Better to rest (2 page)

“Accent on the year ago. He was getting better there for a while; I dont know why he had to go off the deep end again. Bill used the bar towel to mop up the vomit around Eric Mollbergs head where it lay sleeping peacefully on the bar. “I oughta call Liam.

“Cut him some slack, woman. Hes been picked up on D-and-D twice already this month.

“Yeah, well. He sits on the city council, for crying out loud.

“Guys on the city council cant get blind drunk when their wives die on them? You wouldnt get blind drunk if I died?

Bill didnt have an answer for that, but the fact remained that Eric Mollberg had gone from city father to public nuisance in a downward spiral that had been dizzying to watch. Still, it was something else they could fight about, not that they had lacked for bones of contention to growl over in the past month. The events at Old Man Creek had taken a toll on both of them, Bill because Moses had been shot and Moses because he had lived. Amelia Gearhart had died. Young, wounded Amelia, scarred by neglectful parents, abused by her husband. Moses had been on a fair way to rescuing her, to breaking the cycle of abuse and setting her feet however shakily on the path to a different life, and then she was dead, shot to death by the same man who had tried to kill him, just when she had begun to learn how to live. Bill and Moses had been snapping and snarling at each other ever since they got back.

As testified to by Evan Gray, one of Bills regular customers currently seated three stools down. He was also Newenhams main connection for dope. If you rolled your own, you went to the Moccasin Man (so called because he wore beaded buckskin from head to toe) for the best grade of Thunderfoot from Wasilla or Kona Gold from Hawaii. “Gets kind of tiresome, cleaning puke off the bar, he said. Evan was also a serious rounder, and he smiled at Bill Billington, happy to give her aid and comfort in her argument with Moses.

Moses Alakuyak, certified Alaskan old fart, only smiled, albeit his nastiest, dirtiest, most spawn-of-Satan smile. “Playing out of your league, sonny. Shed eat you alive.

Bills spine stiffened and she glared at Moses. Never mind that theyd been lovers from the night of the day they had met. When he got proprietary she got her back up.

And even when he didnt. “I beg your pardon? she said, her tone frosty.

“You can make your apology horizontally, Moses said. “Later.

The other patrons sitting at the bar roared their approval, including the women.

Bill slapped the bar towel down. “Thats it, Alakuyak. Out. Out!

He repeated his evil grin, only it was a lot more personal this time. He didnt leave, either, instead swaggering over to the jukebox. Moments later, Jimmy Buffett was singing about a smart woman in a real short skirt. Bill, her eagles mane of white hair considerably ruffled, ignored him, and called Liam to come pry Eric Mollberg off her bar.

There was no answer. She left a message that should have melted down the voice-mail circuitry and slammed the phone into its cradle.

“Bad day?

She looked up to see Wyanet Chouinard regarding her with a sympathetic eye. “Bad month, she said, casting a sidelong look at Moses, now regaling a tableful of other old farts with some yarn about a duel to the death with a king salmon the size of Moby Dick.

Wy followed her gaze. “I hate men, she said in agreement.

“Liam?

“And Tim.

“Whats wrong with Tim?

Wy sat on a stool. “Nothing caning wouldnt cure.

Bill, startled out of her irritation, laughed. “Ship him off to Singapore, then. She pulled Wy an Alaskan Amber and set it on the bar in front of the pilot.

Wy took a long pull and said, “I cant do that. Hed probably start a war, and then Id have the State Department all over my ass.

They laughed together this time. “But seriously, folks, Bill said. “Whats wrong with Tim? Usual teenage stuff?

“That, too.

“What else?

“Im letting his mom see him. He hates her. And he hates me for making him see her. Wy took another long, soothing draft of beer, and regarded the mug with a weary kind of satisfaction. “The great thing about winter is that daylight decreases by five minutes and forty-four seconds a day and I can drink earlier every time I come in here.

“Yeah, youre such a heavy drinker, Chouinard.

“Sometimes I wish I were.

Bill looked at Moses over her head. “No, you dont.

Wy sighed. “No, I dont.

“How is Natalie behaving?

“Shes still sober, Wy said. “Shes staying in town, renting a room from Tatiana Anayuk. Got herself a job bagging groceries at Eagle.

“Shes living with Tasha?

“Yeah, I know, the oldest established permanent floating party in Newenham. But theyre cousins, and Natalies pretty much broke. And like I said, shes still sober.

“She must go straight into her room and lock the door. Bill made Moccasin Man another margarita and sent a pitcher of beer over to Moses table. The place was in its usual lull between the people-getting-off-work crowd and the people-coming-in-for-their-after-dinner-drink crowd, and she was able to return to Wy in a few moments. “Why did you do it?

“Do what? Wy said, startled out of her absorption with beer suds.

“Let Natalie see Tim.

Wy made a face. “I didnt really have a choice. The judge ordered visitation. Limited, supervised, but still.

“Bullshit, Bill said, speaking with all the authority of the magistrate she was. “You could have run her off. You still could. Why havent you, if its making the boy so miserable, and you miserable with it?

Wy drank beer. Bill waited.

“Shes his mother, Bill, Wy said at last. “Shes got rights.

“Just because you didnt give birth to him doesnt make him any less your son. Crying out loud, Wy, I could tell you stories from now until next year about cases Ive had before my court, parents arent fit to keep a dog, much less a child. Shes one of them.

“She is when shes drunk, Wy agreed. “Maybe if she stays here...

“What? You going to give him back?

Wys head snapped up, her eyes narrowing.

“I didnt think so, Bill said, her voice very dry.

“It was right to let her see him. It was right for him to see her, so that he doesnt always remember her as the drunken monster who beat him. Damn it, Bill, it was the right thing to do!

Bill sipped her Coke. “Want another beer?

Wy looked at the bottom of her now empty glass. “No. Im just trying to put off going home.

“Want some takeout?

Wy brightened. Tim was notoriously susceptible to Bills fatburgers and greasy fries. “Make it two, and a double order of fries for Tim.

Bill raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, all right, Wy said. “Three. Not that Liam Campbell deserved any special consideration in the way of meals. Or a roof. A roof it looked like he wouldnt be under for longer than it took to pack for a move back to Anchorage.

“Hey, big spender.

Wy looked around and a smile broke out across her face. It was a good smile; it displayed white teeth saved from perfection by overlapping incisors, crinkled the corners of her brown eyes, and seemed somehow to make her bronze-streaked brown hair curl out of its long braid even more than it already did. “Jo!

The two women hugged. “What are you doing in Newenham? Wy said. “I cant believe your editor let you come down again so soon. Is there some story going on around here I dont know about that the
Anchorage News
is crying out for copy on?

“No, I just grabbed a couple of vacation days cause I could, Jo said. She was a chunky blonde with intense green eyes and a short cap of curls. A newspaper reporter with the wit of Dorothy L. Parker and none of the nastiness, shed been Wys closest friend since college and, for a few months, her sister-in-law. “Garys back in Anchorage.

“Is he?

“Yeah, he came down with me. Jo didnt look at Wy when she said this, thanking Bill for the draft beer instead. “Dont worry; were not going to land ourselves on youweve got a room at the Bay View. But we were hoping youd have time for us.

“Sure, Wy said, and managed a smile. “Always time for you, Jo. And you wouldnt be landing yourselves on me, either one of you. So long as one of you doesnt mind sleeping on the floor.

Jo laughed. “Thanks, but no thanks.

“How about I order up a couple more hamburgers?

“How about we eat right here and have a steak?

Wy cocked an eyebrow at Bill, who shouted a cancellation through the pass-through to the kitchen. Dottie, her fry cook, growled an acknowledgment and slammed the burger patties back into the fridge.

“Let me call Tim. Wy went to the pay phone in the corner and dialed her home number.

“Yeah?

“Hey, Tim.

“Hi, Wy.

He had been calling her Mom right up until the first time shed admitted Natalie to their home. “Jos here, and her brother, Gary. Were going to have dinner at Bills. Ill be there in ten.

She hung up and turned to Jo, standing just behind her. “Dont worry; hell come. The combination of his favorite auntie and one of Bills steaks will offset having to sit next to me.

Jo followed Wy out to her truck. “Whats the problem with Tim?

Wy sighed. “Its not just Tim.

Jo went very still. “Liam?

Wy nodded.

Jo bristled. “Whats that prick up to now?

Wy turned. “Why do you always automatically assume the worst about Liam, Jo?

“Lets just say I stand on his record. Hes always beating up on my best friend.

“He doesnt beat up on me.

“Emotionally he sure as hell does.

Wy was silent. Jos fierce loyalty to the people she loved was one of her best qualities. It could also be one of her worst.

“Whats wrong this time? His wife is still dead, isnt she? Jo said in sudden suspicion. “He didnt go and get married again just so the two of you could have another hopeless love affair?

“No, no, no, Wy said. “Cut him some slack, Jo, Jesus.

“He hurt you, Jo said. “What hurts you, hurts me. When I get hurt, I get pissed off. When I get pissed off, I get even. Im not square with Liam yet.

“That why you brought Gary to Newenham with you?

Jo ignored the question with a dignity that didnt look quite natural on her pugnacious face. “Whats up, Wy? Whats going on?

Wy leaned back against the door of the truck. “You know this last case, the serial killer?

“Hairy Man? Sure. Hes still in jail, so far as I know. Its been a month. Got to be some kind of record.

Jo Dunaways ideal Supreme Court would have had all the justices named Scalia, but then she was a reporter and had seen firsthand the evil that men do far too often. Had she but known it, Liams ideal Supremes would all have been named Rehnquist. Wy thought about making the obvious comment but her courage failed her.

“Anyway, Jo said, “whats that got to do with anything?

“John Barton, Liams boss, called. Said Liam had done so well in Newenham that John was promoting him back to sergeant.

Jo digested this. “Wow. That was quick.

“Its partly your fault. You wrote that story with all those quotes making Liam sound like a hero.

Jo looked at her. “So youre not just pissed at Liam, youre pissed at me, too.

“Shit. Wy smoothed back the curls that had escaped the braid falling down her back. “Im not, Jo. Really, Im not. Its just that things were... Its not like we dont have other issues to deal with, you know? And now weve got to deal with this, too.

“Liam must feel like a yo-yo, Jo said.

“Yeah, well, apparently youre only disgraced in the Alaska state troopers so long as youre not clearing cases. When you are...

“Youre undisgraced. Back in favor. Back on the fast track, Jo said in sudden realization. “Okay. Got that. What else?

“John offered him his old job back.

“His old job?

“Uh-huh.

“His old job, as in, his old job in Anchorage?

“Uh-huh.

“Oh.

“So you see.

“I sure do. Where can I buy a gun?

“Jo.

“If he dumps you again, Wy, I swear Ill

“He didnt dump me last time; I dumped him.

“He could have left his wife, and he didnt.

“He had a baby son at the time. He couldnt leave both of them.

“He could if hed loved you enough.

“He could if he was a total slimeball, Jo, and that wasnt the guy I fell for. Now knock it off. Im done with that, and you should be, too.

A brief silence while Jo battled her baser self. “So whats he going to do?

“I dont know.

Jo raised an eyebrow.

“What? Wy said. She knew that eyebrow.

“You havent asked him.

“He hasnt said.

“You havent asked him? Jo said, making it a question this time.

“I dont think he knows.

“You havent asked him!

Wy gave a quick glance around to see who was listening. “Stop yelling. He hasnt given John an answer, okay? And John asked almost a month ago.

“Ahuh. Well. Jo put her hands on her hips and surveyed Wy from head to toe. “Things must be pretty tense around the Chouinard household. You let Liam move in yet?

Wy hunched a shoulder.

“Right. Why not?

Wy didnt answer.

“Yeah, Jo said. “So, getting so much in the way of solid commitment from you, naturally he would leap at the chance to blow off his boss offer of promotion and spend the rest of his life in Newenham.

Wy was as affronted at this turnabout on the part of her first, best friend as she had been annoyed at Jos attack on Liam. “So now youre on his side?

“Somebody has to be, poor bastard.

“Up yours, Dunaway.

“Backatcha times two, Jo said promptly. “Okay, enough with this. You go get Tim, Ill go get Gary, and dont worry, all will be well. She waved all-inclusive hands. “Leave it to me; Auntie Jo will fix everything.

“Thats what Im afraid of, Wy said, but she was saying it to Jos back going away.

November 30, 1941

A C-47 came in today with the heat exchanger out. One of the passengers kept his feet warm with a blowtorch all the way from Watson Lake. Man Im glad I wasnt on board that flight.

The airstrip isnt even paved and everytime we land we kick dirt and ice up against the fuselage. I hope none of that stuff is making it up into the props or the engines.