Kane went back to the community center. He tried to establish the route Petra would have been expected to take, and therefore the location of Lauren Carter’s home. A narrow path ran alongside the center toward the northern edge of the village. He followed it, past more attempts at cultivating growth, until a residential property came into view. It stood alone, with a lot of rusting machinery in the front yard—a washing machine, a Kawasaki motorbike—all in the process of being assembled or disassembled or both. Kane stepped past the repair work to an open window and stopped. A girl sat just inside the window, staring vacantly into space.

Kane recognized Lauren from Rory’s Polaroids. He hadn’t expected her to be there, but there she was, sitting alone in the front room. Now he felt overly hasty and conspicuous. Her fair hair was plaited. She wore a pink hoodie though even in the shade it must have been hot. She sat very still.

Kane listened for sounds of anyone else in the house. He tried to think of some pretext on which to speak to her. For the first time in his operational career, he came up blank.

He stumbled on the loose ground and she turned sharply. Her lips parted and he saw the train-track braces on her teeth.

“Sorry to disturb you,” he said. The girl watched him. He stepped closer. “My name’s Edward. I just arrived on the island. Got myself a bit lost.”

The girl nodded slowly, as if the truth of this was deeper than he realized.

“Is there a garage near here?” Kane continued. “Somewhere I can get petrol?”

“I don’t think so.”

“But this is Two Boats.”

“Yes.”

Kane took his map from his bag and unfolded it.

“Could you show me exactly where we are?”

She got up. As she approached the window, he saw her expression change. Kane turned and saw a man with shopping bags approaching through the front garden.

“What are you doing?” he said.

“He’s lost, Dad.”

“What do you want?” Lauren’s father stared at Kane, red-faced and breathless.

“I just drove here from Georgetown but I need petrol, and I wasn’t sure where you’re meant to fill up. First day on the island. Someone said One Boat, but I’m not sure where that is.”

“One Boat’s that way, back past the store.”

“Okay. I must have missed it. Thank you. And thank you, too.” Kane turned to the girl, who had stepped back deeper into the shadows of her home.

He felt the man staring at him as he walked away, through the village, through blinding sunlight. Felt the heat of the father’s stare and an irrational guilt, entwined.

What had Lauren Carter seen?

Inseparable. The three of them.