The Edge

“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 will never find 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.”

“He built it 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.”

“And Jenny? Did anyone here really know her?”

“She was about ten years older than me, but I knew her. I can’t say I knew her all that well, but I was surprised.”

“Surprised? By what?”

“Well, the rumor is she was some sort of spy. You know, hiding things, poker face, pretending to be something she’s not. Well, with Jenny, she wore it all on her sleeve. I think she was the most open one of the bunch. So I don’t know how she made such a good spy.”

Devine offered to drive her to Earl Palmer’s house because the rain was still pouring down, and she accepted.

“You can just drop me off back here and I’ll take my scooter home,” Palmer told him.

A bit later he pulled up to Earl’s cottage and they ran through the rain up to the porch. She had a key and let them in. They searched the entire house but Earl wasn’t there.

“Do you think he went for a walk?” asked Devine.

She looked over at the front door. “His walking stick is against the wall. He never goes out without it.” She pointed to a peg on the wall. “And there’s his coat, and the reflective vest I bought him. He wouldn’t go out without those.”

“Where else could he be?” Devine looked out the window at the small studio. “Hey, I think I see a light from behind the curtains.”

“What? Really?” She sounded relieved. “He must be in there. Maybe he’s going through some of Bertie’s artwork. I told him it would help with the grieving process.”

They hurried out to the studio.

Palmer opened the unlocked door. “Gramps, it’s me. I’m so glad that you—”

She screamed.

Devine pushed past her, his gun out and making wide arcs in front of him.

But then he stopped and lowered his weapon as he stared up at a clearly deceased Earl Palmer hanging from one of the rafters.

Chapter 41

While Harper and Fuss went about their work with the aid of a crew of volunteer EMTs, and Françoise Guillaume readied her instruments for the preliminary processing of the body, Devine stared up at Palmer, still hanging there.

The image of Sara Ewes came back to him. He had dated her back in New York when he had worked for the investment firm of Cowl and Comely. She had been found hanging in one of the firm’s storage closets. The initial cause of death had been deemed suicide. It had soon turned to a verdict of murder.

What about you, Earl? Did you do this, or did someone else do it to you?

With everyone’s help they managed to release Earl Palmer from the noose and lowered the body, where it was initially examined by the two officers.

Next, a nitrile-gloved Harper stood on a ladder and cut down the rope that had been used, careful to keep the knots intact.