‘As the weeks went by, it got harder and harder for me to believe that Michael had told me the truth,’ Mags went on. She wiped both eyes with the back of her hand. ‘Today I asked Petra if what she had said about Michael was true and she said—’

‘I said I couldn’t remember.’

Mags smiled through her tears then. ‘Yes. But I’m your big sister, Pet. I can always tell when you’re lying, remember? I knew you were trying to protect me from the truth. I went straight to Michael in the cave and confronted him. He told me everything, and he begged me to help him tonight – just one last thing, he said. I needed to help him get down to Dragon Bay, and then come back and light the lamp at exactly eleven o’clock.’

‘But this time you refused.’

‘I went straight to the police station and told them everything. I told them where to find Michael, and that he and his mother were planning something to do with the lighthouse and Dragon Bay. And then, when I got home, she was here.’ She pointed at Mrs Baron. ‘She told me what she wanted me to do and I refused. Then there was a struggle – I remember the little bottle in her hand and—’

‘I should have finished you off,’ Mrs Baron screeched. ‘You nasty little—’

Then Michael spoke. He had been silent all this time, listening to Mags tell her story. ‘I do love you, Magda,’ he said. ‘I didn’t to begin with – you were just part of the plan. But I do love you now, I swear.’ His mother’s face grimaced, sickened. Michael shuffled towards my sister and opened his green eyes wide. I remembered the way they used to sparkle, but it wasn’t like this – crazed, feverish. ‘Starting the fires, cutting the telephone lines, telling you a few white lies along the way, even the fact that I had to threaten your sister that night – they were all necessary: just the means to an end. Sometimes you have to be ruthless.’

Mags suddenly locked her eyes upon him, and I saw that they were as cold as pebbles. ‘You threatened my sister?’ she whispered.