Dark Harbor (Stone Barrington 12)

“I didn’t buy it. It belonged to my cousin Dick, and when he died, he left it to me.”

“My mom has a Mercedes SL 55,” Peter said, “and it’s very fast, but it’s not as…” He seemed to search for a word. “Elegant as this.”

“That’s a good word for it,” Stone said. “You have a very good vocabulary for a boy your age.”

“That’s what my teacher told me.” He pointed out the window. “What’s that pond?”

“It isn’t a pond, really. It’s a little cove, saltwater. A long time ago there was a resort hotel on the shore over there, and they built a kind of dam to keep water in the cove when the tide was out so the guests could swim. The hotel burned down, but the dam is still there.”

“Why did it burn down?”

“I imagine it was a wooden structure, covered in shingles, like most of the houses on the island, and it’s easy for them to catch fire.”

They were approaching the Dark Harbor Shop, and Stone could see three state police cars parked in front of it. He wondered what could possibly have happened on the island that would require three state police cars.

Stone and Peter went into the shop, and Stone set Peter on a stool at the soda fountain and told him to order whatever he wanted, then went to the rear of the shop to get a paper. Jimmy Hotchkiss’s office was crowded with state police officers, and Stone couldn’t hear what they were saying. He went back to the soda fountain. “What’s going on with the police?” he asked the girl behind the counter.

“A little girl has disappeared,” the girl said, “and I think they’re organizing a search party.”

Stone started to ask the little girl’s name, but it occurred to him that he wouldn’t know her or her family, in any case. He paid for his paper and Peter’s ice cream, and they got back into the car.

“Do you think they’ll find the little girl?” Peter asked.

“I expect so,” Stone said. “It’s not all that big an island; she probably just got lost in the woods.”

They drove on toward the house, and as they pulled into the driveway, Stone saw Ed Rawls getting out of his Range Rover.

“Hey, Ed,” Stone said, “have you met my… friend, Peter?”

“How are you, Peter?” Rawls said.

“How do you do?” Peter replied, offering his hand like a gentleman.

“I’ve got some news,” Rawls said to Stone, and he looked worried.

“Peter, you go on inside, all right? And don’t spill ice cream on the rugs.” The boy ran inside, and Stone turned to Rawls. “What is it?”

“You know the girl you met yesterday? Janey Harris?”

“Sure.”

“She didn’t come home from a friend’s house last night.”

“I was at the Dark Harbor Shop, and the soda jerk told me a little girl was missing

. There were a lot of state cops in Jimmy’s office, and she said they’re organizing a search party.”

“I’m worried about her,” Rawls said. “You saw how upset she was yesterday?”

“Yes, I noticed that. Even more upset than her parents. You said she and Don were close.”

“Right, but there was more going on, I think.”

“What was going on?”

“I don’t know, but I’ve been thinking about this since I got the call about Janey a few minutes ago, and I think her disappearance has to be connected to Don’s death.”

“Why do you think that?”