Mrs. Daley was saying to Kemal, “More pancakes, darlin’?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Dana stood there watching the two of them. In the short time Mrs. Daley had been there, Kemal had changed so much. He was calm and relaxed and happy. Dana felt a sharp pang of jealousy. Maybe I’m the wrong person for him. Guiltily, she remembered her long days and late nights at the television studio. Maybe someone like Mrs. Daley should have adopted him. She shook herself out of it. What’s the matter with me? Kemal loves me.
Dana sat down at the table. “Still enjoying the new school?”
“It’s cool.”
Dana took his hand. “Kemal, I’m afraid I’m going to have to go away again.”
He said indifferently, “That’s okay.”
The pang of jealousy came back.
“Where are you off to now, Miss Evans?” Mrs. Daley asked.
“Alaska.”
Mrs. Daley was thoughtful for a moment. “Watch out for those grizzly bears,” she advised.
The flight from Washington to Juneau, Alaska, took nine hours, with a stopover in Seattle. Inside the Juneau airport, Dana walked over to the car-rental counter.
“My name is Dana Evans. I—”
“Yes, Miss Evans. We have a nice Land Rover for you. Stall ten. Just sign here.”
The clerk handed her the keys and Dana walked around to the lot in back of the building. There were a dozen cars in numbered stalls. Dana walked over to stall ten. A man was kneeling in back of the car, working on the tailpipe of a white Land Rover. He looked up as Dana approached.
“Just tightening the tailpipe, miss. You’re all set.” He rose.
“Thank you,” Dana said.
He watched her drive away.
In the basement of a government building, a man was looking at a digital map on a computer. He watched the white Land Rover make a right turn.
“The subject is heading for Starr Hill.”
Juneau was a surprise to Dana. At first sight, it appeared to be a large city, but the narrow, winding streets gave Alaska’s capital city the small-town atmosphere of a village nestled in the middle of an ice-age wilderness.
Dana checked into the popular Inn at the Waterfront, a former brothel located in the center of town.
“You’re in time for some great skiing,” the hotel desk man told her. “We’re having a good snow season. Bring your own skis?”
“No, I—”
“Well, there’s a ski shop right next door. I’m sure they can fix you up with anything you’d like.”
“Thank you,” Dana said. It’s a good place to start. Dana unpacked and went into the ski shop.
The clerk in the shop was a nonstop talker. The moment Dana walked in he said, “Hi. I’m Chad Donohoe. Well, you’ve sure come to the right place.” He indicated a batch of skis. “We just got these Freeriders in. These babies can really handle the bumps and jumps.” He pointed to another section. “Or—these are the Salomon X-Scream 9s. They’re in big demand. Last year we ran out and couldn’t get any more.” He saw the impatient expression on Dana’s face and hurried over to the next group. “If you prefer, we have the Vocal Vertigo G30 or the Atomic 10.20.” He looked at Dana expectantly. “Which would you—?”
“I came for some information.”
A disappointed look crossed his face. “Information?”
“Yes. Did Julie Winthrop get her skis here?”
He studied Dana more closely. “Yes. As a matter of fact, she used the top-of-the-line Volant Ti power skis. Loved them. Terrible thing that happened to her up at Eaglecrest.”
“Was Miss Winthrop a good skier?”
“Good? She was the best. She had a trophy case full of prizes.”
“Do you know if she was alone here?”
“Far as I know, she was.” He shook his head. “What’s so surprising is that she knew Eaglecrest like the back of her hand. Used to ski here every year. You’d think an accident like that couldn’t happen to her, wouldn’t you?”
Dana said slowly, “Yes, I would.”
The Juneau Police Department was two blocks from the Inn at the Waterfront.
Dana stepped into a small reception office that contained the Alaska state flag, the Juneau flag, and the Stars and Stripes. There was a blue carpet, a blue couch, and a blue chair.