Monday, July 5; 4:30 p.m.
Kate directed Tom to Lovecraft Lane and the wrought iron gate that marked the entrance to Maynard-King Hospital. Tom flashed his CGIS badge—and the same guard that had been there the day before leaned down to examine it.
“What can I do for you?” the guard asked.
“We’re here to speak to Darla Vandeveer,” Tom said.
“You have Coast Guard business with Ms. Vandeveer?” he asked, sounding skeptical.
“I’ll discuss that with her,” Tom said.
The sentry glowered at him but stepped into the stone guardhouse to call. He returned a moment later. “She’s not in her office right now.”
“That’s okay,” Tom said. “Let us in anyway.”
“No way is that happening. I don’t see what right you think you have to just come in here without permission from Ms. Vandeveer. I mean, what does the Coast Guard Investigative Service have to do with the hospital?”
“It’s more about the waterfront,” Tom said. “Narragansett Bay is my jurisdiction, and you have a dock. So let us in, and we’ll be out of here soon.”
Conor stared at the guard, knowing that he had no idea Tom was the sector commander, doing the enforcement division’s dirty work only because the case meant something personal to him.
“Whatever,” the guard said. “But like I said, she’s not in her office.”
“That’s fine,” Tom said. “I want to go down and look at the dock. Can you tell me anything about boats that tie up there regularly?”
“No, sir,” the guard said.
“Well, I’ll take a look myself,” Tom said.
The gate rattled open, and they drove in. Conor had explained how they had connected Leprince de Beaumont Associates with Maynard-King. Kate didn’t know where Darla Vandeveer’s office was located, but she had an idea of who would.
“The dock is that way,” she said, pointing east. “I saw it from the top of the hill when we went to Jonathan Tyler’s grave. Let me out here, though.”
“Why?” Conor asked.
“I want to walk up to the cemetery,” she said. “We can text each other and meet up after you check out the dock.”
“Kate, stay with us,” Conor said. “This place is in the center of it all.”
“I’ll be fine,” Kate said, giving him a reassuring smile as she got out of the truck. He was being protective and didn’t look happy, but he didn’t try to stop her.
She watched the Reid brothers drive away, toward the dock. Then she turned in the other direction and walked up the rise toward the graveyard. As soon as she entered the beech grove, she heard the rumble of an ATV. The young woman she remembered from last time drove out from behind the shed and stopped in front of Kate.
“Hi,” Kate said.
“Hi,” Jennifer said. “Where are your friends? The other two you came with before.”
“My niece is back in Watch Hill,” Kate said. “Our friend Maeve ... well, that’s a mystery.” She thought she saw a look of recognition inJennifer’s eyes, at the mention of Maeve’s name. “We don’t know where she is. She’s missing.”
“That’s horrible,” Jennifer said. “You must be so worried.”
“Very,” Kate said. “We think she was taken.”
Jennifer seemed to take that in. Then she asked, “Like, kidnapped?”
“Possibly,” Kate said.
Another long pause before Jennifer spoke again. “Who would do that?”
