“Kate was there? You’re sure? When?”
“This morning,” Conor said, jumping in. “She was going to see her art conservator. When we got there, her car was in the driveway, but she was gone. We went through the house, and there’s a bedroom just likethe one we found on the island—it’s tricked out for someone’s fantasies, and it has restraints for holding women.”
“God,” Mike said in such a deep voice it sounded like a prayer. “Holding women? You’re sure?”
“Yes,” Conor said. “There’s blood on the handcuffs and on the bedsheets.” He felt sick, thinking of what could be happening with Kate.
“Early today,” Tom said, “a young woman was found murdered, dropped into the ocean, with wounds on her wrists consistent with having been restrained.”
“Sexual assault?” Mike asked.
“We won’t know until the autopsy,” Conor said. He stepped closer, then sat down next to their uncle. “Right now, I just need to find Kate.”
“Of course. But what does any of this have to do with Leo and Randall?” Mike asked.
“I don’t know about Randall, but things are adding up about Leo. They are on Leo’s boat now.”
“You think they’ve got Kate on board?” Mike asked, sounding shocked.
“They could,” Conor said. “It’s one possibility.”
Mike was silent for a long moment, obviously pondering something. Conor had the idea he was weighing whether to tell them what he was thinking. Finally, he did.
“The rooms,” he said. “With the restraints. It sounds to me as if women are being trafficked. As if that is the focus, the purpose, of the people involved with 1740. Would you agree?”
“Yes,” Conor said. He glanced at Tom. “Tell him.”
“Uncle Mike, there is the same setup on a boat calledPsyche. Everything about it is familiar to me. The Coast Guard is always on patrol for human traffickers. And we find them, even right here in Rhode Island. Harbors where you would least expect it. On boats you’d never guess.”
Mike put his head in his hands for a few seconds, then looked up.
“Some detective I am. Our little group failed completely,” he said, and Conor knew he was referring to the Old Detectives—himself, Anne, Nola, Edward, and Leo.
“Don’t worry about that now,” Conor said.
“Rhode Island has a task force to combat human trafficking,” Mike said. “Federal, state, and local law enforcement officers. They all work together to investigate the crimes and bring justice to the victims.”
“That’s good,” Tom said.
“Guess who is on the task force advisory committee? Representing the legal community?” Mike asked.
Conor just stared at him.
“Leo Kennedy,” Mike said. “And Randall Flook is the federal court judge who hears many of the cases. He is responsible for issuing—or not issuing—warrants. As much as I admire him, he’s known for being a stickler in terms of giving warrants to search or make arrests when it comes to trafficking. He gives the suspects the benefit of the doubt more than the prosecutors wish he would.”
“You mean he’s got his thumb on the scale in favor of the traffickers?” Conor asked.
“That’s not what I would have said until now. You know that I am very strict when it comes to the Fourth Amendment ...”
“Search and seizure,” Tom said.
“Yes. The government has all the power, so I always want to make sure the police follow the rules and don’t take shortcuts. In general, I might be more conservative in granting warrants than Randall. But right now, hearing all this, I have to wonder about him. Before I go off on this, tell me—specifically what makes you think they are involved?”
“I don’t know about Judge Flook,” Conor said. “But the name of Leo’s boat isRosebud.”
“So what?” Mike asked, frowning.
“Roses are a theme fromBeauty and the Beast,” Conor said. “These boats have names connected with it. Just like the sailboat,Psyche. Katetold me that the inspiration for the fairy tale is the myth of Cupid and Psyche. And there’s a boat tied up at Maynard-King calledZémire.”
