"I can think of a number of possibilities," Richard ventured.
"Let's hear them. "
"She could have drowned, accidentally or on purpose. This is an island, and water can hide most things. "
"True, but the probability isn't great. Consider the following: if Harriet met with an accident and drowned, logically it must have occurred somewhere in the immediate vicinity of the village. Remember that the excitement on the bridge was the most sensational thing that had happened here on Hedeby Island in several decades. It was not a time when a sixteen-year-old girl with a normal sense of curiosity would decide to go for a walk to the other side of the island.
"But more important," he said, "there's not much of a current here, and the winds at that time of year were out of the north or northeast
