"Uh-huh." Jim's eyes wandered down to the empty transient parking slip. "You know, I hear the Cetaceans have developed a mini-force field that acts as a personal shield. They're test-marketing it on Rigel Five. Supposed to adjust its insulating factor to the current conditions. Fits in your pocket, not too expensive."

"Really?" Kate said politely. "If there were any Cetaceans in Cordova, I'd recommend it to Gull. As it is . . ."

"You're probably right."

Their eyes met and they smiled.

Jim resettled his hat, flat brim not a bubble off level, and straightened his already straight shoulders. He nodded at the corpse in the back of the pickup. "Give me a ride to the airport?"

"You going to fly him in?"

"Quicker than waiting for tomorrow's jet, and the sooner we get the body back to Anchorage and the techies in the lab, the better."

She nodded, and they climbed in.

Jim was silent until they were well out of town. He sighed, and said, "Beaten, strangled and stabbed. I wouldn't be surprised if Frank finds a bullet in him."

"Kind of emphasizes the killer's sincerity, doesn't it?"

"Kind of."

They passed the Powder House, a southcentral Alaskan institution on a par with Bernie's Roadhouse in Niniltna. From the stories Old Sam told, and hints she'd had from other old-timers and elders, Stephan had hoisted more than a few at the Powder House when he got this far south.

He hadn't hoisted any at home. He had left that to her mother. Kate shook the memory off before it took hold.

They were almost to the airport before Jim said, "Unless, of course, we've got more than one killer."

Kate slumped a little in her seat, sorry he'd put her fear into words. "I hate the weird ones. I hate the weird ones."

"Yeah."

Jim could afford to sound laconic. "I suppose you expect me to go on out to the setnet site and interview the family."

The shark's grin was back, wide and predatory, with entirely too many teeth showing.

"I'm tendering," she said. "Some of us actually have to work for a living, you knowwe're not subsidized to live in luxury by a grateful state."

He let out a great shout of laughter that rang off the metal insides of the cab.

"Shit," Kate said, with feeling.

"Thanks, Kate," he said, still laughing. "I appreciate the offer. And the laugh."

"Up yours," she said.

With true nobility, he refrained from giving the obvious reply, but only because he needed help in muscling Meany's stiff and awkward body out of the truck bed and into the back of the plane. They slammed the door on the macabre object ignoring the wide-eyed looks of a cluster of airport worker standing near the terminal. "I'll be back, this evening if I can tomorrow if I can't."

"Hurry," she said, with emphasis. "If this strike continues, most of your best suspects are going to head south for the winter."

"I'll hurry."