Nevada Barr - Winter Study

“Not if they’re dead,” Anna said with sudden inspiration.

Before Jonah could snatch up the kindling ax to defend himself and Ridley from her homicidal mania – which he looked ready to do – Anna went on: “Adam and Bob set it up. Bob to… what? What would be good?”

“Bob wanted to take over the study himself,” Ridley said slowly.

“Become somebody in research circles.”

“Right,” Jonah said. “Earn the big bucks.”

Ridley laughed. Anna was glad to hear laughter. It had been a long time since she’d heard any that wasn’t tinged with some poison or another.

“There’s fame attached,” Anna said. “You’re somebody. Bob was nobody. People who knew him might buy that.”

“So when did he bring in the goodies?” Jonah asked. “The paw prints and scent lure and doggy cutouts? It won’t work.”

“The windigo!” Anna exclaimed suddenly.

“Are you feverish?” Jonah asked, his concern genuine.

“No. Maybe, but that’s not it. It just occurred to me that was what I was smelling. The windigo is supposed to have this reek that announces its presence. I kept smelling a hint of it. I was smelling the scent lure. That stuff is the essence of all things vile. Dogs and wolves love it. Hah!” she said, pleased to have one more niggling question answered.

“So when did Bob stash his tools?” Jonah went back to his question.

“Adam did that,” Ridley suggested. “Adam was doing it to save the study. Bob figured it out, took over and there was a falling-out. Bob kills Adam and is killed attacking Anna.”

“And Robin and Gavin skip away hand in hand – no harm, no foul?” Jonah said.

“Why not?” Anna said. “Do you want to see them behind bars? Boy, would that ever make you a coldhearted bastard. Why don’t you just turn in Smokey the Bear and Woodsy the Owl and Ranger Rick for ecoterrorism?”

Silence returned. From Katherine’s old room came the gentle murmur of Gavin and Robin talking. The thought of them going to prison, or even through the ruthless misery of the legal system, hurt Anna, an ache in her chest near where her heart was. Justice had been meted out already in the dribs and drabs of violence and insanity that Bob and Adam carried with them to the island. Evil had vanquished itself. What came now, if they let it come, would be politics. Politicians did not sacrifice themselves for the greater good, not if it meant losing their jobs.

She wanted to push Ridley and Jonah, to preach and to beg if need be, but she sensed it would be best to let them alone. So she waited. Finally Ridley spoke.

“We can burn the stuff they used for the hoax. There’s time. And clean up Feldtmann tower. It’s too cold for whatever law shows up to want to dig too deep. Too cold and too isolated.”

Anna felt a surge of affection for the young man. The animosity he’d evinced toward federal law enforcement early in this adventure had annoyed her. Now she loved him for it.

“So we play God?” Jonah asked.

“People always play God,” Anna said. “There’s nobody else to do it.”