He heard voices at the front of the property and thought it might be the postman, or even George himself. But something made him stay in the shed, out of sight. He reached out to the wooden door and eased it closed, then craned his neck to peer through the small window.

Three men walked around the side of the house into the garden. They went to the back door and opened it with keys, slamming it behind them. Alex was gripped with fear. The men didn’t look the type to be dropping in on his friend for a coffee. They had the appearance of thugs: black jumpers, scruffy jackets, bald heads and bare-faced arrogance. They weren’t the sort of folk that Alex would associate with his friend. He waited, uncertain what to do. His heart pounded in his chest as he heard crashes from inside the house. Dismay flooded over him in hot sweat and he had no idea what to do next. Should he call the police?

Before he could make his mind up, the back door opened again and the men reappeared carrying various items: a computer, some files and a suitcase. One of them looked directly at the shed and Alex ducked down beneath the window. He thought he might wet himself, and he was sure his racing heart was as loud as the thundering of horses’ hooves. He pinned himself against the wall and held his breath.

Ten minutes passed and Alex tried to stand up, but his knees had locked. He knelt forwards and rubbed the back of his legs. They’d gone into cramp and he wanted to cry out, but he daren’t. When he was able to stand, he looked through the window again. There was no sign of the men.

Fifteen minutes later, he was driving towards his own flat in Stratford. As he approached, he saw that one of the men he’d seen at George’s house was talking to his neighbour outside on the street. Alex threw his hood over his head and dipped down as far as he could without losing sight of the road and crashing. He prayed that his non-descript Vauxhall hadn’t been spotted. Looking back in the rear-view mirror, he satisfied himself that he was in the clear. He drove straight to Bethnal Green.

He left his car in one of the car parks below a high-rise and sprinted through the alleyways towards the garages. His heart pumped in his chest and sweat collected on his brow, running into his eyes. He kept his hood up and glanced over his shoulder.