‘You should have called her bluff,’ Simeon said. ‘Jump to Bili and she’ll make use of you.’

Is it use? Is it need? He doesn’t ask if it is love. He doesn’t use the word any more, not even to himself, not even at night. It is too ragged. Either that, or the idea of love, what the word is meant to mean, has emptied out into the songs he can no longer listen to. He’d settle for the balm of need, even a little of it.

On this morning of the case, Jericho also wakes early. The first glimmer of light is showing on the harbour when he goes into Laedi’s kitchen. Tamba is up. She is in Moresby for a visit. She has the kettle on. Jericho opens the fridge. Eggs are a good idea on a day like this. He is standing at the table looking at them, thinking boiled? scrambled? fried? when the phone goes. Early for Laedi’s office. Boiled. It’s easier.

‘For you,’ Tamba says, and hands him the phone. ‘It is Bili.’

‘Jericho.’ For a moment he doesn’t recognise Bili’s voice, it is so strange and strangulated. ‘My laptop. It’s gone.’

‘Gone, how?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Did someone break in?’

‘No. No sign.’

‘Did you ask the guard?’

‘Benson has just come on. He said nothing was reported.’

‘Who was on last night?’

‘Davis.’

‘Do you know him?’

‘Sure.’

‘He’s okay?’

‘How can I know? How can I know anything?’ Her voice is rising. ‘Stop asking questions. Can’t you just come?’

Sweet words. In any other circumstance, they’d be sweet words, and actually, though he doesn’t like to admit it, even in this circumstance they are sweet.

Laedi is in the hallway behind him when he puts down the phone. ‘What’s happened?’ she asks.

‘Bili’s laptop. It’s gone.’

‘Jacob. It’ll be Jacob.’ She picks up the phone. Jericho stands there and listens. It takes a while to get through. He must have minders. Staff.

‘Good morning, Jacob.

‘Yes it is, very early … A strange thing, Jacob, most strange. Someone got into Bili’s flat last night …

‘No, of course. Did I say I thought it was? But with you owning the block next door, maybe one of your men saw something. Perhaps —

‘Yes. Yes. You too.’

Bili will be ropeable.

‘It’ll come back,’ Laedi says. ‘They’ll have got what they want by now.’

She hands Jericho the car keys and by the time he pulls up outside the flats, there is Benson the security guard talking to the guard from next door. In his hand is a laptop.

‘Found it down by the gate,’ the guard says. ‘Benson here tell me. Sori tumas.’

‘Who gave it to you?’ Jericho is sharp.

‘No one, Jericho Mister, I tell you true. I find it by the gate.’

‘And who sent you to look by the gate?’

‘Nobody. Nobody say. I walk about, that’s all.’

‘And do you usually go walking about when you should be on the door?’