‘Greenbrooke hates us,’ she said, her voice low and venomous. ‘He tortured Wallace. He’s the reason all our missions have been getting longer, and also a lot more dangerous.’ She met my eyes. ‘And he especially hates me and Nadia. If I walked into Government House and tried to talk to Bramnik, I don’t know what might happen. For all I know, the Patriots might be put in charge of an investigation, and then we’d really be fucked.’

‘All right, so what now?’ I said. ‘I mean, I’m grateful you told me all this, but you’re acting as if you think I’m going to pick up where the first Jerry left off.’

Her nostrils flared. ‘Would that be so bad?’

I shook my head and chuckled. My comment hadn’t been serious, but clearly she didn’t see it that way. ‘Rozalia . . . I think you’re forgetting just how new here I am. I only just had my first real mission, and it was a complete disaster. And now . . . all this,’ I said, waving my hand. ‘I’m supposed to do what, exactly? Because I really don’t have any idea.’

There was a wild look in her eyes. ‘So you don’t want to know. Is that what you’re saying?’

‘It’s not that. It’s just . . .’ I sighed, collecting my thoughts. ‘I’m not a detective. I honestly don’t know what you expect me to actually do.’

Rozalia stood. ‘You need,’ she said, ‘to talk to Chloe Wicks. She knows more about the other Jerry than anyone else on this island.’

‘Chloe Wicks?’ I repeated. ‘I’ve barely even spoken to her, except the one time. How . . . ?’

Then I remembered the way she had kissed me so unexpectedly outside the entrance of the Hotel du Mauna Loa. Given what I now knew, the incident took on an entirely new and unexpected perspective.

‘You were together for some time,’ said Rozalia. ‘Nadia told me she saw what happened between you and her when Casey was putting on his show.’

‘It didn’t make any sense,’ I said. ‘I guess it does now.’

I followed Rozalia to the front door, where she stood on the threshold. ‘Does Chloe know anything about all this stuff you just told me?’ I asked.

‘Probably. Yes. I think so. Certainly Nadia spoke to her,’ she said, ‘after the first Jerry died. So? Are you going to talk to her?’

‘I guess. But maybe you should come with me,’ I said. ‘It might be better if you were—’

Rozalia shook her head. ‘I don’t think so,’ she said, forcing a smile. ‘But don’t wait too long.’ Her hand brushed my arm as she turned away, and then she was gone, walking out through the gate and down the empty street.