Godfrey looked startled when he saw him, but as George pulled his arm back to punch Godfrey, he felt a blow to his stomach which knocked him off his feet. He landed with a thud on the floor. Had Godfrey punched him first? He was unsure of what had happened, but he was aware of pain. He sat up and looked down. Blood was beginning to spread across his white shirt. His hand was shaking as he tentatively touched the wound. It felt wet and strangely warm. Then he realised, he’d been stabbed. ‘Look out. He’s got a knife,’ George screeched as he saw Roger running towards Godfrey.

Godfrey turned to look at George, and in that moment Roger swung his fist, landing it heavily on Godfrey’s jaw. The force of the blow sent him flying and as he landed close to George, the knife fell from his hand. George quickly grabbed it, and managed to get himself onto his knees. ‘Don’t move,’ George warned as he held the knife aggressively towards Godfrey.

It had all happened in seconds, but it had felt like an eternity and had played out in slow motion in front of George’s eyes. He looked over at Sarah and was relieved to see she was pushing herself up from the floor with Roger gently helping. He could hear her coughing and her voice sounded raspy.

‘I thought he was going to kill me …’ she cried.

‘It’s all right, I’ve got you,’ Roger reassured her.

‘Roger, what am I going to do with him?’ George called.

Roger turned to look and his face went pale. ‘You’re bleeding, George.’

‘I know, but what about him?’ George repeated and indicated with his head at Godfrey, who was sitting passively on the floor ‘What about you, Sarah, are you all right?’

‘Yes … I think so …’ Sarah said huskily, rubbing her neck. ‘Where’s Tommy?’

‘He’s safe, he’s at my stall. Roger, I think you’d better go and find a copper … and call me an ambulance.’ George could feel himself becoming weaker as blood began to pool on the floor next to him. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold the knife at Godfrey.

Roger had one arm under Sarah’s, and the other across her shoulder. She looked a bit unsteady on her feet and was leaning heavily on him. It was stupid, thought George, but even in this crazy situation he felt jealous and wished it was him helping Sarah.

He’d taken his eye off his prisoner, and, with Roger concentrating on Sarah, Godfrey unexpectedly jumped to his feet and swiftly ran from the alley. ‘After him,’ George shouted, but it was too late. Godfrey vanished out of the alley into the busy street.