The Land of Dreams

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16 3 when lance got back to the ranger station, he made it only as far as the bottom of the basement stairs before he realized that everyone already knew what had happened. He didn’t feel like asking how they’d found out. Tofte was one of those places where people called to tell you to get better before you even knew you were under the weather. Deb Larson, the head accountant, was standing in the doorway to the office area. She was just standing there, gawking. A moment later Becky Tofte appeared behind her. Then Peggy Winters popped up. Three frightened yet inquisitive faces stared at him from the doorway. Lance gave them a nod and then attempted to continue down the corridor to his own small office, as if it were a normal day. But it was no use. Becky grabbed his arm with both hands and held on tight. Even though he’d known her all his life, he found it embarrassing to stand there like that, held in her grip. “Poor Lance,” she whispered several times. He realized that for now he might as well give up any idea of writing his report. He had no choice but to follow them into the of- fice area. There he had to tell them all about what had gone on that morning, from the time he said good-bye to Zimmerman and Mary Berglund until the moment he returned. As he talked, new people kept showing up in the basement. Many of them Lance didn’t know, including young summer hires from Minneapolis and St. Paul, plus additional firefighters who had THE LAND OF DREAMS 17 been sent south from Alaska because of the high fire danger in Minnesota that summer. But most he’d known for years. Since more people kept joining the group, he had to tell the story several times. Finally there were nearly thirty people gathered in the room, and the sole topic of conversation was the dramatic events that had just occurred over near Baraga’s Cross. No one could agree on who the guilty party might be. Some thought the Norwegian had killed his companion, plain and simple. Others were convinced someone had tried to murder both men but succeeded in killing only one. Mary Berglund, the receptionist, thought it had something to do with drugs, though she couldn’t explain any further. Becky Tofte said she didn’t believe for a minute that a Norwegian would kill a fellow countryman, which brought a laugh from John Zimmerman. And then there was the fact that both men had been naked. One of the guys from Alaska thought that was the strangest thing of all. Two men running around naked in the woods! The whole station was feeling the effects of the extraordinary circumstances. Only Mary was still doing any work. She ran up and down the stairs to check if any tourists had appeared, in need of information. Soon she was able to inform the group that news of the murder had reached the media. “It’s on the radio—everybody knows about it now!” she shouted, her cheeks flushed. Zimmerman said he’d go upstairs and personally handle any contact with the public. Right after he left the room, they heard him pause on the stairs to speak to someone. Lance recognized his brother’s voice. “He’s down there,” he heard Zimmerman say, and a moment later Andy Hansen appeared in the doorway. Several of those present knew him well and said hi. He was a thin, sinewy man in his early forties. Like his taller and heavier brother, he was starting to lose his hair. But unlike Lance, who always made sure to comb his hair smoothly back, Andy wore his hair long, as if trimmed with a bowl on his head. He had on worn jeans and a faded T-shirt that said “Twins Baseball” on the front. “So, Lance,” he said, looking at his brother, who was two years older. “How are you doing?” Lance shrugged. “Things are great,” he said. It had been more than six months since he’d last spoken to his brother. The fact that Andy had dropped by now to find out how Vidar Sundstøl 18 he was doing could mean only one thing. His younger brother always behaved in a concerned and brotherly...