Norton opened a drawer and took out a paring knife. It glinted under the bright pendant lights above him. “Maybe they won’t,” he said. “But to be honest, that’s no concern of mine. It’s almost time for me to move on. When Camilla leaves this place, so do I.” He shook his head sadly. “I hate to say it, but sometimes I think this family is cursed. Baldwin’s and Rachel’s deaths, their business troubles, Camilla’s illness, Jasper . . .”

“That’s quite a string of bad luck.”

Norton opened a bag of radishes and started carving them into elaborate edible flowers. My eyes followed the blade’s every movement. His knife skills were precise and lightning quick. “Flynn and Bebe . . . they’re very negative people, and negative people attract negative energy. Trust me, I know. I made my share of mistakes as a younger man, some I’ll regret for the rest of my life. But I turned things around. Coming here changed everything. We’ve all got to make our own destiny.”

His speech reminded me of what Camilla said upstairs, about the importance of forging your own path. “I’d love to know how to do that,” I said, and meant it.

He looked up from his knife. “What I do, see, is I picture myself where I want to be. In the future I want to have. That’s what helps me get there.”

I felt my cell phone buzz twice in quick succession, two messages coming in at once. Excusing myself, I glanced at the display. McIntyre had made an interesting discovery related to my request. I filed it away in the back of my mind. The next message was from Tim. Miles and Jade want to talk to you.

I raised an eyebrow. Typed Send them in.

“Ah,” Norton said when he saw them coming down the hall. “I’ll leave you all alone.”

“No need,” I said quickly. “Please. Stay and finish up.”

Norton gave a reluctant nod and went back to work.

“Not the happy hour you’re used to, I guess,” I said when Miles and Jade stepped into the room.

“Please don’t,” said Miles.

“Don’t what?”

Jade snatched a piece of salami from the plate. When Norton smiled at her, his cheeks plumped up and his eyes turned into crescent moons. Miles said, “Say it like that. Lump us together with them.”

I wrinkled my brow. “You’ve been part of the family for how long now?”

“Long enough to know it’s a bad thing to be. We’re leaving. I already told you that.”

“You did. But for the moment you’re still here, and as long as you’re on this island, you’re as much a part of this as they are. Now, what can I do for you two?”

Neither his fresh shirt nor his smart tweed jacket could make Miles look composed anymore. “I have a request,” he said, and I thought, Again? His voice quavered and he cleared his throat. “I want your assurance you can keep my daughter safe. I want you to protect her. No matter what.”