Page 84 of The High Island

When he smiled widely at that, she was caught off guard.

‘I have every intention of returning to Lyness safe and sound with you,’ he told her firmly. And with that, he strode off up the beach, his broad bright beam casting its light over the water.

Relieved, Jo turned and headed in the opposite direction, her aim to get as close to distant Hoy as possible. As she walked, mobile held up in anticipation, she replayed what had just happened.

Whoever was on the mystery boat had realized that someone was on the island. But, she registered, they’d had no wish to engage with them or indeed harm them. Choosing instead to keep them there a little longer by setting theAngeladrift, assuming they hadn’t sabotaged her.

They’d arrived, dived and left in the space of two hours. Might that be the last time they’d use this location, now that they’d been spotted here? And were they depositing something or removing it?

She stuck to the shoreline, using her police torch to light the way, while still holding up her mobile in the hope that she might catch a signal. They’d been too long away, and Ivan, she knew, would be worried by her no-show back at the guest house.

The likelihood was that he would have phoned Erling by now, which might result in a call-out for the coastguard. Something told her such a flurry of activity wouldn’t be beneficial to the investigation, alerting whoever might yet come to pick up the cargo, if it was still there.

Much better if they could get off the island, report back on what they’d seen and deliver the photographs they’d taken of the mystery boat.

But their presence had already unnerved those onboard, otherwise why set theAngeladrift? Or was it a cautionary move, perhaps? They couldn’t know there was a police officer on Cava. More likely they thought the boat belonged to folk coming to camp for the night. Just as Erling and Magnus had done as teenagers all those years ago.

It was at this point in her thoughts she realized she might just have a signal. Faint, but there nonetheless. Staying in that exact place, she laid down her torch and, arms held high, attempted to make her call.

The promise of a ringing tone was short-lived, however. Retrieving her torch, she checked her surroundings for an area of higher ground. Spotting a cluster of rocks, she made for them. Then, pocketing the phone, she began to scramble up, conscious now that the wind had risen and was buffeting her head-on.

Once she gained the highest rock, she would turn her back on the wind and try again, she decided.

The moon chose that moment to reappear, its light dispensing the immediate need for her torch. Cooried down behind the topmost rock, she had a view of the coastline as far as the ruin where they’d hidden, plus the headland Ethan had been making for.

And there was a light, Ethan’s light. As it played across the water, it met and merged with the moonlight . . . and then she saw theAngel, glowing red and not too far from shore.

Ethan had seen it too and was walking towards it. Into the water and the breaking waves.

What was the man doing? Was he mad?

She found herself trying to shout, but the wind was onshore and it grabbed her words and flung them back at her. Swearing under her breath, she watched, helpless, while Ethan’s orange-coated figure appeared to stumble as a bigger wave broke over him.

Then he disappeared from view, or his light did, and the area around him was swallowed by darkness. Glancing up, she realized the moon had also deserted them.

Her heart pounding, she contemplated running towards him, knowing that if he had been submerged, there was little time to get near enough to help.

Checking her mobile, she found a signal again, stronger than before, and pressed the call button. It rang out once, then a voice answered. And that voice was Erling’s.

‘Cava!’ she shouted above the wind. ‘We’re stuck on Cava.’

Then she was off and, slithering down the rocks, began to run across the grass that hugged the shoreline, her torchlight bumping along ahead of her as her heart thumped loudly in her chest to match.

And all the while her eyes were on the Flow, searching for a glimpse of that orange jacket.

Where the hell was he? Was he in the water? Under the water? Already drowned?

She cursed Ethan to hell and back as she departed the grass and dropped onto the pebbles, her speed now hampered as her feet slipped on the polished stones or, worse still, sunk into them and were swallowed up.

Twice she landed on her knees and had to scramble up again,her eyes still searching for a flash of colour or another sighting of the redAngel.

41

Erling sat in the bow, directing the beam of light towards the shore. The half-moon helped, when it broke free of the swiftly passing clouds. Plus both he and Magnus were familiar with Cava, having visited the island multiple times to camp as teenagers, away from the watchful eyes of grown-ups.

The call from Jo had been short, but clear enough to confirm that she and Ethan Howie were still on the island for some reason. He definitely didn’t think it was from choice, which suggested that Ethan’s boat was the problem. Either it was damaged or no longer available.

A number of scenarios had been running through his mind from the moment he’d taken her abrupt call, along with relief that at least they now knew where they were. Just not the why of it.