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Back The Trickster Save as PDF
Chapters (74)
  1. The Trickster
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Contents
  5. Preface to the 20th anniversary edition
  6. Introduction
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. Keep Reading
  70. FURNACE
  71. Acknowledgements
  72. About the Author
  73. ALSO BY THE AUTHOR
  74. About the Publisher

Craig looked away, nodding. ‘Routine. We’re going to need a lot of co-operation from you, Mr Sindon. I’m sure you’re aware of what’s going to happen when the press get a sniff of it.’

‘I’m aware of it.’

Craig didn’t like Sindon’s tone. He pushed the tape up and ducked beneath it, joining Eric on a little platform of snow behind a rock-hard mogul.

‘We need a full list of everybody that was working on the resort. We need names, locations, times, and we’re going to need to speak to every last one until they’re hoarse with telling us the details of their day.’

‘We still have a resort to run, Staff Sergeant.’

‘Then we can close it if it gets in the way of our investigation.’

‘I don’t think you can do that.’

‘Watch me.’

Sindon suddenly wondered why he was being so protective about what was, after all, Pasqual’s company. Force of habit. He changed tack. ‘We’ll co-operate fully. I’ll make sure they’re all available first thing tomorrow.’

Craig shook his head. ‘Too late. We’re knocking on doors tonight, Mr Sindon. Can you let my constables have the names and addresses right now?’

Sindon sighed. ‘I’ll take them down to the lodge if they want to come now.’

‘Thank you, sir,’ Craig said without much feeling. He looked back over his shoulder to the lights in the wood. ‘Hawk! Bell! Here, please.’ He turned back to Eric. ‘That includes you and Miss Weaver, and all these guys here.’

‘Of course.’

Craig looked beyond Sindon to where their bodies threw gigantic and grotesque shadows over the blanket of trees on the other side of the trail. He spoke softly as though Eric had already gone.

‘We need to get this animal.’

19

The lodge cafeteria was bad enough as a place to eat. It was even more horrible as an interview room. The long concrete room had windows along one wall looking over the nursery area and a serving counter along the other. In the poorly-conceived space between were twenty ten-seater wipe-clean tables with permanently-attached plastic seats, those evil little moulded shapes that are problematic to get in and out of with any dignity in regular shoes, and impossible in ski boots. But the rosy glow of cheeks and cordial shouting of buddy to buddy, lover to lover and child to parent usually made the restaurant bearable, providing an aural interior decoration of happy echoes that overwhelmed the spartan facilities.

Without that joyous babble it was a grim room, and right now there was nothing going on that was remotely happy.