“I didn’t”⁠—Bemmon swallowed⁠—“I didn’t know it was there.” And then quickly, “You can’t prove I put it there. You can’t prove you didn’t just now bring it in yourselves to frame me.”

Lake stared at Bemmon, waiting. The others watched Bemmon as Lake was doing and no one spoke. The silence deepened and Bemmon began to sweat as he tried to avoid their eyes. He looked again at the damning evidence and his defiance broke.

“It⁠—if I hadn’t taken it it would have been wasted on people who were dying,” he said. He wiped at his sweating face. “I won’t ever do it again⁠—I swear I won’t.”

Lake spoke to Craig. “You and Barber take him to the lookout point.”

“What⁠—” Bemmon’s protest was cut off as Craig and Barber took him by the arms and walked him swiftly away.

Lake turned to Anders. “Get a rope,” he ordered.

Anders paled a little. “A⁠—rope?”