‘I love you too,’ he said. For a moment, the old Pete was back, and he blinked at her. ‘Jesse? Did you just kiss me?’

She laughed. ‘Only a little. Don’t think it means we’re engaged.’ She leant forward and brushed his short-cropped hair affectionately. ‘Take care of yourself, Pete. Maybe I’ll be back. Stranger things have happened.’

‘Definitely,’ he said, and smiled, just a little. ‘See you.’

She sat back on her heels, and nodded at Myrnin, who leant in and captured Pete’s stare. It seemed to take more effort for him now, but Pete’s expression smoothed out and took on that blankness again, and Myrnin said, ‘Go home, Pete. You remember what I told you to do?’

‘Yes,’ Pete said. ‘Go home. Drink. Forget everything that happened today except what Jesse just said.’

‘Exactly so. Goodbye, Pete.’

‘Goodbye,’ Pete said, and climbed out of the van. He walked to his front door, opened it, and was inside in thirty seconds.

Myrnin slid the van door shut. ‘Next, we say goodbye to your friend, Claire. And we get what’s needed and head home.’

‘What if I don’t want to go?’ Claire asked. She wasn’t serious, but it was almost worth seeing his double take. And Shane’s very anxious expression.

‘You can’t stay here.’

‘You could at least ask me what I want to do,’ she said. ‘But yes, I know staying here isn’t an option. Not any more. There’s too many questions. And too much chance I could be connected to what happened out there. At the very least, Liz is going to be connected, and that means I’ll be questioned as well. Plus, my boyfriend’s basically a wanted felon.’

‘So not my fault,’ Shane said. He put the van in gear, and it was a short drive to the row house Claire shared with Liz. There were no signs of police, at least, though there was some kind of official seal on the door. ‘We’re not going to want to hang around here, guys. I’m guessing my picture’s been passed around, at the very least.’

‘It’ll be fast,’ Claire said. She got out of the van, leading Liz by the hand, and walked her up the steps. She broke the seal on the door with her house keys, opened up, and shut the door behind them. Inside, the lights were off, and the house smelt like unwashed dishes and old wood.

Liz blinked and looked around, like a sleepwalker just coming out of a coma. ‘I – what happened – Claire? Claire, I – those people, they took me …’ She blinked again, and Claire saw the horror dawning in her eyes. ‘Oh God, I can’t believe I got away. They were going to sell me!’

‘I know,’ Claire said softly. ‘But you’re safe now, sweetie. Derrick was one of them. He’s gone now. You’re going to be all right.’