I lean my head on his shoulder. It’s a good shoulder. I don’t know why I find the idea of Roman so silly. Maybe if he had a real office instead of a kebab shop.

He says, ‘You reckon O has been looking after you. Protecting you.’

‘I know it sounds absurd, an old lady in a wheelchair protecting me. But she was.’

Roman turns towards me and takes my hands in his. His eyes are very green but I can’t stand looking into them because there’s so much I haven’t told him.

‘Charlie, she’s not your friend. She never was your friend. The sooner you understand that, the better.’

‘I know. But I can’t forget how she was good to me at a time when nothing was going right for me.’

‘Nothing was going right for you because she caused it. I checked up on the litigation between BigSky and Little Bird. It’s in O’s interests for Zborowski to disappear because it was his work that was stolen from BigSky; if he’s gone, he can’t be compelled to give evidence. It’s perfectly possible that O brought him to Meera to get his idea, then turned around and killed him. We’re looking into Meera now.’

‘And you knew this all along?’

‘It’s been unfolding. I tried to talk to you about her but you were completely in her thrall.’

‘Thrall? Don’t be insulting.’ But I’ve stupidly burst into tears.

‘Roman,’ Shandy says, laying her palm on the top of my head. ‘Why don’t you make like a detective and find where O keeps her spirits?’

He springs up in a hurry and Shandy takes his place. She dumps Edgar in my lap and I give her the cigarette, which has made me feel weird.

‘I hate it that I thought I was someone to her but I was only ever her prey,’ I tell Shandy. ‘I hate that I was so dumb. I thought I was safe in the consciousness community. ASMRtists and such, we aren’t in it for money or glory and I thought she was one of us. But she’s a snake. No, that’s not fair to snakes. Poor snakes, so misunderstood. Also rats. My point being: how could I get it so wrong? How can I trust anyone now?’

‘She’s a right shit, Horse. She’s a ratsnake. Thanks, Ro.’ Shandy takes two glasses of vodka from Roman and hands me one. ‘Cheers.’

I clink glasses with them and sink the vodka. I’ve avoided alcohol ever since the narcolepsy started, but I have to admit it has an immediate steadying effect.