Page 150 of Concealed in Death

“Who’s P?”

“Peter. Peter Gibbons. He was my first love. We were just teenagers, but we were so urgently in love. My parents didn’t approve, of course. We were so young, and he was... he was a boy of logic and science, not faith. He gave me this on my eighteenth birthday, right before I left for college.”

Eve said nothing as Philadelphia slipped it on her finger, studied it with a soft smile. “He went off to college, too, but we vowed we’d marry one day, have a family. Of course that wasn’t to be. I married a man my father approved of. It didn’t work out for either of us. He’s a good man, my former husband, but we were never really happy. I wonder if you ever feel for someone the way you feel for your first love.”

She looked up from the ring. “Thank you so much, but where did you find it?”

“Where your brother Nash put it, along with your sister Selma’s gold heart pendant.”

“Selma’s little heart—but...”

“And the unity necklaces that belonged to him and your other brother. All of them were buried under the stones of the fountain.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense.” The light went out of her eyes. “Why would he take my ring, why would he—”

“Where’s Peter Gibbons?”

“I—we haven’t kept in close touch. He’s a doctor, a psychiatrist. He runs a small private institute upstate.”

“Where?” Eve demanded just as her ’link signaled.

“It’s in the Adirondacks, near Newton Falls. The Full Light Institute for Wellness.” Pressing a hand to her heart, Philadelphia rubbed it there in shaky circles. “You think Monty’s there. You think Nash took Monty to Peter.”

“Hold on.” She yanked out her ’link. “What?”

“Reporting as requested, Lieutenant. The secondary account, under the name Kyle Montclair, opened fifteen years ago, had an initial deposit of eight thousand even. There’ve been small but regular deposits thereafter, with all autopayments going to—”

“The Full Light Institute for Wellness.”

“I don’t know why I bother if you’re going to step on my lines.”

“It’s upstate, near some place called Newton Falls.”

“I’m aware,” he said dryly. “I completed my assignment.”

“I’ve got another. I need to get there, as fast as possible.”

“All right. The West Side transpo center, private air station. Twenty minutes.”

“Thanks. Big thanks.”

“I need to go with you,” Philadelphia said when Eve clicked off. “If what you believe is true, all true, I have to see my brothers. I have to speak with my brothers.”

“That’s probably a good idea.” She glanced around as two sweepers came in with a portable scanner, gestured toward the room.

“I just need to tell Matron.”

“You’ve got two minutes. Peabody,” she called as she stepped back toward the room. “With me. Quilla, for Christ’s sake, stay out of here.”

“What’s going on?”

“Lots of official stuff. Look,” she said, relenting a little, “you helped, so I’ll fill you in later. Peabody, we’re moving.”

•••

She’d expected an air shuttle, which was bad enough. But found herself, churning stomach and all, loading onto a jet-copter with Roarke at the helm.

“In the back,” she ordered Philadelphia, and shoved ear protectors at her. “Put these on, keep them on.”