Free A deeper sleep by Dana Stabenow Page B

Rebecca," Bobby said, dwelling upon what was evidently a fond memory. "Word is she went ballistic when she heard about the sale. Especially when she heard how much Willie sold it for. She figured it should have sold for a lot more. And she was right, was the lovely Rebecca."
     
    "So," Kate said patiently, "the Smiths came here and rented a bulldozer."
     
    "They have also begun to fell trees for a house and outbuildings. Some of them are Park trees."
     
    Kate thought of Dan O'Brien and shuddered. "They must be pretty well financed if they can buy up that much land for cash and pay Mac Devlin enough to convince him to allow them to drive his beloved Cat. What does an Anchorage DA want me to do? This is a federal matter."
     
    "Better ask him," Bobby said. "He said he'd be available all this afternoon."
     
    Time was when Kate needed to talk to Anchorage, Bobby got on his ham radio, exchanged pleasantries with a ham in New Zealand and another in Iraq before raising KL7CC in Anchorage, who called Brendan at his office and patched him through over the air. Now Bobby went to his computer, got online via satellite, and bellied Kate up to the keyboard to do a little IM-ing. At least every Park rat with a radio wasn't listening in, but she missed eavesdropping on Bobby's conversations with the likes of King Juan Carlos, Jeana Yeager, and Barry Goldwater. Even if Barry was dead. She had a feeling most Park rats felt the same way.
     
    In the meantime, she bellied. "Oh ha ha," she said when she saw the user name Bobby had assigned to her.
     
    Bobby grinned his wide, nasty grin. "Thought you might like it."
     
    "Very funny." Kate turned back to the keyboard before he could see her answering grin.
     
    shysterguy: Hey, gorgeous, how you?
     
    parkdick:       Life is good, handsome. Whattup?
     
    shysterguy: Right to business, that's what I love about you, Katie. The Smiths.
     
    parkdick:       I had a feeling. What about them?
     
    shysterguy: They're driving the feds crazy.
     
    parkdick:       Great! Let's throw a party.
     
    shysterguy: Spoken like a true Park rat. The feds are leaning on the state to exercise a little authority in this situation. Especially since they know Niniltna now has its own trooper in residence.
     
    parkdick:        How much authority?
     
    shysterguy: Run them off, if you can. I'm told that their title to the land is in question.
     
    parkdick:                      You want me to evict them?
     
    shysterguy:                      Yeah.
     
    parkdick:                      Kinda sorta need a court order for that.
     
    shysterguy:                      Got one.
     
    parkdick:                      Which judge?
     
    shysterguy:                      Reitman.
     
    parkdick:                      Figures.
     
    shysterguy:                      Don't blame me, take it up with the Park Service.
     
    parkdick: Why doesn't Jim's boss just order him to do it? Why me?
     
    shysterguy: It may come to that. These folks seem ready to call out the National Guard.
     
    "You miserable little shit," Kate said out loud. "What'd I do?" Bobby said, injured.
     
    "She means the other miserable little shit," Dinah said serenely, and went to the kitchen to open cans of salmon for sandwiches.
     
    parkdick:       You want me to be your process server.
     
    shysterguy: Did I mention the National Guard? We were thinking—
     
    parkdick:       WE were thinking?
     
    shysterguy: Okay, I, I was thinking. I was especially thinking when the Park Service started mobilizing for Iwo Jima here. If some mild-mannered, inoffensive little Park rat—
     
    Kate snorted.
     
    shysterguy: —I heard that—
     
    "Sure you did," Kate said, toying with the mouse, running the cursor over the sign-out option on the drop-down menu in a suggestive