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Revere Memorial Hall sat between Anne’s home and the town boat landing. Built a hundred years before, the two-story stone and shingle building continued to serve as Isle au Haut’s multipurpose gathering place including town hall, library, gymnasium, dining hall, theater, and now, with a criminal investigation to conduct, police headquarters. Kate and Sheera entered a large room bright with sunshine streaming through immense windows to their left. Beneath the windows were makeshift workstations complete with computers and phones. To their right, a long table covered in scientific equipment served as a portable lab. In between and directly across from where Kate and Sheera stood, was a small group of investigators in conference.
The team sat in a semicircle of folded chairs and faced a man who stood, marker in hand, next to a large flip chart propped on an easel. Beyond them, along the far wall, hung additional sheets of paper covered in multicolored writing, diagrams and pictures. Kate saw her own picture, and that of Sheera and Matt. His picture had been crossed out, along with various arrows and question marks. Deep in conversation, no-one immediately noticed Kate and Sheera lurking by the door.
“Eh, hi. Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt,” called out Kate.
As one, five heads swung in their direction. There was a noisy scraping of chairs as everyone stood to face them, effectively blocking her view of their notes taped to the wall. Sheera immediately hid herself behind Kate. She reached back with one arm to soothe her and scanned their faces. She didn’t recognize a single one.
“Sorry. I was looking for Detective Collier? She said I could find her here. I’m Kate Brown.” Color rose to her cheeks. “Of course, you already know that.”
“Miss Brown. Of course,” said the man with the marker as he stepped toward her a pace. “My name is Detective Wentworth. This is Detective Anders, Deputy…”
“Kate, Kate,” said Sheera with urgency, tugging on Kate’s arm.
The room went silent and the detectives shot glances at one another. Kate turned, reassurance on the tip of her tongue, but stopped in surprise. Sheera puffed out her cheeks and slapped her palms together like an alligator’s snap.
Kate shot a glance at Detective Anders and smiled. “He is plump. But I think we should hold out for the feast.”
Sheera tucked back into the doorway behind Kate, stealing peeks, and Kate turned her attention back toward the team. Instead of continuing with introductions, Wentworth looked at Kate with confusion, an expression matched by the rest of the investigators.
Kate waved her hand and blushed. “Never mind. Sheera just recognized Detective Anders as the one who interviewed Matt.”
This explanation only led to further confusion.
“Listen, I…”
Sheera shrieked and jumped around Kate into the room, almost pulling her over. Wentworth took a step toward Kate to keep her from falling and Sheera jumped again yanking Kate off balance in the opposite direction. Before Kate understood what had so alarmed Sheera, Anders barked out three short words, “Frank. Leave. Now.”
Kate righted herself just in time to see Deputy Frank spin on his heel and walk right back out the front door of the hall. Kate couldn’t help herself. She started laughing. “That worked.”
Anders nodded, a smile playing at his lips and glanced at the little girl. She stood by Kate’s side, ramrod straight, staring at him. He gave her a curt nod and took a step back to stand at ease, his hands together in front of him.
Nobody made a move.
Kate gathered herself and realized that, with the exception of Anders who appeared perfectly comfortable, everyone else seemed tense and wary. They think we’re insane, thought Kate. Either that or they were as intimidated by Detective Anders as Matt. “Listen, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. If you could just let Detective Collier know I was looking for her.”
“Can we pass on a message?” asked Wentworth.
“Um. I think I have a name,” said Kate.
“A name? You mean the girl’s?” asked Anders. It wasn’t like him to interrupt. Everyone watched intently.
“No. Not Sheera’s. Sorry. But someone important to her.”
“Important? She told you that?”
“Well, no, not exactly. It’s more of a feeling.”
“But she told you a name?”
“Well. No. Not exactly. The only name she’s said is mine.”
The disappointment in the room was palpable. Anders was the only one who would meet her eye. She could hardly blame them; even to her own ears she sounded lame.
“Look,” said Kate and plucked the marker from Wentworth’s hand. She gestured to Sheera to wait by the door, stuck the marker between her teeth and crutched over to the easel. As Kate flipped to the next sheet of paper, Anders joined her, his bulk blocking everyone else’s view. Kate wrote in big letters ‘Sheila’. She explained in a whisper, “Every time the name comes up, she reacts to it. You know, physically.”
“Every time?”
“Yeah, three or four times,” said Kate, reverting to her regular voice. “Up in the woods. With Anne. Matt. I could be wrong.” She cringed, knowing they knew how wrong she’d been about Matt. “But I think it’s important.”
“Kate,” called Sheera.
She handed the marker to Anders but didn’t immediately let go. ‘Mother’, mouthed Kate. “Maybe,” she said aloud.
After a heartbeat the detective responded. “Okay. Good. That’s good. We’ll pass on the message.”
Kate took that as permission to leave and headed back outside with Sheera. Anders returned to the easel and wrote ‘mother’ beneath Sheila, followed by a question mark and underlined it twice. He stood back so the rest of the room could see. After a brief moment, the team burst into a flurry of activity, snatching up phones and firing up computers.
Kate had parked Anne’s car on the side of the road not far from the hall. Just as they reached it, she heard Anders calling for her.
“Miss Brown. Hold up a second.”
Kate cursed to herself; she should have known it wouldn’t be so easy. As he trotted over to her, Kate didn’t wonder that Matt had found him frightening. All muscle and crewcut, he was as ‘plump’ and cuddly as a block of granite. Anyone would be intimidated by him. Except Sheera, realized Kate. She hadn’t shied away from him. A quick glance confirmed that now too, she seemed more intrigued than scared. Why Anders? Every other man they’d encountered she’d been fearful of: Tom, Matt, Lurch, Wentworth. Nick? No, not Nick.
“Miss Brown, Sheera. I’m glad I caught you.”
Kate stood with her back against the car, acutely aware of his physical presence. He wasn’t much taller than her but the width of the man, and density, his bearing, all made him imposing, larger than life. Kate tried to think of him as plump. She couldn’t. She fumbled for Sheera’s hand.
“I spoke with Detective Collier. She’s very pleased.”
“Oh, ah, okay, thanks. Just a hunch. Probably wrong.”
“A hunch backed by logic. Potentially a huge step forward in the investigation. She wants to thank you and also give you this sat phone. It has her number programmed into it so you can reach her at any time, no matter where she is. If Sheera talks or if you think of something, even a hunch, she wants you to call her right away.”
“Yeah, sure, um, no problem,” said Kate, and waited to be dismissed.
“We still need to measure your hands and Sheera’s bruises. I’ll call the tech over.”
Kate opened her mouth then closed it; protesting her innocence would only make it worse.
Anders stood by for the measuring. Kate felt like a jitterbug next to this imperturbable man, but his presence seemed to have the opposite effect on Sheera. She acted like Pearl-at-a-picnic, perfectly content to raise a sleeve or tilt her head as needed. After no more than a couple of minutes the procedure was done, and the technician returned to the hall. Anders, however, stayed with them.
“Right, so, are we, like, free to go?”
Anders held the car door while first Sheera then Kate climbed in. Kate reached to pull the door closed, but Anders’ hand rested on top.
“Miss Brown, what you’re doing for us, for Sheera, is so important. Critical. We need information, you’re the conduit, and time is not on our side. Keep working the problem. Stay alert. Use the sat phone.”
With those instructions, Anders pushed the car door closed and tapped the roof of the car. Kate had her orders – go forth and conquer. She started the car and drove. About 30 seconds later she stopped. She was going the wrong way. She executed a painstaking ten-point turn to reverse direction on the narrow road, thinking the whole time that if the investigation depended on her, they were so fucked. By the time she had the car pointed back toward Anne’s, Kate was feeling petulant; their job, not mine.
“Sheera, let’s find that feast?”
On her way back from Revere Memorial Hall, Kate stopped by Anne’s to let her and Evelyn know about the lunch invitation and to confirm she could use the car.
“Perfect,” said Evelyn.
“No, not perfect,” said Anne.
“Use my truck instead,” said Evelyn to Kate.
Remembering the dilapidated state of Evelyn’s car, Kate wasn’t sure she dared.
“It’s not the car and you know it, Ev,” said Anne.
“Anne has a grudge against Matt,” explained Evelyn. “He used to be married to her sister.”
Kate would have come to Matt’s defence. He had, after all, tried to rescue her and seemed willing to forgive her attack. Evelyn didn’t give her the chance.
“Anne, forget Matt. Nick will be there. It’s the perfect opportunity to get the inside scoop on the investigation.”
Kate seriously doubted that. Nick had withheld Matt’s identity from her. She may have graduated from suspect to informant, but she was still on the opposite side of the table. Whatever Nick told her would be strictly need-to-know. Before Kate could say as much, Anne voiced her thoughts.
“Kate? She’s too close. You, on the other hand, could get blood from a stone.”
“Sure, but I wasn’t invited.”
Kate marvelled at Evelyn, her unabashed confidence. Anne was right. If anybody could get information out of Nick, it would be Evelyn.
“Aren’t they invited here, tonight?” asked Kate, finally getting a word in edgewise.
The two friends stared at Kate and then at one another.
“They won’t come,” said Anne.
“If you invited Matt they might,” said Evelyn. She held up her hand to forestall Anne’s objection. “Think about it. You’d have a chance to strip Kate of any illusions she might have about Matt and I’d get a crack at Nick.”
Anne considered and, with a tilt of her head, conceded.
“So, I can borrow the car?” asked Kate. She promised to extend a party invitation to Matt. If ever she needed a lawyer, it would be Evelyn.