Northern Lights

opened.
    "Chief Nate!" Jesse flew in, steps ahead of David. "You're here."
    "You, too." Nate flicked a finger down the boy's nose. "David. How's Rose, and the baby?"
    "Good. Really good. We're giving her a break, having a man's breakfast here."
    "Can we sit with you?" Jesse asked. "'Cause we're all men."
    "You bet."
    "And the best-looking men in Lunacy." Meg slid the oatmeal, a plate of wheat toast and a bowl of mixed fruit in front of Nate. "You driving yet, Jesse?"
    He laughed and scooted into the booth beside Nate. "No." He bounced. "Can I fly your plane?"
    "When your feet reach the pedals. Coffee, David?"
    "Thanks. You sure this is all right?" he asked Nate.
    "Sure. I've missed my usual breakfast buddy here. How's it feel to be the big brother?"
    "I dunno. She cries. Loud. And then she sleeps. A lot. But she held my finger. She sucks on Mom's boobie to get milk."
    "Really," was all Nate could think to say.
    "Why don't I get you some milk, in a glass?" Meg poured coffee for David.
    "Rose heard you were pitching in for her." David added sugar to his coffee. "She wanted you to know she appreciates it. We all do."
    "No problem." Meg glanced over when Charlene came back in. "I'll get that milk while you decide what to have for your manly breakfast."
    Nate left his truck for Meg and walked to the station. The sunlight was weak, but it was light. The mountains were misted by clouds, the kind he now knew carried snow with them. But the bitter wind and the cold it whipped up had mellowed. The walk warmed his muscles, cleared his head.
    He passed familiar faces, exchanged greetings in the absent way people who saw each other almost every day were wont to do.
    And he thought, with some surprise, that he was making a place for himself. Not just an escape, a refuge or a stopgap, but a place.
    He couldn't remember the last time he'd thought about leaving or just drifting to some other town, some other job. It had been days since he'd had to force himself out of bed in the morning or since he'd sat in the dark for hours, afraid to face sleep and the nightmares that ran with it.
    The weight could still come back, into his head, his shoulders, his gut, but it wasn't as heavy, wasn't as often.
    He looked to the mountains again and knew he owed Patrick Galloway. Owed him enough for cracking open that dark so that he couldn't and wouldn't give up trying to find him justice.
    He stopped when Hopp swung her four-wheel over. She rolled down her window. "I'm on my way to see Rose and the baby."
    "Give them my best."
    "You ought to pay a call yourself. Meanwhile, couple of things. Feds'll be setting off a controlled avalanche the day after tomorrow so the road between here and Anchorage is going to be blocked."
    "Say that again?"
    "Feds set off an avalanche from time to time, clear the mountain. Got one scheduled for about ten o'clock A.M., day after tomorrow. Peach just got the dispatch and told me when I stopped in. You'll need to get a bulletin out."
    "I'll take care of it."
    "And there's a damn bull moose wandering around the school yard, and when a couple of kids decided to chase it, it bashed into a couple of parked cars, then chased back. They've got the kids inside now, but that moose is pissed. What're you grinning at?" she demanded. "You ever see a pissed-off moose?"
    "No, ma'am, but I guess I'm going to."
    "If you can't head it out of town, you're going to have to take it down." She nodded when he stopped grinning. "Somebody's going to get hurt."
    "I'll take care of it."
    He quickened his pace. Damn if he was going to shoot some stupid moose, especially on school grounds. Maybe that labeled him an Outsider, but that's the way it was.
    He pushed into the station and saw his staff, and Ed Woolcott. Otto's face was flushed with temper, and his nose and Ed's were all but bumping.
    Avalanches, a pissed-off moose, pissed-off deputy, pissed-off banker. A well-rounded morning.
    "It's about damn time," Ed began. "I need a word with you, chief. In your office."
    "You'll have to wait. Peach, get the information on the scheduled avalanche to KLUN. I want it announced every half hour through the day. And make up some fliers, get them posted around town. Peter, I want you to ride out, personally inform anyone residing south of Wolverine Cut that this is coming and they'll be cut off until the roads are cleared."
    "Yes, sir."
    "Chief Burke."
    "Just a minute," he said to Ed. "Otto, we've got an angry moose down at the school. Already some