9
A young man’s face appeared at the window. He was about James’s age and strikingly good-looking. I shrugged and put on a mime-act of shivering then walked to the window and said ‘help’ with exaggerated movements of my lips. If that didn’t give him the message, nothing would.
Creases appeared between his eyebrows. ‘Help’, I said again, glancing heavenwards to make my point, looking at him imploringly. The answer came back, mouthed as exaggeratedly as my own words: ‘OK.’
A minute later the front door opened a fraction. It was on three hefty security chains. The young man wasn’t taking any chances. His face appeared in the gap between door and jamb.
‘Who are you?’
‘I’m Zack, this is James. Our boat capsized and we can’t get home quickly enough to shelter from the storm. If you don’t le
