Page 43 of The Edge

“So you were walking?”

“I headed towards Jocelyn Point. I figured I’d get to it and then turn around and head home, try and get some sleep though it don’t come easy now. With Bertie next to me, I’d be lights out in ten seconds.”

“I’m sure. Did you even know Jenny was in town?”

“I’d seen her coming in that very day. I was driving through town. Do that sometimes, just to”—he looked around the space—“get outta here. She pulled into the inn. Supposed she was staying there.”

“And not at the family home?” Devine asked.

“Don’t think it’s the family home no more. Think it’s Dak and Alex’s place now.”

“And Jenny wouldn’t be welcome there?” Devine paused again.

Palmer’s head turned mechanically from side to side as the pellets popped and glowed behind the glass of the woodstove. “Don’t know about that. Have to ask them, don’t ya?”

“Okay, go on.”

“Every once in a while I’d head to the coast, stand there, look out. Nice bluffs along there. Can see nearly to Nova Scotia, least it seems like. Lived most of my life on the water, you see. Like looking at it. Calms me so.”

“You were a lobsterman?”

He perked up at that. “Over fifty years out there. Rough seas and fair. Never got rich but made a decent living. Ain’t so easy now. Lobsters moving farther out and heading north. Feel sorry for the folks coming up. It’s a lot harder now. Ain’t many other ways to make a decent dollar round here.”

“So you went to the coastline and looked out?”

“Yes, sir. Did it once more. And then...” His lips trembled and his long fingers flew up to settle them down.

“You walked to the coastline atthatpoint?”

He removed his fingers and nodded. “Cold that night. And rainy. Had my long waterproof on and my hat. Water don’t bother me much, ocean or from the sky. That trail through the woods, I’ve been there many a time. Nice views from there. You can see the entrance to Putnam Harbor to the south, though I couldn’t really at night. But I know right where it is. Went in and outta that place more times than I can remember. Takes me back, you see. Looked out at the clouds over the Atlantic. Beautiful thing to watch, to listen to the rain falling. No lightning, mind you, or I would’ve skedaddled. Don’t much care for lightning.”

“And then what happened?”

“I...looked down,” he said simply, if hesitantly. “I looked down,” he said again, as though he was afraid Devine had not heard him. “And I saw Jenny.”

“Wait, you knew it was her from where you were standing?”

When Devine had gone back to the spot he had more accurately gauged the distance at over fifteen feet from witness to corpse. And the body had been sprawled on black rocks and partially submerged.

Palmer seemed confused for a moment. “No, I...I mean, I learned afterward it was her. I just sawabody at that point. I had my phone with me and I called the police. I waited till they got there. They rushed to pull her up. Young man went down there on a rope. The tide was coming in fast. They got a truck with a winch. She was half-covered with water. Much longer and she’d have been out to sea. But they got her out all right. Or her body at least. Jenny was long gone.”

“So it was just a coincidence that you happened upon that spot and looked down?”

“Yes, sir, it was. But I wish it hadn’t happened to me. Lost my son and daughter-in-law to a damn fire years back, then Bertie. Seen enough death. Just...seen enough...”

His voice trailed off and he swiveled his head and stared at the fire behind the glass.

Devine watched him for a few moments, trying to take in the true, full measure of the man. “Once you learned it was Jenny, what did you think?”

“I didn’t think nothing, really. I mean, I couldn’t believe it. Who’d want to hurt her?”

“That was my next question to you.”

“Must’ve been a stranger, like who killed Bertie.”

Devine thought Palmer very much wanted to believe that. “So anything else you can tell me that might help?”

“Nothing I can think of, son. Sure hope you figure all this out.”

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