Kinsella is catching his breath as I jump aboard my uncle’s boat. My bowrider wouldn’t cope with waves like this. Ray has left the keys in the ignition as usual, thank God, but the engine won’t start. It gives a sick cough before fading into silence. I try again, still with no result. The powerful motor only kicks into life as Kinsella climbs on board. The lights of Joe Trescothick’s converted fishing boat are pinpricks in the dark, already far ahead. The boy must have swallowed Ruby Travis’s charade. He’s taking a big risk carrying her to the mainland when the gale could overwhelm his small vessel.
‘Take the wheel, can you?’ I yell at Kinsella as the wind gathers force. ‘Give me your phone, and keep the compass pointing east.’
When I glance back at the jetty, there’s no sign of Shadow. He’s been glued to my side for days, but I can’t help him now, if he’s hurt. I use Kinsella’s phone to call the hospital, telling them I’m on my way. The signal fades as we leave the islands. The line’s even worse when I ask Eddie to alert the coastguard and let them know we’re chasing a converted fishing boat that’s heading for Land’s End, with a killer on board. I tell him to call Joe Trescothick as well, to warn him that his girlfriend is dangerous. My last instruction is to keep a lookout for Shadow.
I should have checked how much diesel was in the tank before setting out. The gauge shows it’s half empty. That’s not enough for the three-hour journey to Penzance, but at least we’re narrowing the gap. Kinsella is struggling to keep us on course, so I take the wheel again. His face is so full of tension he’s a liability.
‘Don’t shoot again,’ I tell him. ‘I want her alive.’
‘What else could I do? That bitch would have killed you, you’re covered in blood.’
‘It’s only a scratch.’ I’d forgotten the cut on my jaw, blood still dripping down my neck. It must be deeper than I thought. ‘She’s just a teenager.’
‘What difference does that make?’
The heat in his eyes worries me. He seems to have a score to settle with the past, after witnessing too much violence, like Ruby. The waves are higher now, slowing our progress, and Trescothick’s boat is pitching to starboard with breakers smashing over its prow. Everything I care about hangs in the balance: Nina, the baby, my job. I’ve put all three in danger, but there’s no turning back.