Page 41 of Dauntless

“Dauntless Island to Marine Area Command,” I said, and then repeated myself through the static.

It took a little while to answer.The channel was monitored, but rarely used.

“Marine Area Command here.Go ahead, Dauntless.”

“I need to report we have two possible missing persons and a land search underway,” I said.

“Copy that, Dauntless.Go with all the details.”

I hoped the guy was ready with a pen, because it was a long story.

* * *

Irejoined the search party on the point, my oilskin pulled tight to protect me from the bite of the wind.

“What’d the police say, Red Joe?”Verity Corporal asked, the wind tugging her red hair in all directions.

“To keep them informed,” I said.“They’ll send a boat over in the morning if we haven’t turned them up by then.”

Verity nodded, the beam of her torch bouncing along the tussocky ground.“No point searching at night anyway.Can’t see a bloody thing.”

In the faint distance, I could hear someone calling out John Coldwell’s name.

Shortly before nine, footsore and dispirited, our party returned to the church.

Nobody had found any sign of either John Coldwell or Eddie Hawthorne.

“Righto,” Short Clarry said.“The police will be here tomorrow.Go along home.Check your yards and your outbuildings, and we’ll get an early start on it in the morning.”

One or two people looked to me.

“We’ll get an early start in the morning,” I agreed.

Beside me, Short Clarry huffed, and I wondered if he thought I was overstepping his authority here.I was a Nesmith, but he was the mayor.Island politics could be as complicated as island family trees, and the two were mostly intertwined and impossible to untangle anyway.

The islanders dispersed slowly, and my feet ached at the thought of the long walk back up to the lighthouse.

“Cup of tea before you head back?”Short Clarry asked as we walked along the main street.“Something a little stronger, maybe?”

“Not tonight, thanks,” I said.“I’ll turn in, I think, while I can.”

Short Clarry clapped me on the shoulder.“See you first thing, then.”

I nodded and watched as Short Clarry walked toward his cottage.

I whistled for Hiccup, who came bounding out of the darkness, and we continued on our way.

We’d already started up the hill towards the point when I stopped suddenly.

Check your yards and your outbuildings, Short Clarry had said.But had anyone checked the yard at the museum?It was the former customs house, and there had once been a storage building out the back for seized goods.That had been knocked down years ago now, the stone used for other construction around the place, but the cellar remained.It had been used as an icehouse, back in the day.

Shit.

I turned and looked back towards the village.I didn’t want to walk all the way back there now, but I knew I wouldn’t sleep if I didn’t put my mind at ease.

I turned and headed back to the village, Hiccup looking at me like I was mad.

“I know,” I told her.“I know.Come on.”

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