I perpetually scan for the most dangerous ones, those with thin pincers and thick tails. I’ve treated soldiers who’d encountered them when they’d used walls for cover, or when they’d hollowed out dugouts. I’ve watched them writhe and scream from the neurotoxic sting. Dressed an arm as raw as a third-degree burn from the cytotoxic poison of the Hemiscorpius lepturus, for which there is no antivenom.

The spiders frighten me less. Out to forage in the dark, the danger is that they will crawl into my blue prison while I sleep and I will inadvertently crush them, forcing them to retaliate.

How many hours did I spend spraying the sandbags encircling the medical tent and our sleeping quarters to prevent scorpions entering? How often did I move beds as far away from the inside walls as space would allow, imagining that despite our care, a life might be taken inadvertently in the night?

As for our own sleeping quarters, the others would make fun of my efforts. They weren’t scared of a wee spider, they told me.

While all the time, a scorpion was already among us.

16

‘Who?’

McNulty’s expression was a mixture of feigned surprise, guile and, without a doubt, self-satisfaction.

McNab wondered if Janice had registered the fact that McNulty much preferred to be questioned about his possible connection to a drug cartel, rather than for beating up his partner.

‘Jess questioned you about the Sandman. That’s why you hit her,’ Janice said.

‘You’ve got no chance on the domestic so you’re switching to some geezer called the Sandman?’ he laughed, his big belly shaking against the table.

‘Once the word gets out . . .’ Janice said in a voice that suggested he should be worried about his welfare.

A flicker of animal cunning sprang to life in McNulty’s eyes.

‘The tits tells jokes. Ha fucking ha.’

McNab realized he was grinding his teeth. He forced his mouth open a little and sat back in his seat, curbing his desire to cut in on Janice’s questioning.

‘You’re supplying. Jess was making things difficult. So you shut her up. Knocked two teeth out in the process and broke her arm, which unfortunately meant an A&E visit.’

McNulty was the one now gritting his teeth.

‘A bit embarrassing to be put away for hitting a wee lassie when you’re such –’ she moved her eyes to the bulging belly – ‘a big man.’

McNab watched as the curtains came down on McNulty’s eyes. It was all over, for the moment at least.

‘Why the fuck does she stay with that bastard?’ McNab said as they emerged from the interview room to breathe in air that wasn’t filled with the stink of McNulty.

‘Because he’ll kill her if she leaves,’ Janice told him.

‘We could definitely get him on that,’ McNab said, only half in jest.