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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

That caused a big buzz, and it sounded like an angry buzz. Becker took over.

‘Is that it so far, Staff Sergeant?’

‘So far. Yes.’

‘Okay. Well before I formally take over now I just want to thank you and your team for taking it to this point and handling what must be a very alarming and alien situation to such a small detachment with such professionalism and calm.’

McGee glared at him. ‘You’re welcome.’

Becker stood. ‘Can I have Bob and Dennis in my office and would the rest of you get your duties from Sergeant Leonard? Let’s get moving.’

Craig remained on the desk as the room cleared before him, Becker putting an unwelcome hand on his shoulder as he passed.

Good luck, smartass, thought Craig as he watched Becker close the door of the conference room. He put his hands to his face and kneaded the tired flesh like dough.

Hawk was still in his seat when he finished his rough facial.

‘You’re part of the B-Team, Hawk. I guess you can go home. They’ll wonder where you are.’

Daniel Hawk stood up and stretched. ‘No, they won’t. Tess has taken Larry to her sister’s place in Calgary for a few days. She don’t like being alone in that house up there when I work late on a case.’

Craig nodded. Hawk’s house was a spectacular log construction high in the woods above Silver. He built it himself and Hawk always boasted that in the summer the scent of pine and cedar knocked you out as you drank a beer on his porch. Craig had been there only once and he was impressed by its solid and solitary countenance. But he could understand Tess wanting out if her husband wasn’t coming home every night on the dot. There was one lonely trail up to the house and that was it. In a winter like this, that made socializing pretty unlikely, and the snow must surround the place like a wall.

‘Looks like I’m surplus to requirements now, constable. If you fancy braving the gentlemen of the press as we leave, you’re welcome to share a three-week-old frozen pizza I noticed at the bottom of my ice-box.’

Hawk smiled. ‘Thanks, sir. I got the Hunt interview to type up and then I’m gonna get back up home before the snow stops me. I ploughed the trail this morning, but it won’t last long.’

Craig shrugged as though he hadn’t meant the invitation, and Hawk left the room and shut the door. So the frozen pizza was going to have to be eaten alone. A beer in Siding Twenty-three was out of the question too, with all these news hounds filling up the town. Craig McGee sighed and went to fetch his things. The psycho wasn’t his problem any more. Facing another night in his big empty house with its big empty ice-box was.

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