“We’re trying to figure that out,” Kate said.
“I hope it’s not true, that she was kidnapped,” Jennifer said. “I hope she just went away on her own. She’ll come back. Right? Don’t you think? It’s too awful to imagine her being taken.”
Kate noticed an anxious tone in Jennifer’s voice. Her words weren’t casual—they seemed very urgent, and Kate wondered if Jennifer had heard about Maeve—or perhaps other women—going missing before.
“I want to visit Dr. Tyler’s grave again,” Kate said. “Would that be okay?”
“Yeah,” Jennifer said. “Hop on, and I’ll give you a ride.”
Kate climbed onto the seat behind Jennifer and was struck by the fact that she seemed more friendly than last time. The ride was quick but very bumpy, and Kate was glad when they got to the cemetery. They parked at the entrance and walked through the headstones toward D3.
“How did you wind up working here?” Kate asked.
“Uh, just, I needed a job, and they needed someone on the grounds crew.”
“It seems as if you’re mostly stationed here, at the cemetery.”
“I am, someone has to keep it up. Keep everything trimmed and neat.”
“I’m sure the families appreciate it,” Kate said.
“I hope so,” Jennifer said.
Kate knew the way to Jonathan’s grave from last time. She could see the large stone angel as they walked toward it. Her heart sped up the closer they got. She wondered whether there would be another note.But when they stopped in front of Jonathan Tyler’s grave, she could see that the ground was bare. No note, no white roses.
“Do you want to be alone for a minute?” Jennifer asked. “I guess he must be really important to you, to visit twice in such a short time.”
“I don’t need to be alone,” Kate said. “I never knew him.”
Jennifer looked surprised. “Then ... why are you here?”
“Because of who he was married to,” Kate said.
“Belle?” Jennifer asked. “You knowBelle?”
The shortened name sent prickles down Kate’s back. “I knew her as ‘Belinda,’” Kate said. “That was her name.”
“We called her Belle here,” Jennifer said.
“She came here?” Kate asked. She took note of Jennifer’s use of the past tense.
Jennifer nodded. “She sure did,” she said. She turned away and took a few steps toward the gravestone.
“When was the last time?” Kate asked. But Jennifer had crouched down and was pulling out some weeds that had sprouted around the stone. There was a distant drone of a powerboat speeding up the bay. Kate glanced down the hill. She could see Tom’s truck parked by a boathouse. He and Conor were standing on the dock, beside one of the boats tied alongside.
“How well did you know ‘Belle’?” Kate asked.
“We all knew her,” Jennifer said, still tending to the weeds. “You might say she was Maynard-King royalty. The lady of the house.”
“Why?”
“She was married to Dr. Tyler.”
“Why does that make her royalty?”
“He was everything to us,” Jennifer said, finally turning around. Her face was red, and she had what Kate took to be fear in her eyes.
“Last time I was here, you asked my niece if she was ‘one of us.’ Was Belinda—Belle—one of you? Was she a patient here?” Kate asked, and Jennifer’s eyes narrowed.
