White Space Season 2

conspiracy. At first Milo believed little to nothing the man had to say, but the more Milo did as he was told, and started paying attention to the details, the more he began to see the many nagging matters his mind couldn’t quite reconcile — the connections were there.
    Things on Hamilton Island were definitely weird. Everyone knew that, and few would argue the reality, even if they kept it stashed in the back of their minds. Milo had always felt that, and he and Alex had discussed it often. Hamilton was different, and the people who lived on the island took a sort of pride in their weird culture. But Milo no longer saw Hamilton as simply weird.
    He saw it as sinister.
    Though Milo had yet to hear anything from Don about Alex’s death, other than a passing whisper in the international aisle of the recently remodeled Jordy’s requesting that he please snap as many pictures of the funeral as he could manage without sticking out, Milo felt somehow certain that his mysterious contact would find a connection to the Hellers’ murder, one more menacing than Bruce Henderson’s vengeance.
    As Milo stood beside Katie, staring at Jon Conway and company, he couldn’t help but think that perhaps the actor might be at the beating heart of all that was weird — or sinister — on Hamilton. He wondered if Conway was part of some weird Hollywood cult.
    As Milo watched Jon, he couldn’t help but feel a hundred eyes on him, all probably wondering what and how much he knew. It was so hard to sift between truth and paranoia. And even if he was paranoid, that didn’t mean he wasn’t right.
    Milo could be paranoid, and in danger.
    He constantly turned the possibilities in his mind, searching for some grain of insight that would make sense of everything. But every time Milo felt as if he was close to holding an answer, the truth slipped through fingers in his mind.
    As he watched Jon Conway, Milo grew certain the man had the answers he sought. He had to figure out how to get them.

    * * * *

CHAPTER 2 — Jon Conway

    “Jon, you know that kid over there?” Houser asked, nodding toward the scrawny teenager with a cell trying to discreetly snap photos, or maybe even shooting video in their direction.
    The moment the kid saw Jon and Cassidy look toward him, he pointed his cell elsewhere.
    “No,” Jon said. Then after a slight pause, “Wait, yeah, I do. I think it’s that kid from the news, the one whose mom plowed into the front of that grocery store.”
    “Milo Anderson,” Cassidy said.
    “You know him?” Houser asked.
    “No, but I remember his name from the news. His dad works for Conway Industries.”
    “So does half the island, one way or another,” Jon said. “What’s he do, do you know?”
    “Nope,” Cassidy shrugged. “But I do know it’s pretty rude to be taking pictures of you at a fucking funeral.”
    “Probably rude to swear, too,” Houser smiled, gently nudging Cassidy with his elbow. Then, like a dog hungry to get a fox in his mouth, Houser turned to Jon and asked, “Want me to go get his phone?”
    “No,” Jon said. “I doubt he’s selling it to some website. And the last thing I want is to cause a scene at a funeral, especially when there’s real paparazzi waiting outside the cemetery gates. If there’s one thing those assholes love more than anything else, it’s drizzling blood over your personal life. Remember last year, and what happened to that actor from The Darkness movies? I guarantee, you take that kid’s phone and someone will get it on video. That shit will be everywhere by dinner. ‘Jon Conway’s Giant Robot Goon Takes Kid’s Phone.’”
    “Good point, but I think I like the sound of ‘Giant Robot Goon,’” Houser said, grinning.
    Jon turned his attention to Pastor Avery, who had just finished a final prayer, concluding his thoughts on Liz, Alex, and the Family Heller.
    “At this time, I’d like you all to remember Liz and Alex Heller not as the fallen victims of this horrible tragedy, but as they were in life — beacons of hope; always laughing and inviting smiles from friends and loved ones. Liz, like her son, was someone you could count on, and all of us here can take great comfort knowing that at this moment they are both enjoying the Good Lord’s eternal solace as they step beyond the gates of heaven.”
    The pastor cast his gaze across the crowd, looking from left to right and back again.
    “Earth holds no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. God will watch over