“What do you mean, she won’t start?” Harper asked, her voice getting shrill. “Why did you even turn it off?”

“To conserve gas, but she’ll start. She just needs a little loving.”

Daniel hopped down and went around the back of the boat. Harper followed him, wondering if she should just dive in the water like Alex had. He flipped open the hatch over the engine, and while she didn’t understand what he was doing, she heard a few loud bangs as he attempted to fix something. Based on the expletives he shouted, she didn’t think it was going well.

“Daniel!” Harper shouted, her ears still plugged. “I think I should go in after Alex. I can’t wait here like this. Gemma needs me.”

“Harper!” Daniel stopped what he was doing and looked around.

“No, I need to—”

“No, Harper, listen!” He held up his hand, which was covered with black grease from the engine. “The song stopped.”

“It did?” She lowered her hands, and all she could hear was the ocean around her. No more music. “Why? Do you think Alex did something?”

“I don’t know.” Daniel shut the hatch and stood up. “But hopefully I fixed the problem.”

Wiping his hands on his jeans, he ran around to the front of the boat. He climbed up to the captain’s seat, and Harper followed right behind. When he turned the ignition, it made the same chugging noise it’d made back at the dock, but it didn’t start.

“Daniel—” Harper began, but he held up his hand to silence her.

“Come on,” Daniel muttered to the boat. “Just start up one more time. For me.” The boat made a loud clanking sound, followed by the engine roaring to life. “Yes!” As they pulled away from the cove, he glanced down at Harper. “I told you she would start.”

“I never doubted you for a second,” Harper lied.

“Where are we going?” Daniel asked. He steered them in the direction Alex had gone, but that was all he had.

“I don’t know.” Harper shook her head, straining her eyes to see anything out on the horizon. “The only thing that’s out here is Mr. McAllister’s place.”

“You mean Bernie’s Island?” Daniel asked, pointing at the dark shape of the island a ways in front of them.

“Yeah.” She nodded. “The song sounded like it was coming from that direction, didn’t it?”

“I think so.”

“Let’s head there, then.” She crossed her arms and stared straight ahead. “How come that song didn’t make you crazy like it did me and Alex?”

“I don’t know.” He shook his head and glanced down at her. “How come it made you crazy? It was like it hypnotized you or something.”

“I don’t know.” She let out a deep breath. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t happen again.”