Lillian gave up any attempt at stoicism and began to cry softly.

“He has a broken leg,” Ashley went on, thinking out loud. “Balaton wouldn’t be able to drag him along with him. He had to stick him someplace he knows David won’t be able to get help or have someone stumble on him. He...”

“Jude’s Paradise,” Lillian was saying.

Ashley stiffened. “Of course.”

Jeremy stared at both women. “In this weather? He’s been out there hours already. What kind of madman is Balaton?”

“A frightened one,” Lillian said hopelessly.

“We’ll call the Coast Guard,” Jeremy said.

Ashley was shaking all over. “But if he’s been out there six or seven hours and it takes the Coast Guard a while to get there and... Jeremy, I could fly.”

He was instantly alert. “Is there a place to land?”

She shook her head.

“But I could parachute, couldn’t I?”

“I wouldn’t ask you...”

His look was serious, but without fear. “I’m volunteering, Ashley.”

“It’s a small island. You won’t have your pick of spots—”

He managed a grin. “I can parachute onto the hood of a car.”

From the air, they radioed the Coast Guard for paramedics on Jude’s Paradise and Badger Rock Island and warned them that there was a madman loose on the latter. Ashley thought of old J. Land Crockett and Sarah Balaton and Barky. Would Balaton kill them all? Would he kill his own daughter?

And then she saw David out on the rocks at the edge of the dilapidated dock on Jude’s Paradise and she thought he’ll kill his own son, too.

Her brother didn’t respond as she circled low over the island.

“Jeremy?”

He had slipped on one of her parachutes. “Did you pack this yourself?”

“Uh-huh. It’s been double-checked.”

“Good. I’ve never used someone else’s chute before—always like to pack my own.” He was peering down at the small island. “Impromptu jumps aren’t my thing, but what the hell.”

“You don’t have to—”

“I didn’t see a Coast Guard boat anywhere near here, did you? David’s in rough shape, Ashley. He’ll need help.”

She nodded. “If anything happens to you...”

“Nothing will,” he said quickly. “Do you know how to spot a jump?”

“I’ve never done it before, but I know the procedure.”

“We’ll try the clearing at the end of the dock, near David. See it?”

It was more a bit of bare ground than an actual clearing, but she said, “Yes.”

She maintained control of the plane as Jeremy opened the door and hung out a bright yellow streamer, which floated down with the wind. He watched it closely. It would tell him how far upwind of his target he would need to be when he jumped, providing his ideal exit spot. “Got it,” he said.

Ashley circled back around, and as Jeremy leaned out the door, he gave her precise directions to exactly the point at which he wanted to exit.

“Okay. Cut the engine.”

She throttled down. Standing on the tire, Jeremy pushed away from the plane and went into a free-fall. Ashley didn’t have time to worry about him. She throttled up and banked the plane to the left, and turning on a point, she looked down at the island.