Page 84 of A Scottish Island Summer

Campbell and Logan exchanged frowns.

‘What happened then?’ I asked.

‘Well, I let out a polite cough and he almost jumped through the library ceiling. Then he got all agitated, clicked away from the screen and started asking me if I was in the habit of creeping up on people.’

‘Very odd,’ muttered Campbell, to no one in particular.

‘That’s why I wanted to speak to you,’ explained Ava with greater urgency. ‘He’s lying. Why though, I don’t know.’

I could see Campbell mulling over what Ava had just said. ‘I came back to Skye, because I don’t want to give up on finding the cross. I still believe it’s here.’ He fished around in his coat pocket. ‘I don’t suppose you’ve any idea who might have written this letter?’ He handed it to Ava. ‘Or maybe you recognise the handwriting?’

Ava slid the letter from the rumpled white envelope and began to read. When she’d finished, she shook her head. ‘Sorry, I don’t.’

Ava observed Campbell accept the letter back from her and slip it back into his coat pocket. ‘Where did you get it? The letter?’

‘It was posted through the door at The Gorse where I’m staying. It’s all rather cloak and dagger.’

Ava’s eyes popped. ‘My goodness.’

Campbell gave his coat pocket a pat. ‘Whoever wrote this, thinks the same as you, that our local librarian knows more than he’s letting on.’

Ava nodded. ‘But I always thought the cross was just a figment of someone’s imagination.’

Logan agreed. ‘You’re not the only one to think that.’ He glanced around at our expectant faces. ‘I think we need to keep this quiet for now. The fewer people that know, the better. We don’t want Skye turned into some treasure hunter’s fun fair.’

We all nodded in agreement.

‘And if our search does come to a dead end,’ pointed out Campbell, ‘we won’t look like a bunch of silly buggers. I’ve been there, done that and got the t-shirt.’

At that moment, my mobile trilled out. ‘Oh, excuse me a second.’

I fished it out of my bag by my feet. Justine’s name shone up at me.

I’d just reached Ava’s hallway, so I could take the call, when Justine’s voice purred down the line. ‘Just wanted to check in again with you and find out how things are going? You haven’t sent me an update or been in touch very much the last couple of days, darling.’

I chewed my lip, trying not to stare at Logan through the crack in Ava’s partially closed sitting room door. ‘Good, thanks. I’ve been busy,’ I replied, hoping to inject an innocent lightness into my voice.

‘I hope so! What are you doing at the moment? I need to feed back to the publishers about the progress you’re making.’

A guilty rush raced through me. I didn’t want to admit that I’d been so preoccupied with Logan and the Campbell affair, that my research for my travel guidebook was beginning to take a bit of a back seat.

I also realised with a stunned jolt that I hadn’t been checking out social media anywhere near as much as normal. Was this some sort of record for me? It must be. And the weird thing was, I hadn’t missed it.

‘We need to ramp things up,’ persisted Justine, oblivious to my social media revelations. ‘Get more people talking about you, accumulate even more of those likes. Any ideas?’

‘For what?’ I asked, my attention straying again to admire Logan’s stubbly profile through Ava’s sitting room door.

‘For this week’s lottery numbers. For drawing attention away from Miss hippy chic, of course. What else would I be talking about? It’s bad enough she’s secured a place on that reality TV show!’

I tried to focus on my agent’s rant.

‘We need to get you a few more column inches. You’re beginning to lag behind, Darcie.’ She hesitated. ‘I must say, you’re taking the latest news about our friend River very well. I thought you’d go ballistic.’

‘What news?’ I’d no idea what Justine was talking about.

Justine’s tone became hesitant. ‘Ah. So, you don’t know then?’

‘Justine, I wouldn’t be asking if I did.’ God, she loved to dramatize everything.