“He has your contact info, you know. Why go through me?”
“I’ve been thinking about that. If Lynch thought my phone, text, and email communications are monitored, he might not want to reach out to me directly. I see you every day, and he knew you’d pass along any message from him.”
“But who has he been hiding from?” Olivia said.
“Your guess is as good as mine. Since the FBI was staking out his house and grounds, they probably still have no idea where he is.”
“Well, he was last seen near a jet plane at an airport in Scotland,” Olivia said. “But you said that agent who contacted him had questioned everyone in the vicinity the next day and found out zilch.”
“Considering Lynch’s contacts, that means he could be anywhere in Europe by now,” Kendra said. She wearily reached up to rub her temple. “Not too promising.”
“You’re getting tired,” Olivia said. “It’s been quite a day for you.” She got to her feet. “Come on, I’ll feed you dinner and then you’ll be ready to make a decision. I think you’re almost ready now.” She pulled her toward the dining table. “You’re just tired and worried about Lynch.”
“I’m not worried. He’ll be fine. He’s always fine.” Kendra sat down at the table and started to eat her salad. “But maybe I’m a little tired.”
“Maybe,” Olivia said. “And maybe that’s why you keep avoiding looking at your handbag where you told me you tucked away that waterproof package.”
“How do you know that?” Kendra asked. “You’re blind, dammit.”
“But I know you,” Olivia said. “I can read you like a teenager does her diary.”
“Now, that’s an insult,” Kendra said. “Though it’s perfectly natural to be curious under these conditions.”
“Then finish eating so you can show us both a way to find Lynch and stop fretting.”
“I’m not fretting.”
“Bullshit. Eat your dinner.”
“I’ll eat later.” She pushed back her chair; getting to her feet, she went back to the couch and picked up her handbag. “You’re right, as usual, and I should see what Lynch entrusted to George and Matilda.” She heard a distinct rude sound from Olivia. She ignored it and opened the handbag, pulling out an envelope. “It looks like a document of some sort.” Sheremoved a card. “No, it’s some kind of advertising postcard. It’s sort of . . . charming.”
“Describe it.”
“It looks like something from another century. Rosy-cheeked, big-eyed children, and there are books on shelves everywhere. It looks kind of like an outdoor library.” She turned the card over. “No, it’s a postcard. Up in the corner there’s a name:E. J. PORTER—QUEEN’S WALK BOOK MART.”
“Nothing else?”
“Not that I can tell. Not unless it’s written in invisible ink or something.” She was frowning. “I’ve never been to Queen’s Walk. The only time I’ve ever been to London was when I had the operation on my eyes, and I was a little busy at the time. I rarely left St. Bartholomew’s Hospital. I went back a few times later when Dr. Waldridge, my surgeon, asked me to come and give other doctors a look at his work, but by that time my life was zooming and I was trying to make up for all the lost years. I always just did my duty and then took the first plane back home. The only thing I wanted to do was get back home and keep living every moment of my life. Remember? I called those first years after my operation the wild years.”
She nodded. “I remember you telling me about it. I was so happy for you.”
“I know you were,” Kendra said softly. “It wasn’t right that I could get that operation and not you. I wanted so badly not to leave you behind . . . I wanted you right there beside me, just as we were all the years growing up.”
Olivia shrugged. “I’ll have my day. Until then, I’ll just find a way to be better than anyone else and constantly show you all what you should aim for.”
Kendra laughed. “Yes, you do that. But then you always did so anyway.”
“I’m glad you recognize that.” She stiffened. “So you’re going to be heading for London?”
“Looks like that’s where I’ll have to go to find Lynch.” She was trying to smile. “That might be the only reason he wanted me to go visit the seals.”
“I doubt it. If he was in trouble, he wouldn’t want to draw you into it, too. That’s not his modus operandi.”
“Unless he had a good reason. Unless it was some kind of emergency and he needed the help of someone he could trust.”
“You’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you? I can’t talk you out of it?”
Kendra nodded. “It’s the right thing to do.”
