there had been a powerful eight-cell flashlight in the carrycompartment between the van 's front seats , along with a supply of other useful tools , and now-as alan neared castle rock in his station wagon , as norris ridgewick sat in his kitchen , fashioning a hangman 's noose with a length of stout hemp rope , as polly chalmers 's dream of aunt evvie moved toward its conclusion-ace ran the flashlight 's bright spotlight from one crate to the next .