True, Jim said. He felt Kate relax against him, a warm, firm presence. God, she felt good.

And waiting for the story about the bigamist. Johnny looked at him, face eager. Troopers told the best stories, and he sensed this one would be a doozy. He felt Kate stir. Unhand me, sir.

Reluctantly Jim let her go. He took his beer to the couch and stretched out so that he could watch Kate over the open counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. He took another swallow, and draped an arm around a furry neck conveniently offered. His women had him surrounded. He sighed. Mutt sighed. Eric Clapton started in on Layla. In the kitchen, Kate rolled her eyes and kneaded coarse salt into bread dough that she worried might be a tad bit too wet. So who is it? Johnny said.

The bigamist? Well, since both wives found out today and I‘m guessing it‘s going around the Park by Bush telegraph right now— He paused. You know, we should tune into Park Air tonight, see what Bobby‘s got to say about it.

Who is it?

Because you know he‘ll have something to say about it.

Jim!

The chorus was loud enough to make one of Mutt‘s ears twitch. It tickled his cheek, but that wasn‘t why he laughed. Actually, you don‘t know him.

Oh. Johnny was disappointed.

Kate looked at Jim. But we know the wives. It was a statement, not a question. Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah? Johnny said, perking up again.

Jim looked at Kate, knowing this was where the story would lose some of its humor for her. Suzy Moonin.

Crap, she said. Poor Suzy.

How many kids has she got now?

Three, I think. Or maybe it‘s four. Anymore she sees me coming, she heads the other way. Plus I think she must be getting her booze somewhere else, because I haven‘t seen her at the Roadhouse lately. Kate‘s eyes darkened. You haven‘t heard any rumors of a new bootlegger in town, have you?

Jim shook his head. No. But you know it‘s just a matter of time, Kate. With Suulutaq bringing all these new people into the Park, all these young men making real money, some of them for the first time in their lives, drug and alcohol abuse is going to skyrocket. He sighed. Along with drug-related crime.

Kate gave Johnny a severe look.

What? he said. What‘d I do?

It‘s not what you haven‘t done, it‘s what you will do that worries me, she said. Kate! I haven‘t done anything!

You say that now.

Jeez. I‘m not even old enough to drink. He turned his back on her and said to Jim, Who was the other wife? He was only sixteen, he couldn‘t even see twenty-one from there, and he was much more interested in the now.

Jim gave the ceiling a pensive stare. You‘d think the guy would be smart enough to know that all the mail for the Park funnels through the Niniltna post office. Kate and Johnny‘s eyes met. Bonnie Jeppsen? they said together.