‘No. Just part of a brand.’

‘A brand that killed my son.’

‘I can explain everything, my dear,’ said Ivy.

‘I doubt it.’

‘Jesse was always going to come back one day. And he’s a maniac,’ said Ivy frankly. ‘When he came back, I expected he’d kill both Davey and me. Probably you, too.’

Shelby said nothing.

‘But Jesse was always paranoid. I figured if I created a villain scary enough, I could keep him at bay. Until the fake Forest ruined everything.’ The last words were a bite.

‘And where is he? The fake Forest?’ said Shelby.

Ivy opened her mouth – to spin some lie, Ahab thought – but Davey spoke first: ‘I left him to die in the Siren’s Cave.’ He said it without lifting his head, his voice hollow.

Mackenzie stiffened. For the first time, Ahab sensed fear in him. ‘How long ago?’

‘About an hour . . .’

Ahab could see Mackenzie’s mind working. ‘When’s high tide?’

‘Black Wind will fill any cave up long before the tide will,’ said Ahab. He dug his fingers into the arms of his chair.

‘If he hasn’t drowned himself already . . .’ said Davey pathetically.

Shelby looked at Davey as though she’d never seen him before. ‘You murdered the boy?’

Ivy raised her hand, trying to placate her daughter-in-law. ‘I know you never intended to marry into this kind of family, but Davey has a job to do. Everything, all of this, it’s been about protecting you! Keeping everything —’

In one movement, Shelby swung the shotgun towards Ivy and squeezed the trigger.

The sound filled the entire world, and everything that followed was still and empty.

Ivy was blown backwards in her chair, then fell to the ground.

Three times Ahab had heard it recently. Three deaths. Chips, Kane, and now Ivy . . .

The end of an era . . .

At the same moment, De Corrado tore free of the last zip tie and tackled the henchman to the ground before he could reach for his gun. The shotgun blast still pressing on his eardrums, Ahab grabbed the man’s firearm from the table.

Mackenzie scrambled around the table as fast as his bad leg would allow and helped De Corrado subdue the man.

Davey was looking at Shelby with abject horror.

Shelby was taking deep, panting breaths. ‘What are we waiting for?’ she huffed. ‘The boy is going to drown in that cave.’

‘You shot her,’ said Davey. ‘You just —’

‘She killed our son! Go save that boy!’

‘Shelby . . .’ He looked at the man De Corrado was subduing. ‘He saw you shoot Blackbeard . . .’

Ahab read his thoughts. ‘No, Davey. No more killing. We’re not hurting him.’

‘You knew all along, Ahab!’ said De Corrado. ‘Whatever the hell’s going on, you knew!’