He smiled for the first time and added, ‘ And I can give you the full ten-cents tour. A little local history, a few stories, eh?’

‘Okay. How much?’

‘Five hundred dollars should just about cover it.’

‘Five hundred!’

‘You gonna’ tell me how much you’re gettin’ paid to take them pictures? I bet it’s a lot more ’an five hundred. That’s the price.. an’ if I hear back from some other skipper that they offered you cheaper, well, more fool them.’

Chris looked up and down the wharf. There really was only Will’s boat that looked good to go.

‘Looks like a seller’s market. I don’t think you’re going to be able to haggle him down any,’ said Mark under his breath.

Chris turned back to Will. ‘Four hundred and you got a deal.’

The old man waved at Chris. ‘Been nice talkin’ to you.’ He headed back towards the hatch on the foredeck.

‘Bollocks,’ Chris muttered. ‘Five hundred, then.’

Will turned back round to face them. ‘I’ll take that in bills, if you don’t mind. We don’t do American Express round here.’

‘Cash? Yeah, I guess I can do that. So what time can you set off tomorrow night? I’m pretty keen to get over and see the — ’

‘Settin’ off tonight sound good to you boys?’

Chris and Mark exchanged glances. ‘Sure.’

‘Be back here at nine o’clock then, and bring my five hundred dollars.’ Will winked at Chris. ‘Pleasure doin’ business with you.’

Chapter 3

Heading Out

At nine-thirty the trawler finally chugged noisily away from the wharf and passed Leonard’s Spur, a small rocky island about an acre in size and linked to the mainland by a sandy spit. A single flashing beacon on a tall metal spire marked it out.

Will hugged the channel tightly and passed close by the wet rocks of the spur that seemed to twitch and move with the pulsing flicker of the beacon’s light.