Chapter 23

Conley, Kendricks, and Channary left River Street and drove to Nahant, a hilly patch of vacation houses, an eclectic mix of historic homes and contemporary retreats slammed onto every spit of available land. Nahant tried like hell to be an island, but the two-mile causeway that connected Ocean Park forced it to be a peninsula. Overachievers lived in the tiny bedroom community, and the local cops always rousted Ocean Park kids to make sure the privileged kept their status.

Channary rode in Kendricks’ sedan, lost in the expansive back seat. She pulled herself to the window and pointed at the beach and its pounding waves.

“Atlantic,” she said to Conley, proud she remembered the word. “The shining sea.”

They turned onto the main road, a winding climb that lifted them past houses clinging to slopes. The glimmering Boston skyline in the distance seemed close enough to touch.

The safe house sat hidden at the end of a tree-lined dead-end street. Its small backyard dropped off to a steep cliff, topped by a chain link fence.

Conley and Kendricks stopped beside a Nahant police cruiser at the beginning of the street under a big maple.

“You the only one?” Kendricks said to the young cop behind the wheel.

“Don’t sweat, Detective,” the cop said, “We keep this town pretty damn secure. We’re small though, can’t afford to dedicate a lot of patrolmen to sit in cars all day. Besides, this street’s well-protected and that house has more alarms than Fort Knox.”

Kendricks and Conley parked in the driveway and unloaded bags from the trunk. Channary rolled an old-fashioned hard suitcase past a new kitchen, a wide-screen TV, and modern furniture that looked out of place in the antique home.

Kendricks hefted his bag onto the couch, unzipped the side compartment, and set family pictures on end tables.

Conley looked up the stairway to total darkness. They chose bedrooms and unpacked. Dusk was approaching, and a stillness came over the neighborhood, despite the distant roar of surf. Suddenly footsteps clattered on the front stairs. Kendricks drew his gun. Conley approached the door slowly and watched silhouettes behind the thin shears. A hooker appeared to be arguing with their sentry. Safe neighborhood indeed. Three knocks were followed by a fourth. He opened the door cautiously.

Thompson stood next to a blushing Nahant cop. She was transformed. Her dress fit like a tight black leather glove, its low neckline showed an acre of skin, and stiletto heels made her long legs seem even longer.

She cocked her hip and threw her head back.

“Ready for our date, Conley?”

Kendricks holstered his gun. “Captain says this is dangerous. Besides, he says there is no Paladin.”

“Perfect,” she said. “Tell your captain if there’s no Paladin, there’s no danger. Iʼll be in the car.ˮ

Kendricks looked past her. “Tell him yourself. There’s him and Mazzarelli, coming to visit.” He sat back on the couch and nodded at Sheila. “You got your hands full there, Conley.”

Conley grabbed his coat to follow her down the steps. “Don’t wait up. No telling when I’ll be back.” He grinned. “Hopefully never.”

****

At midnight, Channary cracked open the bedroom window, and the salty air that seeped in from the ocean seemed to give the bed sheets weight and make them smell smoky, like fresh sails. She snuggled in the covers and felt sleep coming. Time to dream, but hard to fall asleep with all the noise. Loud waves crashed outside. A motorboat roared far away.

She smiled and yawned. Her eyes began to close.

The house again. The swing on the porch was still, and the garden plants swayed in the breeze. She climbed the steps and looked inside. She’d never made it this far. Where were Conley and Sheila? She ran to the garden and searched.

Someone called from the house and she ran inside again. A man stood in the sun-baked hallway. His eyes were black marbles, his white lips pressed together tightly, and blood moved down his handsome suit like a living thing.

She woke with a start, screaming, and when Captain Stefanos came running she held onto him with all her might.