Stuart Woods_Stone Barrington 12

Holly?” Young asked.
    â€œNo idea at all,” she said.
    â€œLance, Sergeant,” Dino said, “can you come take a look at the thermal images for a minute? I’ve found something interesting.”
    Everybody gathered around the coffee table, where the images were spread out, along with Young’s map of the island.
    â€œHere’s my question,” Dino said, pointing to a structure on one of the thermal images. “What is this? I can’t find it on your map.”
    â€œWell,” Young said, “this is the most recent map of the island, completed less than three months ago, but you’re right, the structure in the image doesn’t appear on the map.”
    â€œLook at this,” Dino said, pointing from one image to another. “We’ve got three days of thermal imaging here, and in every one of them we can see one hot spot—one person—in exactly the same position. It doesn’t move, day or night.”
    â€œMaybe an old person, an invalid?” Young said.
    Holly spoke up. “Or me. I’ve been tied to a bed all that time. Good God, it’s me.”

57
    C ALEB STONE MADE his way back to the obscured creek, past the overhanging brush and slowly up the little waterway to the boathouse. As he approached he could see a glow from a window. Someone had lit a candle.
    He tied up his Whaler and went upstairs. Eben and Enos sat on an old sofa, looking tired.
    â€œHey, Dad,” the boys said simultaneously. They often spoke at the same time.
    â€œHello, boys,” Caleb replied.
    â€œYou got rid of her, huh?” Eben asked. Of the two, Eben was the more assertive.
    â€œIn a manner of speaking.”
    â€œWhat do you mean by that?”
    Caleb dragged up a seedy, overstuffed chair and sat down. “I let her go.”
    The twins both sat up. “Are you out of your fucking mind?” Enos asked.
    â€œCertainly not, and watch your mouth.”
    â€œEasy,” Eben said to his brother. “I’m sure Dad had his reasons.”
    â€œI certainly did,” Caleb replied. “One more murder on this island and we’d have the National Guard in here. They searched our house, you know.”
    â€œDad, she’s going to tell on us,” Enos said.
    â€œShe doesn’t know anything to tell. She’s been tied to that bed, drugged, her eyes taped and her ears plugged for the past four days, ever since you left. She hasn’t had a moment of consciousness when she could see anything except that computer.” He pointed at the laptop, glowing in the dark.
    â€œI don’t get it,” Eben said. “Where’s the percentage in letting her go?”
    â€œFor one thing, they’ll stop looking for her. For another, she paid her way out.”
    â€œPaid?”
    â€œListen to me, boys. You’ve got to run; there’s no other choice.”
    â€œBut why? We haven’t done anything; nobody has anything on us.”
    â€œYou’ve killed some people. They’ve eliminated all the other suspects and now they’re focusing on you. They know you weren’t on the boat when it sailed from Nantucket.”
    â€œSo, we came back. So what?”
    Caleb noted that they didn’t deny the murders, but he didn’t want the details. “How did you come back?”
    â€œWe flew the airplane to Rockport, had some dinner and got the last ferry.”
    â€œWhere’s your car?”
    â€œAt the house; we walked down here.”
    â€œI want you to listen to me very carefully,” Caleb said, leaning forward in his chair. “I’m your father, and I love you, but I’m also speaking to you as a lawyer. You’ve committed several murders, and these days, nobody can get away with that for long.”
    â€œOh, I don’t know,” Eben said.
    â€œWhy did you do it?”
    â€œWe had our reasons. Anyway, you taught us everything we know.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œYou taught us how much fun it is beating up on other people. You beat us up, before we got too big to let you do it. You stood on the sidelines and egged us on when we wrestled and boxed. You always wanted us to kill the other guy.”
    â€œAnd you took that to mean that murder is all right?”
    â€œAs long as you don’t get caught.”
    â€œYou’re going to get caught,” Caleb said.
    â€œWhy do you think that, Dad?”
    â€œBecause murderers always get caught.