‘No, but . . . it makes sense,’ said Forest. ‘Who better than Mackerel? I can’t think of another way to find Blackbeard.’

‘It’s madness,’ said Davey.

‘It’s illegal,’ said Ahab.

‘It’s the only way,’ said Mackerel again, desperately, hoping they’d understand.

Davey yanked at his hair. ‘Shelby . . . you can’t.’

‘I don’t need your protection anymore!’ snapped Shelby.

‘Yes —’ began Davey.

‘— you do,’ finished Mackerel.

The two brothers caught each other’s eye, and Mackerel felt a shiver run down his spine. The last time they’d seen each other had been underwater in Devils Kitchen. Davey must’ve been thinking something like that too.

Mackerel missed his brother so much. Even though he was standing right there in front of him.

‘Thanks for the ladder,’ said Mackerel.

‘Thanks for jumping into that ocean to try to save me,’ said Davey.

An awkward silence filled the space. Davey seemed to take a moment to really think through what they’d told him. He turned on Shelby. ‘There’s no way you’re cooking ice. I forbid it.’

‘Fine,’ said Shelby through clenched teeth. ‘In that case I want a divorce.’

‘So what next?’ said Forest over all the cross-talk, trying to keep them on track.

‘What’s next,’ said Davey, his angry eyes now flicking to the boy, ‘is you come clean about who you really are.’

‘Don’t,’ said Ahab.

‘We don’t even know who he is!’ said Davey. ‘For all we know, he’s working for Blackbeard!’

Mackerel didn’t follow. With a plummeting feeling in his belly, he sensed that something bad had gone down before he and Shelby had arrived. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘He’s not the real Forest Dempsey. He’s an imposter!’

‘Shut your mouth, Davey!’ boomed Ahab.

This silence filled the room like a rung bell.

Turn by turn, Mackerel looked at Ahab, then Davey, and finally Forest.

‘He was just after the Dempsey fortune,’ finished Davey.

‘No,’ Mackerel said. ‘No, not possible. How could he have known everything about Forest? About us?’

Ahab was tense. He walked over to a cupboard, pulled out a stack of scrapbooks and dropped them heavily onto the table. ‘Because he did his research.’

Mackerel turned to Forest, who was flushed with what he could only assume was shame. Or was it victory?

Everyone in Mackerel’s family had let him down. Had fucked him over. Now, for once, he thought he’d formed some kind of connection with someone, and it was all a fucking con!

‘I’m not working for Blackbeard,’ the boy said hurriedly. ‘I promise! In fact, I want to help you bring him down. He’s a danger to me too!’ He sighed. ‘And honestly, without me, you probably have no hope . . .’

Mackerel felt something brewing inside him. His whole body felt hot.