When I thought back to Tim’s account of his childhood with Carson, I felt an overwhelming urge to toss my engagement ring in the river and bring up my lunch on the shore. Carson’s behavior as a kid proved McIntyre’s point. Power was my fiancé’s favorite high. My dynamic with him wasn’t so different from Tim’s: doctor and patient, enabler and pawn. And that filled me with a boiling, bottomless rage.

Down the hall I heard the others talking, and through the kitchen door I spied Tim pacing nervously just outside the parlor. Time was running out, and we both knew it. Without the boats, the perp was trapped, and when people feel trapped, they panic. Fear had already killed Abella. I worried it was about to strike again.

An empty wine bottle in hand, Norton stepped up to Tim and pointed in my direction. A few seconds later he was walking toward me under Tim’s watchful gaze.

“Jade’s hungry,” Norton said. “I thought I’d put out some appetizers. Detective Wellington said I could make a plate if you stay with me.”

My watch read half past six. Tim and I had been on the island for almost nine hours. Maybe what my brain needed was a hard reset. A quick, invigorating swim in the frigid river should do it. It’d be worth the risk to my life if it helped me see things clearly.

I blinked my dry, bloodshot eyes and told Norton to be my guest.

He crisscrossed the kitchen, opening cupboard doors and pulling ingredients from the fridge. Despite his prep work earlier, the counters were spotless. The few dishes he’d used were already washed and left to dry by the sink. I leaned back against the counter and revisited everything I knew about “Moonshine Phil.” He’d been short on money twenty years ago, fired from his dead-end job at the liquor store. Then Camilla brought him to Tern Island and his life changed for the better. He’d put his previous boss at risk of being charged with selling alcohol to minors, but to Camilla he was a loyal employee, a compassionate caregiver, a friend.

Camilla wasn’t the only person in the house Norton seemed to like more than the others. I’d noticed it throughout the day, and it nettled me even now.

“Spend much time with kids?” I asked.

He was arranging cold roasted vegetables on a platter at the kitchen island and folding slices of cured meat and cheese. My question made him fumble a sliver of salami. “Sorry?”

“I was just thinking about Jade. You’re very attentive to her needs. You made her favorite soup today.”

“Everyone enjoys that soup. I make it because it’s not hard on Mrs. Sinclair’s stomach. But I am fond of that girl. She hasn’t had it easy. Until Bebe, Jade didn’t have a mother around—and between you and me, Bebe isn’t exactly the mothering type.”

“At least Jade’s got Miles.”

Norton smiled. “That she does.”

“There are going to be a lot of changes around here now. After Miles leaves Bebe, he and Jade won’t be visiting anymore. I wonder if anyone will. With Abella’s death and Jasper disappearing the way he did, how can the Sinclairs keep the property? Some horrible things have happened here.”