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“You’ll be on the island for how long?” Kara asked.
“At least until Friday. I’m trying to convince Madelyn to come back and stay with Robin and me in Seattle until she feels ready to go back to the house in Bellingham. She’s having a difficult time making decisions right now. Please just—be gentle with her.”
“Of course,” Catherine said.
What was the shrink really thinking? She was hard to read. But Kara would figure her out. There wasn’t a person she hadn’t figured out yet. Some took longer than others.
Justin whispered to Robin, and the woman—she had to be a model, Kara thought, with her long legs and amazing hair—escorted her and Catherine to the deck.
“Maddie, sweetie,” Robin said in a soft tone. “The FBI is here to talk to you.”
Madelyn was sitting in a chair, staring at the water. She had a blanket on her legs, no makeup, and her hands were clasped over her stomach.
It took her a full ten seconds to turn her head and face them.
“Detective... I forget your name. I’m so sorry.”
“Kara.”
“Kara. That’s pretty. Pierce and I haven’t talked about names yet for the baby. Pierce loves his rose garden. Rose is a pretty name. Robin, do you think Pierce would like Rose for the baby?”
Robin sat down next to Madelyn. She was clearly concerned. “Pierce would love any name you liked.”
“I don’t know.” She stared off at the water again.
Robin looked at Kara and Catherine with an expression that saiddo you have to do this now?
Catherine said, “Mrs. Jeffries, I’m Dr. Catherine Jones, with the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI. I’m helping to investigate the explosion on theWater Lilyand I have only a few questions for you. Are you up for it?”
She slowly turned to face her. “Questions. Yes. What do you want to know?”
“I want to confirm some of the information you told my colleague, Detective Quinn.”
“Quinn?” She looked at Kara. “Oh. Yes. Kara Quinn. Okay.”
Robin looked at them. “Is there any way we can do this later? Justin and I are going to be here at least until Friday, if not longer.”
“I’ll be brief,” Catherine said.
“Please,” Robin said, protectively.
Kara was interested to see where Catherine was going with this.
“Mrs. Jeffries—”
“Please, call me Madelyn. I don’t like formalities.”
“Madelyn, why did you change your mind about going on the sunset cruise?”
Madelyn looked like she hadn’t heard the question, just stared at Catherine.
“Madelyn?” Catherine pushed.
“Cruise. I—I should have gone. I should have been stronger.”
“Stronger? What do you mean by that?”
“Tina... I didn’t want to spend three hours with her. I was being selfish. We—once I thought Tina was the most beautiful, smartest girl in the world. She got me a job at the country club. She taught me how to present myself. But we...” She stopped talking as if she had lost her train of thought.
