She flops back in her chair in a jangle and huff of jewellery, daring us to follow her lead. We both stay standing, motionless, quieting the room. Even the sunlight feels like it’s pausing on its way towards the windows.

It’s finally time, I think. The last time I’ll ever have to tell this story.

‘My name is Carly Marie Gates,’ I say, clear voice flooring the young Carly in my head. ‘Carly Marie Gates. I had an older brother, who you’ll know from the Andromeda case files as Sergeant Jason Gates. We had a baby sister … half-sister. And her name was Kayleigh.’

I pause as Olivia’s expression freezes, a painted doll propped in a chair.

‘We grew up in Warchester, in army accommodation right next to the garrison. We never had much. That’s how it all started. And I thought … I thought it had ended after the first trial concluded. That’s when I started living as Marie Grant. I was given full witness protection in exchange for my testimony.’261

I shade my eyes as the sun sparks between the clouds.

‘Everything I’ve told you about the Deptford Gazette was true – all my references: Laurie Scott, Andy Carbrook, they’re all legitimate. All I’ve ever done is try to prove myself, to try and bury all this in the past, start again. When I got my first real news media job at the Gazette, that’s when they started to tap me. It was always small stuff – little things really, just telling them what I knew of any new Andromeda investigations. It felt harmless compared to everything I’d gone through. Sometimes I didn’t hear from them for months. I could really believe I’d left it all behind. But everything changed when I got my internship here.’

Dominic’s seat wheezes as he collapses into it. I clear my throat.

‘I have never fed you any false information. Nothing like that. But I’ve been under a lot of pressure to get on top of all potential reporting on Andromeda. I haven’t … I haven’t felt like I’ve had any choice, really. I’m nothing without Marie Grant … less than nothing. And they hold the keys to all that, all my identity papers, my bank accounts, even the lease on my flat. It would be so easy for them to make Marie’s life impossible—’

‘So what changed?’ Olivia interrupts, hardly moving her lips. ‘If this story is to be believed, why would you, out of the blue, decide it’s worth risking your life as Marie Grant? If it’s as simple as tricking the news media? After all, we’re all as stupid as each other, aren’t we?’

My words freeze in my throat as I blink light out of my eyes, squinting at her. She doesn’t believe me. Of course she doesn’t. No one ever does, until…