“You don’t have anything to apologize for,” I say calmly—I suppose too calmly, because Chase looks even more horrified.

“What’s this?” Leo asks curiously.

“Nothing,” Chase says hurriedly, wisely clamping his mouth shut.

The daylight does nothing to detract from the corpse tree’s sinister appearance. I scan the twisted trunk, trying to remember if its position has shifted, if it has moved from what I remembered of the night before. Another team of experts has ventured into the sinkhole to resume their investigation of the balete.

Chase looks down at it with a shudder. “It moved,” he asserts. “I know that I saw it move. You saw it grab him. I take it back. It can’t be a scam. How the hell would you scam your way into creating a tree inside some frigging sinkhole?”

“You should leave when the helicopter arrives,” I say. “With your father. I doubt Hemslock can be convinced to go too, but at least the two of you will be safe.”

“Wait, you’re staying?”

“I have to.”

“What if something happens to you?”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me are popular last words. I’m not going to leave Dad here by himself. He won’t leave until he learns what really happened to Mom.”

“There’s nothing you can do for him by staying here.”

He scowls. “If there are real ghosts like you say, then there’s nothing you can do, either.”

“They won’t harm me.”

“Really? Have you talked to them? Had them sign a contract, too? Look—I’ll go if you’ll go with me.”

“Why are you so concerned about me?”

He glares some more. “Because I am, all right? The call you overheard—I didn’t mean to—ah shit, just forget it.” He marches off like I am the one at fault.

The accident has not delayed the production schedule, and plans to explore the cave are set to continue that day. Hemslock has thrown himself back into his work with relish.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” he asks me. “You did see the tree move and attack Steve. This isn’t something Leo’s son cooked up on the spot and got you in on.”

“He’s not a liar.”

“Hey, don’t be touchy. I’m not accusing anyone of anything.” He smiles. “I’d like you to join the expedition later. The experts we’ve hired have already marked off the places they’ve deemed safe. I don’t know how far into the cave you’ve been, but I think it’ll be good to have you around, confirm some of the things we might see.”

I nod again.

“Your old man won’t be worried? Got someone to watch him?”

“I can stay for as long as you need me. He gives his blessings.”

Hemslock snorts. “Of course, he does. We’re paying you a lifetime’s salary for this. No aversion to being on camera?”

“No sir.”

“Good. I think you’re going to be the glue that ties this mystery together. Who knows? We might even work on something new with you if this takes off.”