“I read for a while, then same.”

“Do either of you know where Erik’s cabin is?”

Both men shook their heads.

“I saw a fold-up bed in the tent. He spend the night there often?”

“I don’t know about often. Sometimes he worked late.”

Liam thought about taking that trail up in the dark and shuddered inwardly. “You think he slept there Monday night?”

Gabe’s expression was bleak. “I don’t know.”

“You didn’t see Erik’s body in the cave when you went down to help Kyle?”

Gabe shook his head. “All I had was a flashlight and not a very big one. That cave is creepy enough during the day. I went straight in and straight out again.”

“You didn’t smell anything?”

Gabe’s mouth tightened. “Place smelled like cave and I was focused on getting Kyle unstuck. If I’d noticed anything odd I would have said so, Sergeant.” He emphasized the last word.

Liam thought about that for a minute. Between Kyle and Logan and Gabe, the cave had been like Grand Central Station that night. Still, as he now knew himself, it was a big space with a lot of obstruction to eyesight and foot traffic. He’d only found Erik Berglund’s body because he’d tripped over the rocky surface. “I’ve already heard he pissed off a lot of people locally. Were any of them here that night?”

“The Reeses and the Kinnisons were pissed at him for gumming up the works with the right of way. He might have had a thing with Domenica Garland, who is also a neighbor, a couple doors up.”

Len snorted. When Liam looked at him he said, “Ain’t no male in the room that night Domenica Garland hasn’t had a thing with. She is busy, that girl.”

“Including the two of you?”

Len laughed. “I don’t have anything she wanted.”

“Bullshit,” Gabe said, “you just run faster than the average man.”

“And you, Gabe?”

“I have a pretty good turn of speed myself,” Gabe said.

In spite of himself Liam grinned. “I’ve met the lady. I can relate.” He looked back at the list. “What about the rest of your guests?”

“Some I’ve met and liked. Some I met and wanted to get to know better for other reasons.”

“Alexei and Kimberley Petroff?”

“He’s the chief of the local tribe. I met him when I took the boat over to Kapilat on Memorial Day, and he was on this side for the Labor Day weekend, so…” He shrugged.

A friendly acquaintance with the chief of the most powerful local tribe would not be a bad thing for any bigwig who moved into the area. Liam mentally commended the actor on his diplomatic instincts.

“Did any of them get in an argument with Erik that evening?”

McGuire and Needham exchanged glances. Needham said, “Erik and Hilary Houten were arguing, but they always are. Were.”

“What about?”

“Houten telling Erik he was full of shit and that his theories were crap. He was serious about it, I think. Erik seemed mostly to be egging him on.”