In the morning, Shane became the designated driver of one of the trucks, and Jesse took command of the other. They got as far as they could, and then Oliver booked them hotel rooms that night. He, Myrnin and Jesse each got their own accommodations; Michael and Eve, of course, shared theirs.

Oliver handed Shane and Claire each key cards. ‘I have no knowledge of, nor interest in, your current relationship,’ he said. ‘Use both, use one, use neither, or sleep in the van. Whatever you choose that involves me the least.’ Like Jesse and Myrnin, Oliver was looking absolutely exhausted. He kept Irene Anderson with him, but Myrnin had – in Shane’s terms – whammied her into submission. She stayed passive, and Oliver didn’t even need to tie her up.

Claire didn’t want to know what Oliver intended to do with her. She still couldn’t quite bring herself to care.

She paused with her suitcase at the door of her room, and looked down the hall. Shane was puzzling out his own key card, finding out which way the arrow went into the lock; he sensed her looking, and sent her a nod.

Claire nodded back, walked into her room, and set the suitcase on the bed. She stripped her clothes off – clothes she never intended to wear again – and got into the shower. The hotel’s shampoo and conditioner smelt like honey and ginger, and the soap smelt like lime; she decided that she would end up smelling like someone’s kitchen pantry, but at least it was better than how she’d been smelling, like sewers and blood and fear.

She put on a clean pair of jeans, a plain blue top, and walked down to Shane’s room. She knocked.

He answered. He’d been in the shower, too … his hair was still damp, and he was wearing the hotel bathrobe.

‘Hi,’ she said, and came in. She closed the door behind her. ‘I don’t want to spend another night alone, if that’s okay with you.’

‘You seriously think I might object to that.’

‘No,’ she said, and stepped in closer to take hold of the tie of his robe. ‘But how about this? Any objections?’ She untied one loop of the knot, and hesitated. He was watching her with a strangely vulnerable intensity. ‘Shane?’

‘I love you,’ he said. It came out in a rush, as if he couldn’t wait to get it out. ‘I love you and Jesus, you scare me. Having to give you up was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, Claire; I can’t do it again. Please tell me – please tell me that you’re coming back for good. Or at least, if you leave, let me go with you.’

‘You came with me this time.’

‘I followed you. I didn’t come with you.’ It seemed to be important to him that she understand the difference. And she did, she really did.