CHAPTER 5Dave did not notice the sudden semi-darkness when, within minutes of each other, all the neons were clicked off. He looked up after a while and found himself alone on a deserted boardwalk. It was time to start for home.
He got up wearily and returned to the parking lot. On the beach road going north, he had to slow down because of a gang of men in hard shipworkers’ helmets who were staring apprehensively at the overhanging palisades. Since the spring rains there had been trouble with landslides, and Dave recognized the men as a work crew bent on preventing traffic tieups before they happened. As he was waiting for the signal to resume normal speed, he heard a shout and felt a sharp jolt against the car. He stopped, knowing what had happened: a boulder had rolled down the palisade
