It takes all of Jimmy’s courage to rise to his feet. His spine aches from where he was kicked to the ground, his heart still beating a nervous tattoo. The rain is lighter than before, but wind is screaming across the down, its gusts mimicking the cries of gulls. Jimmy knows he should return to Stan Eden’s house, yet his need to find Naomi is greater than any desire for safety. He can still see his sister slipping from the sandbar when he closes his eyes, the waves dragging her under. If he’d acted faster she would be alive today, but this time there’s still a chance. To find Naomi Vine he must follow his attacker without being seen.
Jimmy’s head spins as he walks deeper into the down. Shock is catching up with him and he knows he must rest before continuing his search. He heads for the cave where he sheltered before, its mouth lit by moonlight. The air inside is cold, but at least he’s sheltered from the icy breeze. He huddles at the back of the cave, eyes closing with exhaustion, until something moves at the edge of his line of vision. When he crawls towards the cave’s exit, fear floods his system again.
He can see the outline of Boy’s Rock, spearing up from the grassland like a giant’s profile, and a figure moving at its base. Someone in a long black coat is busy collecting fallen branches, then stacking them in a pile, movements slow and purposeful. The killer’s new bonfire makes the one that claimed Alex Rogan’s life look small by comparison.