The Boy Who Stole From the Dead by Orest Stelmach Page B

not going to make you feel better if there’s a guilty verdict. There’re plenty of bigger names that will take this case given the publicity it might get.”
    “No—”
    “We talked about this before. Reputation matters with judges and prosecutors. I graduated Rutgers, not Harvard. I’ve got no pedigree, and I’ve got no shame. I’ll represent anyone. I don’t play basketball with any judges. The bigger names do. Bobby might be better off with one of those bigger names.”
    “No. You know everything that happened last year. Everything. You’re the only one I trust. And I don’t want to discuss this again.”
    They discussed logistics and hung up.
    Johnny did the rest of his resistance workout without pausing between sets. He imagined two scenarios. In the first, the judge dismissed the case because of a legal maneuver. In the second, a jury found him innocent after Johnny delivered a stirring closing argument. In both cases, Nadia expressed her gratitude by kissing him, and what was supposed to be a gentle thank you turned into something more.
    Something much more.

CHAPTER 14

    S EABIRDS CIRCLED L ITTLE Diomede Island, an American territory in the Arctic Circle off the northern coast of Alaska. They nested in the cliffs that surrounded the village. The early morning sun shimmered on the snow-capped sea.
    Lauren followed her tour guide along the rock walkway. The village consisted of four rows of houses, thirty buildings max. She’d seen the Native Store, Washeteria, and clinic, bingo hall and the armory. It was 10° outside. Lauren was wearing a parka but never stopped shivering.
    Her tour guide’s name was Karen Kuvalik. The trail of clues from Kotzebue had led Lauren to Karen and her husband, Sam. They knew Bobby Kungenook and his real story. Lauren was sure of it. Convincing them to part with the truth, however, was going to take some persuasion. Lauren was prepared to do whatever was necessary. If the locals were protecting Bobby Kungenook, the story had to be about more than hockey. It could be a simple matter of illegal immigration, but her gut told her otherwise. Cops didn’t point rifles at reporters’ heads to protect an illegal immigrant. Lauren suspected this was the type of story that created international headlines.
    “So you know Ricky Wells?” Karen said. She spoke in a monotone.
    “No. I don’t really know him. I’m producing a show on the Kobuk 440. And Ricky’s a top competitor. I know he comes out to Diomede once a year to hunt polar bears, and I thought that would be interesting to our viewers. I asked if he wanted to come out with me but he couldn’t take time off from work.” That was true, but the entire exercise was an excuse to meet with Karen and Sam.
    “That’s too bad. I never met him. I’ve seen him from a distance but I never met him. He’s still single, isn’t he?”
    “I don’t know. I didn’t ask. I thought you were married, Karen.”
    “I am. But my sister isn’t.”
    “Ah. I see. I imagine the pickings are slim on the island.”
    Karen shot her a look. “What does that mean?”
    “No, no,” Lauren said. “I didn’t mean it that way.”
    “What did you mean?”
    “Literally what I said. There are one hundred thirty-five people living on your island. How many age appropriate single men can there be?”
    “It’s even worse than that.”
    “It is?”
    “Yeah. There’s basically four families in the village. Pretty much everyone’s related.”
    “Yikes. That is a problem.”
    “Yeah. I was lucky. I got my Sam when I was eighteen. No sense wasting time, you know? When you see something you want, you have to go get it.”
    “Tell me about it. So if you want to get married and live on Diomede…”
    “You have to go find a boyfriend on the mainland and bring him back. You have to go find a man who loves you so much he’s willing to live on Inalik.”
    “Inalik?”
    “Diomede Village is called Inalik. Diomede Island is called Ignaluk. A Danish