James teams up with Red to try and find out what has happened to Red’s cousin, Alfie, who has gone missing on Loch Silverfin. Red is a cockney petty criminal and he teaches James a thing or two about fighting dirty.
‘Red was half-smiling, as if he knew James didn’t believe his story for one minute, but might think it was a good game anyway. Although a few years older than James, he wasn’t much bigger and he had a scrunched up, wiry body and quick clever eyes…’