The guard shook his head. ‘People going in, no one’s come out.’

‘Can you close the basement access?’

‘Can I what?’

Vincent saw Delroy’s Lincoln Navigator go past on Wilshire Boulevard.

He said, ‘Forget it.’

*

They got back in the elevator, and Erin called her ex-husband. Vincent heard the beep of a voicemail.

‘Tony, it’s me. Don’t let Alex out of the hotel. Call me when you get this, please.’

The barcode on her ID sticker let them off on the fifteenth floor. Terry Page had regained some energy. He was on his knees behind the reception counter, digging manically through a duffel bag, like it was a portal to a safer realm. In the office at the end of the corridor, Natasha Page was feeding documents into the humming paper shredder.

Page shouted, ‘Where’s my passport?’

‘In the bag. They’re both in the bag.’

‘I can’t find it.’

He hadn’t noticed them enter. There was a silver call bell on the counter, and Erin went over and pressed it.

The sound made Page jump. He glanced up, still pale. ‘Christ.’ He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. ‘Now what?’

Erin said, ‘I know you’re more involved than you let on. You can’t be privy to the details and be an innocent bystander at the same time. But here’s the deal: when the police question you, try to be forthcoming. I’m sure I’ll find out whether you are or not. And I’d hold on to Natasha, if I were you. She seems extremely tolerant.’

The shredder noise had probably drowned out the endorsement, but at the mention of her name, Natasha’s knees shook and then buckled. She collapsed to the floor, loose papers descending in random seesaws around her. She broke the fall somewhat with an outstretched arm, and by the time Vincent reached her she was sitting on the floor with her back to the wall. A sheet of paper was still passing through the shredder blades, adding to the mound of curlicued debris.

Vincent crouched beside her. ‘I think you blacked out for a second. If you lie down you’ll feel better.’

She shook her head. She’d lost her colour. ‘No, I don’t think I will.’ She shut her eyes, pinched the bridge of her nose. ‘Please just go. We don’t want you here.’

Earlier, she’d seemed clear that they were here to help. Maybe shock had blurred the distinction.

Vincent said, ‘I think we should stay a minute.’

‘No, you shouldn’t. Go, right now. I want you to go right now.’

Fear in her face as she looked at him. Like she saw now that there was absolutely no way out. Tethered to a man heading for a black hole. The shredder beeped and went quiet.

Vincent said, ‘You can leave with us. You can walk out of here right now.’