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Back The Trickster
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

‘Pasqual Weaver is the managing director of the Silver Ski Company.’ He turned to her, surprising her with his newly-assumed, phoney expression of professional concern and interest. ‘How are they coping here, Pasqual?’ He thrust his boxed microphone at her like a witch-doctor thrusting a wand at someone he wanted to hurt.

Her heart pounded, but he’d made her cranky and that was good for getting over your nerves. ‘Folk are coping just fine. In fact we were busier here today than we’ve been for a long time. I think people are smart enough to know that this was one awful but unrelated incident that will never happen again. There’s certainly no danger.’

‘Two incidents, surely. How can you be certain the killer won’t strike again?’

That wand again.

‘Of course I can’t be sure, but he’d be a pretty dumb killer to strike again when the town is crawling with police and you guys.’

‘There’s been some criticism that you opened for business the day after such a death.’

‘We always open immediately after a fatality.’

Jesus. Wrong thing to say. She saw his face light up.

‘So nothing new about death at this resort? You’re used to tourists dropping like flies in Silver?’

‘What I meant was that with the inevitable fatal ski accident …’ she ignored his advice and looked straight into the camera for the next bit, ‘… of which let me say there are fewer here than almost any Canadian or American resort because of our rigorous safety standards …’ she looked back at him triumphantly to continue, ‘… we have to carry on as normal. And I’m afraid we had to carry that through even with the tragedy of Sean Bradford’s death.’

The camel-coat with a mouth looked annoyed she’d wasted his tape with a commercial. ‘Surely you may have to face the fact that your business will suffer in the long term from this horror.’

She’d waited for this. ‘Absolutely not. In fact only today I’ve been able to confirm that our celebrity ski week, in aid of the Alberta Living Time Charity Foundation, and packed with stars, will go ahead as promised in two days from now. How about that?’ Ask me about the stars next, she thought and gave the kind of smile to the camera she’d seen anchorwomen do when they handed over to sports. But the man with the mike decided finally he was dealing with an imbecile. He stepped in front of her and turned to camera.