No. We weren’t speaking very loudly, and the rain drumming against the roof would make it difficult, if not impossible, for her to hear our voices.

Even so, I wanted to change the topic, though for some reason my mind was drawing blanks.

“Please, Jack,” Elizaveta said, cupping my hand with hers. “I joke.”

But was she joking? There was mischief in her eyes—because she was joking, or flirting?

This was bizarre, the turn of the conversation, bizarre. And what made it even more bizarre was the fact I was attracted to Elizaveta, I’d been attracted to her ever since Jesus introduced us, and I was hoping she wasn’t joking.

I cleared my throat. She removed her hand from mine.

Thunder crashed above us, petering to a growl.

“This storm,” Elizaveta said. “Oh my God.”

The storm, the sanguinary killer out there—right. “I was thinking about everything that’s happened on the island,” I said, relieved to find the knot in my tongue had unraveled. “Do you want to hear a new theory about who might have killed Miguel?”

“Yes, of course,” she said. “Tell me.”

I explained.

“Solano murdered Miguel?” Elizaveta said, and I thought she was going to laugh, tell me this was outlandish. But what she added was: “I think you might be right, Jack. It all fits. Everything.”

“It does, right?” I said. “He lives out here. He’s a crazy hermit. He doesn’t want people trespassing on his island.”

“So he kills them.”

“And dumps them in the canals. Pepper told me it was filled with skeletons anyway, from the revolution.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“The army supposedly dumped thousands of bodies in them.”

“But Solano didn’t dump Miguel.”

“No, but that’s because he probably didn’t have time. He would have wanted to find Lucinda and Rosa first. Make sure no one could leave and give up his secret.”

“But why take his eyes?”

“Maybe that’s just his thing. Serial killers do all sorts of weird shit like that.”

“Look, Jack, I have goosebumps.” She showed me her arms. “You have solved this mystery!”

“It doesn’t mean we’re safe,” I said. “He’s still out there.”

“Yes, you are right. But I feel safer because Solano is not some Rambo. He is just old man.”

“Which is probably why he hasn’t tried anything.”

“You mean attack us?”

I nodded. “He has to know we’re here. We’re staying in his house. But like you said. He’s an old man. He might be able to sneak up on someone like Miguel and stab him in the back, but there’s nothing he can do against so many of us.”

“Oh, Jack I’m so relieved!” She leaned forward across the table and kissed me on the mouth. Her lips stayed pressed against mine for way too long to be a simple celebratory peck.