He blinked. Is the trooper going to arrest me, then?

Not today. Suzy and Bonnie are pretty upset with you, Mr. Randolph. You‘ll have to deal with them at some point. And you‘d better do something about your paycheck, too. She turned to go and paused. Mr. Randolph? Did you know Dewayne Gammons?

Lyda stiffened. Randolph looked surprised. Sure. Works here. Haven‘t seen him in a while.

How well did you know him?

He gestured vaguely. He delivered supplies to the kitchen sometimes. He‘d help unload the pallets, which was kinda nice. Not all those Stores people do. We talked a little.

What about?

He shrugged. Not much. He was a quiet type. Seemed kind of sad. I told him he should get married, make him feel better.

He looked at Lyda, who refused to meet his eyes.

Yeah, Kate said, drawing out the word. Well, thanks, Randy.

From what was apparently a hazy memory of one too many B-list noir films, Randolph said, Can I leave camp if I wanna?

Sure, Kate said. But Bonnie and Suzy are waiting for you in town. I wouldn‘t advise it.

• • •

Kate gathered up George, protesting, from the mess hall, where he appeared bent on inhaling the better part of a tray of bear claws, and Lyda escorted them to the airstrip. Thanks for the guide service, Kate said. You okay? This as Lyda started to say something, and stopped.

Lyda nodded. Yeah, fine. But she looked worried.

Kate moved a few steps away from George and lowered her voice. What? Lyda frowned at the Herc, drawn up at the end of the runway. It had dropped the clamshell to disgorge shrink-wrapped pallets of canned goods, a load of drill pipe, and a knuckleboom loader onto a semicircle of pickups and flatbeds. There might be something else, another reason Wayne took off.

Kate thought of the suicide note. A reason other than depression to kill himself, you mean? As soon as she said it she knew it was the wrong thing. I‘m sorry, I didn‘t mean to—

But Lyda was already shaking her head. It‘s probably nothing to waste your time over. Forget it. She smiled and extended her hand. Nice to meet you. There was a lack of sincerity there to rival Vernon Truax‘s, and Lyda‘s grip was cool and brief. I‘ve got time. I can hear anything you have to say, Lyda. The other woman waved a dismissive hand. Really, it was nothing. Safe journey home.

This time she turned and walked down the rise. Kate watched her pass inside the doors of the admin building with a crease between her brows.

So, we leaving any time this century? George said. My time‘s money these days, Kate.

Seven

So, Jim said, he had a girlfriend.

Suicides have been known to have girlfriends, Kate said.

She also said he was depressed. His boss said he was subdued, and so did at least one of his coworkers.

His boss said he didn‘t say much, Jim said. Doesn‘t necessarily mean the same thing.