I watch Mia walk away, heading for the cliffs, and then disappear from view into the first tinge of dawn light.

When I turn back around, I see a man standing a few feet away. I let out a gasp of fright. I recognise him instantly. It’s the man from the pub who was watching me strangely and who told me about the island being haunted. He’s the man who’s been squatting in the castle, whose boat and gun we stole. How long has he been standing there? What did he see? Did he watch Mia and me together talking over the body?

‘What happened?’ he asks gruffly, nodding at Liam’s body.

My heart rattles like a freight train. I knew there was a risk if Mia and I kept on with our plan once we knew that he was on the island too, but it was a risk we had to take. We couldn’t back out. I did my best to keep Liam away from the castle, not wanting him to blame the wrong person, and I hoped that the man would steer clear of us too.

‘There was an accident,’ I stammer to the man. ‘He stood in an animal trap.’

He narrows his eyes at me. ‘That’s odd, that,’ he says. ‘Because I know this island back to front and there wasnae any trap here yesterday.’

Oh god. I can feel the tremor starting in my ankles, riding up to my knees. He glances at his shotgun, which I’m holding in my hand.

‘That’s mine,’ he says. ‘You stole it. And my boat.’ He reaches for it and snatches it out of my hand.

‘I’m sorry,’ I say, stumbling backwards. ‘And about the boat too. It capsized. I’ll pay you whatever it takes to replace it.’ I risk a look in his eyes. He’s scrutinising me with a hard stare, and I flush to the roots of my hair. He looks at Liam’s body. He knows I’m lying. He knows this was no accident.

He turns back to look at me. ‘No matter,’ he says.

My heart skips a beat. I blink at him not daring to breathe. But he says nothing more. He’s waiting for me to talk.

‘You’re a McKay, aren’t you?’ I blurt.

He frowns at me, taken aback, but I can see that I’m right.

‘It’s your mother and brother, Elliot, who are buried on the island, isn’t it?’ I ask, jerking my head in the direction of the churchyard.

‘How do you know that?’ he asks, gruffly, frowning at me.

‘I saw the flowers on the grave earlier.’