We spend the rest of the night in Holborn Police Station because apparently there’s a problem with the toilet at Kentish Town. It isn’t as nice as I’d expected for the neighbourhood, plus they confiscate our headware until Donato arrives. I’d really been hoping for Roman, but such is my luck. Donato looks even more pissed off than usual. Shandy tries to flirt with him but it doesn’t work. Maybe he’s gay. Or maybe it’s just because by that time of night her breath is lethal and her bubblegum has also been confiscated.

With that said, Donato talks to the police and the Shojis. Luckily the Shojis are really sweet, and somehow Donato makes it so Shandy and I are going to be let out. I’m not sure on the details because I sleep through most of it. When I awaken, I can recall several anxiety dreams, but I wasn’t lucid in any of them and there was no sign of Bernard. I have a bad feeling about the whole thing, especially Daphne being in the middle of it. I’m in deeper waters than I thought.

Donato is uber-grumpy when we’re finally released from the holding cell, which now has a pile of vomit and a drunk girl asleep on a bench. I don’t realise it’s 6 a.m. until I get my headware back. A big pile of messages are bursting to be read, but I ignore everything. I ping O straight away to let her know I’m all right, but then go dark because I don’t want to have to speak to her right now. She’s going to be cross.

‘Sorry you got dragged out of bed,’ I say to Donato as we walk down the silent road towards Holborn Station. And then, because I can’t help my curiosity about where Roman is, I add, ‘Was it your turn to babysit tonight?’

He looks at me keenly. I don’t know what it is about Donato, but he makes me feel guilty even for things I haven’t done.

‘I sent Roman to talk to Bernard.’

‘Oh, that can’t be a good idea. Bernard has no idea we were there, and he’s already mad because of the way Shandy’s been stalking him.’

‘I’m not stalking him!’ Shandy protests. ‘If I were stalking him, he’d never even know it until it was too late.’

‘Do you stalk many people, then?’ Donato asks.

I punch Shandy’s arm. ‘She doesn’t. It’s just a front, honestly.’

Donato gets a distracted expression on his face and there’s a break in his stride; that’s how I can tell he’s in Spacetime, but it’s a private convo. I can’t see anything.