‘Chunks the size of footballs,’ announced Blazz at the top of his lungs; bombastic and insistent.

‘There’s no cave in here stocked with gold,’ said Chandler, unable to let it pass.

‘The wind told me,’ said Blazz, his voice carrying the belief of his convictions.

‘The wind? Bullshit.’

‘Just because you don’t understand, Officer, doesn’t mean it’s wrong,’ said Blazz, the ringlets in his hair dancing, despite the sweat that rolled down his temples.

Chandler stepped closer. ‘I understand that you don’t mind stealing an old man’s money, but don’t feed him bullshit as well.’

‘It isn’t bullshit. I was told by the wind. I can sense these things.’

‘Your senses haven’t located Martin yet, have they?’

‘We’re close,’ said Blazz in a whisper.

Close to joining Martin if you keep up with this, thought Chandler. ‘Just focus on searching. Enough with the spiritual crap.’

Blazz started uttering gasps and croaks, conversing in an odd language that sounded like he was having a fit, spitting and retching. Chandler wanted nothing more than to have to call in the chopper to take Blazz away. But Blazz suddenly stopped and announced: ‘You are cursed now, Officer. And remember these hills are my friends not yours.’

Chandler stepped forward. ‘Was that a threat?’

‘That was a curse.’

‘That does . . . ?’

Blazz smiled. Chandler took another step forward willing to forcefully extract the truth from Blazz when his shoulder was grabbed. It was Arthur.

‘What are you doing, Chandler?’

The simple question dazed him; what was he doing?

Arthur continued, ‘These people are only trying to help.’

Chandler stared at him. The old man was clearly deluded. What his exact role was out here might have been lost in the dust and trees but he remembered one of the main tenets: protect the public.

‘They aren’t trying to help, Arthur.’ It was time for the old man to learn the hard truth. ‘They’re only here to take your money. All these utterings of divine intervention and omens. They’re just trying to swindle you.’

He had said it. Immediately Chandler felt lighter, the earth no longer sapping the energy from his limbs.

The response he got was a simple nod. The pressure slowly increased once again, anchoring him to the earth.

‘I know that. I believe in God but I’m not stupid, Chandler.’

Chandler frowned. ‘Then why?’

‘If one set of eyes, paid or not, can find my son, then I would give everything. My money, my house, my eternal soul. It doesn’t matter.’

Chandler didn’t know what to say. He was wrong about the old man. He had voluntarily hopped on the ride in the faint hope that someone on the carousel would find Martin, his son. Chandler thought of Teri and his newborn child. What if it were him? He didn’t want to think about it.