In the hallway, he nearly barrelled into Big Mane, whose eyes were wide, as though seeing him for the first time.

Mackerel felt a rush of shame, which only made him angrier. He ducked his head and fled to his room.

It had felt good seeing that surprise in Linda’s face, but he couldn’t even lose his temper with the police without apologising. Where did that leave him? The old Mack really was gone.

CHAPTER 17

AHAB

The ambulance rumbled and pitched, bringing Ahab’s mind back to memories of this exact scenario with his mother. How many times had she overdosed, and he’d had to come with her to the hospital? He tried to push those thoughts away.

Beside him, Forest lay on the gurney, eyes closed, shivering from the cold. Ahab grabbed another blanket and put it on top of him.

The kid was so much thinner than Ahab had expected. Seeing him in Big Mane’s lounge was the first time he’d actually set eyes on the boy, and now he was struck by how malnourished he looked. Big dark lines around his sunken eyes. Like the effects of sleep deprivation had become permanent. Those sunken eyes looked just like his mother’s had in the grips of her addiction. Just what had been done to this boy?

Forest’s forehead wrinkled and a steady burn rolled in Ahab’s chest. He thought of the tattoo getting buzzed into Forest’s back. Who would be evil enough to do something like that to a child?

Jesse was. He’d been a cruel, cruel man.

Then it came to him. Blackbeard. Blackbeard was evil enough to do it, too.

Was it cause and effect, some connection he couldn’t see yet? Or was it simply that Blackbeard had been waiting for the right time?

What happened to you? Ahab wanted to ask. He wanted to take Forest’s shoulders, shake him . . . What happened to all of you? But he wouldn’t. This boy deserved better. And he would get better. That this could happen to Ahab’s own family was inexcusable. In Ahab’s town! He’d spend the rest of his life trying to make it up to the boy, if that’s what it took.

As though reading his mind, Forest’s eyes opened and locked immediately on Ahab’s. They were a startling shade of aqua. Just like his father’s.

‘We haven’t really had a chance to chat,’ said Ahab. ‘Do you remember me?’

‘You’re my dad’s cousin. But you were more like a second father to him,’ said Forest without hesitation. ‘I remember.’