“I don’t think so,” Lowry said. “And I hope not. This is going to save me from asking a lot of questions about directions from the natives, unless I miss my guess about our friend up there.”

Terry shook her head in complete mystification. “What’s happening, Ned? I’m all confused. Why won’t you tell me?”

“It won’t be long now, Terry.”

She glanced at him, but he had clammed up, and it was obvious he wasn’t going to tell her one thing more until he was good and ready to. Terry crossed her legs, keeping her skirt from riding too high above her knee, and leaned back, breathing deeply. She remembered how the man in the car ahead of her had tried to rape her, and she shuddered with disgust, almost hoping that Carrol would have a blowout and die in a soaring leap from the road.

Lowry had to step up to sixty to keep Carrol’s high-powered sports car in sight. As the miles ticked off on the odometer, the sea became a deeper blue. Rolling brown hills appeared in the east.

They slowed down to pass through a quiet village street, flanked by stumpy pineapple palms. When they were on the open road again, Carrol was driving even faster. Lowry brought his foot down sharply on the accelerator. The car spurted ahead.

“If the speed cops are drinking beer instead of watching the road, which they probably are, we’ll get away with this,” Lowry said.

“Won’t you please tell me why you’re following him?” Terry asked.

“I’m working on the theory that a saloon man like Carrol doesn’t just like to drive in the country for the sake of fresh air.”

“You mean you think he’s going where you wanted to go?”

Lowry chuckled. “I guess a man just can’t keep any secrets from you, Terry.”

The road swerved inland and the ocean disappeared from sight for a long while. When they saw it again, the coast had turned rough, broken by sharply indented rocky coves. Thick clusters of straggly trees grew not ten yards from the narrow beaches, bent and twisted by the endless ocean winds.

Lowry stayed far enough behind Carrol’s maroon sports car to avoid notice. They came to a neatly laid out town, tiny, touristy. Store windows on either side of the wide main street had pinkish, rough wood paneling. There were numerous art and curio shops. Artisans who made custom-built riding boots, saddles, boat models, picture frames, and all manner of other luxury craft goods displayed English signs over their doors. Everything about the town was very “arty and crafty.”