‘Do you know what that is?’ I asked. ‘Did the other Jerry ever tell you the story about it?’

She opened her mouth and closed it. ‘He always wore it around his neck.’ She paused. ‘I’ve seen you wearing it too, but I don’t recall seeing it recently.’

I nodded. ‘I lost this when I was in the river with Nadia. It was gone, Rozalia.’

‘So how the hell did it get into Wallace Deans’ . . . ?’ Her eyes grew round and wide, and she stared at the coin as if seeing it for the first time. ‘Oh.’

By some unconscious agreement, we followed the scent of brine and seaweed towards the harbour, a short walk from Wallace’s home. ‘All I know concerning my predecessor’s death is that it was some kind of stupid accident,’ I said. ‘Except later, of course, Nadia started wondering if maybe it wasn’t some stupid accident after all, but deliberate. There must have been at least some kind of investigation into what happened to the other Jerry when he died, right?’

She nodded. ‘There was a short inquiry, yes.’

‘So what do you know about the circumstances of his death? Was he alone, or was there anyone else with him at the time?’

‘The way I heard it,’ said Rozalia, ‘he’d headed off to explore some ruins on an alternate, and climbed up high inside the remains of some building. He lost his footing and fell.’

‘But there’s always at least a two-man team, isn’t there? So who was the other guy?’

‘Haden,’ she said. She nodded as if remembering something. ‘He was first on the scene. But by the time he got there, well . . . your other self was already dead.’

‘Could Haden have . . . ?’

She shook her head. ‘I know what you’re thinking, but no. They had a couple of wheeled drones with them at the time, and Haden was visible in the camera of one of them when your predecessor died. He was nowhere near Jerry and didn’t manage to get to him for some minutes. By the time he did, it was too late.’

‘Wallace Deans is supposed to be some kind of computer wizard,’ I said. ‘Given what I just found in his house, isn’t it at least possible he had something to do with it?’

She nodded. ‘It’s possible, in theory at least. As a matter of fact, I was on that expedition along with Wallace as well – but we were both back at the staging area, maybe a hundred kilometres from where your predecessor was when he had his fatal fall. I’d say that puts Wallace in the clear.’ She frowned. ‘Or at least, I think it does.’

‘Nadia told me once that Wallace has a reputation for sticky fingers.’

Rozalia chuckled. ‘Yeah. The man’s a full-blooded kleptomaniac, which gives credence to the idea he maybe stole it from your predecessor.’