The burly man gave a curt nod. “Campbell. Took your time getting here.”

Liam felt rather than saw Diana stiffen. “We had some things to take care of at the post.” He hitched up his gun belt. “Molly says somebody tried to steal your ATM again.”

Brewster Gibbons, manager of Newenham’s only bank and general pain in the civic ass, watched Liam’s hand settle on the butt of the nine-millimeter Smith & Wesson strapped to his right hip. “Yes.”

Liam ambled forward to inspect the machine secured to the wall of the bank. Its corners were dented. Further investigation found a length of heavy galvanized chain tossed in a careless heap beneath the porch, as well as a horizontal burn in the right-hand upright of the porch railing, and two deep ruts in the driveway. The last two links of the chain were bent open, as if the chain had been made from clay. “Looks like someone tried to haul it off, all right.”

In spite of its wounds, the machine’s screen continued to flash advertisements for credit cards and car loans and home mortgages. Liam got out his wallet and inserted his cash card. Obediently, the machine spit out fifty dollars. “Although it doesn’t seem to have hurt it much.” He stuffed the cash into his wallet and the wallet back into his pocket. “My turn to cook dinner,” he told the bank manager. “I’m thinking take-out chicken from the deli counter at Eagle.”

Prince made a face. “I don’t know, sir, that burrito I got from there was pretty awful. You might want to reconsider.”

“What I want to know,” Brewster said, his face tight and his eyes angry, “is what you intend to do about it.”

“I don’t know,” Liam said. “Probably pick up some Maalox on my way through the checkout counter.”

Brewster Gibbons took a visible breath, looked again at the hand resting on the gun butt, and bit back what he had been about to say.

A raven’s soft croak sounded from a nearby tree, followed by a series ofclick-click-click s andcraaaa-ack s. A stiff breeze blew on shore from Bristol Bay, dropping the already crisp chill factor to a temperature close to freezing. After a summer’s absence the stars had returned to the Alaskan sky, and Liam looked up to let the Big Dipper show him the way to the North Star.