Huck propped himself up on his elbow, taking the cigarette out of his mouth. ‘You better not be making this up.’

‘Why would I make it up?’ said Forest irritably.

‘Because you’re so good at making stuff up, sometimes you fool even yourself. It’s the Dempsey curse.’ He put the cigarette back in his mouth. ‘I don’t want Jesse to find me.’

‘I won’t let him,’ said Forest. ‘But if I’d known the Dempseys were a criminal family . . . Can you tell me about the Treasure Cave now?’ said Forest.

Huck was silent. He ground out his cigarette and, when he was sure it was out, flicked it onto the sand below.

‘Why?’ he said finally.

‘I think that’s what Blackbeard is after. It’s the only thing that makes sense – something only Forest knows.’

‘If Blackbeard really is Jesse Dempsey, then you have to kill him.’

Forest didn’t know what to say to that, so he didn’t say anything.

‘I was at Forest’s house one night,’ began Huck, lighting a new cigarette. ‘We were supposed to be up in his room, but we’d snuck out to go fishing off the jetty at the end of their property. We were coming back when we passed the kitchen window – Alexandra and Jesse were fighting. It was about some cave she’d discovered while diving. She said there was treasure in there, but Jesse didn’t believe her. She told him to go see for himself. He . . . he got angry a lot, Jesse did. He was angry that night.

‘Forest knew his mum wanted a divorce, so the next day he opened his big mouth. He told her that she should go get the treasure, and then the two of them could use that money to disappear. But Jesse overheard . . . He was violent when he was angry. I should’ve stayed, but I didn’t. I ran.’

‘It’s not your fault.’

‘Don’t interrupt,’ said Huck. He puffed on his cigarette, then shuffled, making himself more comfortable.

‘The next day Forest came and got me. He was . . . pretty bruised. He said Jesse had something to show us. Another cave, one that he’d been keeping secret. Wanted to apologise for losing his temper . . . I should’ve known then something was wrong – Jesse never apologised. So Alexandra, Forest and me. All three of us went with him. He led us down near the boulder fields, and . . .’ Huck’s voice tightened.

‘What happened?’