‘I just came to check on you as it’ll be closing time soon,’ she said.

‘Oh!’ he blinked, feeling as if he was coming out of a heavy sleep. ‘Good grief, I didn’t realize the time.’

She gained the final step and kept one hand on the rail. ‘I actually thought you might have left without me realizing, you’ve been so quiet up here.’

Toby began packing everything into his satchel. His leg was stiff from hours of sitting, he definitely needed a break. ‘I was writing. I think I’ve finally found a way to start the book.’

‘That’s good news. Congratulations.’

‘Thanks. There was a moment there I thought I’d never break the skin.’ He exhaled, realizing just how relieved he was. ‘Care to join me for a celebratory drink?’

‘Oh—’ Rachel hesitated.

‘I was going to ask Cullen and Ron, too,’ he assured her, smiling.

‘No, it’s not—’ she returned the smile with a slight shake of her head. ‘I’d love to. Really. Thanks. I need to cash up and close down, though, so—’

‘No rush. I’ll go home and drop this stuff off first, anyway.’ He checked his watch. The time was touching 5.30 p.m. He really had been away with the fairies. ‘Shall I meet you at the pub at seven?’

‘All right.’

Toby was walking towards her with his ungainly limp when a commotion broke out below them. It sounded like an altercation. There came a sound like a fist hitting something – Crack! – accompanied by the noise of many small things falling.

‘Cullen!’ That was Ron’s voice, and—

A sharp cry, followed by a heavy thud.

‘Cullen!’ came Ron’s voice again, then panicked, ‘Rachel!’

Rachel was already running down the stairs. Toby was close behind her, so that they saw the tableau below at the same time. Cullen MacDonald had fallen to the floor, wrenched from his chair by some unseen internal force. On his way down he’d taken the chess set with him – the board was lying against his hip at a sharp angle. The man himself was lying with his face up to his beloved books, gnarled hands clutched to his chest, eyes screwed shut with pain as he gasped for breath. Rachel reached the ground and ran to him, dropping to her knees, clasping his fingers. She looked up at Toby.

‘Call an ambulance!’

Toby dropped his bag and hobbled for the counter. As he dialled 999 he saw Gilly, standing white-faced beside the stove. Bukowski had gone to his owner and was whining faintly as Ron stared at his friend with undisguised horror. Eustace was nowhere to be seen.

Toby asked for an ambulance but then realized how much else he did not know. ‘We’re in the lighthouse, at Newton Dunbar,’ he said. ‘It’s on the hill—’

Rachel supplied the postcode, her attention still fixed on Cullen. ‘Tell them to turn right at the gatehouse on Main Street and drive straight up to the door.’

Toby relayed this information and was told to stay on the line. Behind him there was a sudden flurry of movement – Gilly, making for the door.