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Palmer shook her head stubbornly. “I just don’t see how that could have happened. My parents were friends with the Silkwells. They would have told the police if they had seen a man running or driving away like that. And if they had, what would be the point of killing them to keep them quiet about what they had seen? The police would have arrested the person or at least talked to them.”
Devine knew she was probably right about that.
“The police report says the fire was started when a portable heater turned over and caught the drapes on fire.”
She nodded. “That’s what they told me, too. I remember that old heater. It wasn’t safe. Mom was always telling Dad to buy a new one. But...”
“But what?”
“Well, to tell the truth, my parents were going through some tough times financially. My dad had put all their savings into a business that went belly-up. And my mom had been recently laid off from her job. I heard them talking about maybe losing the house. I think they sent me off to camp before I started asking too many questions. But later I found out the check they’d paid my camp fee with bounced.”
“What happened afterward?”
“The bank foreclosed on the house. Luckily I could go and live with my grandparents. Turned out my dad had debts no one knew about. It was a real mess. I was left with nothing.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, then how did you open a business? You had to have some capital to do that. And I don’t think your grandparents had that sort of money lying around.”
Palmer now looked embarrassed. “I...Dak invested the money for me to open Maine Brew. We had been seeing each other and...”
“And he liked you and also thought you were a crackerjack entrepreneur?”
She snorted. “Yeah, something like that, I guess.”
“You also warned me not to let him get me drunk, that I might regret it?”
“I shouldn’t have said. If he ever found out—”
“He willneverfind out from me,” said Devine.
The panic in her expression eased as she looked at him.
“So why the warning?” he asked.
“We went out one night. I had too much to drink. And I woke up five weeks later and found out I was pregnant.”
“Did he rape you?”
“No, he didn’t,” she said firmly. “Dak...is not like that. But his not using protection wasn’t what I had in mind. But I was too effed up to think clearly.”
“And the baby?”
“I...went to a place...”
“Did Dak pay for that?”
She nodded.
“I was told that the Silkwell wealth had dried up generations ago. So where did Dak get the money to help you, pay for an abortion, and invest in all these other businesses? He said he had some financial backers in Boston. Do you know who they are?”
“He never told me. But he’s doing really well. He fixed up Jocelyn Point some and built that art studio for Alex.”
“Hebuiltit for her?” exclaimed Devine.
“Yeah, about two years ago. You didn’t know?”
He shook his head. “She never mentioned that.”
“Well, I told you that anyone who thinks they know Alex is lying. Same goes for Dak. He looks like a tatted muscle-head badass, but he’s actually quite sensitive.”
