They all caught up on the car journey back to Ramone’s hangout over in El Barrio. Tom could hardly believe Kate’s story –his own adventures seemed like nothing next to her ordeal. Maybe she blamed him on some level for running out on her? There was a coldness about her now, a distance –but maybe she just needed some time to lick her wounds.

They spent the last minutes of the journey in silence. Tom shivered as he recognised the slum tenement they’d half-dragged, half-carried Ramone to last night. The door gaped open, hanging on a hinge. People walked by like it was nothing, like they hadn’t noticed a thing.

‘Ro?’ called Rico, first out of the car and scampering up the steps to the ruined kitchen area. ‘Ro, you there? ¿Estas bien?’

‘Ric!’ came Ramone’s raw voice from somewhere inside the place.

‘Thank God,’ murmured Jasmine, and ran after Rico.

Tom turned to Kate. ‘You sure you’re OK?’

‘Sure,’ she said. ‘Just thinking about Mommy Dearest.’

Tom grimaced. ‘With our pictures all over the New York Times, how long till we’re seen and caught?’

Kate nodded. ‘Mom won’t be leaving town till she’s found us, that’s for sure.’ She made to go after Jasmine and Rico.

‘Wait.’ He took hold of her arm. ‘Do you think your mom will really kill my folks?’

Kate looked at him. ‘I don’t know, Tom,’ she answered quietly. ‘If she does kill them, she’ll have no hold over you. But then we know she’s crazy …’

Tom sighed. ‘If I could find a cure we’d be free of this nightmare.’

Kate nodded. ‘We should get back to looking for Jicaque.’

‘Yeah, let’s talk to Stacy Stein,’ Tom replied. ‘Woollard said her own work on a cure has a long way to go, but she might have come across Jicaque through her research.’

‘Swagger told his minions to make sure Stacy got those samples back. But then he said she was the dumbest bitch on the East Coast,’ Kate said thoughtfully. ‘Why would he have said that?’

‘No idea – but coming from him that’s a recommendation,’ Tom growled.

Kate smiled. ‘OK, but if we do go see her, what’s to stop her calling the cops the second she sees us?’

‘I’m cute as a button?’ Tom suggested hopefully.

‘Well, some people seem to think so,’ Kate said tightly, and she marched inside.

They found Ramone in the wrecked TV room, sprawled on a cushion, clutching his brother tight like a kid with a teddy bear. His olive complexion was waxy, crusty with blood. Polar was standing in the corner, shifting about nervously like he needed the john, his camera raised up over his hooded face. He snapped his flash at Tom and Kate, and another bruised square of paper spewed out from the camera.