The Daughters of Block Island by Carmen Christa

Author:Carmen, Christa
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2023-12-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25

Thalia opens her eyes the next morning to more mist and rain. She knows where she is, but for a moment, she forgets the conversation with Aileen over dessert the previous evening. She remembers with bitter disappointment how the B and B proprietress told her nothing Thalia didn’t already know, and nothing that seemed all that monumental for Aileen to be aware of.

Yes, Blake seemed troubled, Aileen said. No, Aileen didn’t know anything about her pending court case. Yes, it had been Aileen’s idea for Blake to tell Martin who she was.

“For what reason?” Thalia asked.

“He helped Blake collect some information about your mother before she went out to the house on Cooneymus Road to meet her.”

“What about after Blake was killed?” Thalia asked. “You didn’t think it wise to tell the police what she was doing here?”

“I thought I did.” Aileen’s tone was guileless. Thalia made it a practice to suss out guile in clients and casual acquaintances alike. “If not, then Martin certainly did. The police know Martin was helping Miss Bronson, and that’s why Fiona thought Martin and Blake were . . .” Here, Aileen not only trailed off but clammed up.

“Does Martin ever come by?” Thalia asked, trying another tactic to get Aileen to speak more freely about her imprisoned sister’s boyfriend. “Maybe I could ask him where he and Blake went.”

“I haven’t seen Martin much lately.” The lie was obvious even if Thalia hadn’t hidden behind the kitchen door. Aileen puckered her lips, shrugged, and looked everywhere but at Thalia. This told Thalia that Aileen wouldn’t be owning up to Martin’s earlier visit, but it also made her believe that everything Aileen had said prior to this was the truth. At least, the truth as much as the proprietress understood it.

If Aileen’s plan is to keep Martin from Thalia, fine. She’ll catch up with her mother’s employer eventually. Until then, she has other islanders with whom she wants to converse. Starting with Timmy Graham, of the notorious Graham’s Resort, vacationers’ paradise and site of 97 percent of Block’s drunk-and-disorderlies. Patrick had claimed Timmy was being more than vocal about Blake and Martin’s trip to the honeymoon suite.

Sarah is waiting in the taxi when Thalia exits the mansion. She’d texted an hour earlier asking to be picked up, to which Sarah responded:

FINALLY!

“So Graham’s Resort?” Sarah asks.

“That’s what I’m thinking. Are you sure you don’t mind driving me around all day?”

Sarah snorts. “Riiight, because you’re keeping me from all the other people clamoring for a cab ride. Shut it, Mills, and get in. I do have to stop and get gas. After that, my cab is your chariot.”

When Sarah stops at M&C’s station, Thalia calls the hospital. She listens to the nurse’s report while the tank fills and Sarah runs in for twin coffees.

“No change with Maureen,” Thalia says when Sarah gets back in the car.

Sarah nods. “That’s what they told me last night too. We’ll head to Graham’s now, but if you want to go to the hospital right after, we can.

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