Blake Pierce
Blake Pierce is the USA Today bestselling author of the RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seventeen books. Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising fourteen books; of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising six books; of the KERI LOCKE mystery series, comprising five books; of the MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE mystery series, comprising six books; of the KATE WISE mystery series, comprising seven books; of the CHLOE FINE psychological suspense mystery, comprising six books; of the JESSIE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising thirty-five books (and counting); of the AU PAIR psychological suspense thriller series, comprising three books; of the ZOE PRIME mystery series, comprising six books; of the ADELE SHARP mystery series, comprising sixteen books, of the EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series, comprising six books; of the LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller, comprising eleven books; of the ELLA DARK FBI suspense thriller, comprising twenty-one books (and counting); of the A YEAR IN EUROPE cozy mystery series, comprising nine books, of the AVA GOLD mystery series, comprising six books; of the RACHEL GIFT mystery series, comprising thirteen books (and counting); of the VALERIE LAW mystery series, comprising nine books; of the PAIGE KING mystery series, comprising eight books; of the MAY MOORE mystery series, comprising eleven books; of the CORA SHIELDS mystery series, comprising eight books; of the NICKY LYONS mystery series, comprising eight books, of the CAMI LARK mystery series, comprising ten books; of the AMBER YOUNG mystery series, comprising seven books (and counting); of the DAISY FORTUNE mystery series, comprising five books; of the FIONA RED mystery series, comprising eleven books (and counting); of the FAITH BOLD mystery series, comprising eleven books (and counting); of the JULIETTE HART mystery series, comprising five books (and counting); of the MORGAN CROSS mystery series, comprising nine books (and counting); and of the new FINN WRIGHT mystery series, comprising five books (and counting).
An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.
Copyright © 2023 by Blake Pierce All rights reserved Except as permitted under the U S Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the author. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental Jacket image Copyright adhee ferdian used under license from Shutterstock com
BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE
FINN WRIGHT MYSTERY SERIES
WHEN YOU’RE MINE (Book #1) WHEN YOU’RE SAFE (Book #2) WHEN YOU’RE CLOSE (Book #3) WHEN YOU’RE SLEEPING (Book #4) WHEN YOU’RE SANE (Book #5)
MORGAN CROSS MYSTERY SERIES
FOR YOU (Book #1) FOR RAGE (Book #2) FOR LUST (Book #3) FOR WRATH (Book #4) FOREVER (Book #5) FOR US (Book #6) FOR NOW (Book #7) FOR ONCE (Book #8) FOR ETERNITY (Book #9)
JULIETTE HART MYSTERY SERIES
NOTHING TO FEAR (Book #1)
NOTHING THERE (Book #2) NOTHING WATCHING (Book #3)
NOTHING HIDING (Book #4)
NOTHING LEFT (Book #5)
FAITH BOLD MYSTERY SERIES
SO LONG (Book #1) SO COLD (Book #2) SO SCARED (Book #3)
SO NORMAL (Book #4)
SO FAR GONE (Book #5) SO LOST (Book #6)
SO ALONE (Book #7)
SO FORGOTTEN (Book #8)
SO INSANE (Book #9)
SO SMITTEN (Book #10)
SO SIMPLE (Book #11)
FIONA RED MYSTERY SERIES
LET HER GO (Book #1)
LET HER BE (Book #2)
LET HER HOPE (Book #3)
LET HER WISH (Book #4)
LET HER LIVE (Book #5)
LET HER RUN (Book #6)
LET HER HIDE (Book #7)
LET HER BELIEVE (Book #8)
LET HER FORGET (Book #9)
LET HER TRY (Book #10)
LET HER PLAY (Book #11)
DAISY FORTUNE MYSTERY SERIES
NEED YOU (Book #1)
CLAIM YOU (Book #2)
CRAVE YOU (Book #3)
CHOOSE YOU (Book #4)
CHASE YOU (Book #5)
AMBER YOUNG MYSTERY SERIES
ABSENT PITY (Book #1)
ABSENT REMORSE (Book #2)
ABSENT FEELING (Book #3)
ABSENT MERCY (Book #4)
ABSENT REASON (Book #5)
ABSENT SANITY (Book #6)
ABSENT LIFE (Book #7)
CAMI LARK MYSTERY SERIES
JUST ME (Book #1)
JUST OUTSIDE (Book #2)
JUST RIGHT (Book #3)
JUST FORGET (Book #4)
JUST ONCE (Book #5)
JUST HIDE (Book #6)
JUST NOW (Book #7)
JUST HOPE (Book #8)
JUST LEAVE (Book #9)
JUST TONIGHT (Book #10)
NICKY LYONS MYSTERY SERIES
ALL MINE (Book #1)
ALL HIS (Book #2)
ALL HE SEES (Book #3)
ALL ALONE (Book #4)
ALL FOR ONE (Book #5)
ALL HE TAKES (Book #6)
ALL FOR ME (Book #7)
ALL IN (Book #8)
CORA SHIELDS MYSTERY SERIES
UNDONE (Book #1)
UNWANTED (Book #2)
UNHINGED (Book #3)
UNSAID (Book #4)
UNGLUED (Book #5)
UNSTABLE (Book #6)
UNKNOWN (Book #7)
UNAWARE (Book #8)
MAY MOORE SUSPENSE THRILLER
NEVER RUN (Book #1)
NEVER TELL (Book #2)
NEVER LIVE (Book #3)
NEVER HIDE (Book #4)
NEVER FORGIVE (Book #5)
NEVER AGAIN (Book #6)
NEVER LOOK BACK (Book #7)
NEVER FORGET (Book #8)
NEVER LET GO (Book #9)
NEVER PRETEND (Book #10)
NEVER HESITATE (Book #11)
PAIGE KING MYSTERY SERIES
THE GIRL HE PINED (Book #1)
THE GIRL HE CHOSE (Book #2)
THE GIRL HE TOOK (Book #3)
THE GIRL HE WISHED (Book #4)
THE GIRL HE CROWNED (Book #5)
THE GIRL HE WATCHED (Book #6)
THE GIRL HE WANTED (Book #7)
THE GIRL HE CLAIMED (Book #8)
VALERIE LAW MYSTERY SERIES
NO MERCY (Book #1)
NO PITY (Book #2)
NO FEAR (Book #3)
NO SLEEP (Book #4)
NO QUARTER (Book #5)
NO CHANCE (Book #6)
NO REFUGE (Book #7)
NO GRACE (Book #8)
NO ESCAPE (Book #9)
RACHEL GIFT MYSTERY SERIES
HER LAST WISH (Book #1)
HER LAST CHANCE (Book #2)
HER LAST HOPE (Book #3)
HER LAST FEAR (Book #4)
HER LAST CHOICE (Book #5)
HER LAST BREATH (Book #6)
HER LAST MISTAKE (Book #7)
HER LAST DESIRE (Book #8)
HER LAST REGRET (Book #9)
HER LAST HOUR (Book #10)
HER LAST SHOT (Book #11)
HER LAST PRAYER (Book #12)
HER LAST LIE (Book #13)
AVA GOLD MYSTERY SERIES
CITY OF PREY (Book #1)
CITY OF FEAR (Book #2)
CITY OF BONES (Book #3)
CITY OF GHOSTS (Book #4)
CITY OF DEATH (Book #5)
CITY OF VICE (Book #6)
A YEAR IN EUROPE
A MURDER IN PARIS (Book #1)
DEATH IN FLORENCE (Book #2)
VENGEANCE IN VIENNA (Book #3)
A FATALITY IN SPAIN (Book #4)
ELLA DARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER
GIRL, ALONE (Book #1)
GIRL, TAKEN (Book #2)
GIRL, HUNTED (Book #3)
GIRL, SILENCED (Book #4)
GIRL, VANISHED (Book 5)
GIRL ERASED (Book #6)
GIRL, FORSAKEN (Book #7)
GIRL, TRAPPED (Book #8)
GIRL, EXPENDABLE (Book #9)
GIRL, ESCAPED (Book #10)
GIRL, HIS (Book #11)
GIRL, LURED (Book #12)
GIRL, MISSING (Book #13)
GIRL, UNKNOWN (Book #14)
GIRL, DECEIVED (Book #15)
GIRL, FORLORN (Book #16)
GIRL, REMADE (Book #17)
GIRL, BETRAYED (Book #18)
GIRL, BOUND (Book #19)
GIRL, REFORMED (Book #20)
GIRL, REBORN (Book #21)
LAURA FROST FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER
ALREADY GONE (Book #1)
ALREADY SEEN (Book #2)
ALREADY TRAPPED (Book #3)
ALREADY MISSING (Book #4)
ALREADY DEAD (Book #5)
ALREADY TAKEN (Book #6)
ALREADY CHOSEN (Book #7)
ALREADY LOST (Book #8)
ALREADY HIS (Book #9)
ALREADY LURED (Book #10)
ALREADY COLD (Book #11)
EUROPEAN VOYAGE COZY MYSTERY SERIES
MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (Book #1)
DEATH (AND APPLE STRUDEL) (Book #2)
CRIME (AND LAGER) (Book #3)
MISFORTUNE (AND GOUDA) (Book #4) CALAMITY (AND A DANISH) (Book #5) MAYHEM (AND HERRING) (Book #6)
ADELE SHARP MYSTERY SERIES
LEFT TO DIE (Book #1)
LEFT TO RUN (Book #2)
LEFT TO HIDE (Book #3)
LEFT TO KILL (Book #4)
LEFT TO MURDER (Book #5)
LEFT TO ENVY (Book #6)
LEFT TO LAPSE (Book #7)
LEFT TO VANISH (Book #8)
LEFT TO HUNT (Book #9)
LEFT TO FEAR (Book #10)
LEFT TO PREY (Book #11)
LEFT TO LURE (Book #12)
LEFT TO CRAVE (Book #13)
LEFT TO LOATHE (Book #14)
LEFT TO HARM (Book #15)
LEFT TO RUIN (Book #16)
THE AU PAIR SERIES
ALMOST GONE (Book#1)
ALMOST LOST (Book #2)
ALMOST DEAD (Book #3)
ZOE PRIME MYSTERY SERIES
FACE OF DEATH (Book#1) FACE OF MURDER (Book #2) FACE OF FEAR (Book #3) FACE OF MADNESS (Book #4) FACE OF FURY (Book #5) FACE OF DARKNESS (Book #6)
A JESSIE HUNT PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES
THE PERFECT WIFE (Book #1)
THE PERFECT BLOCK (Book #2)
THE PERFECT HOUSE (Book #3)
THE PERFECT SMILE (Book #4)
THE PERFECT LIE (Book #5)
THE PERFECT LOOK (Book #6)
THE PERFECT AFFAIR (Book #7)
THE PERFECT ALIBI (Book #8)
THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR (Book #9)
THE PERFECT DISGUISE (Book #10)
THE PERFECT SECRET (Book #11)
THE PERFECT FAÇADE (Book #12)
THE PERFECT IMPRESSION (Book #13)
THE PERFECT DECEIT (Book #14)
THE PERFECT MISTRESS (Book #15)
THE PERFECT IMAGE (Book #16)
THE PERFECT VEIL (Book #17)
THE PERFECT INDISCRETION (Book #18)
THE PERFECT RUMOR (Book #19)
THE PERFECT COUPLE (Book #20)
THE PERFECT MURDER (Book #21)
THE PERFECT HUSBAND (Book #22) THE PERFECT SCANDAL (Book #23)
THE PERFECT MASK (Book #24)
THE PERFECT RUSE (Book #25)
THE PERFECT VENEER (Book #26) THE PERFECT PEOPLE (Book #27)
THE PERFECT WITNESS (Book #28)
THE PERFECT APPEARANCE (Book #29)
THE PERFECT TRAP (Book #30)
THE PERFECT EXPRESSION (Book #31)
THE PERFECT ACCOMPLICE (Book #32)
THE PERFECT SHOW (Book #33)
THE PERFECT POISE (Book #34) THE PERFECT CROWD (Book #35)
CHLOE FINE
PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES
NEXT DOOR (Book #1)
A NEIGHBOR’S LIE (Book #2)
CUL DE SAC (Book #3)
SILENT NEIGHBOR (Book #4)
HOMECOMING (Book #5) TINTED WINDOWS (Book #6)
KATE WISE MYSTERY SERIES
IF SHE KNEW (Book #1)
IF SHE SAW (Book #2)
IF SHE RAN (Book #3)
IF SHE HID (Book #4)
IF SHE FLED (Book #5)
IF SHE FEARED (Book #6)
IF SHE HEARD (Book #7)
THE MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE SERIES
WATCHING (Book #1)
WAITING (Book #2)
LURING (Book #3)
TAKING (Book #4)
STALKING (Book #5)
KILLING (Book #6)
RILEY PAIGE MYSTERY SERIES
ONCE GONE (Book #1) ONCE TAKEN (Book #2) ONCE CRAVED (Book #3) ONCE LURED (Book #4) ONCE HUNTED (Book #5) ONCE PINED (Book #6) ONCE FORSAKEN (Book #7) ONCE COLD (Book #8) ONCE STALKED (Book #9) ONCE LOST (Book #10) ONCE BURIED (Book #11) ONCE BOUND (Book #12) ONCE TRAPPED (Book #13) ONCE DORMANT (Book #14) ONCE SHUNNED (Book #15) ONCE MISSED (Book #16) ONCE CHOSEN (Book #17)
MACKENZIE WHITE MYSTERY SERIES
BEFORE HE KILLS (Book #1) BEFORE HE SEES (Book #2) BEFORE HE COVETS (Book #3) BEFORE HE TAKES (Book #4) BEFORE HE NEEDS (Book #5) BEFORE HE FEELS (Book #6) BEFORE HE SINS (Book #7) BEFORE HE HUNTS (Book #8) BEFORE HE PREYS (Book #9)
BEFORE HE LONGS (Book #10) BEFORE HE LAPSES (Book #11) BEFORE HE ENVIES (Book #12) BEFORE HE STALKS (Book #13) BEFORE HE HARMS (Book #14)
AVERY BLACK MYSTERY SERIES
CAUSE TO KILL (Book #1)
CAUSE TO RUN (Book #2)
CAUSE TO HIDE (Book #3)
CAUSE TO FEAR (Book #4)
CAUSE TO SAVE (Book #5)
CAUSE TO DREAD (Book #6)
KERI LOCKE MYSTERY SERIES
A TRACE OF DEATH (Book #1) A TRACE OF MURDER (Book #2) A TRACE OF VICE (Book #3) A TRACE OF CRIME (Book #4) A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5)
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
EPILOGUE
CONTENTS
PROLOGUE
The sunlight filtered through the dense canopy above, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor as Jessica continued along the unfamiliar path. Brutus, her loyal German Shepherd, eagerly sniffed at the undergrowth and led her deeper into the woods. She had never ventured this far before, but the excitement of discovery and the unwavering trust she had in her canine companion spurred her on.
"Alright, Brutus," she called out lightheartedly, "just a little further, then we'll head back."
Her words seemed to evaporate into the still air, leaving her with an uneasy feeling. As she trudged forward, the once-inviting foliage began to close in around her, stifling and oppressive. The musty scent of decomposing leaves filled her nostrils, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
"Okay, boy, that's enough for today," she said, her voice wavering slightly. "Let's turn back."
But as she tried to retrace her steps, the path seemed to twist and turn, leading her to unfamiliar sights – a gnarled tree trunk, a moss-covered boulder. Panic bubbled up within her chest, and her breath came in shallow gasps.
"Brutus, we need to find our way back now," she muttered, attempting to mask her growing fear. The dog looked up at her, his ears twitching, sensing her unease.
She fumbled for her phone, fingers trembling as she swiped through her apps, desperate for any sign of her location. But the device was unresponsive; the GPS was unable to locate her, and no signal bars graced the top corner of the screen.
"Come on, come on," she whispered urgently, her heart pounding in her ears. "Not now, please, not now."
As Jessica stared down at the useless piece of technology, her inner turmoil began to spiral.
Why did I let Brutus lead me so far? What if we don't find our way back?
Holding her phone above her head like a talisman, Jessica scanned the treetops, praying for even the slightest hint of a signal. The forest seemed to
close in on her, branches reaching out like gnarled fingers, taunting her helplessness. A bead of sweat trickled down her temple as she strained her arm higher.
"Come on," she whispered to the phone, willing it to work. "Just one bar, please."
As if answering her desperate plea, a single line of reception flickered into existence. Relief washed over her.
"Brutus, stay close," she cautioned, her worry momentarily abated by the sliver of hope provided by the weak signal.
But before she could even attempt to use her newfound connection, Brutus's ears perked up, and his body tensed. A low growl rumbled in his throat, morphing into a fierce bark that echoed through the trees. His leash went taut as he pulled against her grip, his focus locked onto something just beyond her line of sight.
"Damn it, Brutus!" Jessica's heart raced, her brief moment of relief shattered by her dog's sudden aggression. "What is it? What's wrong?"
She tried to calm him, to no avail. Brutus continued barking, straining at his leash, nearly dragging her along with him.
"Okay, okay, I'm coming!" Jessica called out to Brutus as she stumbled through the underbrush, her heart pounding in her chest. The weak signal on her phone was all but forgotten as she focused on keeping up with her dog.
"Brutus, slow down!" she pleaded, her breath ragged and heavy. But the dog only pulled harder, barking incessantly.
As they rounded a bend, Jessica's foot caught on a gnarled tree root, and she nearly fell. Cursing under her breath, she righted herself and continued on, her anxiety mounting with each step.
"Brutus, what is it? Talk to me, boy," she muttered, wishing for just a moment that her faithful companion could communicate his thoughts.
Finally, Brutus came to an abrupt halt, his barks now replaced by a series of low, mournful whines. Jessica caught up to him, gasping for breath, and looked in the direction her dog seemed fixated on. The stench of rot hung heavily in the air, making it difficult to breathe.
A wave of nausea washed over her as her eyes landed on the horrifying sight before her.
A man's body lay crumpled at the base of an ancient oak tree, his features distorted and unrecognizable from decomposition. Dead.
He was dead.
CHAPTER ONE
Fiona Red, entomologist and forensic analyst with the FBI, approached the looming prison gates, her heart pounding like a trapped moth against her ribcage. The late summer sun warmed her face, but an inexplicable chill ran down her spine as if she were standing in the shadow of a great predator. Was it just nerves, or did the universe also sense the monster within these walls?
Joslyn, I'm getting closer, Fiona thought to herself, a silent promise to the sister who had vanished ten years ago. She clenched her fists, drawing strength from the memory of their bond.
As she walked through the prison corridors, Fiona's thoughts drifted back to the beach where Joslyn had been taken, the endless hours spent searching for answers, and the twisted man who held them - Daniel Grove. Her recent investigation had led her to this vile kidnapper and murderer responsible for so many young girls' disappearances. Fiona and her partner, Jake, had arrested him at his trailer only a week prior, but there was no trace of Joslyn. The FBI was still building a case against him, but for now, he remained here. Behind bars, where he belonged.
Remember why you're here, she thought, steeling herself for the confrontation. For Joslyn
"Agent Red," she introduced herself to the prison guard at the entrance, her voice firm despite the internal turmoil. "I called ahead. I have an appointment to see Daniel Grove – alone."
"Of course, ma'am," the guard replied, checking his logbook. "You're expected. Please follow me."
As they navigated the sterile corridors, Fiona tried to shake the creeping tendrils of fear that threatened to take root.
"Here we are," the guard announced, stopping in front of a heavy door marked with the word "isolation." He unlocked it with a metallic clank and motioned for Fiona to enter.
"Thank you.” She forced a tight-lipped smile as she stepped into the room. The starkness of it hit her immediately – two chairs divided by an imposing sheet of plexiglass, a silent reminder of the barrier between her and the man who held the answers she sought.
The prison guard offered Fiona a reassuring nod, his hand resting on the door handle. "I'll be right outside if you need anything," he said.
"Thank you," Fiona replied, her voice betraying the anxiety churning in her gut. As the door clicked shut behind her, she took a deep breath to steady herself before approaching the plexiglass divider. The sterile isolation room seemed to close in around her, amplifying her unease.
As if on cue, the door on the other side of the room swung open, and Daniel Grove was led inside by another guard. Fiona's heart hammered in her chest as she took in the man she had come to despise. His stringy brown hair hung limply around his gaunt face, sunken cheeks casting dark shadows under his piercing, cruel eyes. The orange prison jumpsuit hung from his wiry frame, doing little to conceal the filth that clung to his skin.
"Have a seat, Mr. Grove," the guard on the other side instructed gruffly, pushing him into the chair across from Fiona. She clenched her fists, steadying herself for the confrontation that awaited.
"Hello again, Fiona," Daniel sneered, his eyes raking over her with a sinister glint. "Missed me?"
"Hardly," she quipped, her voice firmer than she felt. She focused on controlling her breathing, trying to calm the storm of emotions raging within her. "I'm here to talk about my sister, Joslyn."
"Ah, yes, dear Joslyn," he mused, feigning contemplation. "Now, why would I want to discuss her with you?"
"Because I won't stop until I find out what happened to her," Fiona replied, steeling herself against the fear that threatened to overtake her. She needed answers, and she refused to let him manipulate her any longer.
"Is that so?" Daniel leaned forward, a wicked smile spreading across his face as he stared into her eyes, daring her to back down.
Fiona met his gaze unwaveringly, her resolve hardening. "Yes, it is. And I won't rest until you tell me everything."
"Bold words, Ms. Red," Daniel taunted, his voice dripping with malice. "But actions speak louder than words, don't they?"
"Then watch me," she challenged, her heart pounding in her ears, drowning out all else. In that moment, all that mattered was finding the truth - for Joslyn, and for herself. "Tell me about Joslyn," Fiona demanded, her voice unwavering. She pushed the image of his filthy hair and sunken cheeks out of her mind, focusing instead on the intensity in his eyes.
Daniel leaned back in his chair with a sinister smirk, crossing his arms over his chest. "Joslyn, Joslyn... so many girls, you know? It's hard to keep track."
"Stop playing games, Daniel." Fiona's hands clenched into fists beneath the table, her fingernails digging into her palms. "I need to know if she's alive."
"Alive?" He chuckled cruelly, enjoying her desperation. "Now that's an interesting question, isn't it?"
Fiona's heart pounded in her chest, but she refused to let him see how much he was getting to her. “Is she alive?” Fiona asked again, her jaw tight. "Alright, alright," Daniel conceded, feigning innocence. "If I remember correctly, Joslyn had the most beautiful eyes, just like yours. But then again, there were so many pretty faces..."
Fiona gritted her teeth, struggling to maintain her composure. She couldn't let him win. She needed information, not these twisted mind games. "You know who I'm talking about. Stop trying to distract me and tell me what happened to her!"
"Ah, but where's the fun in that?" Daniel's smile widened as he watched her frustration grow. "I much prefer watching you squirm."
"Damn you," Fiona muttered under her breath, her anger bubbling beneath the surface. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that reacting would only give him more power over her. She needed to stay focused, to find a way to make him talk. "Look, Daniel," she said, forcing a calm tone despite the storm brewing inside her. "I just want to know the truth about my sister. If you have any decency left in you, you'll tell me."
"Decency?" He scoffed, his laughter echoing through the room, chilling her to the bone. "You're barking up the wrong tree, sweetheart."
Fiona closed her eyes for a brief moment, willing herself not to lose control. She needed to stay strong – for Joslyn, and for herself. She had come too far to let him break her now. Fiona's gaze darted around the cold, gray room, desperate to find something to focus on besides Daniel's leering face. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, knuckles turning white as she fought to resist the urge to lash out at him.
"Such a shame," Daniel drawled, his voice oozing with malice. "A pretty girl like you, wasting her time on a lost cause. But I guess that's what sisters do, huh? Even when there's nothing left to save."
"Stop it," Fiona snapped, barely managing to keep her voice steady. She knew he was baiting her, but each comment felt like a punch in the gut. The image of Joslyn swam in her mind's eye – her bright smile, her laughter, everything that made her sister special. And this monster had taken her away.
"Aw, did I strike a nerve?" Daniel taunted, leaning forward in his seat. His eyes, dark and soulless, seemed to bore straight through her. "I can't help but wonder what your sister would think of you now, all grown up and playing detective. Do you think she'd be proud? You’re not even a real FBI agent.”
Fiona bit her lip, tasting blood as she struggled to keep her composure. "You don't get to talk about her like that," she spat, her words sharp as daggers. "Not after what you've done."
"Fair enough," Daniel said, leaning back with a shrug. "But maybe you should consider that I'm not the only monster here. After all, birds of a feather, right?"
Fiona's heart clenched in her chest, her breathing growing shallow as a wave of panic threatened to overtake her. “What are you talking about?”
Daniel laughed. “Maybe I can see in you what you can’t even see in yourself. Your own darkness. You like the hunt, don’t you? You like the chase knowing whoever you track down might be receiving a death blow directly from you."
Fiona’s stomach sank. What was he trying to say that she enjoyed killing? And that was why she was in the FBI, training to be an agent? No, it wasn’t about that at all she wanted to help people. She wanted to see monsters behind bars, not dead. He was trying to rattle her, to make her doubt herself, but she couldn't let that happen. She needed to stay focused.
"Enough," she whispered, her voice shaking. "I don't need to listen to this. I came here for answers, but you obviously have nothing useful to say. Maybe you can rot in this jail for a while longer and think about what you want to tell me. Maybe then I can talk them out of putting you into solitary confinement.”
With that, Fiona stood up and turned away, her legs trembling as she made her way toward the door. It took all her willpower not to run, to show him just how deeply his words had affected her.
"Wait," Daniel called out, his voice suddenly serious. "Don't go yet. There's something you should know."
Fiona hesitated, her hand hovering over the door handle. She knew better than to trust him, but the possibility of information about Joslyn was too tempting to resist. With a deep breath, she turned back to face him, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Start talking," she said, her voice cold as ice. "And it better be worth my time."
"Alright, alright," Daniel said, his sly smile reappearing. "There was a girl named Joslyn, but she didn’t look like you.”
Fiona held her breath. While Fiona had red hair and green eyes, Joslyn did look different; she was classically beautiful with brown hair and dark eyes. They didn’t look like sisters, but they were blood all the same.
Daniel continued, “If it's the one you're looking for... she might still be alive."
Fiona froze, her heart pounding in her chest as a flicker of hope ignited within her. She stared at him, trying to discern whether he was telling the truth or just toying with her again.
"Where is she?" Fiona demanded, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Tell me where she is, Daniel."
He leaned back in his chair, studying her with amusement. "Oh, now you want to talk? I thought you were leaving."
"Please," Fiona begged, hating herself for giving him the satisfaction of seeing her desperation. "If you know anything about Joslyn, you have to tell me. You owe it to her – to all the girls you've hurt."
Daniel laughed, a cruel and mocking sound that made Fiona's skin crawl. "You think I owe anyone anything? That's cute, but no. I won't say where she is. It's far more fun watching you squirm."
Fiona clenched her fists, resisting the urge to scream at him. She knew he was enjoying this, feeding off her pain and frustration. But she couldn't give up – not when there was a chance, however slim, that Joslyn was still out there somewhere, waiting to be found.
"Please," she repeated, her voice cracking under the weight of her emotions. "I need to find her. She's my sister."
"Ah, yes," Daniel mused, his grin widening. "Family. Such a fascinating concept, isn't it? You'd do anything for them, even when they don't deserve it. Like your dear sister, perhaps?"
"Don't you dare," Fiona snapped, her anger flaring. "Joslyn didn't deserve what happened to her. None of those girls did! You're the monster
here, not them."
"Am I?" Daniel asked, feigning innocence. "Or am I simply a product of the world that made me? Who's the real monster now?"
"Stop trying to justify your actions," Fiona spat, glaring at him through the plexiglass. "There is no excuse for what you've done."
"Maybe so," he conceded with a shrug. "But it doesn't change the fact that I'm the only one who knows where your sister might be. And I'm certainly not going to tell you."
Fiona's vision blurred as tears threatened to spill over, but she refused to let them fall. She couldn't let him see her break down – not now, not ever.
"Then you're a coward," she hissed, turning away from him once more. "And I will find Joslyn without your help."
"Good luck with that," Daniel called after her, his laughter echoing through the room as she fought to hold back her emotions. Fiona glared at him one last time before she stood up and left, her dignity barely intact. She had messed this up, and right now, the only person who could help her understand how to deal with this was Jake.
CHAPTER TWO
Fiona waited with bated breath at the door of Jake’s apartment. She hadn’t told him she was coming by her mind had been too scattered, and she hadn’t realized it until she was already here. But she needed to see him, and she prayed he was home.
After a long moment, Jake pulled the door open, a look of shock on his handsome face. With his ruffled brown hair and hint of stubble along his strong jaw, Fiona could still hardly believe he was hers.
“Fiona?” he asked. “I didn’t know you were coming over ”
Before he could finish his sentence, Fiona threw herself at him, pulling him into a hug. The scent of Jake's cologne enveloped Fiona as she stepped through the door of his apartment, a comforting reminder of the embers of hope that burned within her.
After everything, Jake Tucker was Fiona's rock the FBI agent who she'd been assigned to work with, and inevitably fell in love with. He had been training her, helping her work toward becoming a full-fledged agent herself. And on top of all of that, he was a solid boyfriend, a man she could trust.
A tear traced down her cheek before being caught by Jake's thumb, his warm brown eyes filled with concern and understanding as she looked up at him.
"Hey," he whispered, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Tell me everything."
“Jake, I messed up.” Fiona's voice wavered. She leaned into Jake's strong arms, finding solace in the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against her own. "Daniel said he might remember someone named Joslyn... that she could still be alive," Fiona admitted, her voice barely audible. “But I played into his game. I let him see my emotions, I let him break me.”
"Wow, Red." Jake's grip tightened around her, protective and reassuring. "That's... something."
She looked up into his eyes, always captivated by how handsome he was. The shaggy brown hair that framed his gentle face and the slight stubble on his chin were the constants that had seen them through so much together. As they stood in the dimly lit living room, Fiona allowed herself to relax and hold onto Jake, recalling all they'd been through in their
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101 M de Humboldt (Kosmos, p 116) speaks of nine returns of Halley’s Comet, the comet observed in China in 1378 being identified with this. But whether we take 1378 or 1380 for the appearance in that century, if we begin with that, we have only seven appearances, namely, in 1378 or 1380, in 1456, in 1531, in 1607, in 1682, in 1759, and in 1835
Sect. 7.—Application of the Newtonian Theory to the Figure of the Earth.
T Heavens had thus been consulted respecting the Newtonian doctrine, and the answer given, over and over again, in a thousand 453 different forms, had been, that it was true; nor had the most persevering cross-examination been able to establish any thing of contradiction or prevarication. The same question was also to be put to the Earth and the Ocean, and we must briefly notice the result.
According to the Newtonian principles, the form of the earth must be a globe somewhat flattened at the poles. This conclusion, or at least the amount of the flattening, depends not only upon the existence and law of attraction, but upon its belonging to each particle of the mass separately; and thus the experimental confirmation of the form asserted from calculation, would be a verification of the theory in its widest sense. The application of such a test was the more necessary to the interests of science, inasmuch as the French astronomers had collected from their measures, and had connected with their Cartesian system, the opinion that the earth was not oblate but oblong. Dominic Cassini had measured seven degrees of latitude from Amiens to Perpignan, in 1701, and found them to decrease in going from south to north. The prolongation of this measure to Dunkirk confirmed the same result. But if the
Newtonian doctrine was true, the contrary ought to be the case, and the degrees ought to increase in proceeding towards the pole.
The only answer which the Newtonians could at this time make to the difficulty thus presented, was, that an arc so short as that thus measured, was not to be depended upon for the determination of such a question; inasmuch as the inevitable errors of observation might exceed the differences which were the object of research. It would, undoubtedly, have become the English to have given a more complete answer, by executing measurements under circumstances not liable to this uncertainty. The glory of doing this, however, they for a long time abandoned to other nations The French undertook the task with great spirit. 102 In 1733, in one of the meetings of the French Academy, when this question was discussed, De la Condamine, an ardent and eager man, proposed to settle this question by sending members of the Academy to measure a degree of the meridian near the equator, in order to compare it with the French degrees, and offered himself for the expedition. Maupertuis, in like manner, urged the necessity of another expedition to measure a degree in the neighborhood of the pole. The government received the applications favorably, and these remarkable scientific missions were sent out at the national expense.
102 Bailly, iii 11
454 As soon as the result of these measurements was known, there was no longer any doubt as to the fact of the earth’s oblateness, and the question only turned upon its quantity. Even before the return of the academicians, the Cassinis and Lacaille had measured the French arc, and found errors which subverted the former result, making the earth oblate to the amount of 1⁄168th of its
diameter. The expeditions to Peru and to Lapland had to struggle with difficulties in the execution of their design, which make their narratives resemble some romantic history of irregular warfare, rather than the monotonous records of mere measurements. The equatorial degree employed the observers not less than eight years. When they did return, and the results were compared, their discrepancy, as to quantity, was considerable The comparison of the Peruvian and French arcs gave an ellipticity of nearly 1⁄314th, that of the Peruvian and Swedish arcs gave 1⁄213th for its value
Newton had deduced from his theory, by reasonings of singular ingenuity, an ellipticity of 1⁄230th; but this result had been obtained by supposing the earth homogeneous. If the earth be, as we should most readily conjecture it to be, more dense in its interior than at its exterior, its ellipticity will be less than that of a homogeneous spheroid revolving in the same time. It does not appear that Newton was aware of this; but Clairaut, in 1743, in his Figure of the Earth, proved this and many other important results of the attraction of the particles. Especially he established that, in proportion as the fraction expressing the Ellipticity becomes smaller, that expressing the Excess of the polar over the equatorial gravity becomes larger; and he thus connected the measures of the ellipticity obtained by means of Degrees, with those obtained by means of Pendulums in different latitudes.
The altered rate of a Pendulum when carried towards the equator, had been long ago observed by Richer and Halley, and had been quoted by Newton as confirmatory of his theory. Pendulums were swung by the academicians who measured the degrees, and confirmed the general character of the results.
But having reached this point of the verification of the Newtonian theory, any additional step becomes more difficult. Many excellent measures, both of Degrees and of Pendulums, have been made since those just mentioned. The results of the Arcs 103 is an Ellipticity of 1⁄298th; of the Pendulums, an Ellipticity of about 1⁄285th. This difference 455 is considerable, if compared with the quantities themselves; but does not throw a shadow of doubt on the truth of the theory. Indeed, the observations of each kind exhibit irregularities which we may easily account for, by ascribing them to the unknown distribution of the denser portions of the earth; but which preclude the extreme of accuracy and certainty in our result.
103 Airy, Fig Earth, p 230
But the near agreement of the determination, from Degrees and from Pendulums, is not the only coincidence by which the doctrine is confirmed. We can trace the effect of the earth’s Oblateness in certain minute apparent motions of the stars; for the attraction of the sun and moon on the protuberant matter of the spheroid produces the Precession of the equinoxes, and a Nutation of the earth’s axis. The Precession had been known from the time of Hipparchus, and the existence of Nutation was foreseen by Newton; but the quantity is so small, that it required consummate skill and great labor in Bradley to detect it by astronomical observation Being, however, so detected, its amount, as well as that of the Precession, gives us the means of determining the amount of Terrestrial Ellipticity, by which the effect is produced. But it is found, upon calculation, that we cannot obtain this determination without assuming some law of density in the homogeneous strata of which we suppose the earth to consist 104 The density will certainly increase in proceeding towards the centre, and there is a simple and probable law of this increase,
which will give 1⁄300th for the Ellipticity, from the amount of two lunar Inequalities (one in latitude and one in longitude), which are produced by the earth’s oblateness. Nearly the same result follows from the quantity of Nutation. Thus every thing tends to convince us that the ellipticity cannot deviate much from this fraction.
104 Airy, Fig Earth, p 235
[2d Ed.] [I ought not to omit another class of phenomena in which the effects of the Earth’s Oblateness, acting according to the law of universal gravitation, have manifested themselves; I speak of the Moon’s Motion, as affected by the Earth’s Ellipticity. In this case, as in most others, observation anticipated theory. Mason had inferred from lunar observations a certain Inequality in Longitude, depending upon the distance of the Moon’s Node from the Equinox. Doubts were entertained by astronomers whether this inequality really existed; but Laplace showed that such an inequality would arise from the oblate form of the earth; and that its magnitude might serve to 456 determine the amount of the oblateness. Laplace showed, at the same time, that along with this Inequality in Longitude there must be an Inequality in Latitude; and this assertion Burg confirmed by the discussion of observations The two Inequalities, as shown in the observations, agree in assigning to the earth’s form an Ellipticity of 1⁄305th ]
Sect. 8.—Confirmation of the Newtonian Theory by Experiments on Attraction.
T attraction of all the parts of the earth to one another was thus proved by experiments, in which the whole mass of the earth is concerned. But attempts have also been made to measure the
attraction of smaller portions; as mountains, or artificial masses. This is an experiment of great difficulty; for the attraction of such masses must be compared with that of the earth, of which it is a scarcely perceptible fraction; and, moreover, in the case of mountains, the effect of the mountain will be modified or disguised by unknown or unappreciable circumstances. In many of the measurements of degrees, indications of the attraction of mountains had been perceived; but at the suggestion of Maskelyne, the experiment was carefully made, in 1774, upon the mountain Schehallien, in Scotland, the mountain being mineralogically surveyed by Playfair. The result obtained was, that the attraction of the mountain drew the plumb-line about six seconds from the vertical; and it was deduced from this, by Hutton’s calculations, that the density of the earth was about once and four-fifths that of Schehallien, or four and a half times that of water.
Cavendish, who had suggested many of the artifices in this calculation, himself made the experiment in the other form, by using leaden balls, about nine inches diameter. This observation was conducted with an extreme degree of ingenuity and delicacy, which could alone make it valuable; and the result agreed very nearly with that of the Schehallien experiment, giving for the density of the earth about five and one-third times that of water. Nearly the same result was obtained by Carlini, in 1824, from observations of the pendulum, made at a point of the Alps (the Hospice, on Mount Cenis) at a considerable elevation above the average surface of the earth. ~Additional material in the 3rd edition.~ 457
Sect. 9.—Application of the Newtonian Theory to the Tides.
W come, finally, to that result, in which most remains to be done for the verification of the general law of attraction—the subject of the Tides. Yet, even here, the verification is striking, as far as observations have been carried. Newton’s theory explained, with singular felicity, all the prominent circumstances of the tides then known;—the difference of spring and neap tides; the effect of the moon’s and sun’s declination and parallax; even the difference of morning and evening tides, and the anomalous tides of particular places About, and after, this time, attempts were made both by the Royal Society of England, and by the French Academy, to collect numerous observations but these were not followed up with sufficient perseverance. Perhaps, indeed, the theory had not been at that time sufficiently developed but the admirable prize-essays of Euler, Bernoulli, and D’Alembert, in 1740, removed, in a great measure, this deficiency. These dissertations supplied the means of bringing this subject to the same test to which all the other consequences of gravitation had been subjected; namely, the calculation of tables, and the continued and orderly comparison of these with observation. Laplace has attempted this verification in another way, by calculating the results of the theory (which he has done with an extraordinary command of analysis), and then by comparing these, in supposed critical cases, with the Brest observations. This method has confirmed the theory as far as it could do so; but such a process cannot supersede the necessity of applying the proper criterion of truth in such cases, the construction and verification of Tables. Bernoulli’s theory, on the other hand, has been used for the construction of Tide-tables; but these have not been properly compared with experiment; and when the comparison has been made, having been executed for purposes of gain rather than of
science, it has not been published, and cannot be quoted as a verification of the theory.
Thus we have, as yet, no sufficient comparison of fact with theory, for Laplace’s is far from a complete comparison. In this, as in other parts of physical astronomy, our theory ought not only to agree with observations selected and grouped in a particular manner, but with the whole course of observation, and with every part of the phenomena. In this, as in other cases, the true theory should be verified by its giving us the best Tables; but Tide-tables were never, I believe, 458 calculated upon Laplace’s theory, and thus it was never fairly brought to the test
It is, perhaps, remarkable, considering all the experience which astronomy had furnished, that men should have expected to reach the completion of this branch of science by improving the mathematical theory, without, at the same time, ascertaining the laws of the facts. In all other departments of astronomy, as, for instance, in the cases of the moon and the planets, the leading features of the phenomena had been made out empirically, before the theory explained them. The course which analogy would have recommended for the cultivation of our knowledge of the tides, would have been, to ascertain, by an analysis of long series of observations, the effect of changes in the time of transit, parallax, and declination of the moon, and thus to obtain the laws of phenomena and then proceed to investigate the laws of causation.
Though this was not the course followed by mathematical theorists, it was really pursued by those who practically calculated Tide-tables; and the application of knowledge to the useful purposes of life being thus separated from the promotion of the theory, was
naturally treated as a gainful property, and preserved by secrecy. Art, in this instance, having cast off her legitimate subordination to Science, or rather, being deprived of the guidance which it was the duty of Science to afford, resumed her ancient practices of exclusiveness and mystery. Liverpool, London, and other places, had their Tide-tables, constructed by undivulged methods, which methods, in some instances at least, were handed down from father to son for several generations as a family possession; and the publication of new Tables, accompanied by a statement of the mode of calculation, was resented as an infringement of the rights of property.
The mode in which these secret methods were invented, was that which we have pointed out; the analysis of a considerable series of observations. Probably the best example of this was afforded by the Liverpool Tide-tables. These were deduced by a clergyman named Holden, from observations made at that port by a harbor-master of the name of Hutchinson; who was led, by a love of such pursuits, to observe the tides carefully for above twenty years, day and night. Holden’s Tables, founded on four years of these observations, were remarkably accurate.
At length men of science began to perceive that such calculations were part of their business; and that they were called upon, as the 459 guardians of the established theory of the universe, to compare it in the greatest possible detail with the facts. Mr. Lubbock was the first mathematician who undertook the extensive labors which such a conviction suggested. Finding that regular tide-observations had been made at the London Docks from 1795, he took nineteen years of these (purposely selecting the length of a cycle of the motions of the lunar orbit), and caused them (in 1831) to be analyzed by Mr.
Dessiou, an expert calculator. He thus obtained 105 Tables for the effect of the Moon’s Declination, Parallax, and hour of Transit, on the tides; and was enabled to produce Tide-tables founded upon the data thus obtained. Some mistakes in these as first published (mistakes unimportant as to the theoretical value of the work), served to show the jealousy of the practical tide-table calculators, by the acrimony with which the oversights were dwelt upon; but in a very few years, the tables thus produced by an open and scientific process were more exact than those which resulted from any of the secrets; and thus practice was brought into its proper subordination to theory.
105 Phil Trans 1831 British Almanac, 1832
The theory with which Mr. Lubbock was led to compare his results, was the Equilibrium-theory of Daniel Bernoulli; and it was found that this theory, with certain modifications of its elements, represented the facts to a remarkable degree of precision. Mr. Lubbock pointed out this agreement especially in the semi-mensual inequality of the times of high water. The like agreement was afterwards (in 1833) shown by Mr. Whewell 106 to obtain still more accurately at Liverpool, both for the Times and Heights; for by this time, nineteen years of Hutchinson’s Liverpool Observations had also been discussed by Mr. Lubbock The other inequalities of the Times and Heights (depending upon the Declination and Parallax of the Moon and Sun,) were variously compared with the Equilibrium-theory by Mr. Lubbock and Mr. Whewell; and the general result was, that the facts agreed with the condition of equilibrium at a certain anterior time, but that this anterior time was different for different phenomena. In like manner it appeared to follow from these researches, that in order to explain the facts, the mass of the moon must be supposed different in the
calculation at different places. A result in effect the same was obtained by M. Daussy, 107 an active French Hydrographer; for he found that observations at various stations could not be reconciled with the formulæ of Laplace’s Mécanique 460 Céleste (in which the ratio of the heights of spring-tides and neap-tides was computed on an assumed mass of the moon) without an alteration of level which was, in fact, equivalent to an alteration of the moon’s mass Thus all things appeared to tend to show that the Equilibrium-theory would give the formulæ for the inequalities of the tides, but that the magnitudes which enter into these formulæ must be sought from observation.
106 Phil Trans 1834
107 Connaissance des Tems, 1838
Whether this result is consistent with theory, is a question not so much of Physical Astronomy as of Hydrodynamics, and has not yet been solved. A Theory of the Tides which should include in its conditions the phenomena of Derivative Tides, and of their combinations, will probably require all the resources of the mathematical mechanician.
As a contribution of empirical materials to the treatment of this hydrodynamical problem, it may be allowable to mention here Mr. Whewell’s attempts to trace the progress of the tide into all the seas of the globe, by drawing on maps of the ocean what he calls Cotidal Lines;—lines marking the contemporaneous position of the various points of the great wave which carries high water from shore to shore. 108 This is necessarily a task of labor and difficulty, since it requires us to know the time of high water on the same day in every part of the world; but in proportion as it is completed, it supplies
steps between our general view of the movements of the ocean and the phenomena of particular ports.
108 Essay towards a First Approximation to a Map of Cotidal Lines Phil Trans 1833, 1836
Looking at this subject by the light which the example of the history of astronomy affords, we may venture to repeat, that it will never have justice done it till it is treated as other parts of astronomy are treated; that is, till Tables of all the phenomena which can be observed, are calculated by means of the best knowledge which we at present possess, and till these tables are constantly improved by a comparison of the predicted with the observed fact. A set of Tideobservations and Tide-ephemerides of this kind, would soon give to this subject that precision which marks the other parts of astronomy; and would leave an assemblage of unexplained residual phenomena, in which a careful research might find the materials of other truths as yet unsuspected.
[2d Ed.] [That there would be, in the tidal movements of the ocean, inequalities of the heights and times of high and low water 461 corresponding to those which the equilibrium theory gives, could be considered only as a conjecture, till the comparison with observation was made. It was, however, a natural conjecture; since the waters of the ocean are at every moment tending to acquire the form assumed in the equilibrium theory: and it may be considered likely that the causes which prevent their assuming this form produce an effect nearly constant for each place. Whatever be thought of this reasoning, the conjecture is confirmed by observation with curious exactness. The laws of a great number of the tidal phenomena namely, of the Semi-mensual Inequality of the Heights, of the Semimensual Inequality of the Times, of the Diurnal Inequality, of the
effect of the Moon’s Declination, of the effect of the Moon’s Parallax —are represented very closely by formulæ derived from the equilibrium theory. The hydrodynamical mode of treating the subject has not added any thing to the knowledge of the laws of the phenomena to which the other view had conducted us.
We may add, that Laplace’s assumption, that in the moving fluid the motions must have a periodicity corresponding to that of the forces, is also a conjecture. And though this conjecture may, in some cases of the problem, be verified, by substituting the resulting expressions in the equations of motion, this cannot be done in the actual case, where the revolving motion of the ocean is prevented by the intrusion of tracts of land running nearly from pole to pole.
Yet in Mr. Airy’s Treatise On Tides and Waves (in the Encyclopædia Metropolitana) much has been done to bring the hydrodynamical theory of oceanic tides into agreement with observation. In this admirable work, Mr. Airy has, by peculiar artifices, solved problems which come so near the actual cases that they may represent them. He has, in this way, deduced the laws of the semi-diurnal and the diurnal tide, and the other features of the tides which the equilibrium theory in some degree imitates; but he has also, taking into account the effect of friction, shown that the actual tide may be represented as the tide of an earlier epoch;—that the relative mass of the moon and sun, as inferred from the tides, would depend upon the depth of the ocean (Art. 455);—with many other results remarkably explaining the observed phenomena. He has also shown that the relation of the cotidal lines to the tide waves really propagated is, in complex cases, very obscure, because different waves of different magnitudes, travelling in different
directions, may coexist, and the cotidal line is the compound result of all these. 462
With reference to the Maps of Cotidal Lines, mentioned in the text, I may add, that we are as yet destitute of observations which should supply the means of drawing such lines on a large scale in the Pacific Ocean. Admiral Lütke has however supplied us with some valuable materials and remarks on this subject in his Notice sur les Marées Périodiques dans le grand Océan Boréal et dans la Mer Glaciale; and has drawn them, apparently on sufficient data, in the White Sea.] ~Additional material in the 3rd edition.~
CHAPTER V.
D N T
Sect. 1.—Tables of Astronomical Refraction.
WE have travelled over an immense field of astronomical and mathematical labor in the last few pages, and have yet, at the end of every step, still found ourselves under the jurisdiction of the Newtonian laws We are reminded of the universal monarchies, where a man could not escape from the empire without quitting the world. We have now to notice some other discoveries, in which this reference to the law of universal gravitation is less immediate and obvious; I mean the astronomical discoveries respecting Light.
The general truths to which the establishment of the true laws of Atmospheric Refraction led astronomers, were the law of Deflection of the rays of light, which applies to all refractions, and the real structure and size of the Atmosphere, so far as it became known. The great discoveries of Römer and Bradley, namely, the Velocity of Light, the Aberration of Light, and the Nutation of the earth’s axis, gave a new distinctness to the conceptions of the propagation of light in the minds of philosophers, and confirmed the doctrines of Copernicus, Kepler, and Newton, respecting the motions which belong to the earth.
The true laws of Atmospheric Refraction were slowly discovered. Tycho attributed the apparent displacement of the heavenly bodies to the low and gross part of the atmosphere only, and hence made it
cease at a point half-way to the zenith; but Kepler rightly extended it to the zenith itself. Dominic Cassini endeavored to discover the law of this correction by observation, and gave his result in the form 463 which, as we have said, sound science prescribes, a Table to be habitually used for all observations. But great difficulties at this time embarrassed this investigation, for the parallaxes of the sun and of the planets were unknown, and very diverse values had been assigned them by different astronomers. To remove some of these difficulties, Richer, in 1762, went to observe at the equator; and on his return, Cassini was able to confirm and amend his former estimations of parallax and refraction. But there were still difficulties. According to La Hire, though the phenomena of twilight give an altitude of 34,000 toises to the atmosphere, 109 those of refraction make it only 2000. John Cassini undertook to support and improve the calculations of his father Dominic, and took the true supposition, that the light follows a curvilinear path through the air. The Royal Society of London had already ascertained experimentally the refractive power of air. 110 Newton calculated a Table of Refractions, which was published under Halley’s name in the Philosophical Transactions for 1721, without any indication of the method by which it was constructed. But M. Biot has recently shown, 111 by means of the published correspondence of Flamsteed, that Newton had solved the problem in a manner nearly corresponding to the most improved methods of modern analysis.
109 Bailly, ii. 612.
110 Ibid. ii. 607.
111 Biot, Acad. Sc. Compte Rendu, Sept. 5, 1836.
Dominic Cassini and Picard proved, 112 Le Monnier in 1738 confirmed more fully, the fact that the variations of the Thermometer affect the Refraction. Mayer, taking into account both these changes, and the changes indicated by the Barometer, formed a theory, which Lacaille, with immense labor, applied to the construction of a Table of Refractions from observation. But Bradley’s Table (published in 1763 by Maskelyne) was more commonly adopted in England; and his formula, originally obtained empirically, has been shown by Young to result from the most probable suppositions we can make respecting the atmosphere. Bessel’s Refraction Tables are now considered the best of those which have appeared.
112 Bailly, iii 92
Sect. 2.—Discovery of the Velocity of Light.—Römer.
T astronomical history of Refraction is not marked by any great discoveries, and was, for the most part, a work of labor only. The progress of the other portions of our knowledge respecting light is 464 more striking. In 1676, a great number of observations of eclipses of Jupiter’s satellites were accumulated, and could be compared with Cassini’s Tables. Römer, a Danish astronomer, whom Picard had brought to Paris, perceived that these eclipses happened constantly later than the calculated time at one season of the year, and earlier at another season; a difference for which astronomy could offer no account. The error was the same for all the satellites; if it had depended on a defect in the Tables of Jupiter, it might have affected all, but the effect would have had a reference to the velocities of the satellites. The cause, then, was something extraneous to Jupiter. Römer had the happy thought of comparing the error with the earth’s distance from Jupiter, and it was found that
the eclipses happened later in proportion as Jupiter was further off. 113 Thus we see the eclipse later, as it is more remote; and thus light, the messenger which brings us intelligence of the occurrence, travels over its course in a measurable time. By this evidence, light appeared to take about eleven minutes in describing the diameter of the earth’s orbit.
113 Bailly, ii. 17.
This discovery, like so many others, once made, appears easy and inevitable; yet Dominic Cassini had entertained the idea for a moment, 114 and had rejected it; and Fontenelle had congratulated himself publicly on having narrowly escaped this seductive error. The objections to the admission of the truth arose principally from the inaccuracy of observation, and from the persuasion that the motions of the satellites were circular and uniform. Their irregularities disguised the fact in question. As these irregularities became clearly known, Römer’s discovery was finally established, and the “Equation of Light” took its place in the Tables.
114 Ib. ii. 419.
Sect. 3. Discovery of Aberration. Bradley.
I in instruments, and in the art of observing, were requisite for making the next great step in tracing the effect of the laws of light It appears clear, on consideration, that since light and the spectator on the earth are both in motion, the apparent direction of an object will be determined by the composition of these motions. But yet the effect of this composition of motions was (as is usual in such cases) traced as a fact in observation, before it was clearly seen as a consequence of reasoning. This fact, the Aberration of
Light, the greatest astronomical discovery of the eighteenth century, belongs to Bradley, 465 who was then Professor of Astronomy at Oxford, and afterwards Astronomer Royal at Greenwich. Molyneux and Bradley, in 1725, began a series of observations for the purpose of ascertaining, by observations near the zenith, the existence of an annual parallax of the fixed stars, which Hooke had hoped to detect, and Flamsteed thought he had discovered Bradley 115 soon found that the star observed by him had a minute apparent motion different from that which the annual parallax would produce He thought of a nutation of the earth’s axis as a mode of accounting for this; but found, by comparison of a star on the other side of the pole, that this explanation would not apply. Bradley and Molyneux then considered for a moment an annual alteration of figure in the earth’s atmosphere, such as might affect the refractions, but this hypothesis was soon rejected. 116 In 1727, Bradley resumed his observations, with a new instrument, at Wanstead, and obtained empirical rules for the changes of declination of different stars. At last, accident turned his thoughts to the direction in which he was to find the cause of the variations which he had discovered. Being in a boat on the Thames, he observed that the vane on the top of the mast gave a different apparent direction to the wind, as the boat sailed one way or the other. Here was an image of his case: the boat represented the earth moving in different directions at different seasons, and the wind represented the light of a star. He had now to trace the consequences of this idea; he found that it led to the empirical rules, which he had already discovered, and, in 1729, he gave his discovery to the Royal Society. His paper is a very happy narrative of his labors and his thoughts. His theory was so sound that no astronomer ever contested it; and his observations were so accurate, that the quantity which he assigned as the greatest amount
of the change (one nineteenth of a degree) has hardly been corrected by more recent astronomers. It must be noticed, however, that he considered the effects in declination only; the effects in right ascension required a different mode of observation, and a consummate goodness in the machinery of clocks, which at that time was hardly attained.
115 Rigaud’s Bradley.
116 Rigaud, p. xxiii.
Sect. 4. Discovery of Nutation.
W Bradley went to Greenwich as Astronomer Royal, he continued with perseverance observations of the same kind as those by which he had detected Aberration. The result of these was another 466 discovery; namely, that very Nutation which he had formerly rejected This may appear strange, but it is easily explained The aberration is an annual change, and is detected by observing a star at different seasons of the year: the Nutation is a change of which the cycle is eighteen years; and which, therefore, though it does not much change the place of a star in one year, is discoverable in the alterations of several successive years. A very few years’ observations showed Bradley the effect of this change; 117 and long before the half cycle of nine years had elapsed, he had connected it in his mind with the true cause, the motion of the moon’s nodes. Machin was then Secretary to the Royal Society, 118 and was “employed in considering the theory of gravity, and its consequences with regard to the celestial motions:” to him Bradley communicated his conjectures; from him he soon received a Table containing the results of his calculations; and the law was found to
