Ed was quiet for a moment. “You have a point,” he said finally.

“I have some questions,” Stone said.

“Shoot.”

“Where is the mother and her twelve-year-old?”

“In a safe place,” Ed said. “They moved to a new house a few weeks ago.”

“Are you in constant touch with her?”

“I know how to find her. My place in Maine is being framed as we speak, or I’d send them there.”

Stone thought about that. “Perhaps they might be safe in my house in Dark Harbor, with security people to help.”

“I like the sound of your house for them, but security people would be noticed on arrival, and there would be talk in the village.”

“How about after Labor Day, when the summer folk go home?”

“Better, but the lack of people would make the security types even more noticeable.”

“How about this—we get Mike Freeman at Strategic Services to come up with an operative, and the three of them openly move in as a family.”

“I like it,” Ed said. “Maybe there could be a woman, too—her sister, say.”

“I expect that could be arranged.”

“Who pays for all this?”

“I do. Mike will give me the in-house rate. Maybe we could station somebody there to keep an eye on who arrives on the ferry.”

“Not on the island. Station somebody at the other end, in Lincolnville. He’d be less noticeable and nobody gets off on Islesboro who didn’t get on in Lincolnville.”

“Good.”

“Of course, there’s still a little pond called Penobscot Bay. Lots of boats out there, lots of places to come ashore on Islesboro.”

“There is that,” Stone said.

“Think of something else.”

“How about another country?”

“Which one do you have in mind?”

“France or England. I have houses in both.”

“I like that better.”

“And there’s a private airstrip on my English property.”

“Can it take a jet?”

“Yes. Perhaps you should get ahold of the lady and ask her to obtain passports for her and her son. I’m not going to smuggle them across any borders.”

“I’ll do that right away. I know a passport service that can get it done in a couple of days. How will you get them to England?”

“Strategic Services has a Gulfstream that’s back and forth all the time. They can hitch a ride.”

“Let me make a call, and I’ll get back to you. I’ll have to go buy another throwaway phone. I’ve run out.”

“I’ll wait to hear from you.”

“Did you get your phones and your house swept?”

“They were due today but haven’t arrived yet.”

“Good. See you later.” Rawls hung up.

Joan came into his office. “How are you feeling?”

“Very well, thank you.”

“You know, if we could get that stuff analyzed we could bottle it, sell it, and make a fortune.”