“Actually, Beltane Eve is what is really celebrated. The festivities are usually conducted on the night of April thirtieth.”

Conor’s heart skipped. “That’s tonight.”

The ambulance pulled away. Mandy hugged Mrs. Stone. “Thank you for going with her.”

“You find Bill. I’ll take care of your mother. It’s what she would want.” The woman got into a battered sedan and followed the flashing lights down the street.

Mandy ran for the house. A few guests were milling around the foyer and parlor. She passed them without slowing. Danny followed her into the kitchen. She grabbed her knapsack from the night before and dumped it out. Jed was spreading a map on the kitchen island. Had they communicated telepathically?

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Mandy didn’t look up. She pulled another pack from the closet and started stuffing water bottles and trail mix into both. “We have to get moving.”

“What about the police?” Getting up to speed, Danny dumped his own pack and started refilling it.

“Can’t find Doug,” Jed said. “State police are on the way.”

Danny had a floodlight moment. “Maybe Lang’s the one who’s been helping Nathan.”

“That’s my guess.” Mandy tossed the emergency tent and sleeping bags aside in favor of a small rolled blanket and extra ammunition.

“We need to be gone before the police get here or we’ll be tied up for hours.” Mandy shoved a straggling piece of hair behind her ear. Wrinkled, damp, and dirty from the night in the woods, she looked a little crazy. He probably did, too.

“But won’t they be able to coordinate a better search?”

Jed added a ziplock bag of dog kibble and a plastic bowl to his pack. “Search and rescue is already gathering at the river trailhead. They’ll work from there toward the lake because that’s the hikers’ last known location.”

“If there’s anything to find on that trail, they’ll find it. No point in our repeating efforts.” Mandy tossed her pack by the door. “I’m grabbing fresh socks. Then we’re out of here.”

Danny followed suit. “Where are we going?”

Jed tapped a blue splotch on his map. “You found the camera near Lake Walker. We’ll start there. But first we’ll drop a radio at the search and rescue base in case we find something.”

“Or they do.” Mandy stuck her head through the doorway to the dining room. “Hello? Is anyone out there?” The three fishermen appeared.

“When the police get here, would you show them these?” Mandy circled the Lake’s location on the map. She took the silver camera out of her pocket and laid it on the map.

They all nodded. “Sure.”

“Thank you.” Mandy turned back.

“You’ve been fighting me all week about Nathan,” Danny said. “Why are you so sure it’s him now?”