Do you remember a roustabout named Richard Allen?

Hell, sure I remember Rick, Randy said. Worked with the geologist out on the rigs, pulling core samples? That gang works all hours, they‘re in and outta the mess hall all the time. Rick was a nice fella. He chuckled. Had a pile of dirty jokes he could tell, never the same one in a row. And big dreams, always talking about making a pile and retiring to a tropical island.

Did you ever see him with Dewayne Gammons? It was a long shot, but Gammons and Allen going missing at what from the pay records looked like very near the same day seemed entirely too coincidental to her.

He sucked at his teeth. I remember one time, middle of the night, I was just coming on shift, and Rick come through the loading dock. Gammons was with him. They were both looking to score something fresh outta the oven. He shrugged. Lotta guys do that. I generally give ‘em whatever they want. Food is about all a guy‘s got to look forward to on a remote job site like this one.

Were they talking to each other? Did you hear them?

He shrugged again. They was talking, sure. He reflected. Kind of weird conversation, now I think of it.

Weird how?

Talking about the best way to die. Drowning, plane crash, shooting. Randy gave a mock shudder. Creepy, but I don‘t mean like they was planning any of this. Just speculating. And hell, I was busy mixing dough and cutting cookies. Dint have no time to listen in. He brightened. I give ‘em some of my lemon cookies, they‘re a specialty. I just made some more last night, you want some?

No, Kate said, giving up, but I‘ll take one of those croissants.

Okay, Randy, Jim said, appreciate your help. Oh. And, uh, you should do something about that situation with your wife. Uh, wives. Anyway, do something about that before I have to come arrest you, okay?

But I don‘t want to do anything about it, Sergeant, don‘t you understand? I love them all—

On the dock Kate said, So now we know Rick Allen and Dewayne Gammons disappeared on the same day, and we know they were friends.

It‘s still not much.

We also know they were both obsessing over ways to die.

We know they had one conversation about ways to die, he said. One conversation does not equal an obsession.

She led him to the room that served as Suulutaq‘s left luggage locker, used the master key to open it, and switched on the light. She pulled down Gammons‘s duffel and daypack and said, Take those out to the pickup and come back here. It was an order, not a request, and Jim smothered a grin as he did what he was told. When he got back to the room, she had pulled down another duffel, a roll-on suitcase, and a briefcase. She took the briefcase and the roll-on and he shouldered the duffel. Who does all that stuff belong to?