Aware that they certainly should have appeared home by now, Ava opened the kitchen door to discover a blood-red sun setting the horizon aflame, the image of which suddenly filled her with foreboding.

She’d ordered Dougie not to take the boat out. He’d agreed to that easily enough, but had he stuck to it? He’d been pretty strong in his argument that he should take Nadia across to Hoy and he always kept his camping gear on board the Fear Not.

To see the boathouse clearly, she would have to walk as far as the barn. Ava reached for her coat, then remembered that she’d given it to Nadia, so headed out without one.

The May evening was chilly, the sky clear with the promise of stars and a moon. She would forgo a torch and trust to luck she could get down there and back without one. After all, she knew the route well enough, even in poor light.

Upping her speed, she decided to check the byre first. There was always a chance they’d gone in there. Ava had come to realize there was a strong bond between her brother and the rescued girl. Whether sexual or not, she had no idea, but the barn would be a warmer place to hang out than the boathouse.

Throwing open the door, Ava called into the shadows, hoping Dougie’s voice would answer and dismiss her fears. With only the hens still in residence, there was none of the soft breathing and movement of the kye . . . and no answering human shout.

As she emerged, she picked up the scent of something burning. What? And from where?

Her first thought was for the cattle. Might whoever had killed the calf and his mother have lit a fire in their field? Horrified at the thought, she scanned nearby and saw that her fears were unfounded, the herd apparently grazing unperturbed.

So where was the smoke coming from? She stood for a moment. It wasn’t close, but it wasn’t far away either.

Then she saw the first flames to the west. With horror, Ava registered it had to be in the area of the boathouse. Or even the boathouse itself.

Terrified she might be right, she ran in that direction, screaming Dougie’s name, running down the rough track.

Well caught now, the flames were leaping sky high, their colours dancing against the orange and red sunset.

Within yards of the building, her screams were swallowed by the cracking and spitting as the fire took control of the wooden structure.

Hearing someone crunch over the foreshore behind her, Ava turned, praying it might be Dougie. The figure emerging from the smoke was tall and male, which gave her hope, but only briefly, as Magnus took form and came towards her, his face horrified.

‘Is Dougie in there?’ he shouted over the mounting roar.