The final fear Duncan has is not being able to find Roach in time, leading to the women Roach follows being killed. In the book Roach has tracked multiple women and has plans to kill or torture them. Duncan feels extensively responsible for saving them because in the previous summer and Duncan feels it was all his fault that she drowned and Duncan thinks if he catches the killer and stops him from committing these acts he will feel redeemed and the nightmares will stop occurring. But in the case that he doesn't find the killer in time he would feel even more as if it was his fault making the nightmares worse and worse as the days
