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needed to ask him how he got that bruise on his cheek, and why did he tense up when she asked him about the murder?
    Nancy was sure he was hiding something.
    What was more, the mystery of Scott and Angie’s relationship had only deepened. Whyhad Angie been on his boat? And why did she appear to hate Scott when he spoke of her with such affection? She decided to call Barb to see if she could remember more about their breakup.
    She had just parked the moped in the garage behind the cottage when Hannah burst out the door.
    â€œNancy! I’m so glad you’re back!” Hannah said.
    â€œWhat’s the matter?”
    â€œIt’s Sarah! I just called her and she was crying too hard to talk. Something’s happened.” Hannah buttoned up her raincoat. “I’m going over to her house right away!”
    â€œI’ll come with you!”
    Hannah led the way to Sarah’s old farmhouse on Corn Neck Road. Sarah answered their knock after a minute, tears running down her cheeks. She hugged Hannah. “I’m so glad you came! I didn’t know what to do!”
    â€œWhat happened?” Nancy asked.
    â€œI—I was looking for a suit—you know, to bury Tom in—if we can ever schedule the funeral. And in the back of his closet, I found this!”
    Sarah picked up a cardboard shoe box. Inside it was money. Lots of money. Thousands of dollars. In cash.

Chapter

Nine
    W HERE DID T OM get all this money?” Sarah wailed, showing the box to Nancy and Hannah. The bills were all used, tens and twenties and fifties, all jumbled together. “He had to be doing something really bad.”
    â€œWhy don’t you come sit down, Sarah,” Hannah said, leading her into the living room. Nancy followed, noticing the pretty quilted pillows, hand-knit afghans, and embroidered doilies that brightened up the somewhat worn furniture.
    Sarah tossed the box of money on the couch. A few bills flew into the air and fluttered to the floor. She stood staring at them. “He was such a good boy before his mother died. He was only ten, too young to be without his mama.”
    â€œShe was your sister, wasn’t she?” Hannah put an arm around her shoulder.
    â€œYes. We all suffered when she went, but Tom most of all. If only he’d moved in with us then I could have raised him along with my own four and he would have turned out different.”
    â€œI’m sure you’re right,” Nancy said. “Why didn’t he come to live with you?”
    â€œHis father wouldn’t let him. Jack was a selfish man—never thought of what was best for the boy. Kept him out of school half the time to work his fishing boat. All Jack saw when he looked at Tom was an extra hand to do the work. And he drove the boy hard.”
    â€œBut how could he take him out of school?” Nancy asked. “That’s against the law.”
    Sarah sighed and sank down into a rocking chair. “You don’t know Islanders. Fishing was our life, until the fish disappeared. All those foreign trawlers and factory ships just destroyed the fishing grounds. Most men turned to other work, but some—Jack included—wouldn’t give up the sea, even when it didn’t pay to go out.”
    â€œD.J. said Tom loved boats,” Nancy commented.
    â€œHe did. He was a lonesome boy. Except for D.J., he didn’t bother with friends. Boats were his life. After the sea took Jack, Tom was always looking for a spot on someone’s crew. He’d do the meanest job, just to be on the water.”
    â€œWhat happened to his father?” Hannah asked.
    â€œJack was out alone, setting a seining net. Gothis leg tangled in a line and was dragged over and down. The boat drifted until it was wrecked on Black Rock Point, so Tom lost both it and his father. I’m not sure which he minded more.”
    Nancy was stunned by Sarah’s last statement. Not quite sure what to say, she decided to