“Nobody was in your room, Kelsey. All this disappearing stuff is making you paranoid.”

“Justin?” She turned to him, her eyes beseeching, and he reached out and took her arm.

“Kelsey, it could have been a lot of things…I believe you heard something, but Skip’s right—things like that just don’t happen on this island.”

“You imagined it,” Skip dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “It wasn’t real. Maybe it was another of your weird dreams, huh?”

“Maybe it was a ghost,” Neale said, glancing at Justin. “Maybe it was Beth coming back to see who was in her room.”

The sudden silence was painful. After several seconds Neale turned and walked toward Skip’s car. Skip coughed uneasily. Justin sat down on the step, looking disgusted.

“Don’t listen to him, Kelsey. He’s just in his usual good humor.”

“Come on, I think we all need to get out of here for a while.” Skip took Kelsey’s elbow, but she shook him off.

“I think I’ll stay here, thank you.”

“Oh, boy,” Skip rolled his eyes, “hurt feelings. Okay, I apologize, does that make you feel any better? I apologize for not believing your weird stories. You’ve been around Donna for exactly one day and already her wild imagination is rubbing off on you.”

Justin got up and went inside. “I’ll tell Dad we’re going.”

“Going where?” Kelsey sounded icy, and Skip put on a downcast face.

“To my house. You remember.”

“Skip, I hardly think this is the time for a party—”

“Oh ye of little faith, just trust ole Skip here a minute, okay?” He paused, then leaned into her face, his expression sincere. “Look, Justin’s my best friend. I just want to get him away from all this for a while. Nothing wild and crazy—just good friends and some positive environment for a change.”

Kelsey regarded him primly, and he gave her a hesitant smile.

“Okay, I’m sorry for what I said. If Justin believes you heard something, that’s good enough for me. But what or who, I don’t know. Personally, I think everyone’s jumpy—seeing spooks in every corner. I know it must be tough for you, being in Beth’s room and all—that’s why I think it was probably just the wind, and you were so scared coming out of the shower, you didn’t even remember tracking the water.”

“But the seaweed—how do you explain that?”

“What seaweed?”

“Oh, Skip, don’t tell me you didn’t see the seaweed—”

“Kelsey, I swear, I don’t know anything about any seaweed. Footprints, yes. Water, yes. Seaweed, no.”

“But the others must have seen it—didn’t they say anything—”

“Look, Kelsey,” Skip said, taking a deep breath, letting it out slowly, “all I know is that we got in the house and everyone went off in a different direction to see if anyone was hiding in there. You’ll have to ask them about your seaweed. When I got to your room, I didn’t see any seaweed. And I didn’t smell any saltwater, either.” He reached out, gently squeezed her shoulder. “Now come on and go with us, what do you say? I know it’d make Justin happy if you would.”