Contents
69. Carter
Overview
Carter claws through the tunnels and festival chaos to reach Spyglass, where he finds Birdy unresponsive from an overdose. He calls an ambulance and attempts CPR, fearing he is too late. A slammed door suggests someone else was present, escalating suspicion and urgency around the conspiracy closing in.
Summary
Carter abandons the locked door and navigates the cramped tunnels, following the ocean’s sound to the Day of the Dead bonfire on Blackwater Bay. He pushes past masked revelers and fireworks, sprints through the village, and worries Birdy may be attempting suicide after seeing pill bottles in her bag.
On the lane near Spyglass, Carter collides with his sister, Maddy, who says a power cut emptied the pub and she came up for air. Concerned by Carter’s bloodied state, she offers to drive him to the hospital, but he insists she go home and continues to Spyglass.
Finding Spyglass’s front door open, Carter rushes to the library and discovers Birdy slumped on the floor without a pulse. As he calls an ambulance from her phone, the front door slams, suggesting someone may have just left.
Carter performs CPR and mouth-to-mouth, urging Birdy to fight fate and live for her daughter. Despite his efforts, nothing works, and he fears he has arrived too late.
Who Appears
- Sgt CarterPOV; races from tunnels to Spyglass, finds Birdy unresponsive, calls ambulance, performs CPR, suspects someone fled.
- Birdy (DCI Bird)Found collapsed from an apparent overdose; unresponsive as Carter attempts resuscitation.
- MaddyCarter’s sister; meets him near Spyglass after a pub power cut, offers help, then leaves.