‘No,’ said Davey heavily, ‘because it wasn’t an abduction. Jesse took Alexandra and Forest and they all left town willingly. I don’t know where, I don’t know why. He didn’t want anyone to ever find him. But obviously something went wrong. Now the crew think I’ve been lying all these years. After Jesse vouched for me, they think I must’ve betrayed him. Like you tried to betray me, Mack. They’ll kill me if they find me. I’m not safe anywhere.’

‘Jesse took them away? But . . .’ Mackerel didn’t understand. Jesse had left voluntarily? But then, what had made it all go wrong? And why hadn’t anyone told him? Back then, Mackerel had still been part of the family . . . From the sounds of it, even the crew knew.

Family business is supposed to stay family business!

‘Stop holding the door, Davey!’ cried Shelby.

Davey gave a watery chuckle. ‘I’ve protected you this long, babe. Let me keep doing it a while longer. If I’m dead, the crew won’t take it out on you or Kane. And Blackbeard can’t use you against me. An eye for an eye, all that.’

‘I can help!’ Shelby’s voice had risen to a desperate scream. ‘Just tell me what I need to do!’

‘Let me disappear. Blackbeard is a plague – get out of Shacktown, all of you. Please.’ He gasped with the pain of the moment. ‘Goodbye, Shelbs.’

‘No!’ She pounded on the trapdoor. ‘No! Davey!’

Mackerel tried to climb back down to intercept Davey, but he’d forced himself in too far. He was trapped.

‘Move, Mack!’ screamed Shelby, trying to push him down.

‘Wait!’ said Mackerel, his sides chafing at the edges of the fan casing. His armpit was caught.

Skin tearing, blood running down the inside of his shirt, Mackerel squirmed himself free and scurried down the rope, twisting his bad leg. ‘Fuck!’ he cursed, pain shooting up his side.

Shelby climbed down past him and raced out the door.

He limped out after her, heading down the stairs, following the sound of Shelby’s voice as she ran laps of the house, shouting Davey’s name.

When he finally caught up with her he grabbed her close.

‘Let go of me!’ she screamed, trying to fight her way free.

‘Stop shouting his name! Nobody can know he’s alive, Shelby! Nobody can know . . .’

He held her until she stopped struggling, eventually breaking down and burying her face in Mackerel’s shoulder.

Mackerel thought of Davey, and all the respect and wealth he’d gathered – gone, just like that. He knew what that felt like.

That was the thing about being king of the jungle. You’re only king while you’re in the jungle.