Page 23 of The Island

Something in her field of view.

Another car was coming. A Toyota. One of the vehicles from the farm. She was never going to be able to turn in time. Shit. Another thirty seconds and no one would have been the wiser…

She turned the Porsche onto the left side of the road, and the Toyota pulled up next to them. A window wound down. It was Jacko and Matt.

“Hi,” Heather said.

“What happened to you lot?” Matt asked.

“Nothing. Just turning,” Heather said.

“Did you go in the sheugh?” Jacko asked.

“The what?”

“Ma calls it the sheugh. That ditch. Did you go in it?”

“Yes, but we’re OK now,” Heather said.

“Your airbags went off,” Matt said.

“They did,” Heather said. “Car is so sensitive—we weren’t even going fast…anyway, we’re fine, thank you for stopping. We better go if we’re going to catch the ferry,” Heather said.

“Is your husband OK? You OK, mate? You look like shit. You hit your head?” Matt asked.

“I’m fine,” Tom said.

“What about the kiddies?”

“They’re fine. Everyone is fine. We just better go get that ferry.”

“Yeah, you should go,” Matt agreed.

“We will. Thank you.”

“You didn’t see Ellen by any chance? A girl on a bike?” Jacko asked.

“No,” Tom said quickly.

“We didn’t see anyone,” Heather added. “Well, I guess we better go. Bye.”

She wound the window up and waved and began driving down the road.

In the rearview she saw Jacko and Matt sit in the car for a moment before Matt opened the door and got out.

She saw him get down on one knee and begin looking at the ground before she lost sight of him at the bend in the road.

“Shit,” Heather muttered and hit the gas pedal hard. “Seat belts, everyone!” she called and drove the Porsche at seventy miles an hour in the direction of the ferry pier.

They reached the ferry terminal in two minutes, and fortunately the ferry was there.

She slowed the Porsche and fixed a smile on her face.

“No one say anything, OK?” she said, looking at Tom and then turning around to the kids. “No one say anything. We’ll sort this out when we’re over the water.”

She waved to Ivan, pulled the car to a stop, and wound the window down as he came over.

“Hi there!” she said.