With an effort Kelsey wrenched her eyes away. For just one second she’d had that creepy feeling again of being watched.

“You’re the only one I can trust, Donna,” Kelsey said, staring straight at her. “I think something awful is going on.” She took a shallow breath. “I don’t think Beth had an accident.”

“What?” Donna sat up, rocked back on her bare heels and rested her palms on her knees. “You’re really starting to scare me now, Kelsey—you better tell me everything,”

So Kelsey did—beginning with her first day on the island and the notes she had gotten from Beth…the one frightening note with its message of death…the laughter in the lighthouse…her meeting with Isaac and his strange conversation…someone being in her room…Isaac waiting for her again outside in the dark…her discovery that Beth’s note was missing, and finally her realization that someone had listened in on the phone. Donna sat there, eyes huge, lips slightly parted, never saying a word, not even moving, and Kelsey gave a long sigh to show she had finished.

“What should I do, Donna? I feel like I should tell someone about the note. I’ve felt so guilty about it ever since I found it—but I wasn’t sure it was real, and I didn’t want to get everybody all upset—”

Donna’s head moved, puppetlike. “Especially since they all think it was an accident.”

“And now I can’t do anything about it.” Kelsey looked miserable. “I can’t just go to Eric, can I? Or the sheriff? You said yourself he’d think we’re crazy—he’ll want proof and I haven’t got any.”

“Oh, God…” Donna mumbled and suddenly her eyes went twice their normal size—“Oh, God, Kelsey…if it wasn’t an accident…do you think someone killed her?”

Kelsey avoided Donna’s stare and scooped up a handful of sand, letting it sift slowly through her fingers. “Neale does,” she said.

“Neale, of course,” Donna snorted. “He would think that. It’s in keeping with his character.” Her attempt at humor fell flat, and she ducked her head, chewing thoughtfully on some windblown wisps of hair.

“But if he’s right, Donna.” Two sets of eyes lifted…met…held…

A warm breeze sighed around them, shapeshifting the dunes that closed them off from the beach, but not the lighthouse. Kelsey forced herself not to look at it.

She still had that feeling.

Like someone was up there, watching them.

Oblivious, Donna opened some yogurt and shook her head. “Who would kill Beth? And why? Beth was so sweet, she wouldn’t have hurt anybody, so why would anyone want to…?” Her hands fluttered uselessly, as if to pluck answers from the air.

Kelsey’s mind raced—back through the events of last night, the agreement she’d made with Neale—and finally she gave in. “Listen. You don’t know everything about what happened last night.”

“Oh, no. What do you mean?” Donna seemed to physically brace herself against another onslaught.

“Neale said Justin was just carried away by the undertow,” Kelsey said slowly. “But Justin’s a lifeguard, right? He’d know better than to go in the water if it was dangerous. He said himself East Beach is his favorite beach—he must know everything about it.”