“Until you’ve learned to read.”

When hope lit in Knox’s eyes, Gabe knew the librarian had won.

A few minutes later, Gabe headed downstairs to the police station.

Baumer followed him. “That’s a pretty woman. The librarian, I mean.”

“She is.” Beautiful. Brilliant. And, unloved as a child. Her mother hadn’t let her read fiction. He still had problems with that. Maybe because novels had been essential to surviving the long Alaska winters in Mako’s cabin.

Gabe nodded to Regina as they walked toward her receptionist desk.

“One call, Chief.” The woman held out a post-it note. “All quiet.”

“Good to hear. Thank you.”

As they walked past and through the station door, Baumer persisted. “Do you and the pretty librarian have something going on? Seems like I’ve heard rumors…”

Jesus, was this the price of living in a small town?

At Gabe’s irritated stare, Baumer held up his hands. “Just asking. I wouldn’t want to arrest your girlfriend or anything.”

“Why the fuck would you arrest Julie?”

“You know—fake name. No one knows where she came from. She never talks about her past or anything.” Baumer shrugged. “I’m just a suspicious guy, and you gotta admit, women are devious.”

“Sounds as if you’ve been burned a time or two.”

“Shit, my first wife was a real feminazi and screwed around on me after the second month we were married. That burns, man, you know?”

All too familiar. Gabe poured himself a cup from the coffee he’d made that morning. Black as sin, but better than nothing. “I know. When I got deployed, my wife figured our vows went on leave.” It’d hurt that while he’d been risking his life for the country—and being faithful despite temptation—she was screwing any soldier-boy she picked up at the bar. It’d been an ugly divorce.

Baumer nodded. “You get it.”

Nonetheless, deciding a person couldn’t be trusted because of his or her gender, race, religion, or what-the-fuck-ever was purely stupid. “Julie hasn’t done anything illegal here, and she’s from Chicago. Nothing suspicious about that. She’s sure not the first person to come to Alaska for a fresh start and to leave the past behind.”

“Maybe.” Baumer’s mouth twisted. “With the trouble we’re having here, seems like we need to be careful. For all we know, she’s wanted for something—and has access to this building.”

“Only during the hours the building is open and when Regina is here. Our budget doesn’t extend to heating the place for the library alone.”

“Oh. Yeah, okay. Guess that’s different.”

“But you’re not convinced.”

Baumer scrubbed his fingers through his hair. “She sets my instincts off, and I worry that you’re not looking past a pair of breasts, boss.”