He leaned back in his chair. If you can get to a fucking point any time before the end of the year, I won‘t throw you out on your cute little ass.

She almost said she was glad he thought it was cute and thought better of it just in time. Like the bullying and the profanity, sexual innuendo and harassment were part of John King‘s stock in trade. She remembered P.J. on the Stores loading dock at the mine, and Lyda, who had been so apprehensive of Kate‘s reaction. I‘ve met P.J.

bef ore.She put the fax on his desk.

He didn‘t touch it. What the fuck is that?

It‘s a record of a series of bank deposits going back over the last six months, paid by various illegal stratagems into the account of one Richard Henry Allen. Allen is, or was, an employee at the Suulutaq Mine. What was he selling that you were buying? He stared at the paper without touching it. I don‘t know what the fuck you‘re talking about.

Yeah, you do, she said, and you‘re going to tell me all about it.

Why the fuck would I do that?

Because you owe me, Kate said, fixing him with her own glare. I damn near got killed on that job up in Prudhoe and I put down your bad guy anyway. She raised an eyebrow. I had you figured as someone who didn‘t welsh on his debts. Prove me wrong and I‘m out of here.

They glared at each other.

King broke first, picking up the fax and scanning it. She watched him but his expression didn‘t change. He tossed the fax back down on the desk and punched a button on his phone. Get in here.

The door opened so quickly Kate knew the person had probably been listening on the other side of it.

Ms. Shugak.

Mr. Childress, Kate said to RPetCo Alaska‘s security boss. A retired Army officer with a brush cut and a habit of command, he was more polished than his boss. John? he said.

You heard?

Childress didn‘t pretend not to understand. He nodded.

John King glared at Kate one more time. Tell her.

All of it?

All of it, King said.

Kate crossed her legs, folded her hands, and settled back to listen.

They had hired Allen in October, after Global Harvest announced they would be hiring for the mine in December.

Why Allen? Kate said.

Childress exchanged a glance with King. He had what we felt were certain talents that would help him get the job done successfully.

What was he, an actor? A con man?

Another glance told her she had come close to the truth. If Kurt couldn‘t ante up, she resolved to have Brendan go a little deeper into Richard Henry Allen‘s personal history.

They‘d told Allen to come to Alaska and apply for work at the Suulutaq Mine. He was to draw no attention to himself, other than to work hard enough to earn promotion and responsibility. The end goal was to work with the geologists, so he would have access to the core samples.