‘No,’ Safa says with a disdainful look. ‘We could be in a park or something. Like Jurassic Park . . .’

‘That’s a movie,’ Ben says.

‘Park?’ Harry asks.

‘Jurassic Park,’ Safa says.

‘Is that in Germany?’ Harry asks.

‘It’s made-up,’ Ben says.

‘Like time travel is,’ Safa points out. She stands straight to rub her eyes. ‘Right,’ she says, looking at Ben then at Harry. ‘Yep, still there,’ she says, looking back out the window before turning to the door. ‘Did you know you had dinosaurs outside?’

‘Er, we did,’ Malcolm, with a new white strip across his face, says nasally, as though he is either very congested or has had his nose repeatedly broken.

‘They’re very calm,’ Konrad whispers.

Malcolm smiles nervously as the three of them turn to stare. ‘Er, so . . . um . . . the boss is ready to explain and, er . . .’

‘Is that the one with the dark hair?’ Ben asks. ‘The English one.’

‘Er, yes,’ Malcolm says. ‘That’s the boss . . . Roland.’

‘Roland?’ Ben asks. ‘Is that his name?’

‘Good question,’ Safa says sarcastically. ‘Well done, Investigator Ben.’

‘Oh, we’re dead, are we?’ he asks her and gets a scowl in return. ‘Got bloody dinosaurs in the afterlife then, yeah?’

‘I think we should meet this Roland,’ Safa says, ignoring his comments.

‘Maybe he’s dead too,’ Ben suggests.

‘Such a twat,’ she mutters. ‘Harry?’

‘Yes, miss?’

‘You don’t have to call me miss, Safa will do. We going to meet this Roland?’

‘Aye.’

Ben looks past Safa to Harry and spots that relaxed, benign go with it expression is back on the big man’s features.

‘Roland will explain everything,’ Malcolm says carefully. ‘But please . . . we really need your help,’ he says, dropping his voice and edging closer into the room. ‘All of you,’ he adds, looking at each in turn. ‘We can’t get on without you and it was hard enough getting you three so we couldn’t go back and get more cos, like, my nose is already broke loads and I told Roland I ain’t going back any more and . . . like, it’s desperate and . . . it ain’t what you think, it really isn’t . . .’

‘I’m not going back either,’ Konrad says, shaking his head emphatically. ‘Please . . .’ he adds with a pleading tone.

‘For what?’ Ben asks.

‘Please,’ Malcolm says. ‘Let Roland explain it . . .’

‘Fuck it,’ Ben says with a sigh and moves towards the door. ‘I’m going with them. I’m so confused.’

‘Everyone is,’ Malcolm says earnestly. ‘But it’ll be alright.’

‘Now you three are here,’ Konrad adds. ‘Roland said that was the hardest part . . . getting you three.’

Safa and Harry follow behind Ben as Malcolm and Konrad go out into the corridor and move down towards the door at the end.

‘Hello,’ Harry says with a wry grin as he looks up and down the empty corridor, ‘where’s everyone else?’