Close to the Bone (Widow's Island #1)(6)

Henry blinked. “I’ve had many more older single female patients than married ones.”

Cate bit the inside of her cheek as she nodded solemnly. “Married men have an awfully short life span on Widow’s Island.”

He stared at her, and she knew he wanted to ask if she was joking.

“You’ll see that it’s true.” She fought to keep a serious look on her face.

They hiked in silence for another minute.

“So how does it feel to be on an island that was named after your ancestor?” he asked.

Cate was silent, not wanting to sound like a freak. That little electrical pulse in my spine . . . “Can’t say I feel anything. The island was sold out of the family line years ago.”

“Almost there,” Dustin announced. He glanced back at Cate. “My uncle’s mansion used to belong to your family?”

“Elias Bishop built a small home for Ruby where the mansion now stands. The home was in ruins when your uncle bought the island.”

“Yeah, not many people can buy an island,” Dustin said in a flat voice. “But when every book you write hits the New York Times number one slot for thirty years, I guess it’s easy.”

Well now. There’s a bit of jealousy in the family.

“There it is,” said Dustin as they emerged from the woods and found themselves at the top of a cliff, looking down at the mansion.

The sky had grown lighter as they’d hiked north, but it wasn’t time for sunrise. Now she saw that every outdoor light at the mansion was on. It glowed from its hillside perch halfway down to the water.

“Wow.” Henry stepped beside her. “I’ve seen the home from Widow’s Island across the water, but up close it seems ten times bigger.”

Cate had to agree. She’d never viewed the home from such a high angle. The mansion was protected from south winds by the steep cliff, and the front of the home faced Widow’s Island. A wood-and-metal staircase zigzagged down the face of the cliff to the home. Dustin headed toward the top of the stairs. As they carefully moved down the steps, Cate stole glances at the home. She couldn’t imagine the years of work it had taken to build. Every square inch had been delivered by boat.

The home could have been transplanted from a beachfront in New England. It was a gigantic gray craftsman with weathered shingles, a wraparound deck, multiple gables, and an assortment of large bay windows. The rooflines were steep, and she counted three stone chimneys. Huge river rocks covered the foundation. They wouldn’t have come from the island; someone had physically brought each one.

She couldn’t estimate the staggering cost.

Farther down at the water’s edge was a covered boat dock and small marina. There was no use for a garage or a car on Ruby’s Island. No doubt Rex stored vehicles at one of the larger marinas on Widow’s.

“The home is stunning in the summer,” Cate commented, remembering the multiple times she’d passed by the house on a boat, staring hungrily at the beautiful home.

“It’s stunning right now,” corrected Henry.

Truth.

It felt as if they’d emerged from a wicked wood and found a glorious castle at the end of a journey.

“What’s it like to live here?” Henry asked Dustin.

The young man held on tightly to the handrail as he looked back at Henry. “Lonely. Isolated.”

“Then why stay?” Cate questioned.

Dustin shrugged. “My uncle pays well. I have benefits, and it’s an easy job. I like to paint a little, and he gave me a huge studio to work in. I’d pay thousands a month in rent for a space like that back home.”

“Where’s home?”

“New York.”

“Isn’t that where Rex’s wife lives now?” Cate asked. She’d lost count of the stairs, and they were only halfway down the cliff.

“Yeah. She couldn’t handle it here after Becca vanished. Rex refused to leave, but legally they’re still married.”

Cate could see both points of view. Daily reminders that her daughter had vanished would rip a mother apart. But Rex had stayed in place; she assumed he hoped Becca would return one day. “Understandable. When a child vanishes, it’s devastating for the parents. They each react in their own way.”

“Rex has changed since Becca disappeared,” Dustin said slowly.

“How?” Cate asked sharply.

“You’ll see.”





4


Henry followed Cate and Dustin through a back entrance and into the giant home.

He felt like an intruder. This was police business, not his. But Dustin had concerns about Rex’s health, and Henry felt compelled to stay. It wasn’t every day a father heard his missing daughter’s bones might have been found near his home. Even the healthiest person could go into shock.

The back door opened into a gigantic mudroom, and after passing through they stepped into a kitchen worthy of an interior design magazine spread. Dustin led them into a great room with soaring ceilings and views of the night sky, black water, and the faint outline of Widow’s Island. Tiny clusters of lights sparkled along the coastline. On the bay’s right, Henry identified the lights of Harlot Harbor, and straight ahead was the town of North Sound.

A gray-haired man rose out of a window-facing chair and turned to the small group. He was tall and angular with stooped shoulders and a distinctive long face. Henry recognized him immediately from the jacket photos on the back of Conan’s books, but in the pictures his hair was dark brown and his face less lined. The photos didn’t show the current haunted look in his eyes.