His voice crackled with anger and fear, unless that was the buzz of fury in Aaron’s ears. He forced down the wave of rage and self-reproach. “Did he touch you?”

“No. I paid up. Four quid in advance.”

“And have you gone to the police?”

“Of course not.”

People so rarely did. Aaron knew all the reasons. “Go on.”

“This morning I had another visit, same man. He said Sabini had changed his mind, and if I could pay four quid a month I could pay ten.”

“Good God.”

“I said, is it going to keep going up, because that’s some inflation you’ve got there. He said yes, it was. I—got a bit upset. And he waited for me to, uh, finish being upset, and then he said Darby Sabini might let me work something out, if I had sufficiently useful information for him.”

“What information?”

“That’s what I said. He said I needed to talk to Mr. Sabini about it. I said I didn’t know anything useful. He said, what about your pal the copper?”

Aaron’s fingers tensed convulsively on the stem of his wine glass. He made them relax before he snapped it.

“I said, what pal is that,” Joel went on. “He said, the one who keeps coming round here, who took you out for curry just the other day.”

“Ravioli for you, signore!” Angelo announced from over Aaron’s shoulder. He deposited the plates, waved the pepper grinder around, and departed.

“This smells marvellous,” Joel said, prodding his plateful. “Shall I go on or would you rather eat first? It seems terribly ungracious to spoil both our appetites with unpleasant things. Although, once I’ve told you, you might wish I’d just got on with it.”

“If we don’t eat, Angelo will be offended. I come here at least once a week and I can’t lose my favoured-customer status.”

Joel forked up a single parcel, and chewed cautiously. “Mph,” he said with his mouth full. “God, that’s good. No, you’re right, mustn’t upset him.”

They ate in silence for a few moments. Aaron was ravenous, perhaps more so because Joel had sought him out.

“I’m glad you came to me,” he said. “I made a pig’s ear of our last meeting and I’m sorry.”

Joel’s eyes snapped up to his. He had a mouthful of pasta, so Aaron took his opportunity to keep talking. “You have probably gathered that I haven’t been having an easy time, but I handled things poorly, and I apologise. It wasn’t anything to do with you.”

Joel swallowed. “Thanks. And I’m sorry too. Partially.”

“Partially?”