“What’s that costing us poor taxpayers?”

“Somewhere north of four hundred million. Tyne and Fast planned to get their money’s worth by stuffing Ruben and me into barrels and stashing us in one of the cooling chambers.”

“That’s cold.”

“You’re hilarious.” I rolled my eyes. It did not feel good. “Do you know what the glitch was down in the mine?”

“You’ll love this. The dolts forgot to get a key to open your barrel.”

“Seriously?”

Ollie nodded.

“Here’s something that bothers me,” I said. “Snook’s house was under surveillance. How did Ruben slip out that night without being seen?”

“Rainwater was bouncing the unit between Ragged Ass, Unka, and Castain.”

I thought a moment. “Did Fast say why he came west now?”

“Remember the news article about Ruben’s string of dead babies?”

White. The journalist who’d phoned the ME in Edmonton. Who’d gotten his tip from Aurora Devereaux.

I nodded.

“Fast read the story and phoned Tyne in an uproar just as Tyne was about to call him. When Tyne said Ruben was back in Yellowknife, Fast saw the plan going off track again.”

“Whose brainchild was it in the first place?”

“Fast claims the con was Tyne’s idea. Says he wouldn’t have come aboard if he thought anyone would get hurt.”

“Mr. Tyne gives a different version.”

“On several points. Fast says Tyne killed Skipper and Beck, then torched the house. Tyne lays the shootings and fire on Fast.”

“Honor among thieves.”

“Here’s a question.” Ollie placed his elbows on his knees and leaned his weight on them. “How did McLeod score those claims in the first place?”

I’d thought about that. “Ever hear of Charles Fipke?”

“The guy who discovered diamonds in Canada.”

“In the early days, Fipke was desperate for money, sometimes paid his employees in odd ways. In addition to trucking, McLeod piloted for Fipke. Maybe that was their deal. Or maybe McLeod recognized the value of the sites on his own. We may never know the answer.”

“Think McLeod really found a kimberlite pipe?”

“Snook has experts working on that.”

“She have good advisers now?”

“Rainwater and his uncle have hooked her up.”

I didn’t doubt the pipe’s existence. Rainwater’s uncle had gone gaga over Snook’s fishbowl liner. I was sure the contents of Ruben’s little sack would also ring his chimes. McLeod knew. And had told his daughters to safeguard the proof.

“OK, genius girl. Explain how you linked Fast to Tyne?”

“Remember Ralph ‘Rocky’ Trees?”

“The guy banging Ruben back in Saint-Hyacinthe.”

I told him about the advert flyer for Fast Moving. The photo in the Yellowknifer. “Annaliese Ruben linked to Trees. Trees is Fast’s brother-in-law. The photo tied Fast to McLeod and Tyne.”

“Nice work.”

I thought of another question. “Did you ask Fast if he’s the john Ruben met on the night she left Edmonton?”