As I reached the door, I added, ‘We’ll find a hotel in Portland and spend the rest of our holiday there. Far away from the woods.’ I’d have to put it on my credit card, but I could worry about that later.
‘That sounds great.’
I opened the front door and was halfway through when Frankie said, ‘Dad.’
I turned back.
‘I don’t think we should have left Ryan on his own. Can you ask him to come over here?’
It was a good point. And they’d be safer together.
‘I’ll send him over.’
I left the cabin, looking around to make sure there was no one watching me, no masked figures lurking in the dark, then crossed to the Butlers’ cabin. I knocked and waited. There was no reply. I knocked again. Maybe he was in the bathroom. I agonised for a moment then made a decision. I’d go on. I didn’t want to leave Frankie alone for a moment longer than I had to. I would find David and Connie and make one of them come back with me. We would be out of here by midnight. Later, I would try to get my money back from the resort. I still intended to come again on my own, without Frankie, to research the rest of my article – and, hopefully, to see justice done. I was now convinced that Donna had died because she’d seen either Buddy or Darlene, perhaps both, in or around her cabin. I was also certain the face I’d seen outside the window had been Buddy in his goat mask. This had gone way beyond teenagers acting out. Someone had died. And the way the twins had been chucking rocks at Frankie and Ryan, they could have been killed too.
And then there was the question of the man in the crow mask. I kept coming back to the big question: was it Everett Miller?
I didn’t have the answer. And as much as I would have loved to be the one to uncover the truth, Frankie’s safety was more important. I would let the police sort it out.
I hurried on. As I walked, more and more people came out of their cabins and headed down towards the lake. Most of them were dressed up: the women in summer dresses, the men in button-down shirts. I overheard someone say to his partner, ‘What do you think it is?’ They were presumably talking about David and Connie’s surprise.
The spot beside the lake was crowded now. Dozens of people were lined up at the barbecue and many more were gathered around the bar. The bonfire hadn’t been lit yet, but there was a party atmosphere – kids running around, people sitting on the grass holding plates that were piled high with food. The air was thick with the smell of cooking meat and barbecue sauce. I saw a young girl eating a hot dog while a golden retriever looked at her with pleading eyes. A young couple sat kissing beneath a tree, their legs intertwined. Over by the dock, the band were tuning up. I glanced in the direction of the woods where Frankie had been attacked. They were shrouded in darkness and I thought again about how scared Frankie must have been, how badly she could have been injured. I increased my pace, threading my way through the growing crowd.
Where were David and Connie?
I tried to question a couple of passers-by but they shook their heads at me, intent on getting to where they were going. Perhaps I should follow them, but what if they weren’t going to the Butlers’ big surprise?
A guy in a red polo shirt passed by. It was Carl. I stepped into his path.
‘Hey, Robin Hood. Sorry. Is that joke getting old? How’s Katniss? Did her phone turn up?’
I gave him a tight smile. ‘Have you seen David and Connie Butler?’
He frowned. ‘Sorry, I don’t know who they are.’
Shit. ‘What about Greg? Do you know where I can find him?’ Surely the manager of this place would know what the Butlers’ surprise was and where it was taking place.
‘Sorry. I’m sure he’s around somewhere, though.’
It was so noisy that I could hardly hear what he was saying. And then the band started playing. It was a cover of Prince’s ‘Let’s Go Crazy’。 A number of people rushed towards the stage.
‘David and Connie have some big surprise planned,’ I said. ‘They were handing out flyers earlier.’
He put his hand behind his ear and leaned forward. The band were very loud. ‘Sorry, dude, I didn’t catch that.’
‘Don’t worry about it,’ I said. ‘I’ll find them.’
He nodded like he still hadn’t heard what I was saying, then vanished into the throng.
I looked around. It seemed that everyone at the resort was here. Perhaps I should go back to the cabin, find Ryan and hole up with him and Frankie until David and Connie came back. I would have one last look for them.