Page 124 of Backtrack

“How’s that?”

“Get this, Boss,” she said, bubbly again after a day of doldrums. “There was a smash-and-grab burglary at that gun shop out by Mendenhall Glacier. Jamie looked at the security camera footage.” Lola gave a quick up-and-down nod, making sure Cutter was following. “It was Leo. An interesting haul, too.” She looked at a list she’d scribbled on the back of the airsick bag. “Two Glock 19 pistols—onewith a threaded barrel, a SilencerCo Omega suppressor, two boxes of nine-millimeter ammo, two Buck hunting knives, a roll of Gorilla Tape, fifty feet of Paracord, a fourteen-by-sixteen blue tarp, a bag of latex gloves, and a waterproof gear bag to put it all in.”

An animated female voice came from the next row back. “That sounds like a kill kit!”

Cutter turned to identify where the voice came from. It was one of the Omaha teachers seated directly behind him.

“Sorry,” she said. “I listen to a lot of true crime.”

Cutter chuckled. “Us too. It would be helpful if you kept what you just heard to yourself. Word travels quickly in a small town like Skagway.”

The woman tapped the Marshals Service pin they’d just given her. She’d already put it on her lapel, giving an excited grimace.

“Mum’s the word, partner!”

Her husband rolled his eyes, but Cutter couldn’t help but notice he’d pinned on his miniature badge as well.

On a hunch, Cutter got a copy of Leo Bouchard’s photo from Lola and then, unbuckling his seat belt, stooped and made his way up the aisle. He startled young Vanya with a tap on the shoulder. The pilot pulled the left side of his headset away from his ear.

“Everything okay?”

“All good,” Cutter said, showing his badge. “You mentioned earlier you took a flight to Skagway this morning before ours.”

“Yes indeed!”

Cutter showed him the driver’s license photo. “Was this guy one of your passengers?”

“Yep,” Vanya said. “Big guy. Sat all the way in the back and kept to himself. Wouldn’t let anyone help him with his bag.”

Cutter thanked the pilot and returned to his seat.

“So he was on the flight!” Lola said.

Cutter nodded. “He was.”

“Yes!” the Omaha teachers said behind him.

“Your phone work?” Cutter asked Lola.

“I have one bar.”

Cutter thumb-typed a test message and hit Send. A moment later, Lola’s phone buzzed in her hand. She sent him back a thumbs-up.

Cutter: Not sure who Leo’s working with.

But whoever it is, he’s taking them a couple of guns.

Lola: What’s the plan?

Cutter: Working on it.

Lola: Joellen?

Cutter: She’s taking the White Pass Railroad excursion into Canada. It left almost an hour ago.

“I’m okay with that,” Lola said out loud. “I’ve had my fill of trains in this job.”

“I know what you mean,” Cutter said. The passengers behind them surely wanted to know what sort of adventure they’d had on a train, but Cutter left it at that.