Page 44 of A Scottish Island Summer

Logan’s generous mouth hitched up at one corner. ‘I never used to. The likes of the chakra tumble stones and jewellery pieces were Iona’s idea.’ He pulled the shop door key out of his canvas trouser pocket. ‘She said it would attract a more diverse clientele and appeal to the tourists. I was happy with my celestites and apophyllites.’

‘Sounds painful.’

Logan pushed a sarcastic expression at me. ‘Very funny.’ He gave the black granite style shop door a rattle. ‘Doesn’t look like anyone has broken in. Better just check inside.’

I followed him in off the deserted street, the murmur of the water in the harbour just a short walk away the only noise breaking the silence.

‘That’s strange,’ Logan remarked, flicking on the light switch just inside the door. ‘The security alarm doesn’t seem to have been tripped.’

A further set of spotlights bathed the darkened interior of the shop in an almost ethereal, vanilla hue.

It illuminated the cherrywood floor and silver fittings.

Shelves ran along the walls, groaning under the weight and responsibility of more impressive stones and alien-like clusters of crystals.

At the far wall was the counter and till and there were a number of paintings filling the space, depicting rock caves on Skye, with mountains with names like ‘Edin bane’ and ‘Oisgill’.

Logan made his way around the interior of Rock God. ‘It doesn’t look like anything’s been taken either.’

‘So, it was probably only a cat then.’ I yawned. I’d better get myself together. Logan was taking me on a local nature walk after this, and I didn’t want to look like a London softie.

Logan sighed and rifled a hand through his hair. ‘Sorry, Darcie. Seems like it was a wasted trip.’ He hesitated. ‘But I definitely thought I saw something or someone lurking outside.’

I admired a Skye marble sphere on one of the shelves. ‘Probably your imagination. Sometimes, our eyes and our minds play tricks on us. At least we didn’t get here to find the place ransacked and your takings gone.’

Logan looked like he was about to laugh. ‘Aye, they’d have a fine old time with the takings I’ve had recently.’

I frowned at him. Sounded like Rock God could do so much better.

Logan cast another look around the premises, wandering into the back of the shop to check his office and the store room.

Once he was satisfied nothing had been taken, he held the shop door open for me and we strode back out onto the silent pavement.

The other shops huddled together, their windows sparking with the splinters of more pearly morning light breaking through.

It was just as Logan was locking up again that there was a loud clattering sound. It seemed to come from the left-hand lane, which snaked its way down past Rock God.

I gasped. ‘What the hell was that?’

But Logan was already on his way to investigate. He started to edge down the side of the shop. ‘Sounds like it was the bins.’ He studied me. ‘Still a cat?’

‘Let’s hope so,’ I muttered.

Logan was now striding faster away from me, into the shadowy lane. ‘Hey. Hold on!’ I hissed at his back.

There was a set of plastic bins lined up like soldiers right down the far end and an old rusty gate that looked like it led out into the next street. A couple of other metallic bins had been knocked over, their contents spilling everywhere. That must’ve been what we heard.

‘Do you think it could be a prowler?’ My voice came out in a worried hush.

Logan looked at me. ‘Whoever it is or whatever it is, you’re with me.’ He shot me a reassuring smile. ‘I’m Rock God, remember?’

My stomach fluttered like the branches of a tree on a windy day.

I gathered myself. ‘Look, let’s just leave. It was most likely a cat who knocked those bins over, and there’s no sign of a break-in; you said so yourself.’

Logan and I set about up righting the bins and stuffing the assorted rubbish back inside.

‘Yeah. You’re probably right. Come on.’