“She needs an attorney,” Mike said. “Obviously Leo’s out of the question. Miranda, don’t say another word.”
Conor and his uncle stared at each other.
“She’s going to answer one question,” Conor said. “And if you try to stop her, I swear I’ll throw you off the dock.”
Mike squinted at Conor, like an Irish boxer waiting for the punch.
“Miranda, where’s Kate?” Conor asked.
“I swear I don’t know,” Miranda said.
“But you know they have her somewhere? Is it here, at Maynard-King?” Conor asked.
“I think so,” Miranda said, looking straight at Conor. “Either here or at Enchanted Petals.”
“Miranda!” Mike snapped, a sharp warning.
Both Conor and Tom stared at their uncle, and quickly and at the same time, took a step toward him.
40
Tuesday, July 6; 5:00 p.m.
Sam’s teeth were rattled after fifteen minutes on Jennifer’s ATV, bouncing over ruts and fallen branches on the logging road. The two women ducked to pass beneath low-hanging boughs as Jennifer steered around the last bend and pulled behind the red barn.
They both climbed off the ATV and leaned around the corner to see if there were any cars parked in front of the Victorian house. Sam didn’t see any.
“Are there other places to park?” Sam asked in a low voice.
“No,” Jennifer said. “I don’t think anyone is here, but we should still be careful. These people are all about secrets and hiding.”
Sam nodded. She stood very still, listening for voices and looking for any movement in the house’s windows. If anyone would be expected to know about the people involved with the hospital and garden center, it would be Jennifer.
But Sam trusted her instincts, that Lincoln and the others would assume that she had run for her life and would never come back. So she inched around the corner of the barn, made sure the coast was clear, and bolted straight up the porch steps to the front door of the house. Jennifer was right behind her.
Sam tried the knob, but it was locked. She thought back to how Lincoln had called his father because he couldn’t get in.
“Here,” Jennifer said, and Sam turned around to see her holding up a single key. “I have the master.”
“To the garden center?” Sam asked.
“To both properties,” Jennifer said.
Sam watched her insert the key into the front door of Enchanted Petals and wondered how a low-level person at Maynard-King would gain access to the entire domain. Again, she felt a stab of doubt. Could Jennifer be leading her into a trap? She stayed back when Jennifer stepped into the house.
“What’s the matter?” Jennifer asked, holding the door open.
“Why do you have a master key?” Sam asked.
“I stole it,” Jennifer said.
“From where?”
“The guardhouse. See, Sam, you’re not the only one who has to hide. Once they figure out the key is missing and check the security footage, they’ll be after me too. So we’re in this together, okay?”
“I just can’t figure out why you decided to help me,” Sam said. “To put yourself at risk this way.”
“It’s not just for you,” Jennifer said. “I wanted to save myself and get the hell away from there. Like I told you, I’ll die before I help them with the new girls. I’ll die before I become one of them. Are you going to trust me or not?”
