Robin looked around the street. It was empty, apart from an old couple walking down the other side. The woman was glancing at them, and the man was mumbling something at her, no doubt telling her to stop staring. “We are not civilians, though, are we? We did it. We went into that tunnel. We chased the Monster away. We got McConnell out of that place. It’s our fault... It’s...my...fault.”

Sally put a hand on Robin’s shoulder, a gesture that seemed alien to her, judging by her expression. “What we did...was nothing more than the police should have done in their initial investigation. Claypath got so blindsided by wanting Matthew to be guilty that he rushed the search of the tunnels, even though he didn’t—and still doesn’t—have a clear timeline of what happened. We just did his job for him. We have nothing to feel guilty about.”

Robin looked at her, and knew she really believed that. And maybe she was right. But it wouldn’t stop him feeling guilty. And it wouldn’t stop the rest of Marsden blaming him. He wasn’t going to hold that against anyone.

“Look, Robin,” Sally said, “you just saved someone’s life. You ran after two suspects, one when you were incredibly spaced out. You deserve to feel better about yourself right now.”

“And yet I don’t,” Robin said.

“I know,” Sally said, standing up, “and that’s because you’re a good guy. Samantha was a lucky woman.” She smiled sadly.

“What do I do now?”

She shrugged. “The same thing everyone does. You wing it.” And with a nod, she turned and started to walk away.

Robin watched her go for a few steps and then said, “Your name’s not Sally, is it?”

She turned. “No. It’s not.” And that was that. She left, and Robin just watched as she disappeared down the road. Robin smiled—he guessed she was “winging it.”

Where had winging it got him? It got his forehead cut open, running hot with a probable fever, and got him questioned for five hours by the police. Maybe he was the planning type.

When Sally disappeared down the road, he looked around. The old couple across the street had gone as well. The town seemed oddly silent, but then, he guessed he would prefer that than it being crowded. Maybe they were all just avoiding him.

He was startled then when he looked to the church and saw a woman standing there, appearing seemingly from nowhere. She was walking down the side of the church. She looked like she was crying. She paused and reached up to the noticeboard on the side of the church. Robin watched as she painstakingly took the pins from one of the posters. It was a MISSING poster with a picture of a cat. Mittons.