“I remember that the cousins’ father—Belinda’s uncle—was an actor,” Conor said. “They lived in New York, and he was well known for doing Shakespeare. The family came out to Groton Long Point nearly every July so he could perform at the National Playwrights Conference, at the O’Neill.”
“He could have named his daughter after Miranda inThe Tempest,” Kate said. “If she grew up in the theater world, that’s how she could have met Bernard. It would make sense that their paths crossed.”
“Or she targeted him,” Conor said.
“Miranda came to talk to me, to give me this,” Kate said, digging into her pocket and pulling out the wire ring to show Garrett. “She took it off Belinda’s finger while she was sleeping.”
Conor leaned closer to examine it.
“This isn’t the same one,” he said. “I didn’t realize that before, when you showed me upstairs. I had wondered how it could still fit her—a ring she wore in first grade—but this isn’t the one. I used soldering wire from my dad’s workbench. It was much thicker than this. I should have noticed first thing.”
“So she made it just to wear here, to your wedding,” Garrett said to Conor. “To get a reaction from you.”
“And from Kate,” Conor said.
“I wonder what happened to the original ring,” Kate said.
“I’d say we could ask Miranda about it,” Garrett said, “but she’s on her way back to LA. I just got word that Bernard’s jet took off from Groton–New London Airport an hour ago.”
“I doubt Miranda went with him,” Kate said, thinking of how she had confessed to tricking Bernard, just as Belinda had manipulated Garrett. With Miranda’s mission accomplished, there was no reason for her to continue the charade.
“I thought everyone was supposed to stick around, not leave till the investigation was over,” Conor said.
“That’s right,” Garrett said. “But Bernard chartered a private jet. He drove to Groton–New London Airport, got on board, and as they were taxiing, he texted me he has a big scene tomorrow and will be back on the weekend.”
“No way he’s planning to come back,” Joe said.
“He is French,” Garrett said. “He could easily have an Opinel, and since he’s flying private, he’d have no problem getting it on his jet and bringing it here. But what would his motive have been? Belinda had never met him before Friday, at the rehearsal dinner.”
“Do we know that for sure?” Conor asked. “Belinda was Miranda’s cousin. Bernard could have met her anytime.”
“I know this is all very important,” Kate said. “But what about Maeve?”
She pointed at the gold chain, still on the ground in the shadow of the wall. Joe had left it there until it could be photographed, collected as evidence.
Everyone but Conor looked down at the necklace. Kate saw his eyes narrow as something up on the hotel verandah caught his attention. Lincoln and Sam were still standing there. Sam had her back to the road and was looking toward the ocean. Lincoln stared, intent on what the police detectives and Kate were doing.
“They’re worried about Maeve,” Kate said. “That’s why Lincoln is so interested in what’s going on here.”
“Yes, of course,” Conor said, smiling at her. He gave Lincoln and Sam one last glance, then turned to watch Joe put on gloves and crouch down to pick up the fine gold chain.
But Kate knew Conor, and she knew there was more to what he had observed in Lincoln than he was saying.
26
Monday, July 5; 3:00 p.m.
Conor was so happy that things with Kate were getting back to a good place again, he wanted to forget everything else and just be with her. But details in the two cases—Belinda’s murder and Maeve’s abduction—were swirling around, and he was following the leads. The rose imprinted in Belinda’s blood and the note taken from Maeve’s car indicated that the crimes were connected to 1740. And that meant that they were linked to each other, as well as to the handcuffs onPsycheand the mansion on Bellevigne Island.
He had sent Dave Liggett, a Connecticut State Trooper who reported to him, to Cloudlands. He told Dave to look in the top drawer of the library desk, to retrieve the envelope that held the hair and baby tooth, and take it to the crime lab for analysis. Conor had extended his and Kate’s stay at the Ocean House. Not only did they need time together, but they also both wanted to be near the center of the investigations. He walked through the lobby and found Tom in the Bistro, sitting at one of the tables by the fireplace and typing on his laptop.
“Hey,” Conor said, taking a seat across from his brother. “What are you doing?”
“Hey,” Tom said, looking up. “Making notes about the case. Laying out a chronology and documenting what we found onPsyche. Anything new here?”
“Maeve is missing,” Conor said.
“Kate’s gallery assistant? She found Belinda’s body?”
