“Donna!” Kelsey raised her hand and maneuvered her way over to where Donna was pulling a can of soda from an ice tub. “There you are! I—” Kelsey felt her greeting die as she caught a glimpse of Donna’s face. It was red and puffy from crying, and even now she looked like she might cry again. “Donna—what’s—”

“Oh, Skip and I had a fight. Nothing unusual—”

“But I just saw him—he didn’t seem upset—”

“He never does. I’m going to dance with every guy at this party. I’m never going to speak to him again.” She sounded hurt and angry, and Kelsey reached out for her.

“Donna, I’m sorry about you and Skip—but I have to talk to you. Can you forget it for just five minutes? I have proof that Isaac killed Beth—”

“You what?”

They hurried past the crowd, past the lights, forming a tight little huddle among the trees and dunes.

“Donna, listen to me. You know that picture on the mantel at Eric’s? The one of the family?” To each question, Donna nodded, and Kelsey rushed on. “The scarf Beth was wearing—Isaac has that scarf! Oh, Donna don’t you see—”

“Where?” Donna broke in, her face stunned. “How do you know?”

“Because I saw it. In his houseboat.”

Donna’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head. “What!?”

“Oh, Donna, I know I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t help it! I had to!”

“I have to sit down,” Donna said weakly. She stared up at Kelsey as if her friend had gone mad.

“I’m not crazy, I really did go—”

“Oh, Lord—”

“There was a knife there. This long, I swear to God. And Beth’s scarf right beside it.”

“Beth’s…”

“We’ve got to tell somebody. People have to know that Beth didn’t just have an accident. They have to know that there’s a murderer loose on the island—”

“Well, what are you gonna do? Tell the sheriff?” Donna looked totally dumbfounded. Her can of soda turned over, draining into the sand.

“I thought…I’d tell Neale.”

“Neale! Why on earth—”

“Donna, I told you before, Neale’s the only one who believes something bad happened to Beth. Maybe the sheriff will listen to him if he tells him about Isaac—”

A voice that wasn’t Donna’s asked quietly, “Tells him what about Isaac?”

They stared at each other, frozen. Neale and Justin and Skip were all standing beside the path, watching them, their faces blank with disbelief.

“I can’t believe you two,” Skip mumbled. “You’re really something.”

“How dare you spy on us!” Donna shouted, struggling for her dignity. Neale’s look suggested that he would dare anything he damn well pleased. “How rude!” she added lamely.

For a second Kelsey thought Neale was actually going to laugh, which made it even worse.

“Isaac did it,” she raised her chin defiantly. “He killed Beth. I know he did.”

Justin looked stunned.

Neale nodded, more to himself than to her. “He confessed, I suppose.”

“Of course he didn’t confess!” Kelsey blurted out. “He says he didn’t do it but that he knows who did! But he’s lying!”