We search for it, Liam rummaging through the built-in cupboards in the hallway and under the stairs, and me looking in the kitchen. ‘Who will you call?’ I ask as we search.

‘The housekeeper, I suppose. Though I don’t know if I’ve even got her number. We just communicated by email. I could find it though. Worst comes to the worst I can call the pub back on the mainland, someone might know her.’

‘I’ve found it,’ I call out suddenly, pulling what looks like a large TV remote out of a drawer by the cooker. I hand it to Liam. ‘That’s it, isn’t it?’ I ask.

It looks like a walkie-talkie. Liam takes it and searches for the on switch. He presses it but the phone stays dead in his hand.

‘What’s the matter?’ I say as he keeps playing with the buttons.

‘It’s not working,’ he says, frustrated. ‘Damn it.’

‘That’s weird.’ I examine the packaging it came in. ‘It looks brand new.’

‘The battery must be dead,’ Liam says, sighing. ‘Does it have a charger?’ he asks.

I search through the drawer. ‘No, I can’t see one.’

‘Why would you have a satellite phone with no charger? That’s ridiculous!’ He’s getting agitated.

I keep searching through the other drawers, trying to find one. ‘Would it work with an iPhone charger?’

Liam shakes his head. ‘No. It looks like it needs a special one.’

He helps me search through the remaining drawers, but we come up empty-handed. ‘Damn,’ he says, letting out an angry sigh. ‘Maybe, we should see if we can get a mobile phone signal somewhere on the island.’

‘The boatman said there wasn’t any service out here.’

‘There might be if we can get high enough. On the cliffs perhaps.’

I hesitate. ‘But what if … whoever it is is out there? What if they follow us?’

Liam pulls a face. ‘So? I’m not scared of them. In fact, I want to find them so I can have a word with them.’

It’s the last thing I want to do, but I have no choice.

‘Come on,’ Liam says, grabbing his phone from the coffee table. ‘Bring yours too, just in case.’

Chapter Eleven

We start walking along the beach, though Liam is practically marching, and I have to hurry to match his pace. The bonfire from last night has left a charred scar on the sand. As we pass it, we glance at the chairs still sitting beside the remains of the fire: reminders of how our evening was ruined.

‘What do you think they want?’ I ask Liam.

He shakes his head. ‘I don’t know. Maybe it’s not a treasure hunter. It could just be a homeless person. Someone who’s living on the island. Trespassing.’

‘But how would they survive out here year-round?’ I ask. The winters must be brutal – not to mention fresh water and electricity.