"People knew they were gone "I know that," Jack...
"People
knew they were gone
"I know that," Jack said"It's what I'm saying
So Elizabeth and her Dad and the housekeeper just
dummied up?"
"What other choice?" I asked"Was John Eastlake
going to tell forty or fifty volunteers 'The
boogeylady took my daughters, look for the
boogeylady?' He might not even have known
Although he must have found out at some point I
was thinking of the picture of him screaming
Screaming and bleeding
"What other choice covers it for me," Wireman said
"I want to know what replica fendi spy happened after the search was
overJust before she died, Miss Eastlake said
something about drowning her back to sleepDid
868
she mean Perse? And if she did, how does a thing
like that work?"
I shook my head
"Why don't you know?"
"Because the rest of the answers are on the south
end of the island," I said"At whatever's left of
the original Heron's RoostAnd I think that's
where Perse is, too
"All right, then," Wireman said"Unless we're
prepared to vacate Duma posthaste, it seems to me
that we ought to go cartier tank watch there
"Based on what happened to Tom, we don't even have
that choice," I said"I sold a lot of paintings,
and the guys at the Scoto won't hold them
forever
"Buy them back," Jack suggestedNot that I hadn't
already thought of that myself
Wireman shook his head"Plenty of the owners
won't want to sell, not even at twice the price
And a story like this wouldn't convince them
To this, no one said anything
"But she's not quite as strong in daylight," I
said"I'd suggest nine o'clock
869
"Fine by me," Jack devil wears prada chanel necklace said, and stood up"I'll be
here at quarter ofRight now I'm going back
across the bridge to SarasotaThat
started an idea knocking around in my head
"You're welcome to stay here," Wireman said
"After this conversation?" Jack raised his
eyebrows"With all due respect, dude, no wayBut
I'll be here tomorrow
"Long pants and boots are the order of the day,"
Wireman said"It'll be overgrown down there, and
there could be snakes He scrubbed a hand up the
side of his face"Looks like I might be missing
tomorrow's chloe bags paddington viewing at Abbot-WexlerMiss
Eastlake's relatives will have to bare their teeth
at each other
Jack had started for the door
"You don't happen to have any of Edgar's art, do
you?"
"MmmConfession's good for the soul,
companero
"One sketch," Jack saidHe shuffled his feet, and
I thought he was blushingOn the
back of an envelopeI
870
fished it out of the trash basket one day
"S'okay, but burn it," I said"Maybe I'll be able
to give you another one when all this is over If
it ever is, I thought but didn't louis vuitton purses ad