Stuart Woods_Stone Barrington 12

huh?”
    â€œThat’s it,” Stone said. “At least we’re sure of which way she went.” He looked down the road. “South.”
    They got into the car and drove back to the house.
    â€œAny luck?” Sergeant Young asked as they came into the study.
    â€œHolly ran south, then on a straight stretch. She got put into a car, so we’re at a dead end. But at least we know she ran south. Should we concentrate the search there?”
    â€œIn a car, she could have been taken anywhere,” Young pointed out.
    â€œShe could have been taken off the island in a boat, too,” Dino said.
    â€œNone of the others was taken off the island,” Stone reminded him. “I think this guy will stick to his pattern.”
    â€œI need a drink,” Dino said, heading for the wet bar. “Anybody else?”
    Stone looked at the group. “Everybody else.”
    â€œI still don’t have the after-midnight thermal scan,” Lance said.
    Dino came back with drinks on a tray. “How’s Ginny doing with the diary?”
    â€œShe’ll let us know when she gets somewhere,” Ham said.
    They sipped their drinks quietly.
    â€œAt least we know the guy’s got a boat,” Stone said. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have dropped the safe in the water trying to get it out of here.”
    Sergeant Young, who was staring into his drink but not drinking it, spoke up. “Just about everybody on the island has a boat.”
    â€œYeah,” Stone said, racking his brain for some other thought that might help.
    Ginny came down the stairs with the diary and some sheets of paper. Everybody stood up as she walked toward the desk.
    â€œWhat have you got, hon?” Ham asked.
    â€œAre you people drinking?” she asked. “Why am I not drinking?”
    â€œDino, get the girl some bourbon,” Ham said, looking over her shoulder as she spread out her papers.
    â€œWhat I’m doing here is working backward through the thing, drying pages one at a time, then trying to read the handwriting. It’s gorgeous handwriting, but the ink has run from being wet, and that makes it slow going, but I’m copying out everything I can get and numbering the pages to correspond with the diary.”
    â€œWhat is she saying?” Stone asked.
    â€œWell, it’s mostly high school girl stuff,” she said. “The last entry is the day before the family got to Islesboro. She mentions that they have to make the five o’clock ferry the next day.”
    â€œIs there any other mention of Islesboro or Dark Harbor in the days before they arrived?”
    â€œShe’s looking forward to going, she says, and right here, she mentions that and says “‘…especially with X and Y neutralized.’”
    â€œAny idea what that can mean?” Stone asked.
    â€œThere’s a Z mentioned, too.”
    â€œAre these people male or female?”
    â€œZ seems to be female, but I can’t tell about X and Y. These could be friends of hers at school.”
    â€œBut what does she mean by ‘neutralized’?”
    â€œI don’t know. ‘Made harmless,’ maybe?”
    â€œHow do you make somebody harmless?”
    â€œTake away their weapons; take away their freedom of action?”
    â€œHow far back have you gotten?”
    â€œJanuary,” Ginny said. “It’s slow going.”
    â€œShe’s glad to be going back to Islesboro, now that X and Y are neutralized,” Stone said. “X and Y must be on Islesboro, too.”
    â€œZ, too,” Ginny pointed out. “She says that Z will be relieved, too.”
    â€œSo, both Esme and Z would have been anxious about returning to Islesboro for the summer, if X and Y hadn’t been neutralized?”
    â€œThat could fit what she’s saying.”
    â€œDoes she give any hint about why they have to be neutralized?”
    â€œNot so far.”
    â€œGo back further in the diary, Ginny. Go back to last summer, say the month of August.”
    â€œThat part of the diary is in very poor condition,” Ginny said, “but I’ll try.” She grabbed her drink from Dino and went back upstairs.
    â€œDinner will be ready soon,” Stone called after her. “We’ll let you know.” He sank back into a chair.
    A bell chimed in the little office, and Lance got to his feet. “Something coming in,” he said. “Maybe the new