Northern Lights

about your father, Ms. Galloway, and I give you my word that I'll con tinue to work the case to its conclusion. But at this time, I have nothing more to tell you."
    "Another minute, sergeant?" Nate turned to Jacob and Meg. "I'll meet you outside." He closed the door behind them himself. "What else do you have? What aren't you telling her?"
    "Do you have a personal connection with Megan Galloway?"
    "Undetermined at this particular time and irrelevant. Give and take, Coben. I can tell you that there are a good half dozen people still living in Lunacy who could have climbed with Galloway that winter, people Max knew as friends and neighbors and who could have sat in that office with him on the night of his death. The ME's determination was made on facts, but he doesn't know the town, the people. He didn't know Max Hawbaker."
    "And you barely did." Coben held up a hand. "But. I have evidence there were three people on that mountain at the probable time of Galloway's death. Evidence that only two of them were in that cave. Evidence I believe was written by Galloway's own hand."
    He pushed the file toward Nate. "He kept a journal of the climb. There were three of them up there, Burke, and I'm dead sure Hawbaker was one of them. I'm not sure he was the second man in that cave. There's a copy of the journal in the file. I'm having an expert verify it's Galloway's writing from another sample, but eyeballing it, I'd say it is. It's up to you if you want to share that with his daughter."
    "You wouldn't."
    "Against the grain some to share it with you. Just like it is to admit you've got more Homicide experience than I do and a better handle on the people of that town. Lunacy fits, Burke, because I'd say you've got at least one certifiable lunatic living under your nose."
    • • •
     
     
    HE FLEW BACK WITH MEG, with the file tucked under his parka. After he'd read it, he'd decide if he'd tell her about it. Decide if he'd tell anyone.
    Since he couldn't quite pull off the denial that he was in the air, he did what he could to enjoy the view.
    Snow. More snow. Frozen water. Icy beauty with dangerous pockets. Not unlike his current pilot.
    "Is Coben an asshole?" she asked abruptly.
    "I wouldn't say so."
    "Is that because you cops stick together, or is it an objective opinion?"
    "Some of both, maybe. Following the evidence doesn't an asshole make."
    "It does if either of you seriously believes Max whacked my father with an ax. I expected better from you."
    "See where expectations get you?"
    She took the plane into a deep, left dip that had his stomach sloshing toward his throat. Before he could object, she dipped right.
    "You want me puking in your cockpit, you just keep it up."
    "Cop ought to have a stronger stomach." She nosed down with such speed he could see nothing but that white world hurtling toward them— and his own mangled body in twisted, burning wreckage.
    His vicious, violent cursing had her laughing as she shot the plane up again.
    "You got a death wish?" he shot out.
    "No. You?"
    "I did, but I got over it. You pull that again, Galloway, and when we're on the ground, I'm going to knock you on your crazy ass."
    "You wouldn't. Guys like you don't hit women."
    "Oh, just try me."
    She was tempted, was feeling just crazed enough to be tempted. "You ever knock the cheating Rachel around?"
    He looked over. There was a wildness about her, in her eyes, vivid on her face. "Never even considered it, but I'm forging new territory every day."
    "You're pissed off at me. All mopey and hurt because I didn't radio in every hour to make kissy noises."
    "Just fly the plane. My ride's at your place. That's where Jacob picked me up."
    "I didn't need you there. I didn't need you coming in to hold my hand."
    "I don't believe I offered to hold your hand." He waited a beat. "Rose and David had a girl. Eight pounds. Named her Willow."
    "Oh?" Some of that wild temper eased out of her face. "A girl? They're okay?"
    "Fine and dandy. Peach says she's beautiful, but when I went to see, she looked like a really irritated guppy with black hair."
    "Why are you talking to me conversationally when you're mad enough to pop me between the eyes?"
    "I prefer to keep things neutral as Switzerland until you land the damn plane."
    "Fair enough."
    Once she had, she grabbed gear, hopped out. Slinging what she could over her shoulders, she bent to greet her excited dogs. "There you are, there's my guys. Miss me?" She shot a glance up at Nate. "Going to deck