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Ralph said, 'Look are we sure this is even in the right direction?'

Joan had been leading them down the narrow path and the others had followed her when she stepped off it and pushed her way through the undergrowth to a clearing where she had stopped, obliging them to do the same. They were standing uncertainly and unseeingly now, waiting for someone to take the lead.

Joan said confidently, 'This was where she was murdered.'

Joan was always positive even when she wasn't, Chloe thought, and said,

'I can't see a thing. And my stupid torch has packed up.'

'The dead tree is over there.' Joan flashed her torch into the darkness, illuminating nothing in particular. 'We're standing in the clearing where he killed her. Cant you feel it? He filled this place with his evil. Can't you feel his malevolence? Can't you feel the residual fear? The place is full of horror.

Chloe could feel it. Joan was right It was like a nightmare you had woken from but couldn't quite shake off. This must be where he killed her. She could feel the terror.

We don't know the killer was a man,' Ralph said.

Yeah right. Meg said scornfully. It's mostly women who beat women to death

'The victim was a girl. Ralph said, not a woman. And I thought the identity of the killer was one of the things we were here to try and find out.

Tommy sniggered. Maybe we should ask the psychic rats, presumably they'd know. How about it Joan? Any good with rodents?'

'If you weren't going to be serious about this,' Joan hissed, you shouldn't have come with us.'

I see,' Tommy said. What you mean is when it doesn't work it's going to be my fault, is that it?

That's it exactly, she said.

It couldn't possibly be _)*>«/" fault.'

One sceptical presence is all it takes to break the circuit and block the contact.'

If you say so

‘I do say so. Joan snapped. ‘And if I'm acting as medium, then what I say goes tonight all right? Or do you want to take over the seance Tommy?

Well do you?'

'No.'

'So what I say goes?'

So what you say goes, he conceded in a bored voice.

A breeze stirred the unseen trees around them. Chloe noticed that the sound it made was weirdly human, a sort of bronchial moan, almost a wheezing. The temperature seemed to be dropping rapidly. Is it getting colder? she asked.

'Are we going to do this or what?' Ralph demanded.

'Link hands,' Joan said. 'Form the circle.'

Chloe was glad of the excuse for physical contact. She was getting the oddest feeling that they were being watched, that something was watching them from the darkness. She reached out as they groped for each other's hands. Or was it someone? Was someone watching them? Was it him?

Could it be that the murderer was here and he was watching them?

Weren't murderers supposed to come back to the scene of the crime? She snatched at Ralph's and Tommy's extended hands and clung on grimly.

Are you OK, Chloe? Tommy asked.

Just cold,' she said, but in truth she could feel the watcher now and she knew he was watching her and her alone. The murderer was focusing on her and she knew she would be his next victim.

Chloe,' she heard a distant voice whisper and wheeze. Chloe.'

'Don't do that,' she protested angrily 'It's not funny. I'm scared enough as it is."

Leave her alone, Meg muttered. Stop teasing her, you two.'

'I didn't do anything,' Tommy said.

Ralph said, Neither did I.'

Well one of you's playing silly buggers.'

"Shut up and concentrate,' Joan commanded. 'All of you. I cant do this on my own. Clear your minds. Concentrate on her. Think only of the dead girl.

Just her. We call her to us through the focus of our collective will.'

His focus, his will, was calling to her, Chloe thought. 'Chloe,' he breathed.

'Chloe.' She concentrated on the hands she was holding. She closed her eyes against the darkness. Chloe,' the whisper said and she could hear the cruel smile in it.

With the circle settled and silent Joan began to chant softly. Come to us, come to us, come to us who call you,