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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

Gerry and Ann exchanged looks. Katie took another swig of Dalwhinnie. From the other room a burst of laughter again, this time accompanied by Billy’s unbelieving yell of, ‘Naw! No way!’ and a bark from Bart. It reminded them all why they were sitting there.

Gerry looked back at Katie. It really was a very kind face. ‘Agnes showed me the painting, Katie. Told me she had spoken to you.’

Katie nodded glumly, head bowed like a naughty pupil as he continued.

‘I don’t know what to make of it. I know what she thinks and I know it just isn’t true.’

Katie nodded again.

‘I know Billy, Katie. He’s an imaginative boy. I’ve lost count of the times he’s astonished me with some weird and wonderful tale he’s concocted. It’s not out of the question that he’s just taken a bad dream too far.’ He paused, looked at Ann, then back at Katie. ‘But what’s more, I’ve known Sam for ten years and if I ever met a man with a purer prism than him then I didn’t know it.’

Katie squeezed his hand. ‘Thank you, Gerry.’

Ann took her hand away from the whisky glass and put it on top of the pile that was Gerry’s and Katie’s. ‘Is everything okay with you and Sam?’

Katie sniffed. ‘The police were here, asking him questions about the murder. He was there at the time.’

Ann raised an eyebrow. ‘I had no idea.’

‘It was routine, you know. But I found out that his real name is …’ She was starting to cry again. Two hands patted hers calm. ‘… I found out he’s really Sam Hunting Wolf. Can you believe that? He didn’t tell me he’d changed it?’

Gerry was casual. ‘That’s not such a big deal is it? We all know how Sam feels about being Kinchuinick.’

‘It’s just like I’m scared about what else I don’t know, Gerry. And in ten years I’ve never even thought about it. I never cared. Now I’m scared I don’t really know him.’

‘Come on, Katie. It’s a bummer being interviewed by the cops. I know. They grilled me two years ago about that drugs thing the Hendon boy got mixed up in. But like you say, it’s routine. It’s just the strain.’

She nodded and smiled, and lifted the glass to her lips with the hand that wasn’t smothered by other people’s flesh. ‘I’ll drink to that. Positive thinking.’