Here’s something I learned during that last conversation with Bramnik: he believes the Patriots really are trying to take over operations on Easter Island. That’s the main reason he keeps getting called away as much as he does – he’s in deep shit on whatever alternate they all come from. He explained that he’s under investigation himself back there – for what, he didn’t specify – and Agent Greenbrooke himself is involved in that investigation in some senior capacity.

After I got home, I spent a couple of days thinking about what I had learned. Who knew as much about the Howlers, for instance, as me or Rozalia or Winifred, both of whom I trusted implicitly? Who had the field experience on that alternate, that they would know just how those animals might react were you to smoke them out in the middle of the day?

That’s when I decided to start keeping an eye on Casey.

I looked up at the other two. Rozalia had her hand to her mouth.

‘Don’t stop now, for pity’s sake,’ she said.

I cleared my throat and kept going.

I realized that Casey had a habit of being around whenever things went wrong. During the last few weeks I made sure to keep close tabs on him, even volunteering for the same missions. As closely as I watched him, I saw and heard nothing to raise my suspicions and started to think I was chasing down the wrong alley.

Then, one day, while I was back on the island and walking across town from Nadia and Rozalia’s place, I saw Wallace and Casey heading off for one of those fishing trips they always seem to be taking together up along the coast. I was feeling frustrated and concerned by the fact that Bramnik still had not yet returned, and I found myself following them from a distance. They were making their way on foot out past the suburbs, carrying rods and fishing tackle and the whole damn works. It was getting dark, so I knew I’d be able to keep a reasonable distance without too much risk of them figuring out they were being followed.

They were making their way towards a wharf on the east coast, just north of the base compound, when they suddenly came to a stop, looking around like they wanted to make certain nobody was watching them. I made sure to hide somewhere I could still keep an eye on them, and I saw them stow every last bit of their fishing gear in a rowing boat moored at the wharf before doubling back into town. I followed them the whole way back and saw them slip inside one of the abandoned houses.

‘Does he say which one?’ Rozalia asked me. I lifted the page up and showed her a small map that my predecessor had drawn in one corner of the page before continuing my narration.