Chapter 82

82

Elin's legs are shaky as she makes her way to the event room. She feels empty, hollowed out after hearing Will's words.

He wants to talk— how ominous that sounds . She can't help feeling that Will's seen her properly for the first time, and he doesn't like what he's glimpsed. What if they can't get back from this? How will she cope if he doesn't trust her like he did before?

But as she reaches the door to the event room, she forces the thoughts away.

Steel yourself. You've still got to do the job.

The member of staff outside pulls open the door to reveal a chaotic scene; bags and clothes scattered across the once-pristine floor. Snippets of frustrated conversation drift over: Why won't they give us more information? I want to leave now. Get home. The staff is in the process of dragging in mattresses, but most people are already settled—in makeshift beds of their own clothes, or awkwardly perched on chairs.

With night almost set in, the long strip lights above them are the only illumination. The artificial light thrown out is unforgiving, picking out the dark shadows settling beneath people's eyes, livid streaks of sunburn.

"How did it go?" Steed says, as she stops beside him.

"Not great. How about you?"

"Okay. Seth... nothing disturbed there." He pauses. "But I was right, we weren't the first to get in there since the Outward Bound days. I found newspapers dated from last year, and this, tucked at the back. Pre-LUMEN. Copies of a plan." Removing a folded piece of paper from his bag, Steed passes it to her. "Looks like an alternative development for the island." His finger hovers over a penciled box on the top right. Elin leans in. Written in pencil is a proposal to have the site protected, a formal conservation designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

"This SSSI thing came up when I read that article about Porter Jackson complaining about the development...."

Steed's still looking at the plan. "There's also a name, Christopher someone... can't make out the rest."

She examines the neat lettering, something stirring in her head, but she can't quite grasp what it is. "Anything else?"

"A case study about the impact of this kind of development on the ecosystem, wildlife... data on energy usage, habitat disruption..."

"Maybe they were planning some kind of exposé on the retreat."

"Looks likely." He shrugs. "Sorry it's not more helpful. I was hoping it would kick up something else."

"It's fine." Elin takes a breath. "Right, I'm going to make an attempt to reassure everyone. Take it you haven't heard about backup?"

He shakes his head. "No, but I've spoken to them. Good and bad news. I'll start with the good, but not actually sure if it deserves that classification... phone data is back from Bea Leger. Verifies what the water sports guy told you. She made several calls the night she arrived on the island. One to what we know is her sister's phone and one to an unknown number. I've tried it, but it's dead. I've asked for any data we have on the number."

"A burner?"

"Probably, and the sister was right. The memory card was taken from her phone. It's been used several times since Bea Leger's body was found."

"Chances are it's the killer. Info deletion exercise."

"Seems that way." Steed shrugs. "But finding out whose phone it was put into might be a needle in the proverbial haystack."

"And the bad news?"

"I spoke to Anna on my way back from the beach. You must have been on the phone... she tried to get ahold of you." He hesitates, clearly uncomfortable with what he's about to say. "There's been another tweet, Elin."

It takes a moment for her mind to catch up with what he's saying. "Another one?"

"Yes." He looks troubled. "Anna called because this time, there's a photo of you..."

"But there was a photo in the other one." His tone of voice unnerves her: not the casual, genuine reassurances of the past few days, but something more forced. He's frightened for her.

"No, this is different." He fumbles for his phone. "Anna's taken a screenshot. Look."

Steed passes her his phone. Elin stares at the tweet.

For a split second, it feels like her heart has stopped beating.

She immediately understands why he was so hesitant to tell her.

It's not just that they've done the same thing as before—they've etched out hollows for her eyes—but it's what the backdrop of the image tells her.

The photograph was taken the day she arrived at the retreat, standing by the yoga pavilion.

Whoever is sending these tweets is here, on the island, with her.