‘We all know why we’re here.’

  The room fell silent.

  ‘With the vote very much upon us, we’re here one last time to air what we think is right. The island is divided. Half of you can sit there telling yourself what I’m proposing is nonsense, but yet another idiot cost us time and money this morning.’

  Verity had no clue what Sam was talking about but he wasn’t beating around the bush. The way he was speaking, it sounded as though he was on a mission about something. He seemed rattled.

  ‘Automatic barriers are the only way forward.’

  ‘Nonsense,’ shouted out a voice from the front.

  ‘As an island we need to come together on this one. Automatic barriers that come down when the tide is rising will stop reckless drivers getting stuck on the causeway and having to be rescued.’

  Sam had Verity’s full attention now. Her eyes widened, her heart began to pound, and she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. That idiot he was talking about…was her. How dare he! Who did he think he was? It had been a genuine mistake! She felt the urge to defend herself but she had to do everything in her power not to make her presence known. She wanted to see how this would play out.

  ‘Drivers must take more responsibility and read the tide times. Oh, and stop ignoring the signs that it’s not safe to cross. They don’t take it seriously, and lives are at risk. Not forgetting the fact that the cost of rescues is increasing every year,’ added Sam.

  ‘Barriers would make no difference.’

  Verity realised the voice coming from the front of the hall was Pete.

  ‘You’re always going to get people who think they know better.’

  ‘I second Pete. Automatic barriers on the causeway will disrupt lives and cause potential problems in emergency situations,’ stated Cora.

  ‘Hear hear,’ said Pete and everyone sitting on the right side of the room voiced their agreement.

  ‘It’s a risk living on the island,’ Sam replied, ‘because ambulances can’t get through when the tide is high, making it difficult getting people to hospital in an emergency. We all know that, and accept it. The fact of the matter is that barriers will help to save lives.’

  Pete stood up and pointed towards Sam. ‘We all know what happened many years ago. The tide was high when that tourist suffered a heart attack and the ambulance couldn’t get across the causeway, and neither the rescue helicopters nor the inshore lifeboat was available. That man was saved because the coastguard Land Rover was able to drive through three-feet-deep water on the causeway to the waiting ambulance on the mainland. If there were automatic barriers it wouldn’t have been able to get through and that man would have probably died.’

  The argument was beginning to get heated.

  ‘It sounded like you cared there for a moment, Pete. It’s a shame people died on your coastguard watch.’

  The crowd fell quiet and Verity could hear sharply indrawn breaths all around the room. She wasn’t sure what was going on here but it was obvious this had nothing to do with automatic barriers anymore.

  ‘There’s no need to get personal, Sam,’ said the woman Verity had followed from the antique shop. ‘That was a bit below the belt.’

  There was a murmur of agreement around the room.

  Red-faced, Pete stood up. ‘I can’t listen to any more of this.’ Clutching his flat cap, he walked straight out of the hall, catching Verity’s eye as he passed. There were tears in his eyes and she could see that he was genuinely upset. She cast a glance back towards Sam, who raked his hand through his hair.

  ‘Automatic barriers will help to save more lives than not. If it wasn’t for me seeing yet another tourist without any common sense driving along the causeway this morning, then they would have been stranded with no means of communication. Their own stupidity could have resulted in their death.’

  Verity didn’t want to hear any more. She stood up and immediately caught Sam’s eye. She stared at him with a cold expression. She wasn’t stupid; the clock had stopped. He knew it had been a genuine mistake and yet he’d made her out to be a complete idiot. She was fuming. People were inevitably going to find out it was her, because no doubt word would get round the island very quickly. From the look of surprise that quickly registered on Sam’s face, she knew he was shocked to see her there. They continued to stare at each other for a brief second before she haughtily turned and walked out of the hall. He had no right to talk about her in that way, and it was unkind to talk to Pete that way in front of everyone, no matter what was going on between them. Pete was entitled to his opinion, just like everyone else.

  Already striding across the bay, Pete was heading towards the cliff path when he stopped, wiped his handkerchief across his brow and sat down on a nearby bench. Verity was a little unsure what she had witnessed but she knew that was a side to Sam she didn’t like at all, and she felt bad for Pete. She walked towards the bench.

  ‘Pete, are you okay?’

  He turned and looked towards her. ‘Do I know you?’ he said, stuffing his handkerchief back in his pocket.

  ‘I was up on the cliff top yesterday and you asked me to leave. I shouldn’t have been on your property and I want to apologise. And…I’m not sure what was going on in there but I don’t like to see anyone upset.’

  ‘You’re not a resident; you shouldn’t have been in there.’

  ‘I’m this morning’s idiot.’ She hoped admitting to it would soften Pete a little, but unfortunately that didn’t seem to be the case.

  ‘It’s people like you that help his cause to get those barriers installed. It’s not difficult to understand that you shouldn’t drive on the causeway at certain times. If there’s water over the road, stay clear.’ He stood abruptly and walked off, leaving Verity standing there in silence, watching him head towards the coastal path. She perched on the bench wondering what the hell Sam and Pete’s argument was really about. She really didn’t like the way Sam had spoken about her, or spoken to Pete.

  Being a professional businessman, Sam should know there were ways of getting your point across without making personal attacks on others. Hearing voices behind her she turned to find that the islanders were beginning to spill out of the building and disperse. She spotted Sam immediately but he quickly turned away. She didn’t mind; he was the last person she wanted to get into conversation with at the minute.

  ‘Here she is, the village idiot Sam has just been talking about. There’s always one, you know.’ Clemmie gave a chuckle. ‘Nice outfit, by the way. I used to wear something similar.’

  Verity’s two new friends were grinning as they plonked themselves either side of her on the bench.

  ‘You’re not funny! And don’t try and make me smile. I’m livid. Who does he think he is, calling me an idiot in front of the whole island? It was a genuine mistake.’

  Amelia nudged her elbow. ‘It’s a little funny. Fancy driving over the causeway when you could actually see water on the road.’

  ‘Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I honestly just thought it must be really shallow as I had checked the tide times but…’

  ‘Ahh, don’t worry about Sam, he’s just very passionate about saving lives. Though sometimes he expresses it a little too passionately. It doesn’t help that the island is completely divided about what to do.’

  ‘This family feud has been going on a few months,’ admitted Clemmie.

  ‘And which side of the camp are you two on?’

  ‘Don’t ask,’ replied Amelia with a smile.

  ‘Different camps,’ confirmed Clemmie. ‘But we aren’t going to fall out over it.’

  ‘Is that why Sam and Pete don’t like each other? You could have cut the tension between them with a knife.’

  ‘Let’s just say their dislike for each other runs a lot deeper than the causeway.’ Clemmie gave Amelia a pointed look, which Verity noticed, but neither woman elaborated. Verity took it to mean that that was island business and if you didn’t know, you didn’t need to know.

  ‘My point is that if there were automatic barriers and they were down you wouldn’t have been able to cross the causeway and your lovely travelling van wouldn’t be fighting for its life up at Nathan’s garage,’ added Clemmie, leaving Verity in no doubt what camp she belonged to.

  ‘Have you been hanging out in the rescue hut all this time?’ asked Amelia.

  ‘Sam rescued me then he took me back to Cosy Nook Cottage.’ Clemmie already knew where she’d been, so Verity sat back on the bench to watch Amelia’s reaction. It didn’t disappoint. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

  ‘Really? Why would he do that? There’s a cabin at the coastguard hut for stranded idiots.’

  ‘Hey, less of the idiot,’ protested Verity, rolling her eyes.

  ‘Sorry I couldn’t resist.’

  ‘Yesterday, settling your bill and today…there’s something going on here.’ She waggled her finger in Verity’s direction.

  ‘There’s nothing going on – and after he’s just stood up in front of everyone and called me an idiot, there definitely won’t be anything going on in the future. I’ve got a few choice words of my own I’d quite like to say to him.’ Verity didn’t share that only last night butterflies had taken flight in her stomach when they’d taken a moonlit dip together and shared a drink before she tucked herself up inside Hetty.

  ‘Mmm, I’m not convinced. I saw those looks between you both when he was singing in the pub. The electricity sparking between you could have powered the whole of Puffin Island for a week.’

  ‘You have a wonderful imagination, which is good, considering you’re a writer,’ Verity remarked good-humouredly, but her mind was fixed firmly on Amelia’s words. If she’d noticed the spark between them, it surely had to be real.

  ‘What’s your plan now?’ asked Clemmie.

  ‘That’s what I’m just contemplating. I need to find out what’s happening to my van and how bad the damage is. Then I’ll make a decision.’

  ‘I need to go and open the bookshop.’

  ‘And I need to open the tearoom, but let us know your next move.’

  ‘I will. I’ll go now and check up on the van so I can consider my options.’

  Verity watched as Clemmie and Amelia headed towards Lighthouse Lane, passing Sam, who was standing on the corner of the lane chatting with Dan and Cora. As she stood up she caught his eye. They stared at each other for a moment before she turned and headed towards the cliff top, knowing she needed to let her anger subside before she said anything to him.

  As she reached the cliff top path, the view of the puffins in the distance put a smile on her face. They were all huddled together in their pairs and Verity thought it was comical that each of them knew who their partner puffin was, despite all looking the same. Reaching the top of the cliff, she spotted Pete standing with a group of people outside his cottage. They had an official look about them and were huddled over what looked like a huge map spread out on top of the patio table. Pete was pointing to the map with a long stick but they all looked up as she walked past. Verity gave them a wave without hesitation and carried on walking towards the garage.

  Cliff Top Garage was exactly that, a garage on the cliff top. There were a couple of open bays with vehicles on ramps. In one corner was a stack of tyres, a workbench piled with tools, safety signs and oily rags. A small waiting area housed a couple of plastic chairs, and a radio was blaring out. In one of the bays, a man was working under the bonnet of a car.

  ‘Excuse me,’ she said.

  The man looked up, then moved away from the bonnet. At a guess he was in his early thirties, approximately six feet tall and with a chiselled jawline that was just about visible through the grease on his face.

  He smiled. ‘Can I help you?’

  ‘Nathan?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Hi, I’m Verity, I believe you’re undertaking a post mortem on my van.’

  ‘Ah, so you’re the⁠—’

  ‘Please don’t call me an idiot,’ she cut in, smiling.

  ‘I was going to say the woman who can’t tell the time. You tourists do like to do whatever you can to keep me in a job, don’t you?’

  ‘I don’t like the label, but I have to admit I am feeling a bit of an idiot.’

  ‘There are some idiots who attempt to drive the causeway for fun but there are some genuine mistakes.’

  ‘And are you for or against automatic barriers?’

  ‘I keep out of the island’s politics.’ He grinned.

  ‘Probably the best way.’ Verity noticed the sign at the entrance of the garage and laughed. ‘Is that the garage’s motto – “Wheel be all right!”? But the question is, will my van?’

  ‘There she is.’ Nathan pointed. Hetty was parked at the side of the garage. All of her doors were wide open and the bonnet was propped open too.

  ‘It’s going to be a sunny day, so I suggest you take out the mattress and so on and any belongings that could dry out in the sun. There’s even a washing line there to hang up any clothes or duvets.’

  ‘A garage with a washing line. I’ve never seen that before.’

  ‘It’s an essential piece of kit, believe me. It comes in handy in situations like yours.’

  They walked over to the van.

  ‘Have you got the results of the post mortem? I’m assuming it’s not going to be good with water in the engine?’ Verity crossed her fingers. ‘I’ve put so much work into this van. It should have been my travelling home for the next six months.’

  ‘A small amount of water in the intake cylinders won’t harm anything as long as it isn’t enough to hydrolock the engine.’

  ‘Which means?’

  Nathan smiled. ‘That means the water can’t take up more space than is left when the piston gets to the top.’

  Verity knew she had a look of confusion on her face. She had no clue what any of that meant. ‘And again, in idiot’s language that means?’

  ‘Water won’t compress, so the result is physical damage. But if the damage is minor, I can restore the engine with a new set of spark plugs and a change of fluids and oils. There is a possibility, if the engine has suffered from severe hydrolocking, it will require more in-depth repairs. You’re next on my list so it shouldn’t be too long before I have answers. I’ll just finish off the car I’m working on. Feel free to hang up anything you wish. There’s cleaning products and clean cloths on that shelf over there.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  Nathan soon had his head back under the bonnet of the car inside the workshop. Verity stepped inside the van and looked around. She was pleasantly surprised to see it wasn’t as bad as she’d thought it would be. The water hadn’t reached the height of the bed and the mattress was still dry. Water had seeped in through the doors and some food items in the bottom cupboards had been ruined but everything else didn’t seem that bad. She just prayed the engine wasn’t badly damaged.

  Taking a mop and bucket, Verity began to mop up the excess water on the van’s floor then moved on to the lower cupboards, throwing away the spoiled food.

  An hour later, she sat down on one of the chairs. ‘Have you always lived on the island?’ she asked Nathan, who still had his head under the car’s bonnet.

  ‘Ten years now. My grandparents used to bring me on day trips from Sea’s End and I was obsessed with all the boats in the harbour. I was always a tinkerer. Taking things apart and putting them back together. One summer I took apart my dad’s lawn mower and couldn’t put it back together so he got me a job in the local boathouse to keep me from destroying anything else, and I worked there until an opportunity came up at this place. I took an apprenticeship and when the gaffer retired ten years ago, I bought him out and moved into his place on the island while he retired to the South of France.’

  ‘Very nice,’ replied Verity. ‘This place is so beautiful and working up here… I mean, look at that view.’

  Nathan stood up and looked out across the sea. ‘I couldn’t think of working or living anywhere else.’

  ‘You’re very lucky. It must feel like you’re constantly on holiday.’

  ‘It did when I first moved onto the island, even though I had been working here for years and the islanders had already adopted me as one of their own.’

  ‘That’s lovely,’ replied Verity. ‘What’s that building next to you?’

  ‘That’s puffin headquarters.’

  ‘And that is?’

  ‘It used to be Pete’s veterinary practice before he retired. He still uses it from time to time to rescue injured puffins and still cares for any injured domestic animals on the island if the tide is in.’

  Watching the group of people standing on the cliff top outside Pete’s cottage, Verity asked, ‘What exactly are they doing? It all looks very official.’

  ‘It is. They take their puffin counting very seriously. The puffin census starts tomorrow but they’re a ranger down. I noticed this morning they’ve appealed for someone to step in and help out, but most of the islanders have their own businesses, which would mean closing for a few days.’

  ‘And what does the ranger do?’

  ‘Counts the puffins.’ He grinned.

  ‘I suppose that was a stupid question.’

  ‘Not at all,’ Nathan said kindly. ‘Now, I should probably crack on under this bonnet.’ He wiped his hands on an oily rag. ‘Then we can see if I’m writing a death certificate for that van of yours.’

  Still watching the rangers, Verity found her thoughts tumbling over in her mind, and before she could stop herself, she began walking towards them. Pete was towering over the map, which was held down at the corners by four stones.