They jolted to a stop beside the locked gate, and Skip jumped out. “Okay. Where?”

“Up there. On the other side. It was in some weeds.” Donna shuddered as Kelsey got out and raised her eyes slowly to the lighthouse. “Shouldn’t you call for help?”

“Not till I’m sure I really need it.” Skip pulled at the chain around his neck, his expression annoyed. “Terrific—I’ve lost my key again.”

“You guys are always losing your keys!” Donna’s voice rose. “Skip, hurry!”

“No, wait—here it is—” Skip took a blue key from his pocket, fiddled with the lock, and unwound the chain. Then he put his hands on his hips, scanning the face of the rock.

“You don’t believe me,” Donna said, hurt.

“I didn’t say that at all. All I said was—”

“Maybe you should at least call Neale,” Donna insisted. “Call someone, Skip, please!”

“Neale’s with his dad on the search party, and Justin’s due back any second,” Skip mumbled, eyes still studying the rocks above. “And what were you two doing up there anyway? You know better, Donna; you know how dangerous that place is.”

“Don’t lecture me, Skip!” Donna shouted. He whipped around, and her face was pale and pleading. “Skip, there’s really somebody up there—you’ve got to help her—you’ve got—”

“You can’t help her. I think she’s dead.” Kelsey bit her lower lip and saw the others staring at her.

Skip let out a low whistle. “Are you sure?”

“Maybe just unconscious—” Donna began, but Kelsey shook her head and walked to the gate.

“No, her eyes were…empty. She was dead.”

“You…you mean you really found a body up there?” Skip was staring at them in total astonishment, and they nodded in unison. “Was it Beth?” Skip asked at last.

The girls exchanged desperate looks, then Donna shut her eyes, swallowing hard. “I don’t know—it happened so fast—”

“You don’t know? What do you mean you don’t know—”

“We didn’t really see her face!” Donna broke in, panicky. “We just tripped over her—Skip—get up there!”

“Okay, okay, just don’t get hysterical on me. You wait here.”

“No, we—”

“Wait here, Donna, I mean it!”

They watched helplessly as Skip disappeared up the hill. Kelsey wasn’t sure just how far down the cliff she and Donna had gone, how long it would take before Skip finally found that awful thing sprawled in the weeds. She could feel her pulse hammering, and when she looked over at Donna, her friend looked back miserably at her.

“What’s taking him so long?” Donna groaned. I thought he’d be hollering by now.”

“Maybe he’s in shock,” Kelsey murmured.

“Or throwing up. That’s what I feel like doing, just throwing up.” Donna covered her face with her hands, her voice shaking. “Oh, God, Kelsey…if it was Beth…I swear I really didn’t see her face…if it is…if it—”

“Come on, I’m going for help—no, wait, look, there he is—” As they hurried over to meet him, Kelsey tried to get a glimpse of his face, steeling herself for the worst. But it wasn’t grief distorting his face. It was anger.