“What the hell is that?”
“Kate told me it’s from an opera, the same story—a guy stops at a castle garden to pick a rose for his daughter, and he winds up having to sacrifice her to the owner.”
“A rose,” Mike said, sounding stunned. “Rosebud.”
He fell silent, obviously shaken by the explanation. Conor stared at him, getting even more restless. None of this was getting them closer to finding Kate. Tom’s phone buzzed. He glanced at Conor, then answered the call and put it on speaker.
“Sir, this is IS Texiera. You wanted a report on the Hatteras,Rosebud,” the voice said, and Conor knew that IS stood for intelligence specialist.
“Rosebudis not off Block Island,” IS Texiera continued. “She’s currently at a dock in Narragansett. I’m texting you the coordinates now.”
As soon as Conor heard “Narragansett,” he didn’t even have to ask where the GPS latitude and longitude would place Leo’s boat. Tom disconnected and turned back to Conor and Mike, just as Anne and the Aldriches came up the hotel stairs from the beach.
“Conor, we’ve got to go,” Tom said.
“To Maynard-King?” Conor asked.
“Yes.Rosebudis at their dock.”
“I’m going with you,” Mike said.
“Wait, what is this about?” Anne asked, sounding alarmed.
“Kate is missing,” Mike said, standing and putting his arm around his wife. “And she could very well be aboard Leo’s boat.” Conor could see that Anne was clearly distressed.
“What about that other girl, Kate’s assistant? I thoughtshewas missing ...” Anne said.
“It’s an epidemic,” Edward Aldrich said, with a smile, as if he’d said something hilarious. Conor wanted to ram the smile right down his throat, but Tom caught his brother’s arm.
“Leave it,” Tom said.
“Edward, shut up,” Nola said sharply.
“Sorry,” Edward said, looking sheepish. “Really, I didn’t mean it.”
Mike kissed Anne goodbye, and he hurried across the verandah with Tom and Conor. They walked down the curved front steps of the Ocean House. The valets had kept Tom’s truck in the top lot, and Dermot handed him the keys.
As Tom drove them east toward Route 1, Conor thought about what had just happened. When he had mentionedRosebudto the group, Mike—clearly upset—had said that Kate might be aboard. Why had Edward made that joke instead of asking what Kate, whom he had just learned was missing, could be doing aboard a boat owned by his friend Leo Kennedy?
Did Edward know something about Leo’s involvement?
Tuesday, July 6; 4:15 p.m.
Jennifer drove the ATV down the dirt road for half a mile or so, then cut through a stretch of manicured grass. The white hospital building was visible across the lawn, and Sam felt nervous. They were exposed, and anyone looking out the window could see them. Panic seized her—maybe Jennifer was going to hand her over to the group.
But then Jennifer sped straight toward the woods and drove along the property line. Now, they were at least partially hidden by shadows. Sam stared at the trail, just beyond the white fence, the one she had taken on her way from Enchanted Petals. Jennifer slowed the vehicle when she approached a break in the fence.
“Why are we stopping?” Sam asked.
“I have to think,” Jennifer said. “Of the best place to go. They assume that you are here—or on your way here.”
“How would they know that?”
“Because Maeve called to report it. She said that Lincoln let it slip to you that the properties were side by side. It’s obvious that you would come here, because it’s familiar to you. She said you’d try to hide until Conor brought the cops.”
“You know Maeve?” Sam asked, wanting to bolt. “When we came here that time, and she was with us, you acted as if you’d never seen her before.”
“I do know her, Sam. I know her very well. And I know Lincoln too,” Jennifer said.
