“I had hoped to keep the twins on ice with a high bail, but they saw a judge this afternoon, and he released them on their own recognizance.”

“Shit,” Stone muttered.

“I hear that the judge had a call from the governor before the bail hearing,” Tom said.

“Where are they now?”

“On their way home. They’ll make the last ferry.”

“Thank you, Tom. Good night.” Stone hung up and called Ed Rawls.

“Speak to me.”

Stone broke the news.

“Well, shit!”

“Same here. Tom Young says they’ll make the last ferry tonight.”

“That’s good information,” Ed said.

“Does that give you an idea?”

“You don’t want to know. See ya.” Ed hung up.

Dino was looking questioningly at him from across the table.

“Why are you looking at me questioningly?” Stone asked.

“Lance has left us. Somebody had to.”

“I know nothing. Ed wanted it that way.”

“Hearing that is almost as good as knowing something.”

“If you say so.”

—

Ed checked his watch. It was nine-thirty. The last ferry arrived at eleven. Plenty of time to arrange something. He went into the living room, where Sally was knitting something unidentifiable, opened a panel in the wall, unlocked a cupboard door, and looked inside at the array of ammunition and explosives. He chose a block of C-4 plastic explosive, about four ounces, he reckoned, some radio-initiated detonators, and a small radio. That should do it, he thought. He strapped on a pistol, retrieved a light machine gun and four magazines, and dropped the lot into a canvas carryall.

“Traveling someplace?” Sally asked.

“Only a short distance. I’ll be back in less than half an hour.”

She nodded. “Go safely.”

Ed thought about taking the boat, but since nobody was at home at the twins’, there was no need for stealth, so he’d hoof it. He walked outside, looked around, and listened. Gorgeous, starry night; a loon nearby calling to its mate; cool, dry air: Maine at its glorious best. Given their latitude, some daylight lingered in the western sky, so he didn’t need his flashlight. He walked to his fence and let himself through a gap that no one else would have seen. He found himself waist-deep in blueberry bushes, and walking was slow going.

He reached the border of the twins’ property and walked across a graveled area. Paving stones were stacked on pallets in large numbers; there would be a cobblestone parking area and driveway in a few days. He looked toward the twins’ dock and saw where the teak boardwalk began. There was a large, square floating dock that would take three or four small boats, then a further boardwalk to a final floating dock that would accept a fifty-footer. The depth out there would be six feet or more at low-water spring tide.