“You did what you had to do,” Mack said, then he started taking pictures with a digital camera and taking measurements. When he was done he stood back. “You charging anybody, Tom?”

“The DA will have the final say when he reads my report, but I doubt very much if anybody will be charged. I mean, the bear’s dead.”

“I’ve got a front-end loader from the county coming to deal with that carcass,” Mack said. “Maybe if everybody grabs a handful of hair, we can get it out the door. You want the hide, Mr. Barrington? Make a nice rug.”

“No, thanks,” Stone said. “I’d like to forget it as soon as I can.”

The front-end loader arrived and made it around the house. Six men grabbed what they could and dragged the bear outside and onto the loader’s scoop. They went back inside, and the EMTs loaded Tirov’s bloody corpse onto their litter and departed.

Rhea handed Stone a card, and Stone gave him his and Gala’s contact information.

“You going to be around for a while, Mr. Barrington? There might be an inquest.”

“I’ve got to go to New York this morning,” Stone replied, “but if you need my testimony, I’ll come back.”

“Well, I guess the cause of death is clear enough, unless the coroner finds some bullets in Tirov. No human being could have done what that bear did to him.”

Stone saw them to the front door and came back to the kitchen, where Gala was still sitting on the sofa. “God, what a mess,” he said, looking around at the bloody kitchen. “You go to bed, and I’ll tidy up here.”

Stone was still wide awake. He found a mop and bucket and some cleaning fluids and started in.

—

The sun was well up when he finished. He showered and dressed, packed his things, and got Bob and himself some breakfast. When he was ready to go, he found a pad and wrote a note.

Gala,

I confess I’m baffled by the things you told me last night. For the life of me I don’t understand how you could want both Tirov and me, and I don’t find it flattering or even acceptable.

I’ll leave the Range Rover at Landmark Aviation. You can send for it when you get up.

I thank you for the good times.

Stone

Stone got Bob and his bags into the car and drove to the airport. On the way he called Fred and asked him to meet them at Teterboro. Half an hour later they were climbing out of Santa Fe, headed east. The skies were clear all the way, and he had a good tailwind. He made it to Teterboro nonstop, landing with an hour of fuel reserve.

Fred was there with the car to meet him. “Good flight, sir?”

“A perfect flight,” Stone replied.