Some time, when he was already four quid in the hole and wouldn’t be able to earn without advertising. Out of the way, when Aaron was right here with his lonely eyes, and desperate, passionate handwriting, and a mouth that looked luscious with Joel’s cock in it. It wasn’t fair.

“If you say so,” he managed, like a sensible grown-up. “If that’s best. Can I contact you? How will I know when I can come back?”

Aaron hesitated. “That’s a good question. It depends on how vindictive Colthorne might be, and on—well, what happens here.”

Something clicked in Joel’s head. “Happens here? To you?”

“About all this.”

“And what will that be?” Joel enquired. “Does DDI Colthorne give up being mean to you if he can’t put the thumbscrews on me?”

“I doubt that.”

“Then what will my going achieve? Just that he’ll need to find a different way to sack or frame or murder you? Is that what you have in mind? Aaron Fowler, are you being a martyr?”

“I’m not—”

“Yes you are. Get off me.” Aaron half lifted; Joel squirmed furiously round. “You’re sending me off so you can sacrifice yourself, aren’t you?”

“For God’s sake, Joel, why should you be caught up in this?”

“Why should you be? We haven’t done anything wrong! Except, you know—” He waved vaguely. “Why aren’t you fighting this? Firebrand Fowler might have been a martyr at home, but I never heard he turned down a scrap!”

“Because I don’t have anything to fight with! Do you not think I’ve tried?”

“No, I don’t! You haven’t talked to me till now, and you haven’t talked to anyone who might listen. Have you?”

“Who’s going to listen, still less help? The Commissioner won’t want to know, and Colthorne’s been setting me up as untrustworthy or unreliable for God knows how long. I can’t think of anyone I could safely talk to, in case they go back to him. There’s nobody I can trust. Christ, I’m a fool.” The words sounded like they hurt. “I’ve spent six years of my life in the Met. Six years, my father, so much lost time, and all for what?”

“For justice,” Joel said. “To stop bad people. That was what you joined for, that was what you wanted to do and good for you, so why don’t we do it now?”

“We?”

“You asked who’d help you. There’s me.”

“That is—something,” Aaron said carefully. “It means a very great deal, as an offer. But I don’t know what you can do.”