Cui Bono

VI

'"Alison Owada, if she's elected mayor of Vancouver, will excuse wrongdoing and attack freedom of religion. She has never had any respect for God, and she's always had a soft spot for people who steal, do drugs, and practice witchcraft."'

Katherine sighed. "I knew Howie wasn't going to take competition lying down."

"He's still an ass." Julie rolled her eyes.

"It's a cold comfort knowing most people in Vancouver don't take him seriously. And not just because he's a member of The Children of Abraham." Lily beamed.

"Can we turn this shit off now?" Julie grumbled. "And not just because I want to go back to work."

Katherine looked at her. "We need to know what the enemy is thinking and what game they're playing."

Julie sighed.

People looked at Andreas with curiosity as he walked through Phoenix Ranch's backyard. He smirked when he saw chickens running around, clucking at each other, chasing each other and a couple of dogs, who alternately chased them in return, occasionally barking.

Katherine emerged from the horses' barn. She noticed Andreas standing out in the yard; she sighed, and strode towards him. "So, did you sacrifice a night of carousing just to pester me while I work?"

Andreas chuckled. "This is a nice place you have."

Katherine just stared at him.

"You look like you've been hard at work."

"I just finished mucking out stalls, so you'll have to forgive me if I have something in common with your cheesy lines and half-baked excuses."

"Which is..."

"Smelling like shit."

Andreas laughed.

"So, besides a desire to pester me, what brings you here?"

"I don't mean to pester you, Katherine..."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"Is there anything I can help out with? I'm here, anyway."

Katherine sneered and snorted. "It's clear you haven't done a seconds' worth of manual labour in your life. You'd likely make extra work for me and everyone else."

"Katherine, Netty's..." Julie stopped when she saw Andreas.

"Andreas Naslund." Andreas smiled and waved at Julie.

Julie glared at him, then growled, "Despite everything those rich assholes in Vancouver say, Katherine does have friends. And if you fuck with her, you fuck with us all."

"What's this about Netty?" Katherine interjected.

"Her eggs started to hatch. Shelly sent me to get you."

Katherine put her pail down, and she and Andreas followed Julie to the turkeys' barn, and to a nest, where some eggs had already hatched, exposing infant turkeys; Dr. Ortega examined them as they hatched.

"I've already recorded those," Shelly said, passing a tablet to Katherine.

"Thanks, Shelly." Katherine studied the new arrivals and the tablet.

Andreas noticed a man standing near the nest, and brushed Katherine's arm. "What's he doing there?"

Katherine looked up. "That's Jerry Talbot, the head ranch hand here at Phoenix Ranch. He's here to clear the shells out of the nest once the babies hatch."