station.â
Fraser took a last look at the body, half-buried, face down in the sand. It was unreal, not what happened in Skulavaig on quiet Saturday mornings. Not on this beach, his beach. Not in this life, his life. And suddenly he felt the crushing frustration of an adventure that was over before it had really begun. No more caves and castaways. A dead body brought all that to an end. As he moved back down the beach he carefully slipped the knife inside his belt and pulled his shirt over the top.
CHAPTER 10
H ayley followed Fraser back towards the harbour, not a word passing between them all the way. She wished sheâd stayed in the cottage and not made her discovery, wished sheâd told anyone but Fraser Dunbar, who made serious things even more serious. She wished she was back home in the heat of Austin, sitting on the bleachers watching the senior boys at football practice, or strolling down the mall with her friends, her old friends, Kayla and Megan and Abbie, spending imaginary dollars on dates and dances and proms yet to come.
The wishes gushed out of her now, as if someone had shaken a soda and popped the top. She wished her dad had not left home to be with another woman, wished her mom was less concerned with the displaced people of the world and more concerned with a displaced daughter, wished she was trusted enough and smart enough and old enough to live her own life, do her own thing, on her own terms.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Fraserâs whisper, as if Mr Wallace had listening devices hidden all over the harbour: âIâll stay here. You go on. Donât mention me.â
âYouâre coming too.â
âI canât.â
âWhy not?â
âIâm grounded, remember. Iâm not supposed to be here.â
âThat doesnât matter now.â
âIt will to my father. Besides, I have this.â Fraser tapped his waist where the knife was hidden.
âWe should give that to the harbour master.â
âNot yet. You just go on, it will be fine.â
Hayley scowled at the boy but she wanted this particular episode in her Nin nightmare to be over, wanted to forget that there was a dead man close by. This was not her responsibility. âWhere am I going?â
âOver there, in the Fishermanâs Mission. The harbour masterâs office is up the stairs.â
âWhat will I tell him?â
âJust say you think thereâs a body on the beach. Point him in the right direction but donât linger.â
Hayley had no intention of lingering. She was quite literally about to shake the sand from her shoes. She left Fraser crouched behind the wall and pulled herself on top of the jetty. She walked quickly to the building with the sign saying âFishermanâs Missionâ, wondered what mission a fisherman might have except to catch a lot of fish.
She pushed open the door and crept inside. The room was full of empty chairs, with a pool table in the middle, a large-screen television and dartboard fixed to opposite walls, and a smell of beer in the air. She slowly climbed the stairs, past photos of old boats, each wooden step creaking a warning that she was coming. When she reached the upper level there was another door with a nameplate bearing the inscription Mr Wallace, Harbour Master . Hayley knocked lightly on the door and entered. Compared to the dark staircase, this room was bright, sunlight pouring through a large window that looked out on the harbour.
The harbour master turned to face Hayley as she entered. A pair of binoculars hung around his neck and he wore some kind of dark blue uniform.
âMiss Risso,â he said. âWhat troubles you to come all the way up my creaky stairs?â
âThereâs a body on the beach,â Hayley blurted.
Mr Wallace moved his head to the side as if he had misheard. âWhat kind of body?â
âA dead body.â
âA whale?â
âNo, not a