She hopped down from her perch to retrieve another bottle from the wine rack.

‘Davey,’ she said slowly, ‘the Divorced.’

‘Smash all the bottles you want, but the fact remains that he just walked away from everything he loves in order to protect you,’ he said irritably.

‘It’s not heroic, Mackerel!’ said Shelby. ‘It doesn’t count when he’s the reason we’re in danger in the first place! Don’t romanticise this!’

She unscrewed the new bottle and took a big swig, and Mackerel, frustrated, pulled a bottle of honey-coloured whisky from the liquor cabinet. He poured himself a glass and leaned against the wall. The drink was smooth and fiery. His mind flicked through options. What to do?

‘Maybe I’ll just kill Blackbeard and put an end to all this myself,’ said Shelby. She held the bottle halfway to her lips, frozen, wine dribbling out onto her dress. ‘I could kill Blackbeard myself,’ she said again.

She put the bottle down and turned her bloodshot eyes onto Mackerel.

‘How do you kill a drug dealer?’

‘What?’

She came around the bench and stepped towards him. ‘How do you kill a drug dealer?’

‘You can’t —’

‘You’re a coward too,’ said Shelby.

‘You’re drunk. You’re sad. You’re in shock. You’re not thinking straight. Besides, Blackbeard is way too powerful to even get close to.’

‘Aha! So you have to get close to them to kill them. That makes sense.’

‘Shelby,’ said Mackerel, worried about how serious she sounded. ‘You really can’t tell anyone Davey’s alive. It puts you at risk.’

‘Can you stay here the night, Mack?’ she said, changing the topic. ‘Please . . .?’

He was getting whiplash from the way Shelby turned conversations whichever direction she wanted them to go.

‘I can’t. I’m bailed to Big Mane’s.’

‘What if we changed your bail address to here?’ she said.

‘You really don’t want to do that,’ said Mackerel.

‘Oh, I really do.’

‘You don’t know what you’re asking.’

She laughed, harsh and humourless. ‘No, apparently I don’t know much at all. You must think I’m an idiot for not knowing the truth. All those years . . .’

‘You couldn’t have known, Shelby,’ said Mackerel. ‘He worked hard to keep you away from it all.’

She drank more of the wine. ‘I need you here, Mackerel. I can’t do this alone.’

Though her hair fell over her face, and her eyes were red, that didn’t change the serious intent in her expression. She spoke those words with such conviction.

He took a deep breath.