FORTY-FOUR

8.58 P.M.

Penn couldn’t throw off the mortification he felt at his own poor performance.

Not only had he failed to get his head around the clue, but he had also allowed himself to become too focussed on Hiccup and what the poor guy was going through. On top of that he’d had a meltdown in front of the boss and been benched like a naughty kid being put in time out.

He hadn’t rested, but he had taken the time in the Bowl to get his head straight and remove it from his ass.

And all the while, his colleague was growing more and more fatigued from carrying his weight today.

Despite the boss’s instructions to remain put, he had decided that Stacey needed the rest more than he did. Now, he could see she was managing to get a catnap in the Bowl.

‘Jeez, there are times I’m glad I work alone,’ Frost said.

‘Yeah, your colleagues probably agree,’ Penn replied.

‘Funny,’ she said before leaving her desk.

She grabbed his mug on the way past, so he knew she hadn’t taken offence.

He was about to turn back to the list of volunteers when his phone buzzed an alarm. It was 9.01 and he needed to check the boards on the Seekers site.

He clicked into the main puzzle board and there it was, a brand-new post giving the clue.

‘Damn it,’ Penn muttered. He’d never been up to the Four Stones, but a quick look on Google Maps had told him it was quite the hike, and the boss probably wasn’t even there yet.

More importantly, there were now almost seven people actively watching the puzzle.

This thing was getting more and more attention, and that was exactly what this sicko desired.