‘I realize this will cause you staffing problems,’ I continue, ‘and that it’s not easy to get back to land, but I can hang on a few days if you like so you can find someone else to replace me and maybe they can come back on the tender you take me over on? Something like that? I’d rather not wait until the next bunker, if possible. If there is a cost associated with it, I’m very happy for that to be withheld from my wages,’ I continue. Now that I’ve made my decision, in all honesty I can’t wait to get back on dry land.

‘I’ve tried to stay,’ I continue, ‘I thought it would be for the best, staying close to Lola, but it’s doing my head in. I feel like I’m going mad. I need to accept that she’s gone and move on, but I can’t do that here. And what happened to Stuart … that was the last straw really. I feel like we’re being picked off.’

‘Picked off?’ Leo repeats. Obviously this is not what I think, but I hope it will make me seem paranoid – like someone who shouldn’t be here.

‘Yeah,’ I add. ‘But I know that’s stupid. Another, more sensible part of me knows that it’s not like there’s some kind of psychopathic killer on board. Lola killed herself. Stuart got bored, went swimming, and drowned. Rick probably pissed someone off in some way or other or took one of his kinks too far. That’s what happened. Rationally, I know that.’

At least, I hope that’s what everyone else thinks. All of these things are the most obvious reasons, and the ones which, so far as I know, seem to be the accepted ones. Though I’m still worried about whether Alice knows something. She and Lola were friends, but she wouldn’t have confided her plans not for something like this. Would she?

I push the thought away. Lola wouldn’t double-cross me like that. I’m sure of it.

Leo nods. ‘I’m inclined to agree with you, Antonio. All these incidents were both tragic and unfortunate, but, in my opinion, unrelated. Sadly, not everyone is as sensible as you in their thinking.’

‘But even so’ – I twirl my finger in a circular motion at my temple – ‘my mind is going to strange places. That’s why I need to get away.’