“That’s how 1740 started?” Sam said. “Because of Dorothy loving the book?”
“Yes.”
“And the name King?”
“Legend has it that Cantwell was incredibly ugly. But Dorothy’s love—which is what they all call what they make us do—made him feel like a king. He wanted that for all his friends. So all the crazy girls who came to the hospital were turned into flowers who lost their petals. And Cantwell became so obsessed withBeauty and the Beast, he named his club for the year it was written.”
“What happened to Dorothy?” Sam asked.
“The same thing that happens to all flowers,” Jennifer said. “They wilt, then die, then get thrown away.”
41
Tuesday, July 6; 5:30 p.m.
Conor stood on the dock next toRosebud, restraining his uncle by grasping one of his arms while Tom held the other. Mike tried to wrench himself free, then gave up and stood still, stone faced. Miranda could have run away, but she moved close to Mike and looked up at the Reid brothers, from one to the other.
“It’s not Mike’s fault,” she said. “You don’t get it.”
“Don’t say another word, Miranda,” Mike said loudly, even though she was just inches away from him.
“Mike, stop it. I want to tell them everything,” she said. “This is ridiculous, them holding you this way.” She turned from Mike to the brothers. “Let him go!”
“Um, no,” Tom said. “Uncle Mike, what the hell?”
At first, Conor was too furious to say anything. They all stood there, breathing hard, as if they had just been in a sprint. Conor stared into Mike’s eyes and saw how his uncle stared back without flinching.
“Tell us,” Conor said. “We’re in the middle of a murder investigation, and Miranda here called me to say Kate was the next to be taken, and you’re keeping some kind of big crazy secret? Like, how you know this woman? And now you’re advising her not to say anything to us?”
“You don’t understand,” Miranda said. “You need to hear this, but I won’t tell you anything until you take your hands off him.”
Tom looked at Conor, and Conor nodded. Tom released Mike’s arm, but the two brothers stayed vigilant. Conor couldn’t begin to figure out what was going on—how his father’s brother could be embroiled in the pursuit that had led them back to the Maynard-King dock.
“Go ahead, Uncle Mike,” Conor said. “Tell us how you know Miranda.”
“That could be privileged information,” Mike said. He was tall and stooped, and a shock of his thick white hair fell into his eyes. He looked every bit of seventy-eight, but his voice and the glare in his blue eyes were defiant.
“You’re saying you’re her lawyer?” Tom asked. “You’re a judge.”
“I’m an officer of the court,” Mike said. “So yes, for the moment, I am her legal counsel.”
“Look,” Conor said. “With Kate missing, I don’t care about privilege or you acting as her legal counsel. I don’t even care about how you know her.” He turned to Miranda. “Where is Kate?”
“I don’t know ...” Miranda began.
“Conor,” Mike said. “This is the situation. Miranda doesn’t have information about Kate’s whereabouts. If she did, she would tell you. I would insist on it. But for her to say more would be to incriminate herself, and I have to advise her against that.”
“If she knows anything—I don’t care what it is,” Conor said, his voice rising. “I need to hear it. Because any information will help me find Kate. And if I don’t get it, I don’t care whether you’re my uncle or just some asshole defense attorney protecting your client ... she is going to tell me where they took Kate.”
They all stood there in a silent quadrangle, an atomic level of emotional energy building. Up among the four of them. Conor glanced over and caught Tom’s expression. The sharp look was warning him to cool off, to quit pushing. Conor exhaled. As a detective, he had always been able to remain calm and objective. But this was about Kate. So he registered Tom’s warning but didn’t take it to heart.
“You’re going to tell me, Uncle Mike,” Conor said, grasping his uncle by the throat. “I swear to god ... if you are part of 1740, and you know where Kate is, I will kill you.”
Mike reached up and smashed Conor’s arm away, landing a chop that cut to the bone and made Conor flinch.
“You back off,” Mike shouted, nearly toppling over as he stumbled back. “You are my nephew, and I love you. But how dare you accuse me of this? I have spent my whole career working for good, and I love Kate as if she was my own daughter.”
“Then what are you doing withher?” Conor asked, pointing at Miranda. “She just got off Leo’s boat ... He’s involved, isn’t he? He’s part of it all, right? And so is she.”
