Free Icy Clutches by Aaron Elkins

I'll just take a minute of your time. I'd like to apologize for not knowing who you were yesterday, Dr. Oliver."
    "No reason why you should. I just wanted to tell you how much I admire your work."
    "Well, ‘Voyages’ isn't a one-man show, you know.” He smiled with practiced modesty. “I get all the glory, but a great many people are involved behind the scenes, each making his own unique contribution to the whole."
    "Ah,” said Gideon. There didn't seem to be any point in explaining that it was not “Voyages” he admired.
    Tremaine leaned both hands on the table. “I wonder if I might ask a favor. Do you know why I'm here at Glacier Bay?"
    "I understand you're working on a book about the Tirku survey expedition."
    "Yes, it's quite close to finished, really, and I'm being assisted by several people who are either members of the original team or relatives of the members who were killed. Well, naturally, today's discovery of those, ah, remains has stimulated a great deal of interest among them. They were wondering if you'd be good enough to spend a little time with us and tell us what you've found."
    "I'm afraid there isn't a lot to tell. There's no way I can make a positive—"
    "Would tomorrow at ten be convenient? We meet in the upstairs lounge."
    "No, tomorrow morning I'm going out to Tirku myself to have a look around."
    "I see. What about the afternoon, then? Will you be back by four?"
    "Well, I'm not really—"
    "Sure you will,” Julie said. “You're getting a lift with my class, aren't you? Bill said he'd have us back by four."
    "Splendid,” Tremaine said. “We'll see you at four then, Dr. Oliver. I'll look forward to it.” He inclined his shaggy but well-groomed head at Julie. “Mrs. Oliver."
    "Uh, did I do something wrong?” Julie said when he had left. “Do I detect a little reluctance on your part?"
    Gideon shrugged. “No, that's okay. I'm not reluctant, exactly. It just makes me uncomfortable. I mean, what am I supposed to do, bring in the bones for a show-and-tell?"
    "I've never known you to object to talking about bones before."
    "But these are their relatives—brothers, sisters, whatever. That makes it different."
    "Yes, I see what you mean. Sorry about that. Are you going to tell them about the fractured mandible?"
    "Not a chance. No reason to."
    There was a pause. “You're not going to tell Tremaine either, are you?"
    "I'm not telling anyone. Just you. Not until I put in some more work."
    "Because, you know, I just realized,” Julie said, thoughtfully running her finger around the rim of her empty glass, “if you just happen to be right about how that mandible got broken—"
    "Which we've agreed I'm not."
    "—and there was a murder all those years ago—"
    "Which we've agreed there wasn't."
    "—then the finger of suspicion would have to point to M. Audley Tremaine himself, wouldn't it, since he was the only one who got out alive?"
    "Well, not necessarily, but I admit the thought did cross my mind."
    She leaned across the table toward him. “All right now, tell the truth. Do you or don't you think that jaw damage came from the avalanche?"
    "I don't know,” Gideon answered honestly. “Intellectually, I think you're right about it. But intuitively I can't help—"
    "Oh-oh, intuitively. That's always a bad sign."
    He laughed. “Okay, you're right.” He reached up and stretched luxuriously. “I'm letting my imagination get the better of me. Maybe I'm just looking for some way to get him off the airwaves before he fouls up the American mind for good."
    "Come on,” Julie said, standing up. “You've been sitting around deducing all day, but I've been working and I need some crab-stuffed halibut."
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    Chapter 5
    * * * *
    Sailing into the upper reaches of Glacier Bay is a spectacular experience for anyone, but for those whose interests turn toward natural history it is matchless, an adventure to be found nowhere else in the world. As the ship moves out of