They got into the pickup. Ted started the motor that had not yet had time to cool completely, and a trickle of warmth came from the heater. John Wilson looked sharply at Ted.
"All right. Give."
"Did you notice anything unusual about that buck?"
"Only that it's the biggest I ever saw."
"It's also frozen solid."
"I—I don't understand."
"The weather hasn't been cold enough to freeze deer. Thornton never killed that buck today."
"Then he—?"
"That's it exactly."
There was a short silence. John Wilson broke it with a quiet, "Is there a story behind it?"