “He likes Barney,” he said, and rolled his eyes.
“What are you going to do,” Kate said.
Jordan half-smiled.
Garrett looked at Jordan and said, “Okay.”
“The Garrett Hyde seal of approval?” Kate said.
He flushed. “We go to the same school. They’re friends of mine. We look out for each other.”
“Good to have friends,” Kate said, “understood. Were you out together all night last night?”
He shook his head. “We had a sleepover at my house.”
Kate was relieved. “Good.”
He hesitated. “Do you think you can help them? Their mom…” His voice trailed off.
“I’ll try,” Kate said.
“Okay,” Garrett said again.
Kate raised her voice. “Kevin, in here for a minute.”
He came back into the kitchen and looked at her with wary eyes. “Relax,” she said, “I haven’t called DFYS. Yet.”