“We ran into him,” I replied.

“Well, make sure that you don’t,” Cailean said. “Run into him, I mean. He’s been through a difficult time recently. His sister died at the lighthouse last summer.”

“Oh.” I was startled to hear this and felt a flash of sympathy for Will. At the same time, I couldn’t help being curious about what had happened. There must have been some kind of accident. “I’m sorry.”

“Ever since then … young Will hasn’t been himself,” Cailean went on. “So just keep your distance, all right?”

I shrugged. “Fine with me.”

“Sorry again for the intrusion,” Cailean said. “I reckon I’ve taken up enough of your time, so goodnight to you.”

“Goodnight,” I replied.

I watched him crunch off along the gravel path into the darkness. I was glad Rosie hadn’t been there for that conversation as she’d be unsettled by what 82had happened to Will’s sister. It was the sort of thing that would nag away at her and that she’d spend too long thinking about. Resolving not to say a word to her about what I’d just learned, I went back inside.

83

Chapter Six

I found Dad and Kate poring over notes they’d taken earlier that day. I didn’t say anything about the guga hunter. I knew Dad wouldn’t like that Cailean had been out there at this time of night, and I didn’t want to get drawn into a big discussion about it or be told off for talking to him.

There was absolutely nothing to do at the lighthouse in the evenings. No TV, no internet, no nothing. I was glad I at least had stargazing to keep me occupied. Charlie had already gone up to bed, and Rosie was in our bedroom, so I went upstairs to join her, only to find that Charlie wasn’t asleep after all. He was crouched at the end of the landing, playing with a little wind-up toy that clicked and clacked its way out of the shadows, knocked against 84my shoe and fell to the floor. I peered down and saw that it was an old-fashioned-looking tin soldier, its arms and legs still jerking stiffly up and down at its sides.

“Charlie, I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to be in bed,” I said, leaning down to pick up the soldier. “Where did you get this anyway? It looks ancient.”

“It’s not mine,” Charlie replied.

“Whose is it then?” I glanced up and froze. For a weird moment, it looked as if there were two boys lurking in the shadows – Charlie looking straight up at me and a second boy who’d turned to face the wall. But then my eyes adjusted, and I saw that it was only Charlie there.

“It’s my friend’s,” he said with a giggle, snatching it from me and then running off to his own room.