“But what’s his name?”

“He’s my father.”

“Do you have a last name?”

“My name’s María.”

Elizaveta swallowed her frustration.

“She’s got no bloody concept of time,” Jesus said in English.

“Ask her a time question,” Pita said.

“You ask her,” Elizaveta said.

“She likes you.”

“I’m not getting through to her.”

Pita licked her lips.

“Go on, try,” Jesus said.

She grinned at María a bit foolishly and said, “Hi, María. I’m Pita. Are you happy today?” She was trying to sound disarming but came across as more frightened than anything.

“My name’s María.”

“How old are you, María?”

“I’m ten years old.”

“No you’re not!” Rosa said.

“I’m ten years old.”

“I think you’re a bit older than that, María,” Pita said.

María stared at her—glared at her, that switch inside her flipped to angry once again. Then she returned her attention to the carrot. After looking at it for a long moment, she took a bite.

“She’s a fucking lunatic,” Jesus whispered in English.

“Don’t provoke her!” Pita said.

“She’s clearly not making any sense. She thinks she’s fucking ten years old! Jack, will you tie her up now so we can get the hell out of here.”

“You want to leave her tied up here by herself?” he said.

“She killed Miguel and Nitro, man! Tie her up! We’ll send the police back to get her.”

Jack ignored him and said, “What’s she been saying?”

Elizaveta shrugged. “Just…stuff. Jesus is right. She’s not making any sense. She said her father went to the city yesterday, and she’s ten years old. I don’t think she’s going to be much help—what?”

Jack was frowning at María. “What’s she doing?”

Elizaveta looked at the woman. Her eyes were fixed on Jack, intense, unblinking.

“María?” Elizaveta said.

She didn’t reply.

“María?”

No answer.

“Why’s she just staring at me?” Jack asked.

Jesus smirked. “She’s got the hots for you, Jack-o.”

Jack tweaked the pistol back and forth.

María didn’t react.

“María?” Elizaveta said.

Nothing.

“Maybe she’s sleeping?” Rosa said.

“Her eyes are open,” Jack said.

“María?” Elizaveta said.

She blinked. “My mom and dad had a baby.”

“What did she say?” Jack asked.

“That her mom and dad had baby,” Elizaveta said. “I think she just had seizure.”

“What the hell do you know about seizures?” Jesus said.

“I’ve seen seizures before,” she said, referring to the epileptic children she knew in the orphanage in which she’d grown up.

“Don’t you shake and stuff?” Jack said.

“There are many different kinds of seizures.”

“My mom and dad had a baby,” María said again. “And her name is Salma.”