“I have no idea,” Ariel said and for a moment she almost lost her resolve. Damn all of them, she thought. Damn all three of them. R.J. and Sara went off together, leaving her behind, then David left her. Obviously none of them thought Ariel could help do anything.
“So what should I put in it?” Phyllis asked.
“Water, sandwiches, and … and …”
“Nail polish?” The look Ariel gave her made her say, “Sorry.”
“You pack it while I change shoes. Where can I get some hiking boots in size six?”
“I’ll call Helen Graber. Her daughter—” Phyllis closed her mouth.
“The telephone cable wasn’t cut, was it?”
Phyllis shook her head. “Does this mean that I don’t get the trip to New York at R.J.’s expense?”
“I don’t want to think about what he’s going to do to this island when he finds out the extent of what’s been done to him.”
“Maybe he’ll throw enough gold at it that it sinks.”
“You wish. I’m going after my friends and I want a rescue helicopter here as soon as it can get here. If you don’t do this, the consequences will be catastrophic. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yeah, sure,” Phyllis said. “All of you snobs from Arundel make yourselves clear. You think you can order everyone around. You think—”
Striding across the room, Ariel flung open the basement door. “Shall I show you how we snobs ‘control’ things?”
Phyllis shook her head. “It was just a way to get money. We never meant to hurt anyone.”
“You have. You did. I need the pack and I need the shoes. And keep your mouth shut about everything!” With her head high, Ariel turned and left the room, then went outside onto the porch. She didn’t trust anyone enough to believe they wouldn’t lock her in the prison apartment upstairs.
She sat down on a chair and wondered who she should be angry at. David? The residents of King’s Isle? Her mother?
It took only twenty minutes before Phyllis handed her a filled backpack and a pair of shoes, then she gave her a ride to the Nezbit house.
“Where does this Gideon live?” Ariel asked, looking out the car window when Phyllis stopped the car.
“Somewhere back there. I don’t know,” Phyllis said, anxious to get away from Ariel.
“I want you to answer a question honestly. Are you the mother of Gideon’s children?”
“Am I—?” Phyllis began, astonished, then she smiled. “Eula is a lying snake. The whole town has heard her husband say she should be pretty like me, or like any woman. That man makes his whole family crazy. As for me and Gideon, yeah, I got drunk once and ended up in bed with him. Once. As for being the mother of his kids, he’s sixteen and the kids are four. Do the math. Any more questions?”
“No,” Ariel said. “But I’m warning you that you’d better help us now. When the police get involved in this, you’re going to need evidence to make the jury believe you weren’t a ringleader.”
“Right. Helicopters and police.”
Ariel got out of the car and adjusted the pack on her back. She didn’t know if she believed Phyllis or not.
“Go to the left and stay in the woods,” Phyllis said. “Eula has three daughters who look just like her and are as mean as she is.”
Ariel nodded before Phyllis sped off, gravel flying.
Alone, Ariel looked around her at the country road. There was nothing but trees and fields. To her right was a mailbox and a dirt road that disappeared down a hill. Between the trees, in the distance, she could see the water.
Ignoring the two roads, she headed to the left of what she assumed was the driveway. She had to climb over two fences and walk around what looked like poison ivy growing in a puddle at the base of three trees.
When she wasn’t far from the water, she saw a path and cautiously followed it. Turning a corner, she saw a cabin—and on the porch was a man’s body. At first she thought it was David, but as she ran, she saw he was younger and he appeared to be unconscious.
She ran up the porch steps and bent over him. He was still breathing. Cautiously, she touched his face—and her hand came away bloody. She dropped her pack on the floor, then ran inside to get a towel and water. As she ran, she looked about the cabin but saw no one.